The 2016 design exhibition takes place at the Amman Electricity Hangar in Ras El Ain. Designed and curated by architect Sahel Al Hiyari, the exhibition showcases original work by local and regional designers. The exhibition focuses on ideas of locality, challenging our understanding of design and its ability to push the boundaries of material, scale, form and function.

Located in the Jordan Museum, the MakerSpace is a forward-looking celebration of the Maker Movement. Visitors are invited to explore and interact with the modern tools and methods of creation, including digital fabrication technology, 3D printers, audio-visual devices and advanced robotics. These are situated alongside the museum’s collection of ancient tools, creating a juxtaposition that helps shed light on the evolution of innovation.

MADAFA stems from the belief that design should be experienced through all five senses. Set within the winding pathway between Al Hussein Cultural Center and Greater Amman Municipality, MADAFA is a social space and pavilion curated by Arini and designed by architects Rasem Kamaland and Saja Nashashibi. The pavilion is a modern reinterpretation of the traditional space for the reception of visitors.

Samar Zureik is a storyteller who uses graphic design and illustration to paint a narrative of her life and the stories of those around her. The Lab at Darat al Funun - The Khalid Shoman Foundation is transformed into a space for the resurrection of family stories and memories.

This pop-up eatery encompasses a contemporary kitchen where chefs prepare an interesting array of locally inspired dishes.

​Combining design exhibitions and dining experiences, The Cart celebrates emerging artisanal food businesses and small scale producers to cater for those who enjoy the finer things in life.

The seminar will adopt an engaging rapport with the students, presenting them with a model of a green home in addition to relevant illustrations and devices. The seminar will expose children in Jordan to concepts of design and the function of architecture through the craftsmanship embodied in the model.

Design is all about creating alternatives. A timeless vision is one that is big enough for the future we are moving into. It is a vision that represents a place, not a point, and allows enough space to hit the target. This workshop will answer: What vision do I need in today’s world? How do I make my vision resilient? What makes a vision compelling?

We surround ourselves with products that are mostly static, while in nature everything always moves. In this workshop participants learn from low-tech, craftsmanship techniques and understand how to use them for creating a dynamic design – creating an evolution out of the static and towards fluid motion.

How then do we innovate? How can design drive innovation? Every organization needs to create a culture of innovation, for it is only the habit of innovation that leads to success. In this speech Paul Hughes will draw live as he speaks along ten meters of paper. He calls this unique form of storytelling Ten Meters of Thinking.

NE+AR shares their knowledge and perspective, exploring added local value, as well as creating a network of like-minded designers working on multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural projects. NE+AR is a bridge building initiative between The Netherlands and the Arab world. They believe that while it is common to anchor oneself in local initiatives and people, innovative technologies help us connect with like-minded individuals and organizations all over the world.

Studio Martens & Visser believes that through digital means, smart materials, old techniques and craftsmanship, motion can be brought back into our domain and that the non-static will become a bigger and more important element in our future daily environments. This talk will explore how we use motion in our designs.