Circular Design: Material Innovation & Entrepreneurship
The program equipped emerging designers, creatives and entrepreneurs from various backgrounds such as architecture, fashion, product or packaging design who are based in either Jordan, Lebanon or Iraq, with the knowledge and guidance to develop and apply sustainable materials in various contexts and turn their ideas and approaches into sustainable products and businesses.
Through weekly online workshops and experience inputs, combined with offline field trips and practical challenges, the program provided an overview of recent trends from the field of sustainable material innovation and entrepreneurship as well as hands-on practical techniques. The program invited the participants to first un-think conventional knowledge while learning about new approaches from urban mining (recycling and upcycling) to bio-materials and material processing (Week 1-4).
Subsequently, participants were guided in the process of specifying their own ideas using design research methodologies and developing them into a sustainable business model, from ideation to business planning and financing. They later got the time to work on their own project ideas and exhibited everything in a final exhibition at the end of the program in Beirut. The event provided the participants with the unique opportunity to showcase their work, exchange knowledge and ideas with peers and network with relevant stakeholders from the entire region.
Facilitators & Curriculum Designers
Annette Fauvel
Annette Fauvel is a german designer with a strong focus on sustainable materials. After studying at different universities in Germany and abroad, she got her Master degree in Conceptual Textile Design in 2013. Since then, she has worked as a textile designer, e.g. for Nya Nordiska, as a buyer for home textiles and leather goods at Manufactum, but also as a freelance designer and consultant. Sustainability, social and ethical viability became more and more important for her - next to an aesthetical approach: As we need to create more awareness about sustainable designing and consuming processes, she started teaching design students in 2018. Currently she is working as an assistant professor for product design at the Art University in Kassel and is teaching as a freelancer, e.g. sustainable material technology at the Burg Giebichenstein Art University Halle in Germany.
Bassam Huneidi
Bassam is a design consultant and educator. Throughout his career, Bassam has worked with Fortune 100 clients including Google, Barclays and Virgin among others. His work has been granted several awards and patents as well as being shared on publications such as Dezeen and Yanko. He currently lectures on human centred design at Al Hussein Technical University and consults clients on product design.
Program Participants
Albatol Al-Sarraf (IRQ), AlHakkam Falih (IRQ), Chantal Mhanna (LEB), Charbel Sayah (LEB), Ghanwa Kataya (LEB), Hala Balaa (LEB), Iman Najjar (LEB), Layan Al Nimer (JOR), Mohamad Chalabi (LEB), Niga Salam (IRQ), Reem Hilal LEB), Sarbast Burhan (IRQ), Sheelan Shaban (IRQ), and Sokar Hamasharif (IRQ).
The Jury
Guillaume Credoz
Ravin Rizgar: Ravin is Innovation Director and Co-Founder of Innovation House a non-profit organization that provides young people with skills, start-ups, and well-established businesses with access to rapid prototyping and product development. She has a bachelor's in Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering and currently doing her master’s degree in Production Engineering, prior to Innovation House she worked with Field Ready an international non-profit organization as a Program Lead in Iraq, through which she has designed many training programs and delivered training in Design thinking, especially for people with Disability, soft skills, leadership, Technical training and also awareness sessions about the SGDs.
Partners
FANTASMEEEM is a program initiated by the Goethe-Institut Libanon adopting a holistic approach towards fostering creative entrepreneurship as well as encouraging collaborations and knowledge sharing in the design industry in Lebanon.
With its KHAN AL FAN project, the Goethe-Institut Iraq is promoting the emerging market of cultural and creative industries, the entrepreneurial and political perception of the sector, and the development of employment prospects in Iraq.
takween is an integrative creative industry hub which aims to support designers and creative entrepreneurs in Jordan through a series of learning opportunities and community-building initiatives. The hub has been initiated as a collaboration between the Goethe-Institut and platform27 in 2018.