Middlesex University Dubai's first
FREE Graphic Design Festival!
Featured speakers include
STEFAN SAGMEISTER
Sagmeister and Co, NYC
SANAZ SOLTANI
Studio Kargah, Tehran
ADRIAN SHAUGHNESSY
Unit Editions, Royal College of Art, UK
JILL SPRATT
International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD)
About
THAT Design Festival 2022 is a blended, two-day design event that focuses on inspiring the next generation of young creatives
- our student cohorts in the UAE and across the MENA region. It brings together a global selection of speakers who will explore their design practice tailored to inspire today's learners to succeed in their chosen discipline.
The curated programme includes insightful presentations from designers, typographers, copywriters, brand developers and illustrators showcasing projects that promote better design practice. Through presentations and Q&A sessions, you'll explore first hand how design and branding agencies are operating today.
Schedule
Dr. Kevin Badni is the Dean of the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University, UAE. Before becoming an academic Kevin spent ten years as a professional designer in Britain’s creative industries, working with numerous clients ranging from small entrepreneurs to blue-chip clients. He has managed government and European research grants and has had the privilege of running the UK’s first commercial Virtual Reality centre. Along with holding patents, Kevin was awarded a British Design Council Award for his product design.
Firstwater, UAE and Australia - 10:30 AM
'Clarity, Purpose, and Impact: Making Branding More Accountable'
Dan Dimmock will bring our attention to the concept of Brand Value Creation through his case studies, explaining the origins of Purpose and how significant social and environmental impact has become in branding and design today.
Dan is co-founder of Firstwater, a conscientious cohort of passionate change-makers, senior-level strategists and creative consultants with oodles of global brand management experience. The consultancy is at the forefront of change, accelerating a global shift to reinvent business as a force for good. Partnering with leaders and organisations worldwide, co-creating transformational brands that make a concrete impact reality.
Dan possesses a wealth of multicultural brand-building experience from living and working in New York, London, Dubai, and Singapore, working with an exciting range of organisations of all shapes and sizes and across all regions. From start-ups to Fortune Global 500s, NGOs to nations themselves.
Fred & Co, Australia - 11:30 PM
‘To shout or not to shout? The importance of Brand Tone of Voice’
David's practical presentation will cover off, what is Brand Tone of Voice - BTOV?, how BTOV changes based on a brand's strategic positioning and target audience, how to create a single brand message with the integration of BTOV and design, and which brands' BTOV are keeping their audience engaged. Fred&Co is a creative digital-centric advertising and content agency based in Brisbane, Australia. Driving responses with difference matters most to them. They get a kick out of turning data, creativity and digital into results that change behavioural patterns to build brands and businesses. David Lucas has over 28 years' experience in Advertising working at international agencies of M&C Saatchi, Wunderman and ‘hot-shop’ digital agencies. In that time, he’s worked on over 92 brands and won or been a finalist in 56 creative effectiveness awards. effectiveness awards.
Impact BBDO, Advertising Agency, Dubai
‘Behind every great design is a story’
What turns your dots, lines, shapes and colours into a logo or into something meaningful? It’s always the story behind it. When you create, always begin with a story and see how it not only supports your work, but makes it more powerful. Rana Sadek is an experienced creative designer with extensive experience creating the visual components of clients’ branding and marketing initiatives. Her career has been highlighted by developing creative and innovative designs and campaigns that have resulted in not only significant sales growth, but extensive market penetration for leading international brands including Al Dar, Yas Mall, Government of Dubai, Al Futtaim, Orange, Etisalat, Royal Jordanian Airlines, the National Jordanian Football Team and Ferrari World. She has a strong arts and design background, with a Masters degree in Graphic Design from Falmouth University in the UK.
Pixel Hunters, Dubai
‘Immersive Design’
Ani Atanasova’s talk will be about Immersive design and the power of games and gamification. Dr. Ani Atanasova has a Ph.D. in Quantum & Optoelectronics and spent years in science, research, teaching, and industry. She has worked on several patented projects of the EU in magnetic field measurements, laser, and laser applications. She is also third year 2nd Ph.D. in progress in the field of education. Since 2009, Dr. Ani Atanasova is the co-founder and CEO of Pixelhunters, a company based in Dubai, and an expert in Content Creation, Technology Implementations, Knowledge Applications. Pixelhunters is working extensively for the government sector with multiple projects developed for education, training, awareness, and innovative marketing, based on VR/AR/MR and gamification. The company has 12+ years of history, more than 1000 projects delivered worldwide, and more than 100 international industry awards.
AUD Dubai
‘How working in 3D can enhance your design practice’
Michael Rice is an Irish Artist, Designer, Maker and Educator who specialises in ceramics; his work is concerned with surface, texture, natural geometry, gestalt principles and archetypal forms, all components of any design practice. Michael has a Degree in Fine Craft Design, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Art and Design), and a Masters Degree in Multi-Disciplinary Design, all from the University of Ulster. His work is exhibited internationally. As an Educator he has taught in Schools, Colleges, Universities and Art centres worldwide and has undertaken artist residencies in the UK, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, UAE and Indonesia. Michael is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics based in Geneva and is the IAC UNESCO representative for the UAE. As a writer, he has published articles in the UK based international magazine of Art and Craft ‘Ceramic Review’, and the Australian publication ‘Ceramics Art and Perception’.
Unit Editions, Royal College of Art, UK
‘Editorial Design in the Digital Age’
His talk will look at how his practice has gone from graphic design to one that includes writing, editing and publishing. It will look at such questions as: what is editorial design in the digital age? What is the future of printed matter in the age of Instagram and Tik Tok? What are the creative strategies for combining texts and images in ways that engage an audience in the age of distraction? Adrian Shaughnessy is a graphic designer, writer, publisher and educator. He has written and art directed numerous books on design and has been interviewed frequently on television and radio. His book, ‘How to be a Graphic Designer . . .’ has sold over 80,000 copies. He is a co-founder of Unit Editions, the design publishing imprint. He lectures extensively around the world. He is a tutor in graphic design at the Royal College of Art, London.
Irene Previn Studio, Australia
‘Photographic illustration and collage’
Irene Previn will talk about her passion for photographic illustration and how she transitioned from designer to fine arts illustrator . Irene Previn is an experienced graphic designer with over 25 years experience in the use of Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator, specialising in long form document design and management. She has received specialised training in food packaging and has extensive experience in production for all kinds of print. Irene is also passionate about photographic illustration and vintage collage assembly using photoshop to construct and deconstruct images into collectable pieces of artwork. Irene is Senior Designer at FJK & Associates in Melbourne, Australia. She has her own design company and has also worked as a design Educator at the University of South Australia.
Maak Design Studio, UK & Dubai
‘Creating a design studio’
Ghazwan Hamdan will share his unconventional entrance into the world of design and advertising and discuss the challenges of owning and establishing a studio across several countries. Make Design Studios are an independent design company, with a 15-year proven track record of partnering with global brands and new ventures to create beautiful and impactful digital, brand and design solutions. Ghazwan Hamdan is the Creative Director and Founder and heads up the Dubai studio. Prior to founding Maek, Ghazwan was Head of Design at the multi-award-winning creative agency Deepend, and then went on to freelance as an art director at JWT, Poke, de-construct and the BBC, among others. Ghazwan’s expertise is broad and includes strategy, brand identity, animation, website design, illustration and video editing. He holds a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design from Nottingham Trent University.
Studio Kargah, Tehran
‘Creating a design studio’
Ghazwan Hamdan will share his unconventional entrance into the world of design and advertising and discuss the challenges of owning and establishing a studio across several countries. Make Design Studios are an independent design company, with a 15-year proven track record of partnering with global brands and new ventures to create beautiful and impactful digital, brand and design solutions. Ghazwan Hamdan is the Creative Director and Founder and heads up the Dubai studio. Prior to founding Maek, Ghazwan was Head of Design at the multi-award-winning creative agency Deepend, and then went on to freelance as an art director at JWT, Poke, de-construct and the BBC, among others. Ghazwan’s expertise is broad and includes strategy, brand identity, animation, website design, illustration and video editing. He holds a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design from Nottingham Trent University.
International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD)
‘Expressing through type’
International Society of Typographic Designers, ISTD, is a professional body run by and for typographers, graphic designers and educators. The Society has an international membership who share and support its aim to create and inspire interest in all forms of typographic communication. Working closely with education and industry, ISTD establishes, maintains and promotes typographic standards through the forum of debate and design practice. Membership is awarded to practising designers, educators and graduating students who demonstrate, through the quality of their work, their commitment to achieving the highest possible standard of visual communication.
Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland
‘Dyslexia, type and self publishing.’
John Tarpey has faced many challenges as a designer while suffering from dyslexia. He will share …… John Tarpey is a Graphic Designer, Typographer and Educator. Originally from Kiltimagh, County Mayo, John Tarpey is a product of a small, rural town of the nineteen seventies through to the nineties. Since leaving college in 1998 he has worked in various graphic design positions as practitioner and as an educator in five Institutes of Technology in Ireland. John has now settled in Waterford City, where he works as a lecturer of graphic design at Waterford Institute of Technology. He continues to persue his interest in graphic design and problem solving with a focus on improving the design process for others.
Sagmeister and Co, NYC
‘Pushing Design Boundaries’
Stefan Sagmeister will talk about the most successful strategies he has used throughout the past 25 years. He will share how challenging oneself to explore, and have fun, allowed him to come up with concepts that push the boundaries of design. Stefan Sagmeister has designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO, and the Guggenheim Museum. He’s a two time Grammies winner and also earned practically every important international design award. Stefan talks about the large subjects of our lives like happiness, beauty or art, how they connect to design and what that actually means to our everyday lives. A native of Austria, he received his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a master’s degree from Pratt Institute in New York.
Registration
We are a proudly not for profit event, and have relied on the generosity of sponsors and contributing universities to keep the price accessible for our target audience - students!
STUDENTS
Online FREE
PROFESSIONALS
Online FREE
ACADEMICS
Online FREE
Your registration includes:
The registration includes complete access to a packed two-day schedule of speakers and to a recorded archive of all the sessions.
Want to reach out?
Simply get in touch with us at [email protected]