12-13 FEBRUARY 2024

Ashraf Ghori is an award-winning artist and filmmaker best known for creating the UAE’s first CGI Sci-Fi film ‘Xero Error’ which gained acclaim at prominent film festivals internationally.

He is the recipient of the UAE Golden Visa for Achievement in the Creative Arts. Ghori’s expansive body of work in art, comics and film has earned him prestigious accolades, brand associations, and a growing following as an artist. He is a frequent Guest, Speaker or Judge at events related to art, pop-culture, film and technology.

TOPIC: A CAREER IN FANTASY

Moloobhoy & Brown (M&B)believe that strategic foundations are the cornerstone of beautifully crafted visual identity systems. Through a variety of case studies, Elliott invites you on a journey through the studio’s collaborative approach to creating brands with enduring substance.

Elliott, co-founder of M&B, is an award-winning brand and graphic design expert with a passion for shaping brands that resonate with businesses of all sizes. Originally from the North East of England, Elliott's journey led him to London and eventually Dubai, where he has played a pivotal role in creating some of the region's most recognisable brands. M&B embodies the standard of design and working style that he has always believed in.

Through a variety of case studies, Elliott invites you on a journey through the studio’s collaborative approach to creating brands with enduring substance.

TOPIC: FORM & SUBSTANCE, BUILDING BRANDS BETTER

Farid Bawa is a design director based in Amsterdam and runs a side project called 'All India Permit.'

Farid, whose grandfather ran a transport business in India, realised that the art form was fading fast, the craft replaced by cheap radium DIY stickers and pre-painted trucks. The AIP platform exists to document and promote this art form and provide an educational space to understand and appreciate its cultural relevance. Collaborating with Google, Apple, Bonne Suits, Vans, and Levi's®, All India Permit brings Indian truck art to diverse audiences, showcasing works in galleries across India, the Netherlands, and the United States.

He will discuss his initiative aimed at preserving and promoting Indian truck art and culture. Truck art has been part of India’s visual identity and heritage for generations. Truck owners commission artists to capture a story, through vibrant paintings, kaleidoscopic symbols, ornamental designs or three-dimensional typography. With truckers spending most of their lives on the road, their trucks reflect their culture and individual stories, becoming a canvas on which each trucker can express themselves, creating a collage of love and heartbreak, patriotism and religion, tradition and home.

TOPIC: PUSHING CULTURE FORWARD

Maria Mihailova is a Bulgarian graphic designer with more than 7 years of experience, working for some of the most renowned creative agencies in Bulgaria like Saatchi & Saatchi, Guts and Brains DDB and Wunderman Thompson. Currently, she is the Head of Visual at the creative, content and tech studio &play, managing projects for adidas, Kaufland and Storytel.

Maria’s work is mostly focused on conceptual visual identities and branding, she takes inspiration from her years spent in the Nordics. “When I work on a project I like to experiment, to twist the ordinary and create more than beautiful shapes and letters. The concept is always the main hero in my design work”.

TOPIC : I FOUND THIS ROCK AND IT CHANGED MY DESIGN THINKING.

How can everyday shapes and beautiful forms transition to a different, meaning-packed substance? Can we break the boundaries of design and its origin and form? In the years we live in, creativity is a subject of transformation and it’s up to us to embrace it.

Hiba Hassan’s journey is rich with 14 years of hands-on experience in the creative and communication field including 8 years dedicated to nurturing young minds in academia. As a Lecturer and the Head of Design & Visual Communication at SAE Institute Dubai, this Lebanese native has found her second home in Dubai.

Hiba is no stranger to diversity. Her career path is filled with wide experiences - from giving startups like Holofair, Goal! and RPnarrative their visual language, to work within established organizations such as the American University of the Middle East and renowned international agencies including Wunderman Thompson, Grey Group, and Horizon FCB.

One project close to her heart was the rebranding efforts and UI/UX development of Holofair's Metaverse fairground software which was adopted by the UAE’s Ministry of Economy as their Metaverse third office. She also fondly recalls memorable work for household names like Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Hut during her time at HorizonFCB. Having earned her MA in Branding & Identity from University of the Arts London speaks volumes about Hiba's passion for learning. As a Lecturer and Head of the Design & Visual Communications Department at SAE Institute Dubai, her efforts have taken the program to new heights, earning her students recognition from the Dubai Lynx Festival of Creativity student competitions for six consecutive years.

Hiba is more than just an experienced professional; she's a thought leader that often shares her musings on how creativity, marketing, and emerging technologies intersect in our age of fast change through articles in Campaign magazine. She has spoken in events such as the Digital Literacy Leadership Forum 2023, Communicate AI conference, AI Film Festival and Athar Festival of Creativity.

Fiona is a highly accomplished and internationally recognized media lawyer with over 30 years of hands on experience in private practice and as in-house counsel. She is recognized globally for her unparalleled knowledge of media laws in the Middle East, having spent half of her career in the region, as well as her understanding of the complexities of commercial practice in the extended media sector. As General Counsel, Fiona works across all parts of the business, in close collaboration with key stakeholders. Fiona acts as company secretary to the board, actively leads a team of lawyers that support OSN in all legal, regulatory and contractual matters, and oversees the anti-piracy and content protection teams.

Razan Takash, an award-winning Writer, Director, and Producer from Jordan now based in the UAE, boasts over 12 years of production experience in the Middle East.

Her expertise spans writing, directing, and producing for TV and film, including major Hollywood productions like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and independent art house films. With an MFA in directing from the Red Sea Institute for Cinematic Arts, she serves as the Head of Film Department at SAE Dubai while running her acclaimed movie review channel, "Razz Reviews."

Her achievements include the 2016 award-winning film "Shah Mat" and a Mary Shelley Award nomination at the 2020 Other Worlds Austin film festival. Her sci-fi short film, "M1das," showcased in over 24 international film festivals, securing 14 awards, notably Best Sci-fi short at Florence Film Awards and Berlin Movie Awards, alongside Best Female Director at the Indie Filmmaker awards.

AI is advancing so rapidly that adopting a wait-and-see approach is not affordable. This sudden surge in AI capabilities puts professional designers in a complex position and designers will need to devise new approaches to their craft.

In this discussion , our panel of experts will share varied perspectives on how generative AI will impact the practice, ethics, and value of creativity in a digital world. They will discuss the benefits, drawbacks, and improvements on current practices, ranging from creative thinking processes, impact on human-centered thinking and empathy, and ethical considerations of using AI.

As digital content is increasingly "co-designed" with machines, designers face the question of what responsibilities they have to disclose their use of AI. Simultaneously, some creatives worry that the technology could hinder their ability to find work. Join us in discovering and discussing the impact of AI.

Rana gets excited by all things advertising and branding, but her true love language has always been design. She’s honed her skills and expertise through 20 years of experience championing big ideas, crafting beautiful campaigns and creating work that has a real impact on the world. Along the way, she’s earned accolades at every major awards show, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, The Clios, and the list goes on.

She’s also been on the other side of the awards table, as a part of creative awards panels, and most recently the Loeries awards, where she was on the jury for digital and digital craft category. Rana’s passion for work also extends to mentoring passionate young creative talents.

Besides being ACD at the region’s top agency, Rana also enjoys the prestigious title of MOM to 3 inspiring boys who teach her more about creativity, strategy and management, than any 9-5 job ever can.

Tamara started her advertising career in Mumbai where she honed her skills the old-fashioned way - by surviving 57 rounds of rejected headlines, campaigns being bombed at 3 am, and proofreading back-of-packs. Along the way, she’s worked with great brands, creating impactful campaigns for P&G, Reliance, and more recently, Nakheel, Aldar ADCB and more. She believes that good advertising is essentially good storytelling and that powerful ideas are a result of powerful insights.

When not writing heartfelt headlines about car loans, diapers or fried chicken, Tamara can be found binging on too many fantasy novels and K-Dramas.

Title - FROM PENCILS TO PIXELS.

After these blissful university years, are you ready to face the real world and step into the advertising jungle? Join us as we give you a glimpse into a real world workplace and show you how to make your skills real-life ready. From jumping into pitches to brainstorming big ideas, get up close and personal with the art of selling. If you're ready to join us on this transformative journey, we welcome you to be part of the experience.

Clare is the Dubai based artist and designer behind the Highlife Vintage Poster series, the UAE's much loved expat art and souvenir collection. She launched her first collection of posters in November 2014 after quitting a job in advertising, from a desire to document her time living in Dubai as well as an opportunity to explore her own artistic practice.

Now, 60 posters later, and after 8 years in retail, she is designing the last few to complete the series. Clare will share her journey from working in advertising to independent entrepreneur and the ups and downs and lessons learnt that come with following your dreams.

She is also the founder of the Karama Arts Club, a monthly members event for creatives to share experiences in a range of industries in the UAE as well as providing networking opportunities.

TOPIC: FROM DESIGNER TO ENTREPRENEUR

Ramzi’s on a mission to evolve the way the creative industries think. With over 30 years of experience in advertising, Ramzi is an award-winning creative leader whose influence on the industry dates back a long way.

Ramzi frequently serves on renowned juries such as D&AD, Cannes Lions, Clio, LIA. Having won nearly every award in the industry; claiming the first-ever Titanium Lion and Effectiveness Lion in the Middle East was his favourite.

Driven by an insatiable desire for innovation, in 2018 Ramzi departed from the corporate agency world and establish "Do Epic Group”," a virtual boutique creative agency (pre covid!) that challenges conventions, challenging the way the creative industry works, and thinks.

By putting talent back at the core, do epic group through its “epic talent” platform is uniting visionary brands and the world’s best creative minds for limitless creativity, freedom, flexibility & scalability. An innovative offering elevating brands while empowering Talent.

Cairo-born freelance designer Maram Al Refaei and is now based in New Cairo, Egypt. She draws from her upbringing in Saudi Arabia to shape her design journey. Despite grappling with societal constraints limiting self-expression, her pursuit of a Bachelor's in Graphic Design at the German University in Cairo expanded her horizons into visual communication.

Maram's expertise spans visual identities, branding, editorial design, and more. Notable collaborations include Sharaf Studio, Studio Yukiko, and House of Gül. Her work extends to diverse fields, partnering with KID SIMIUS, Marwan Moussa, and the Heart Director’s Club. Recognized by platforms like It’s Nice That and Design 360° Magazine, her contributions to the TDC Advisory Board and wins in the TDC69 and Ascenders Competitions underscore her industry impact. Maram's journey embodies her growth as a designer and advocate in the creative landscape.

TOPIC - JOURNEY OF SELF–DISCOVERY AND AUTHENTICITY THROUGH CULTURE PRESERVATION

My journey has been one of self-discovery, as I emerged from a richly diverse pool of resources. Through my passion for design and research, I have collected a wealth of data documenting the evolution of design, printing and layout, typography, and illustration, mainly from Egypt but also beyond. This vast library has provided me with an endless source of inspiration, allowing me to grow into the designer I am today, and to realize my full potential as a woman and as an individual.

Liz Ramos-Prado, a Peruvian Graphic Designer and Visual Artist, holds an MA in Design Management and Cultures from London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, and a BA in Graphic Design from Pontifical Catholic University in Perú. Over the past decade, Liz’s work has been featured in renowned publications like Time Out, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, and Emirates Open Skies. Collaborations with brands such as Molton Brown UK, Gibson Guitars, and Virgin underline her diverse portfolio.

Her journey intertwines fine arts with media work, exhibiting her artworks across the UAE, the United States, Perú, Hong Kong, Belgium, and the UK.

Liz's artistic pursuit delves into the human self, emotions, and the connection between reality and dreams, often featuring women as the central theme. Her pieces intricately blend feminine representations with refined line compositions and vibrant colors, evoking surrealistic undertones.

TOPIC - THE JOURNEY OF INSPIRATION TO CREATION

Ellen Lupton is a designer, writer, and educator. She has authored and co-authored numerous books about graphic design, including Thinking with Type, Design Is Storytelling, Graphic Design Thinking, Health Design Thinking, and Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-Racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers. She teaches in the Graphic Design MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore (MICA), where she proudly serves as the Betty Cooke and William O. Steinmetz Design Chair.

She is Curator Emerita at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, where her exhibitions included Herbert Bayer: Bauhaus Master and The Senses: Design Beyond Vision.

Storytelling builds connections through action, point of view, and movement through time and space. Stories drive novels, plays, and Netflix—but what about visual design? Writer and curator Ellen Lupton will show how people actively experience a poster, a website, or a retail environment. See how designers are building narratives in response to the urgent crises of today. Learn how concepts such as the narrative arc, the hero's journey, and the rule of the threes encourage emotional responses.

TOPIC: STORYTELLING AND VISUAL DESIGN