Nez Gebreel, CEO, of DDFC speaks about the Dubai Design Week and its importance in bringing the design community together to foster cooperation, encourage learning and nurturing talent.
As Henry Ford once famously said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
Creating a collaborative environment is the cornerstone of innovation in any field, but it is especially important for those whose trade is design. There is much to be gained when designers come together to explore the development, process and practice of design. An individual designer’s work becomes richer as he or she is inspired by the talent and expertise of others.
Design week is a concept that is fundamentally geared at fostering cooperation. Designers across different disciplines and verticals unite under one umbrella and work hand-in-hand to create and celebrate world-class design. Now in its second edition, Dubai Design Week is a platform that brings exceptional talent from all over the Middle East together, helping the world discover new voices in regional design. Alongside Downtown Design, which has firmly made its mark as a key forum for trade professionals, Dubai Design Week is bringing us one step closer to building a true world-class design community.
Platforms for designers such as these two landmark events are propelling the conversation about Dubai as an international center for design and innovation. Nevertheless, as we prepare for the city’s biggest celebration of design, it is important to remember that there is much more that goes on behind the scenes.
Slowly, but surely, the regional design industry is transitioning from being primarily invested in importing and consuming design to substantially creating and exporting design-driven products and services. Day in and day out at d3, new studios are opening and designers are moving in. As the Dubai Design and Fashion Council, we are working together with key stakeholders across the industry to launch and develop new initiatives to support designers on an ongoing basis.
We hope to achieve this sustainably, by nurturing and empowering homegrown talent, by encouraging people to take interest in regional designers, and by continuing to collaborate, innovate, and engage with the design community across the Middle East.
With Dubai Design Week and Downtown Design just over a week away, be sure to sign up for talks and workshops, take part in events and spread the word about this season’s programme at d3. Everyone in the city can be part of this change.
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