contributions
Design discourses emerged in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR)
SAAD, Qassim
Interdisciplinary Design, School of Design and the Built Environment-Curtin University-Perth, Western Australia
qassim.saad@gmail.com
Presentation
Abstract
This study will offer an overview of applied discourses of design in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), including Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. These countries have been known for their pioneering statues, creative engagements, and influence on shaping, resourcing, and sustaining the emergent project of modernity in the region since the 1940s. Studies of the contemporary discourse of design for these countries are acknowledged as underdeveloped, with extremely limited studies addressing its context and practices. This study will survey identical phases throughout the contemporary history of these countries. Explore and critically review key thematical in the regional socio-political rhetoric since the 1950s. The study is arguing concerning the needs to utilise design discourses to empower the regional societies facing the current chaos. The study identified four thematical periods; these are reflecting the socio-political rhetoric influences (1) the colonisation era; articulate the socio-cultural perspective concerning craft-making and craftsmanship in the region (2) postconisation and emergence of modernity; emerging design as a cultural manifestation enhances the regional socio-economic development (3) the rises of the national state; design as a socio-political manifestation utilised to reinforcing identity and local traditions (4) autocracy expansion and the current chaos; the emergent of social design.
Design and Social Context, Craft, Design in the Eastern Mediterranean, Modern Design.
About the Author(s)
Dr Qassim Saad is an Iraqi industrial designer living in exile since 1991, holding BA, MA & PhD in Industrial Design. He taught design and assigned for academic leadership roles since 1984 in Iraq, Jordan, New Zealand, Egypt, Germany, and recently here in Australia. Saad understanding of design is providing the stimulus for futurelooking, dynamic approaches to innovation, building on its nature as inter-disciplinary and applied knowledge culminated by creative practices. The landscape of design education is changing around the globe where design schools are transforming into centres of collaboration, utilising new knowledge in science, engineering and social sciences in the process to designing new applications, services, and systems. The process has empowered the creation of further specialised new design disciplines, with innovative teaching practices including broader inter- and trans-disciplinary research scholarship. Saad research embraces creative practice outputs and traditional scholarly publications related to design and social innovation ‘outside the centre.’ Aim to articulates future scope to empower societies, in developing countries, particularly achieving a better quality of life, through applying design methods and practices, as strategic tools, to facilitate their social systems mega problems. ORCID: 0000-0002-5641-9957
Co-presented by:
