Doha - VCUQatar in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs launched its annual design conference; Tasmeem Doha, 2008. The international design conference, titled Design at the Cross Roads: The Intersection of Change and the Future, is open to the public will take place at VCUQatar from March 3-6.
New to the conference this year are lunchtime presentations. The presentations will take place each day of the conference at 12.15. Participants will have time to get lunch beforehand, but refreshments and light snacks will also be served.
Doodle, the newly inaugurated student club, will hold its first event on the first day of the conference.
VCUQatar students will also display their work in the fields of graphic, interior and fashion design. Zelda Harrison, the president of the board of AIGA Centre for Cross-Culture Design, will give a presentation on the history and mission of the centre. She will also lead a discussion on possible collaborations between VCUQatar and AIGA. On the final day of the conference, Ahmed bin Shabib publisher of Brownbook, will give a presentation on the Dubai-based design and lifestyle magazine.
"This year in Tasmeem we have improved the format to include lunchtime presentations highlighting Doodle a VCUQatar Student Club, the AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design and Brownbook magazine. We feel that with the inclusion of the lunchtime presentations a well rounded schedule is provided to the attendees," said Donna Duffett Events Project Manager.
Each afternoon of the conference, the chair of VCUQatar's graphic design department, Muneera Spence, will moderate a discussion with the day's presenters. Questions will be taken from the audience during the discussions. The conversations will expand upon the topics and issues discussed in the day's presentations.
Last year VCUQatar instituted a pre-conference workshop for students, led by conference presenters, to address design problems in Qatar. This year there will be groups of students, from universities in Education City and worldwide, working with design professionals and conference speakers to address the issue of navigation and "wayfinding" in Doha and Qatar.
© The Peninsula 2008
