Wednesday 30 December 2009




I've been ill for the past few days, and haven't been able to do much reading or writing, so i thought of an initial design for a logo, if design education in the middle east were to have one. happy holidays...

Saturday 26 December 2009

Fact: Where does the name 'American University' come from?

I read in Nafas art magazine (a project of the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations of Germany (ifa) in cooperation with Universes in Universe http://universes-in-universe.org) an interview conducted with the dean of the faculty of Architecture and Design (2004) of the American University of Sharjah, Dr. Martin Giesen.

He was asked: "Where does the term 'American University' come from?"
I quote Dr. Giesen: "Well, you could almost call it a brand name – but a brand not actually owned by anyone. I call it a brand name since in the Middle East there have existed (and still do) two famous American universities – one in Cairo and another in Beirut. The Beirut institution, founded in 1866 as a Syrian protestant college, has been in existence for more than 140 years. The universities in Cairo and Beirut have so great a reputation among the Arabs, and among Gulf-based Arabs in particular, because in the past no other universities existed here, nor in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar or anywhere else. The majority of gifted students, largely male students, were sent to either AUB or AUC."

I find that fact quite interesting and it really puts in question the reasons behind the reputations of all the 'Amercian univeristy of..' in the Middle East and their respective teaching programs.

http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/nafas/articles/2004/aus_sa_d

Monday 21 December 2009

Paper Review: Cultural Identity Crisis in contemporary Graphic Design CASE STUDY: Lebanon

In a recent paper written by Melissa Plourde Khoury & Tarek E. Khoury from The Lebanese American University, some of the same issues I have been researching over the past few months came up. Here is a quick review of all the important points:
Visual Culture
Beyond the obvious historical cultural heritage that Lebanon has accumulated over the years, there is a strong visual culture that depicts Lebanese nightlife, fashion, urban landscapes and modern media. Yet, they claim that this vision of Lebanon is in jeopardy. Quoting Nicholas Mirxoeff The question arises: 'what if everyday life has excessive influence from an outside culture?' Here the influence of westernization plays an important role.
Westernization "Westernization is taking a dominant stance amongst the multitude of influences."
As is the problem with most countries suffering from globalization; lebanon's visual culture is constantly altered as Western fast-food chains, products, movies, magazines, books and advertising are found more abundantly every year all over the country. Obviously, this attracts the youth of Lebanon towards a lifestyle that is no longer Lebanese. Moreover, what is even more alarming is that Western brands are commonly seen as superior, more reliable, of higher quality. This had lead to Lebanese brands and visual communications that mimic Western aesthetics and have nothing that visually identifies them with Lebanon.
Education Most of the Lebanese universities are based on American or French educational systems. Problems arise as the content and structure of Lebanese design programs are based upon Western ideals.
An interesting quote about Qatar's recent design program in the American Virginia Commonwealth University- Doha states: "...the establishment of this design college in Doha was approached with the buy-an-American university-degree-program-bring-it-home-take-it-out-of the-box-and-plug-it-in mentality. The main objective was to have ‘on-site’ an American design curriculum…The result is the teaching of an American design program…” (Bennett
2006).
Another problem in the Lebanese Universities is that many faculty members are not finding means of inspiring and encouraging students to create culturally significant design.
Furthermore, students commonly do not take initiatives to integrate Lebanese culture into their work. Students are typically resistant to working in Arabic typography, finding it far more challenging than either English or French; especially because of the bi- or even tri- lingual nature of most Lebanese students, their Arabic tends to be weak making design work in Arabic
extremely difficult.
The only Middle Eastern country recognized in having culturally significant graphic design is Iran. This is primarily due to their creation of contemporary designs integrating Arabic typography and calligraphy.
Suggested Solutions Both writers have created a list of suggestions to reinforce identity in Lebanese Graphic Design.
• Use the juxtaposition of opposites to spark culturally
creative design solutions
• Inspire students to modernize their culture by combining
influences from East and West
• Encourage the creation of unique culturally significant
design
• Recruit faculty/workshop hosts with specialization in
Arabic calligraphy/typography
• Incorporate culturally specific workshops, lectures and
seminars
• Introduce and teach new design/cultural courses
• Modify existing projects to be culturally specific
• Modify projects to be interactive with the local
community.

Interview: cross-cultural collaboration



During this year's Qatar Icograda Design Week, which had cross cultural collaboration, or "Mousharaka" as a theme; a few interviews were held on issues that concern all those interested in design education in the middle east. I took a few excerpts that I found most crucial to the argument. The 4 interviewees are:


Ibrahim Jaidah, a Qatar native who studied in the United States and is now the Managing Director of the leading architectural design consultancy in Qatar.
Mark Kingwell, a professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto and a contributing editor for Harper's Magazine.
Claudia Meyer-Newman
a designer, creative director, fine art photographer, and educator who lives and works in Seattle, USA.
Nic Vanderschantz
a lecturer in Computer Graphic Design in the Computer Science Department at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand whose research focuses on children's on-screen reading.

As an educator, what are your thoughts or expectation for Education City and in particular the Virginia Commonwealth University Satellite in Qatar as a predominantly American faculty educating Qatari students? What impact does it have on indigenous culture, and what are the responsibilities of the design faculty at VCU to the local culture?



"I was interested to see how many US universities are expanding into the region, especially having already seen something similar in China. In that case the results have been obviously positive, at least for the middle-class Shanghainese I know who got degrees, and learned English..." Dr. Kingwell continues, "I do wonder about the culture issue - what is the balance between a standard US college curriculum and the local population's interest..."

CM-N: "...I am hopeful that education and practice is a catalyst for change based on knowledge and experience. I think, the more we (educators and students) practice cross-cultural collaboration, without losing our identity and voice, the world can become a better place to live.

The theme for the Design Week in Qatar is Mousharaka, which in Arabic means collaboration. What does collaboration mean to you in a cross-cultural context? What images of successful or unsuccessful collaboration come to mind? What experiences have you had with cross-cultural collaboration? "Collaboration in cross cultural context is successful", Mr. Jaidah says, "when people from different backgrounds are able to work together to find a solution, keeping in mind the culture they are serving, but achieving the most innovative results. A perfect image, which also reflects my experience is [the] Al Sharq hotel. Experts from many different backgrounds and cultures worked to together to achieve a unique result. The award winning Al Sharq hotel reflects local culture in its design."


"It's fascinating to think about the possible benefits of collaboration in, say, coordinated research or crowd-sourcing. My talk, about the city as a collaborative work of art, brings together some of these themes. How is it we manage to create a functional city, day after day? That in itself is a form of cross-cultural collaboration,"says Dr. Kingwell.

What challenges face a designer working in a cross-cultural context? Does collaboration build local knowledge or simply facilitate Westernisation?
"The biggest challenge for a designer working in a cross cultural context is," Mr. Jaidah explains, when a member of the design team doesn't have knowledge of the local culture then, "ideas that don't belong are imposed ... collaboration does build local knowledge, and through cross-cultural collaboration we not only learn to appreciate other cultures but also our own."

Dr. Kingwell responds that his work is less about specific cultural difference and more focused on the "the core issue of communication - finding 'third language' opportunities between existing groups ... For example, "I approach [an] artwork, with the hope of understanding it. The work and I occupy separate horizons of meaning. But instead of a model whereby I simply fold the work into my existing understanding [...] the idea is that together we create a new, third language (neither mine nor the work's) in which understanding is possible. [...] Third languages are by definition hybridised and unstable. This model has clear relevance for situations of intercultural exchange, where differences in context may seem to prevent understanding or encourage domination of one partner by the other..."
Dr. Kingwell also mentions that in the context of cross cultural collaboration "the specter of 'Westernisation' exists" but that often "what people demonise as Westernisation is really just modernisation."


CM-N: As educators, our role in cross-cultural collaboration is to facilitate. Collaboration is an organic process based on human behavior and cultural background. This is a balancing act. It requires the facilitator to stand back and [allow] the authentic ‘experience' to unfold. Regardless, of working internationally or within your own community, designers need to investigate the cultural background of their audience. Understanding history, politics, religion, economy, and viewpoint, provides the foundation of how unique and diverse our audience can be. This is our responsibility in design practice.

NV: I think cross-cultural collaboration is something that many of us have come to take for granted. I feel that we increasingly live in a very cosmopolitan and multi-cultural society and that borders around the world are being broken down. With technology, including transport and telecommunication, we have the opportunity, if we choose to take it, to work with many different societies, cultures, religions, and personalities in our day-to-day professional and personal lives. Excitingly, as researchers we are at an advantage and often find ourselves collaborating across continents, time zones and cultural barriers.


During the Design week the first ever Design Debate Doha will take place. It is an opportunity for the local community to join the international design community in wrestling with important global issues. The resolution for the debate is: Globalisation harmfully subverts culturally unique sensibilities. Is design a globalising force? How so? Do you agree with this resolution?


Mr. Jaidah says "globalisation does [affect] cultures in a negative way especially in the developing worlds, where we still see cultures dissolving and languages forgotten." Although design is a globalising force, he continues, "it can be a positive way to [globalise]." Design allows us to share in the beauty of other cultures and be influenced by them. This leads to "unique designs based on rich cultures".


Dr. Kingwell: "Globalisation is an ongoing process, and one we still don't understand very well. Rather than the harmful subversion mentioned, I see a lot of potential in hybridising cultures..."
CM-N: I believe that literacy and critical thinking can provide the foundation for redefining "globalisation." Supporting economic success based on sustaining culture and uniqueness, respect and ethical practice is the essences of the issue. Perhaps, we need to redefine or invent a new word for globalisation.
http://www.icograda.org/feature/current/articles1425.htm
http://www.icograda.org/feature/current/articles1431.htm

Sunday 20 December 2009

New LAU Design School



"LAU started the 2009­–2010 academic year with the opening of the new School of Architecture and Design. Headed by Acting Dean Elie Badr, the new school brings existing Architecture, Interior Design, Graphic Design and Fine Arts programs under one design-oriented roof.
Before the reshuffling, the Architecture and Interior Design programs were under the School of Engineering and Architecture — now renamed School of Engineering — while the Graphic Design and Fine Arts programs were offered by the School of Arts and Sciences.

“Bringing all these disciplines together in a single school of design brings more cohesion, and thus strengthens these programs that were operating under different administrative units,” says Dr. Abdallah Sfeir, LAU provost. “Beirut is a hub for all creative disciplines in the Middle East, and it is very befitting that LAU capitalizes on this in its offerings,” he adds.

“These programs are very much interlinked and should be in one school, in order to deliver the best education to our students and expand our school to include additional design programs” says Dr. Badr, who also serves as assistant
provost for Academic Programs.

Badr hopes to build a solid foundation for the school during his tenure, focusing on financial, governance and marketing issues. “You have to give [the school] an identity, create bylaws for it, develop its own academic plans, integrate it in the university, and set it on the right path of growth to deliver quality design programs,” he explains.

“Lebanon is very well known for its jewelry and fashion design. … These are some ideas that we will think about in expanding the school,” he says. “We will see which design fields are more suitable for the country and for the region,” he adds.

The school is now fully recognized by the Lebanese government, and an amendment to LAU’s charter by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York is in progress."



Excerpt taken from the Lebanese American University website: http://www.lau.edu.lb/news-events/news/archive/new_lau_school_focuses_on_arch/

Women Designers in the Middle East

Sherry Blankenship writes in her Article 'Pioneers of Design in the Middle East' about five women who have graduated from Notre Dame University (Lebanon) as Graphic Designers, and ventured into the rest of the Arab World in pursuit of their careers.


"These women are equipped with solid design education, international experiences, multilingual expertise and interpersonal skills. In this post 9/11 world, these women illustrate that designers of this geo-political region have turned away from seeking design leadership from the West to developing a visual language unique to the region—a visual language that integrates their own traditions and that honors the aesthetics and needs of the countries in which they live and work.


There is an increasing sense of pride in place and in the legacy of the cultures of the people here that is coming into its own. They are keenly aware of their unique historical precedence and feel it is imperative to honor rather than ignore it.


Several mentioned attending conferences in Dubai and Doha as incredibly important ways of staying current and in developing further knowledge and understanding of regional work and trends. Increasing numbers of publications (design and otherwise) are emerging with content of and from the region. It is a good and exciting time to be a designer in this region and a women in
particular.


Four out of Five case studies felt that being a woman was irrelevant and sometimes an advantage since they immediately gained respect.


For the most part, these women are not revolutionaries of style but of practice. They are setting new benchmarks for design, pushing limitations of media and processes while making huge changes possible in the field. Through this evolving attitude, they are also changing the role of women in graphic design. Their purposes initially were to locate themselves but in the process, they have been able to anticipate, encourage and provide support for increasing numbers of women who are coming to design in the Middle East."


'Pioneers of Design in the Middle East', Sherry Blankenship (2005?)

Bob van Dijk & Hiroki Yamamoto in LAU’s Design Exchange ’09 Conference


Here are some excerpts from a recent post from the Graphic Design Department of the Lebanese American University in Beirut. It's a good example of cross cultural collaboration in Design Education in the Middle East.

“In a dynamic world with dynamic organizations, we need dynamic identities,” van Dijk said, explaining that the job was more about developing creative strategy than it was about simply designing attractive logos.
“We can all make nice things,” he added, “but the strategy behind it is more fascinating — it’s about trying to find the essence of a problem that a client has, and trying to solve that in a creative way.”
One project was to create a ghetto blaster for the deaf, a contradictory concept. Patricia Farah, a third-year graphic design student from LAU Byblos, thought of the ghetto blaster in terms of invasion of space rather than sound. She created a concept of balloons that rhythmically inflate and deflate, becoming so big that they would intrude into the space of passers-by, including the deaf... Farah says van Dijk “had the key and opened the creative door.” She adds: “In his class the sky is the limit.”
Students “really have to get out of their box,” explains van Dijk. “That’s why, I tell them ‘never trust your teacher.’ ” This does not mean “they should not have respect for their teacher … [but] if they have a different opinion about things, [they should] start to communicate and see how far the two can learn from each other,” van Dijk adds.
http://www.lau.edu.lb/news-events/news/archive/weeklong_design_conference_kic/

Quotes about design education in Lebanon

"Our design profession is in its infancy. Design is not recognized by business or government. In fact, it is usually confused with advertising even by those people practicing it..."


"Clients want to imitate Europe or the US."


"It is very difficult to convince new graduates to remain and improve the scene. They feel their only salvation is to go oversees to work within design firms where they can continue to learn, earn a livable wage and gain respect."


"...with all of the negative media attention, many people here want to deny or ignore their traditions. They have also been dramatically effected by French colonization and the more recent Americanization...The use of three languages—Arabic, French and English—creates some design dilemmas. In speaking, the people will use all three but in print, they are separated. Everyone can speak Arabic, in many cases an informal vernacular Arabic, but are educated in French or English language schools. This causes the society to become segmented by class, culture and/or geographical region and also requires a clear knowledge of the target audiences for design/advertising purposes."


- Sherry Blankenship, Notre Dame University, Lebanon 2003

Step One

In the next coming weeks, I will posting excerpts from my research. Your constructive critiques and comments on them will be very appreciated. Please bear in mind all authors' works and their copyright laws are respected.

Saturday 19 December 2009

Initiation of Design in the Middle East blog

This Blog is dedicated to all students (past and present) and educators concerned with Design in the Middle east. As part of a Master research proposal based in Koeln International School of Design, on the course of these next few months, many will be asked to contribute with their thoughts and experience on the matter. Your input will be highly appreciated and acknowledged in the the final outcome. Thank you.
Doreen