Role of design education in a changing Middle Eastern society is focus of VCU-Qatar conference

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar will host its second annual international design conference Feb. 21-24, bringing design experts from around the world to explore how design can act as a catalyst for innovation as well as preservation in a rapidly changing Middle Eastern society.

Building on the success of Tasmeem Doha 2004, Tasmeem Doha 2005 will provide an exceptional opportunity for the people active in Qatar's government and industry to understand how developing Qatar's design tradition can be a significant contribution to growth.

The symposium will feature nine speakers, each representing the school’s three main departments, interior design, graphic design and fashion design.

“Tasmeem” means “design” in Arabic, and this year’s theme is the role of education in design. The school’s faculty has visited several universities throughout the Middle East and their counterparts from Iran, Canada, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and India are expected to attend the symposium.

Among the most progressive Arabic Islamic countries in the Gulf region, Qatar is experiencing rapid changes in its social, environmental and commercial sectors. This development is fueled by the significant wealth generated by Qatar's oil and natural gas industry.

“One of our main goals is to inform the community of what design can do for a growing country such as Qatar,” said Leland Hill, organizer for Tasmeem Doha 2005 and an assistant professor at VCU-Qatar. “Through this we raise the awareness of design and raise the need for professionally trained designers to work once their education is finished.”

The conference gives VCU students the opportunity to listen, learn and meet with professionals who have been at the forefront of design for decades. It also offers them an opportunity to see what is going on in other design schools and universities.

“It's an inspirational event that enlightens, educates and motivates students, faculty and professionals, said Hill. “It's crowded, it's a rush, three days of non-stop information that brings people together for a short time but the memories last much longer.”

Conference speakers scheduled to appear include:

Rick Poynor (Graphic Design)
Rick Poynor founded Eye magazine in 1990 and served as its editor for seven years. He is a columnist for Print magazine and Eye and he has written about design, media and visual culture for Blueprint, Frieze, Domus, I.D., Metropolis, Adbusters, The Guardian, The Financial Times and many other publications. His books include two essay collections, "Design Without Boundaries and Obey the Giant," and "No More Rules," a critical overview of graphic design and postmodernism. In 2003, he was guest curator of the exhibition 'Communicate: Independent British Graphic Design since the Sixties' at the Barbican Centre, London. He is co-founder of the design weblog www.designobserver.com.

Shashi Caan (Interior Design)
Shashi Caan is the director of the Interior Design B.F.A. program at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. Born in India, she was educated both in the United Kingdom and in the United States, earning degrees in art, industrial design and architecture. Caan’s unique and multifaceted cultural and educational background is seen in her textile and carpet designs. Her achievements are widely recognized in magazines such as Architectural Record, Interiors, Elle Décor, and Contract Design.

Fred Dust (Environmental Design)
Fred Dust leads IDEO's environmental design practice from its office in San Francisco. An architect by training, Fred's work in the field of healthcare services includes a cardiac-care center in Indiana and a new format for mobile dental-care centers that earned him recognition in Metropolis magazine. In addition to his work as an architect, Dust spent several years as a project manager for retail stores and Oxygen Media Networks.

Ibrahim Mohammed Jaidah (Architecture)
Ibrahim Mohammed Jaidah is the managing director of Qatar-based Arab Engineering Bureau. As director of AEB, he works to enhance the architectural style of modern Qatar while preserving essential elements of its distinctive historical legacy. Imbrahim's research in this area is the basis for an upcoming book on Qatari architecture. During his tenure, he has worked on major projects such as the Diplomatic Club, Al-Fardan Tower at West Bay and Qatari embassy buildings in Yemen, Sudan and Turkey as well as consulates in Jeddah and Dubai.

April Greiman (Graphic Design)
April Greiman's innovative ideas in Graphic design earned her media recognition in the New York Times and Domus magazine and on CNN, PBS and ESPN. Her explorations of typography and imagery gained a cache of clients including AOLTime Warner, PacTel, Esprit and the United States Postal Service, which issued a postage stamp of April's design. She is in collaboration with architectural firms like Emilio Ambasz & Associates, Will Bruder Architects and world-renowned Frank O. Gehry & Associates developing signage and exhibitions.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec (Furniture)
Brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec live and work in Paris. Their work received world attention when they won the Grand Prix du Jury International at the Paris Furniture Fair in 1998. Since then, the brothers' designs earned them the Best New Designer award in New York in 1999, and a Compasso d'oro nomination for the Spring Chair in 2001 in Milan. Major clients of their designs include Ligne Roset, Habitat, Vitra and Issey Miyake's APOC shop in Paris, where they completed the interior design.

David Wolfe (Fashion)
David Wolfe is currently the creative director of Doneger Design Direction, a color and fashion trend forecasting service. He is a popular TV personality, appearing on The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight and CNN as well as talk shows and news programming. David serves as international fashion Editor of Men Mode and Couture magazines and his views and forecasts have also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Women's Wear Daily, Vogue, Glamour, and Forbes magazines.

Valerie Steele (Fashion & Culture)
Valerie Steele is editor of Fashion Theory and the chief curator and acting director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. As an expert in fashion and culture, she has authored several books on fashion including "The Corset: A Cultural History," "Shoes: A Lexicon of Style" and "Paris Fashion among others."

Ruth Carter (Costume Design)
Ruth Carter, a two-time Oscar-nominated costume designer, began her career in American television as an associate producer in 1979. Since then, she has designed costumes for several Hollywood films working with directors including Spike Lee and Stephen Speilberg. She was nominated for Academy Awards for her work on Malcolm X and Amistad. Carter’s contribution to the world of costume design and motion pictures earned her the female Career Achievement Award in 2002.
The conference is free and open to to the public. It is made possible under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, chairwoman of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development in collaboration with the Qatar Ministry of Civil Service Affairs and Housing.

For more information on Tasmeem Doha 2005, visit www.tasmeemdoha.info.