D-Crit Conference Presentations: Hala Abdulmalak, William Myers, Frederico Duarte

Hala Abdulmalak, “al-Kafiye: A Potent Symbol Uncovered—Design, Identity, Icon, Concept”

http://www.vimeo.com/11555198

In this thesis, Hala embarks on a journey to discover the Kafiye of today. Starting from the assumption that the Kafiye (the traditional Arab headscarf) is the strongest symbol to come out of the Arab world, she uncovers the elements that have made it what it is today. By touching on issues like identity and appropriation, she makes a powerful discovery filled with original research and never before exposed findings.

“al-Kafiye: A Potent Symbol Uncovered” traces back the origins and narrates the path of a design that is synonymous with one of the foremost global political issues, the Palestinian dilemma, and yet has managed to infiltrate high fashion and street wear all around the globe. Arab at its core, the Kafiye manages to be a multitude of things at the same time—traditional, ethnic, practical, stylish, trendy, scary, and revolutionary. Adopted by various fashion designers, commercialized and cheaply produced in China, one would expect the Kafiye of today to have lost any meaning or depth. That is far from the case, as this extraordinary item is still reinventing itself.

Keeping the power of this symbol alive depends on the spread of information and the expansion of discourse. Through a process of analysis and understanding, the story of the Kafiye is uncovered from Ancient Mesopotamia until contemporary times through a novel study of design, identity and material culture.

William Myers, “Bacteria Building for Sustainability: The Convergence of Design and Biology in the 21st Century”

http://www.vimeo.com/11556712

Today’s intersection of design and biology—as seen in design proposals that employ new architectural technologies, and impose principles once only seen in nature, such as biomimicry—prompts a host of new questions. What are the goals and implications of these speculative projects? Do these developments amount to a paradigm shift in design practice? If so, how does it compare to others in the trajectory of major technological developments, from industrialization to the invention of computers?

This presentation illustrates an emerging, and in some ways radical, design practice that draws on biological tenets and even incorporates the use of living materials. The arguments unfold through examinations of contemporary design projects alongside historical case studies. These comparisons illuminate how shifting societal factors drive major changes in design, and reveal the current context for this collaboration between designers and biologists. Research for this presentation also includes interviews with scientists, architects, amateur biologists, industrial designers, and museum curators working in this area.

The field for these collaborations is only set to enlarge, shaped by global imperatives such as the urgency to develop and implement green technologies and the rise of do-it-yourself “homebrew” biology. This convergence of different fields, as well as the expert with the amateur, is ultimately necessary to alleviate the negative impacts made by the legacies of the Industrial Revolution—and will lead to new conceptions of the primary design principles of value, growth, and sustainability.

Frederico Duarte, ““Alvorada: How Social Change Is Shaping Brazilian Design and Creating Brazil’s Own Design Model”

http://www.vimeo.com/11555546

Newfound political stability, economic growth, and increasing international clout are establishing Brazil as a twenty-first century superpower. This young, continental nation is also seeing unprecedented social mobility: roughly half of Brazil’s population, over 90 million people, are now part of its emergent “C Class,” or lower middle-class. This dynamic population is radically changing how Brazilians relate to consumption, entertainment, media, and politics.

“Alvorada,” Portuguese for “dawn,” is a project that looks at how product and furniture design, or the thinking and making of consumer goods, reflect a country in transition. Addressing momentous issues such as class, national identity, manufacturing scale, and human resources, this thesis reflects upon the relation between the designer as a critical subject and Brazilian society as a realm of possibility and potentiality.
This presentation will not try to define what makes Brazilian design Brazilian, but will rather suggest Brazil’s own assumption of difference in a global design context. Using three case studies as distinct design responses to social transformations, this talk will also explore how designers, but also manufacturers and consumers, are establishing the framework of a new design model.

In addition, two of “Alvorada’s” forthcoming applications will be presented as components of a wider, critical exploration of Brazilian contemporary design: an illustrated book and an international symposium on Brazilian design and social change.