A critical aspect of the conference is the symposium, as designers we must be aware of our surroundings in able to respond to them. One of the goals of Tasmeem Doha is to develop a community of of design educators and practitioners in the region. With the symposium students, faculty and working professionals have the chance to hear what is happening throughout the region. The previous year the audience had the opportunity to hear speakers from Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait, Iran, and throughout the UAE. This year we are hoping to expand further and reach other countries in our attempt to unite designers and develop relationships with neighboring universities in this part of the world.
Breakout Sessions
Following the keynote speaker presentations on Tuesday and Wednesday the students have the opportunity to meet more personally with the speakers. The Breakout Sessions may take the form of a project directed by the speaker, a presentation, or simply a conversation where questions can be asked and experiences shared. Students will sign up with the speaker they wish to join during the Breakout Sessions at the registration center at the beginning of the conference.
Symposium Speakers
Majid Abbasi is a member of the editorial board for the Iranian-based graphic design magazine, Neshan and his own works have been included in international books and magazines. His works are also featured in various museums, collections, and galleries around the world. Majid is one of the founding directors of "The 5th Color," where he currently works with a new generation of Iranian graphic designers.
Kelley Beaverford worked as an architectural consultant and design educator in the Middle East, Uganda, and Canada. Now teaching at the University of Manitoba, Kelley is organizing an international studio in Turkey to explore community based design-build projects.
Treena Crochet is an award-winning author of four books on interior design and architecture. Her Boston-based interior design firm was featured in the Boston Globe and her design work is published internationally in books and magazines. Currently, she teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar in the Interior Design department.
Kami Emirhan, born in Istanbul, Turkey received a BA from Yeditepe University Faculty of Fine Arts in the Department of Fashion and Textile Design. Currently, he is working towards a Masters Degree in the Textile Design Program at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Social Sciences Institute. Kami exhibited in the both the 1st and 3rd International Symposium of Interactive Media Design in Istanbul presenting topics related to textile design.
Huda Smitshuijzen holds degrees from Yale University and the Rhode Island School of Design and specializes in bilingual typographic research and design. She founded the "Stichting Khatt Center for Arabic Typography" in Amsterdam. Currently Huda is Chair of the Visual Communication Department at the American University in Dubai.
Nita Thakore has been a practicing textile artist for the past twenty-two years. Her work appears in the British Museum in London, and she has been featured on television in her native India and in France. Nita now teaches at the National Institute of Design in the Apparel Design and Merchandising Department in India.
