General Motors Middle East helps turn vision into reality at the Dubai International Design Forum

Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the Executive Council of Dubai, the International Design Forum is the first event of its kind to take place in the Arab world. It brought together designers and architects from around the world, in an attempt to generate open discussion around the critical role design will play in determining the global landscape of tomorrow.

The 2007 Senior Design Exhibition was brought together by Design Management Seniors and showcased the designs of Visual Communications and Multimedia Seniors from The School of Architecture and Design at the American University of Sharjah. These seniors have received a comprehensive education in visual communication, multimedia design and design management to enable them to make significant contributions to the Gulf region and the broader global community through conscientious participation in practice.

"General Motors has given Design Management Seniors the opportunity to apply multidisciplinary skills and knowledge in fields such as management, problem solving, communication and the understanding of client and designer languages, into practice. The experience of putting the AUS 2007 Senior Design Exhibition together will help them to further enhance their ability to communicate design needs, identify the requirements of design projects and coordinate with clients and professional design teams in a way that achieves the goals of the organizations in which they will be employed," explained Professor John Botthoff, Professor at the School of Architecture and Design, The American University of Sharjah.

Commenting on the opportunity that General Motor's sponsorship afforded students of the School of Architecture and Design, Diana George, Design Management Senior, said: "General Motors has helped expose Design Seniors and their work at a prestigious event that brings top international designers together in one place. It has given us the first opportunity to showcase our creativity and talent amongst the best in the industry".

The IDF program was divided into three main areas of exploration. The "Design Connects" workshops introduced participants to the value of design as a connecting element between commercial sectors; the "Urban Design" workshops explored the challenges and opportunities for urban planning, specifically within Arab cities; and the "Industrial Design" sessions generated insights about industrial design in the Arab marketplace, and the relevance of lessons learned abroad.