A CONTEMPORARY DESIGN IDENTITY FOR THE MIDDLE EAST

THE NEW ARABIC

PERSONAL BACKGROUND I am a multidisciplinary designer and creative consultant currently based in Berlin. My studio specializes in product design, branding and design thinking. In collaboration with my interdisciplinary network INFINITY we develop groundbreaking and sustainable solutions for a better tomorrow.

ABOUT

MISSION During this project I would like to evaluate how far we could shift the current perception of contemporary Arabic design by starting to implement digital pattern-aided workflows into local design education, creation and manufacture hence establishing and fostering an own unique Arabic design identity for the whole Middle East.

ABOUT

MANIFESTO

1) A KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER OF WESTERN DESIGN STRATEGIES AND ARABIC CULTURE

2) TRANSLATING THE HUGE ARABIC CULTURAL HERITAGE INTO THE CONTEMPORARY

ARABIC WORLD VIA DIGITAL DESIGN SOLUTIONS & TOOL PIPELINES

3) DIGITAL DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS, CREATIVES

AND LOCAL COMPANIES AND STARTUPS

4) FUNDING & ASSISTANCE OF UPCOMING CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS AND VENTURES

5) REUNITING THE ARABIC WORLD THROUGH A COMMON ARABIC DESIGN LANGUAGE

SELFCONCEPTION OF DUBAI During my 1 week trip to Dubai in 2009 invited by Rami Farook of TRAFFIC gallery for the first time I’ve gained some insights into the uncomplicated Emirati way of thinking without traditional Western doctrines and common risk aversion which is extremely beneficial and also mandatory to kickstart a movement of such a scope.

ABOUT

WHY DUBAI?

1) Always the innovation hub for the Arabic world

2) Open attractive expad culture and English as main language

3) Dominating non-oil-related economic sectors as transport, finance,

trade with a strong future orientation

4) Future Foundation with it’s digitalisation approach

5) Used to massive growth and rapid adaptation

6) uncomplicated, accelerated, hands-on approach (”fail-fast-fail-often”,

testdrive evaluation) towards even complex projects

7) National consciousness towards self-sustainability and responsibility

for the future

LACK OF CONTEMPORARY ARABIC DESIGN RESEARCH

If you do some research on Google, resource websites, design platforms or social media (Pinterest) you would almost find only minimal graphic designs and art. Furniture design is at most slightly decorated with minimalistic patterns as well as you would find always the same manageable range of signature pieces hosted on all popular design websites.

INTRODUCTION

A LACK OF CONTEMPORARY ARABIC DESIGN OVERVIEW

The importance of physical contemporary Arabic design is very limited. Most are tiles, graphic design or minimalistic interior — almost no products or architecture that go beyond traditional arts & crafts as most are rather kitsch. By analysing contemporary Western designs and moreover implementing discussed pattern-aided workflows we could introduce further levels of interpretation and create real relevance.

INTRODUCTION

SEPARATION OF THE ARABIC WORLD

As initially not intended by T. W. LAWRENCE (Lawrence of Arabia) the Arabic world was artificially separated after WW1 by the UK and France. Since then the whole region was suffering from a huge cultural identity loss.

INTRODUCTION

Map of T. W. LAWRENCE’s original idea how to organize the Arabic region T. W. LAWRENCE: English Collonel, leader of the Arab troops agains, the Osman Empire

LOST ARABIC IDENTITY Especially young Arabic people start to creatively address the question of the lack of an Arabic identity. This applies especially to Arabic countries with a long and strong Western influence. Therefore an institution like a design innovation hub for contemporary Arabic design and culture could considerably reinforce a common cultural Arabic identity.

INTRODUCTION

Fatima Al Qadiri (Red Bull Music Academy Tokyo 2014 Lecture)Monira Al Qadiri: THE FUTURE WAS DICHROIC

A SCOPE OF CONTEMPORARY ARABIC PATTERN DESIGN

During this project a main question could be concerning contemporary Arabic design, how far somenone could go with exploiting patterns by combining traditional and digital strategies. Further should be evaluated, how to use patterns in a nano, micro, macro or mega context — for a microtextural, textural, structural or organisational purposes.

WORKFLOW

THE POWER OF PATTERNSEXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO ARABIC DESIGN

The following examples are my quick implementations of smart pattern based digital design workflows to easily elevate even contemporary western design to meaningful unique pieces while showing the huge potential of creating a fresh and strong Arabic design identity through pattern aided design.

WORKFLOW

DIGITAL PATTERN APPLICATIONS

On the bottom you see 3 different digital pattern application and quick pattern results above. This approach goes further and is way faster than traditional Arabic pattern generation. It would be very nteresting to invest into software development that would totally transform current design development processes. This is only a start.

SymmetryMill (SymmetryShop)Standalone application

KalleidAndroid app

MirrorMeIllustrator Plug-In

WORKFLOW

FASSADES WITH RANDOM ALGORHYTMIC PATTERNS

Scripting becomes quite common to all mayor architecture firms but is actually in its early beginning so facade scripting departments come up with all kinds of “interesting” algoryth-mic patterns wrapping and giving a cutting edge touch to organically designed signature architecture whereas contemporary Arabic patterns could therefore substitute the random patterns and give a cultural relevance and origin as well as an overall visual structure.

WORKFLOW

NEW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIESAND ARABIC PATTERNS

Tapping upcoming digital strategies in conjunction with software companies and in collaboration with the rapid manufacture sector we could connect those developments with contemporary Arabic design thus producing unimaginable results and potentials.

WORKFLOW

STRUCTURAL PATTERN-DRIVEN SOFTWARE

These are a few plugins and applications that generate standalone structures but are also distribute patterns in innumerable ways which is a good starting position to implement modernized Arabic pattern work and explore the possibilities and limitations as well as thinking about how to further develop these software approaches or find promising tool combinations to extend existing capabilities thus bending the status quo of Arabic design.

Voronax (Grasshopper based voronoi creator)

EvoluteTools (parametric surface tiling) Stella (polyhedron creator)Manual creation of polyhedrons

Armadillo (parametric, algorythmic modelling for Rhino3D)

WORKFLOW

TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH Especially at universities (ETH Zürich, Technische Universität Wien) and applied research labs (Disney Research, Autodesk) we find progressive research in the field of 3D applica-tions. Sadly most findings and software applications are patented and restricted to intellectual policies. That is why collaborations, partnerships, residentials and recruiting come in very beneficial to tap the potential for the creation of future design workflows.

Calculating the balance points and accordingly adjustment of input 3D data Software to design and distribute different materials in one 3D-print

Software for balloon design (Disney Research)

WORKFLOW

COMBINING SCANNINGRETOPOLOGY AND VR

By following the initiatives of V&A museum London, to gather profound 3D-scan libraries of existing art, then transfer scan data via retopology into accessible 3D-data as well as implementing VR technology into digital prototyping processes this would significally accellerate the whole design and production workflow.

UNITY 3D + Oculus RiftDigital realsize/1:1 prototyping via VR

3D-Scan ProcessV&A Museum, London

Retopology Convert Scan data to surfaces1 Modo, 2 Fusion 360, 3 Topo-gun, 4 Autodesk Remake

WORKFLOW

INVESTMENT, EDUCATION AND PEOPLE

Since the founding of the UAE the main focus of all investment was in people and a self-sustainable future without oil dependencies. The most sustainable investment howev-er is education. This is why a major emphasis of this project is the instant implementation of all processes and findings into local education as explained in the next slides.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

RESIDENTIALSWORKSHOPS

Residentials and workshops in an established innovation hub would be a sustainable longterm institution attracting cutting edge international experts for a future collaboration and knowledge transfer concerning design, architecture and 3D-science especially in the context of an accelerated educational implementation (guest professors, assistance).

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS Whether it’s starting an educational knowledge transfer on traditional and future related approaches or simply to recruite talent there are a couple of interesting initiatives and educational establishments available to start interdependent collaborations.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

https://www.psta.org.uk/

The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts Westminster University of Architecture

https://wewanttolearn.wordpress.com/https://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/faculties/architecture-and-the-built-environment

HAYMATLOZJEWISH GERMAN PROFESSORS REFORMING THE TURKISH UNIVERSITY SYSTEM (1933-45)

One interesting scientific and organisational knowledge transfer was happening during WW2 where immigrated Jewish German professors where developing the whole universi-ty system in the just established Turkish Republic ranging from agricultural sciences to fine arts. A recent docu “Haymatloz” (German: Heimatlos = homeless) portrays the children of those professors and their first hand experiences.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

SHANGRI-LATHE DORIS DUKE FOUNDATION

Shangri-La is a foundation for the Islamic culture since 1993 and is holding artist residen-tials to do further research on Arabic culture. This would be a first good address to generate a holistic view on Arabic design and architecture and initiate the knowledge transfer between the Middle East and the West also relying on the foundation’s archives.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

SYSTEMIC / IDENTITY DESIGN / ARCHITECTURE

These historical examples of a systemical and identity focused design approach should only roughly illustrate the power of consistent visual guidelines (red 600-page Nazi style guide “Organisationsbuch der NSDAP”) to even create an artificial cultural identity through design (3rd Reich). This should demonstrate the possible impact of a consistent visual and systemic design (graphic & product design, architecture) to reinforce cultural identity.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

3rd Reich Creative main figures like Albert Speer and Arno Breker had a great impact on the standardized cultural German identity

Russian Avantgarde El Lisitzky Bauhaus Hannes Meyer, 3rd leader of the Bauhaus and his systemic approach

NEW PRODUCTS THROUGH NEW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

This is a nice example of how a simple implementation of visualisation software (Real-Flow) into product design could create novel and stunning results which only illustrates the vast untapped potential of a multitude of neglected software packages, plugins, extensions, unique scripts. This understanding strongly advocates for an interdisciplinary thinking approach on existing and upcoming digital design and creation solutions.

Liquid Marble by Mathieu LehanneurCNC-milled aluminum and marble

RealflowVisualisation software to simulate a variety of possible water conditions like waves or oceans

FUTURE DESIGN

3D-KnittingNIKE shoe production, imagine the sofa above with complex 3D-knitted textiles

Complex 3D-Sinthering (Single object, different materials)3D-printed objects get more and more complex, the question is, how we will use these potent technologies beyond mere L'art pour l'art

INCREASING RELEVANCE OF RAPID MANUFACTURE

The complexity of fabrics is still a key factor for the quality of any upholstery. Whereas 3D-knitting and all other digital manufacture technologies are improving in price decline and speed exponentially, we could estimate a very bright future for complex Arabic patterned fabrics and therefore uplholstery. Remember most minimalistic designs are minimalistic just economically. And now imagine a local self-sustained 3D-production.

FUTURE DESIGN

DESIGN RELATED STARTUP OR MANUFACTURE ADVICE

Leading the design department of Germany’s biggest online furniture company and have been working in many different creative fields like traditional furniture design, industrial design, fashion or retail, I accumulated many ideas and strategies on how to either amplify and elevate services of existing brands as well as how to design, organise and sharpen products and services of future design entrepreneurs much more effectively.

Headboards.comMy idea of selling not beds but designing just headboards to effectively change the look and feel of your bedroom.

Tylko.com (Customized online furniture)Yves Behar (fuseproject) backed and designed online furniture startup from Poland. Implementation of furniture configurators and augmented reality.

FUTURE DESIGN

PROCEDURALITY: FUTURE ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING

As procedural architecture is currently stagnating in the gaming industry nevertheless I would highly emphasize an considerable investment into a systemic real life imple-mentation for future city and system planning combining all comprehensive city development processes controlled and generated via artificial intelligence.

Individiual Metaphorical Architecture- developed by one architectural firm- processes inhouse and hidden- slow knowledge transfer- design proess split by separate planning and digital design (scripting) division for impressive shapes and facades

Procedural Systemic Architecture - parameter driven design of complex architectural systems - comprehensive library-aided design pipeline (3D assets, patterns, script definitions, individual programs)- multiple disciplines involved into design and city development get fully AI-automised and intertwine on 3 levels (nano = textures, materials, micro = details, single objects, structures, macro = com-plex systems)

TODAY TOMORROW

FUTURE DESIGN