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New wave of designers to 'augment' learners' knowledge at Today at Apple

Dubai - 'Residency' and 'Design Impact' to celebrate design at the intersection of technology

Apple's free-for-everyone creative initiative, Today at Apple, is further 'augmenting' its design course offerings.
The iPhone-maker announced that it is celebrating design at the intersection of technology by hosting two new programmes, "Residency" and "Design Impact", which will run throughout September and early-October.
Leading names in the design sphere, including the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, Foster & Partners and T.ZED Architects, will be hosted by Today at Apple. They will be sharing their expertise in a bid to empower makers to learn by doing.
The in-depth learning programmes aim to enable designers with future skills and trends from augmented reality (AR) to 3D models, and how they will change the way we live, work and do things.
In a Q&A, Riyad Joucka, director of the Middle East Architectural Lab (MEAL*) and co-curator of the Today at Apple Residency programme, says AR is a great tool for creativity in today's fast-evolving digital world.
"AR allows designers to quickly evaluate digital models in context. The tool lends itself to the evaluation of these prototypes in different and environments and allows for immersive spatial experiences that extend beyond the confines of a desktop workstation," he said.
"With AR, we can freely look at 3D models from different angles intuitively and even walk through them, while observing the effect of the immediate environment on the design. This allows for the enhancement of the design process as well as an immersive, interactive method to present your work.|
As an architect and designer deeply involved in innovation himself, Joucka believes that a platform like Today at Apple will help him share his experience with others, at the same time widen the horizons of their research into integrating novel processes of design into their workflows.
"Design and technology impact everything from product creation to architecture and urban planning. In Dubai, forward thinking design has enabled the Emirate to thrive as a cosmopolitan desert city with the right facilities and infrastructure," Khadija Al Bastaki, executive director of Dubai Design District (d3) said.
"There has been a shift into the digital world and designers must learn to actively integrate their hands-on skills and continue to reflect their creativity through their designs. Sessions such as those offered with Today at Apple give designers the platform to build new connections, inspire innovative thinking, and unlock creative potential."
'Stay hungry, stay foolish'
The Residency programme will run from September 7 to 28, with four in-depth sessions co-curated with MEAL*. Designers will get hands-on to transform an idea into an immersive design. It will culminate with an exhibition of their work.
Design Impact, meanwhile, will explore the intersection of technology and humanities on three layers - innovators, ideas and initiatives looking at design solutions from social environmental, and urban perspectives. It will run from September 10 to October 12.
Joucka also has an advice for students on the future of the design-technology axis.
"It's becoming increasingly hard to stand out as an entrepreneurial creative spirit. With the exponential rate at which technology is evolving and the growing complexity of our communication networks, it will become harder for young designers to compete and to find work, if they are not exposed and well accustomed to new trends in design and technology," he stressed.
"I advise design students to stay curious about technology and experiment with new forms of presenting their culture through design. It may be cliche to end with this quote; but in the words of the late Steve Jobs, 'Stay hungry, stay foolish'."
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com