Dubai, UAE, 23 May 2023: Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) ramps up to summer and graduation season with its second annual Graduate Exhibition. Running from 23 May to 1 June, the showcase will feature 29 innovative final research projects and prototypes by select students in the upcoming graduating class. The exhibition is open for public viewing at Building 7 in Dubai Design District (d3).
DIDI, which offers the region’s first multi-disciplinary bachelor of design degree, was established in 2018 to empower a new generation of designers, innovators, and entrepreneurs in the Middle East and beyond. The Graduate Exhibition is a key fixture in the annual calendar when senior-year students showcase four years of design thinking and product development.
This year’s exhibition explores the many disciplines of design, from product to fashion and multimedia, with a special focus on sustainability ahead of the upcoming 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28). From multifunctional clothing created from zero-waste pattern-cutting techniques to underwater sculptures made from bivalve seashells to support marine life, the projects demonstrate the school’s approach to creative, data- and innovation-driven solutions that enrich communities and the environment.
Commenting on the exhibition, Mohammad Abdullah, President of DIDI, said, “Innovation is a fact of the future world. Our philosophy at DIDI is to ensure that the people guiding this digital-first future place the wellness and happiness of people and the planet at the heart of all development and design. This year’s Graduate Exhibition allows the greater public to see how DIDI and its faculty intend to do just that. Visitors will see for themselves a snippet of our students’ education, brilliance and creativity, and how design plays a pivotal role in future development.”
Hani Asfour, Dean of the DIDI, adds: “The Capstone projects of our seniors express deeply the ethos and principles of our multidisciplinary curriculum in our second Graduate Exhibition. Our students have spent the past four years tackling the latest in technology, sustainability, and design. From creative problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking to critical thinking and strategic innovation, DIDI’s students show how the youth of Dubai is humanizing technology and building a resilient world for tomorrow.”
A sneak peek of innovative design solutions on display
Among the projects on display, visitors can see:
- Synchronicity: A tool that harnesses the power of AI algorithms and heat map analysis to enhance users’ focus, manage time effectively and improve productivity by tracking their gaze on laptop screens.
- Tajmauna: A mobile app-based puzzle game that connects expats in the UAE to local heritage through interactive challenges and social connections.
- Emotional Vision: A virtual reality device controller that makes virtual environments more accessible to visually impaired individuals.
- Gahwatna: A sustainable solution to the issue of coffee and packaging waste, developed by two Emirati students.
- Sensous: An ergonomically designed, lightweight walking stick for the elderly that aims to enhance mobility and deliver a stable, sensory-oriented walking experience.
- Transform: Three multi-functional garments that can be transformed into seven different pieces of clothing created using 3D printing technology and zero-waste pattern-making.
- Seashell Waste: A thesis proposing using discarded bivalve – or hinged – seashells to design underwater sculptures that promote marine colonisation and wildlife preservation.
With a world-class curriculum designed in partnership with MIT and Parsons, DIDI offers the first multidisciplinary design programme of its kind in the region. DIDI’s vision is simple: to prepare students for a world where today’s jobs may not exist in the future.
The university’s Bachelor of Design (BDes) course incorporates four disciplines: Product Design, Multimedia Design, Fashion Design, and Strategic Design Management. This cross-concentration path allows students to seamlessly blur the boundaries between traditional fields of design, increasing their ability to practice empathy, solve complex problems, think critically, and develop heightened emotional intelligence.
Projects are available for viewing from 10am-10pm between 23 May to 1 June at the atrium in Building 7, Dubai Design District.
