Dubai Design Week in 7 Steps

It all starts tomorrow!

It’s one of the most anticipated moments of universal exchange and creativity in Dubai and the world: Dubai Design Week (12-17 November).  Thousands of design luminaries, thought-leaders, artists, brands, industry voices, journalists and design-lovers come together from around the globe to celebrate UAE talent and partake in conversations that could – and will- change the lives of everyone in the world. The free-to-attend programme will feature more than 230 events throughout Dubai Design District (d3) and across the city with +120 institutions, as well as Downtown Dubai and the new Downtown Editions.

Every day this week, id will be posting information about special events, programming, exhibitions, installations and product launches that have chosen to use DXBDW as their platform.  But we’ve listed just a few highlights to get you motivated for the week!  So let’s start:

Step 1

Just tap for the app and you can create your own person Design Week programme! Just head to the Dubai Design Week website and download the app!

Use the Dubai Design Week app to create your DXBDW plan!

Step 2

Open a new door! Head to Abwab. Acting as a snapshot of design activity in the region, Abwab is re-modeled annually, responding to new blends of designers and an evolving creative landscape. For the fourth edition, located at the centre of Dubai Design District (d3), Abwab will host a collection of design experiences drawn from five communities in the Middle East; Amman, Beirut, Dubai (supported by Tashkeel), Eastern Provinces of Saudi Arabia (supported by Ithra) and Kuwait City. Two designers are invited from each place to collaborate and produce works situated in dedicated pavilions related to the theme: ‘Between the Lines’. These lines are physical and metaphorical, lines of territory, topography, the implied, and those in drawings or text. Visitors will experience storytelling as an instrument to reveal and conceal a communities’ record by navigating through five pavilions hosting regional exhibits. The 2018 Abwab pavilions are designed by Architecture + Other Things, made by Research & Development. The twigs have been offered by Bee’ah, and newspaper pulp provided by The National.

A preview of the Abwab concept for 2018.

Step 3

It’s time to get schooled. Head to the Global Grad Show to see what the future of design looks like. An exhibition of life changing inventions designed by graduates from the world’s best design and technology schools, Global Grad Show values innovation that transcends technology and exists independent of wealth; equality without hierarchy amongst universities, regions and designers; universal design open to all types of projects; and impact on the world at large through solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. With more than 1000 submissions, double the number received last year, Global Grad Show 2018 will showcase 150 selected projects from 100 of world’s top universities and emerging programmes.

AQUAIR is a portable fog-harvesting device that pulls potable water out of the air.

Step 4

Now that you’ve opened new doors and seen how the next generation is going to design a future world that looks like today’s science fiction, it’s time to think about a little something for yourself…. It’s time to head to Downtown Design and the new Downtown Editions. Taking place in its custom-built exhibition space on the d3 Waterfront again this year, in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), the 2018 edition will present a selection of established and emerging exhibitors, comprising over 175 brands, including 40 regional designers. New this year is Downtown Editions; a curated section within the fair, dedicated to bespoke and limited-edition design from all over the world, with a spotlight on the region.

Downtown Design has added a new curated feature, Downtown Editions.

Step 5

Find something amazing? Go out, relax and take a spin through some of the amazing exhibitions (stay tuned for id’s upcoming selections this week!). But here is a sneak preview from one of Dubai’s most recognised studios: SUPERFUTUREDESIGN*. In partnership with Wood-Skin®and Alkanoids – both distributed by H&H Studio – the studio will unveil ‘Parametric Surfaces’. The Instagrammable project explores the domains of futuristic aspects in the world of design, like augmented reality with multi-faceted surfaces of Wood-skin from sound-absorbing materials.  With its origami like characteristics the material evolves into endless shapes and functions. The composite panel has a visible layer which adds the final finish to the surface, which will possess a number of colors and textures.

SUPERFUTUREDESIGN* will be presenting its installation ‘Parametric Surfaces’.

Step 6

Need a break? Head to one of our suggested cafes or restaurants and then sit down, relax and get ready to take notes. This year, the much-anticipated  Dubai Design Week keynote speaker is none other than the spirited Paola Navone.  (16 November from 4.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. the Main Stage (Building 4, Atrium).

Paola Navone, photo by Giovanni Gastel

Step 7

What’s next? It’s up to you ….download the app and stay tuned to identity.ae for suggestions throughout the week.  See you there!

Read more features here.