DIDI spotlights sustainable design with a dynamic programme of expert-led talks, creative workshops and student exhibitions during Dubai Design Week

• DIDI to showcase innovative student projects in sustainable fashion design and food production, along with an engaging gamified experience.
• A stimulating panel series featuring DIDI’s faculty will highlight themes such as emerging technologies.  
• Director of Technology at Museum of the Future will host an inspiring talk on the evolving concept of organically built environments.
• CEO of world-renowned furniture design brand, Saporiti, to shed light on sustainable and classic furniture design.

Dubai, UAE, November 2023

Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI), which offers the region’s first multi-disciplinary Bachelor of Design, revealed today an immersive, sustainability-led programme of workshops, rotating exhibitions and a series of design talks set to take place during Dubai Design Week.

Running at its campus in Dubai Design District (d3), a global creative ecosystem part of TECOM Group PJSC, from 8 – 10 November, DIDI’s programme will explore practical and theoretical applications of innovative design thinking, giving visitors a glimpse into student life and learning opportunities at the pioneering university. Visitors can expect a comprehensive exploration of the future of sustainability across diverse sectors, from student-led panels on food production in dry landscapes to exhibitions on sustainable fashion design and production.

The university will also host an array of workshops and classes, all of which are open to the public. The Director of Technology at the Museum of the Future, Sundar Raman, is leading a session on 9 November on the evolving demands and potential of built environments. Furthermore, Rafaele Saporiti, the Chairman and CEO of world-renowned Italian interior design and furniture company Saporiti, will talk about the shifting expectations of classic and sustainable furniture design.

Commenting on DIDI’s participation, Mohammed Abdullah, President of Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI), said: “At DIDI, we believe education must break out of the classrooms and enter the real world. Lectures are still an integral part of how our esteemed professors impart their wisdom on students, but the added element of creative solutions for real-life problems, projects and initiatives is how we really drive home the lessons of our design and innovation-led curriculum. Our participation at Dubai Design Week provides event visitors with a firsthand experience of our curriculum and commitment to the skills and thinking of the future. Design enthusiasts can learn from our professors, international experts and students how design can impact and shape pertinent challenges we’re facing globally, further strengthening the synergy and collaboration between educators, artists, designers, and students.”

The DIDI Atrium in d3 Building 4 will house much of the action and activity, including rotating exhibits of student fashion design projects and presentations by Saporiti.

Below is the schedule of workshops and talks. All sessions take place at DIDI’s Campus in d3 Building 4:

• Experimental Kitchen
  This immersive workshop, led by DIDI professors and students, addresses how local materials and resources can impact sustainable food consumption practices and product design. Using DIDI student projects as a jump-off point, the conversation will look to local environments and address how the desert can provide new ingredients, tools and resources to evolve food preparation and counter food scarcity.
  When: November 8, 5-6 PM
  Where: DIDI Atrium, Building 4
• The Relationship of Design & Crafts
  In this panel discussion, organised by Professor Carlos Montana from DIDI and designer Samer Yamani, Creative Director of Creative Dialogue, panellists will explore the relationships between contemporary crafts, design and sustainability with a focus on materials, techniques and the social aspects of the creative practice. International panellists David Places and Gal Hart will share their work in contemporary crafts, which will be exhibited at Downtown Design as part of the Visions of Catalonia Contemporary Craft showcase.  

When: 9 November, 2-3:30 PM
Where: DIDI Classroom, Building 4

• 3D Printing and Future Technology
  Explore the different 3D-printing technologies [SM1] [MI2] at this two-part session at DIDI’s innovative Fab Lab. First, visitors can learn about the three different types of 3D-printing (FDM, SLS and SLA) with a close look at the machine and see real 3D-printed projects. In the second half, visitors will experiment with bio-materials, learning first-hand how they are essential in sustainability while making jewellery, key chains and other products they can take home. 
  When: 9 November, 5-6 PM
  Where: DIDI Fab Lab, Building 4
• Museum of the Future: In the Future Will the Walls Play with You?
  Sundar Raman, the Director of Technology at the Museum of the Future, will host a discussion on the evolving conception of built environments. In his presentation, Raman will focus on society’s readiness for organic environments that adapt to seasonal changes, are dynamic and provide comfort, consistency and security.
  When 9 November, 7-8 PM:
  Where: DIDI Studio Mezzanine, Building 4
• The Saporiti Design Experience by Raffaele Saporiti[SM3] [MI4] 
  Rafaele Saporiti, the Chairman and CEO of world-renowned Italian interior design and furniture company Saporiti, will discuss classic and sustainable furniture design. Celebrating in part its new office at d3, the CEO will also introduce Dubai’s design community to the Saporiti Design Challenge with DIDI’s Vice President of Innovation and Institutional Partnerships, Hani Asfour. Established in 1948, Saporiti is known for its iconic collaborations with famous architects and designers worldwide.
  When: 10 November, 10 AM
  Where: DIDI Atrium, Building 4
• Game design for All: DEE-DEE The Game[SM5] [MI6] 
  Take a deep dive into DIDI in this multimedia gamified experience developed by DIDI’s own students. Inspired by Harvard-led studies which found that games promote healthy development in youths and reinforce knowledge, this unique experience invites visitors to experiment, strategize, problem solve and get a feel of DIDI’s creative community playfully. 
  When: 10 November, 11 AM
  Where: DIDI Atrium, Building 4

For more information and to register for DIDI’s workshops and panels, please visit: [LINK]

Interested students looking to study design can also take free tours of DIDI’s campus throughout Dubai Design Week. DIDI will be hosting tours daily at 4 PM from 8 to 10 November.

DIDI was established to address the growing need for talented designers and innovators in the UAE and beyond and aims to future-proof the next generation. Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Education, the private non-profit university boasts a curriculum created in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Parsons School of Design.

DIDI’s multidisciplinary design curriculum aims to foster the cultural and creative ecosystem in the UAE by nurturing young talent and equipping them with knowledge-based design thinking concepts and applications. It encompasses the latest curricula and academic experiences delivered by a team of specialised academics from the design and technology fields.

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 [SM1]– Can we receive more detail on what this workshop entails? How will visitors interact with 3D printing and biomaterials?

 [MI2]I am waiting for lab manager to come back to me. It is a fabrication lab where students can turn their ideas into reality. In short.

 [SM3]Can we receive more detail or context on the topic? Will any DIDI professors be moderating/interviewing him or will it be a presentation?

 [MI4]Title of the talk:

The Saporiti Design Experience

Short overview of your talk:

To celebrate the opening of its new office at Dubai Design District, Saporiti Italia, in collaboration with the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, has organized a design challenge for DIDI’s students.

Raffaele Saporiti, chairman of Saporiti Group, and Hani Asfour Vice-President of the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation will introduce the Saporiti Design Challenge to the Dubai design community.

Duration:

30-40 mins

The talk will be held near the platform Saporiti designed for this occasion. It will be a standing event so that we can gravitate around the installation.

I’ll moderate/coordinate the talk.

 [SM5]Can we receive additional information to strengthen this?

 [MI6]It is basically a game that multimedia students developed themselves. Here’s the full details: Research from Harvard has shown that games are essential for healthy development in youth and beyond. Play lets students practice what they know, and what they don’t. It allows them to experiment through trial and error, find solutions to problems, work out the best strategies, and build new confidence and skills. This is the reason why we invite you to play our DEE-DEE The Game and discover our environment: DIDI, Design Institute of Design and Innovation. You will learn about collaboration, gamification and immersive environment. You will have the opportunity to know us in an experiential and playful way and be part of our community.