- More than 20 products, creative ideas on display at design week
JEDDAH: Student innovators have been showcasing their pioneering projects at a Saudi university鈥檚 inaugural design week.
More than 20 original products and creative ideas by female students at Jeddah鈥檚 Effat University went on display to the public and industry professionals during the event.
Dr. Sajid Khalifa, chair of the university鈥檚 design department, told Arab News that the initiative was aimed at promoting community awareness of the role of design in improving quality of life, while also offering a platform for students to present their inventions.
鈥淭here has been a trend going on throughout the GCC; we have seen Dubai Design Week and Saudi Design Week just in the past few weeks. Effat University has realized that there is a need for a platform that will gather experts from the industry and the education sector, as well as the public 鈥� the potential users of the designs 鈥� to communicate and interact,鈥� Khalifa said.
Effat University is one of the Kingdom鈥檚 leading design education institutions. 鈥淲e were the first university to graduate the first-ever batch of Saudi female product designers and introduced them to the industry in 2018,鈥� he added.
The four-day program, staged at the university鈥檚 library and cultural museum, was divided into talks and workshops presented and run by professionals and professors, and an exhibition of the students鈥� projects.
College and university students, members of the public, designers, and entrepreneurs attended the event, with many environmental, interior and product design graduates from the university taking up the open invitation to participate.
Hasnaa Jestiniah, a graduate of product design, took part in the exhibition with her child-friendly juice mixer, called Bounce. 鈥淚 made this product to strengthen the relationship between parents and their children, and encourage children to drink fresh, healthy juices at the same time.鈥�
The mixer has four separate containers that youngsters can drink from directly or share with other family members. It also functions as a toy that vibrates and makes different sounds.
I made this product to strengthen the relationship between parents and their children, and encourage children to drink fresh, healthy juices at the same time.
Hasnaa Jestiniah, Founder of child-friendly juice mixer, Bounce
Jestiniah also participated with her product at the recent Saudi Design Week in Riyadh, part of the Riyadh Season of activities and events.
Al-Johara Arafa displayed her luxurious mini refrigerator, designed to be a chic addition to the living room. 鈥淪ome people like to show off; this product is made for them.鈥�
It has a screen which connects to the user鈥檚 phone allowing them to choose important appointments or app feeds to appear on the touch screen, and voice commands summon up the weather and time. It also functions as a piece of art.
Arafa said that after being initially apprehensive, she was enjoying her time in the design department. 鈥淚t is easy, but you need to work hard.鈥�
Another graduate, Galiah Tarabishish, invented specially designed shoes for people with equinus, a foot condition in which the upward bending motion of the ankle joint is limited, causing difficulties with walking.
HIGHLIGHT
鈥� The initiative was aimed at promoting community awareness of the role of design in improving quality of life.
鈥淲hen I began planning for my graduation project, I tried to think of something that touched me and that I wanted to change, and I decided to find a solution to my brother鈥檚 disability,鈥� Tarabishish told Arab News.
Her brother disliked his 鈥渂oring鈥� footwear, so she invented a new type of medical shoe that was colorful, comfortable, and more practical.
鈥淢edical shoes should not be boring and ugly, especially for young children. They shouldn鈥檛 feel different from their peers,鈥� she added.
Product design student, Razan Al-Afif, showcased her robotic Drone Buddy toy. 鈥淚t helps to wake up kids in the morning, helps them with their homework, and encourages them to be more active physically and mentally,鈥� she said.
The robot can be monitored through an app on a parent鈥檚 mobile and is equipped with GPS, two projectors, a screen, sensors, a sound system, and camera.
Dr. Ahmad Kassab, professor of industrial product design, supervised the student projects. 鈥淎ll students are required to convert their designs to a real product for them to graduate, and they have to prove the success of their project,鈥� he said.
The products are registered with the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) research institute in Riyadh.