{"id":3560,"date":"2017-11-22T11:37:26","date_gmt":"2017-11-22T11:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/habib.edu.pk\/HU-news\/?p=3560"},"modified":"2025-07-21T15:14:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T10:14:48","slug":"design-as-participation-an-interdisciplinary-approach-to-activism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/habib.edu.pk\/HU-news\/design-as-participation-an-interdisciplinary-approach-to-activism\/","title":{"rendered":"Design as Participation- an Interdisciplinary Approach to Activism"},"content":{"rendered":"

The World Design Summit<\/strong><\/a> held in Montr\u00e9al from 16th-25th October 2017 played host to 3500 industry professionals from around the world to foster creativity, celebrate design, and \u201ccreate viable solutions to global social, economic, cultural, and environmental challenges\u201d.<\/p>\n

Saima Zaidi<\/strong><\/a>, Assistant Professor at Habib University, a Communication Designer by profession, was the only Pakistani<\/strong><\/a> to be invited to speak at the congress. She represented Habib University as well as Numaish Karachi<\/strong><\/a>\u2013an award winning interdisciplinary collective\u2013which aims to activate underutilized public spaces in the city for cultural production, and transform them into inclusive urban retreats. Its core team members include Aamir Habib, Tahera Hasan, Mahim Maher, Ifrah Jafri, Dr. Saleha Raza<\/strong><\/a>, Sohail Zuberi and herself.<\/p>\n

\"\"Left:<\/strong> The venue Palais des Congres, Montreal | Right:<\/strong>\u00a0From the Expo attended by over 25000 visitors<\/em><\/p>\n

Zaidi spoke about design activism in Pakistan. Part of her talk covered their latest venture, DIY Karachi-Manchester, a hyperlocal guerilla placemaking intervention at the Rambagh Quarter in Karachi in Sobhraj Chetumal Terrace, Burnes Garden. This cross-border experiment brought together local expertise and cutting edge creative technology to reimagine public spaces; the international collaboration involved Numaish Karachi, Habib University, MadLab<\/strong><\/a> which is United Kingdom\u2019s most active grassroots digital innovators\u2019 organisation, and the British Council, Pakistan<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

As a teacher of Communication and Design at HU<\/strong><\/a>, she along with Dr. Saleha Raza and Dr. Noman Baig<\/strong><\/a> introduced DIY Karachi-Manchester, an undergraduate course focusing on \u201cDesign for Participation\u201d. It encouraged the students to work at the intersection of design, culture, science and technology allowing the development of creative thinking strategies and playful experimentation.<\/p>\n

In her talk, Zaidi stressed the importance of integrating academic knowledge with the experience of actual field work. Students taking the classes were from three programs at HU (Computer Science<\/a>, <\/strong>Communication and Design and Social Development and Policy<\/a><\/strong>), encompassing the liberal arts approach of HU, making the experience truly multidisciplinary. This initiative culminated in the \u2018DIY City, Karachi-Manchester Nano Festival\u2019 in late April this year and included four site-specific students\u2019 projects.<\/p>\n

The talk also included images from a few of the three dozen projects designed and implemented since Numaish Karachi\u2019s inception in 2015 demonstrating its \u201ccommitment to shape communication and facilitate access to information\u201d. Importantly, these ephemeral, hybrid practices served to dissolve barriers between different strata of society, and the private and the public sectors. They engaged the community\u2013adults and children alike\u2013by employing multidisciplinary participatory design for education and entertainment.<\/p>\n

Student Projects<\/h3>\n

Bostaan<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Concept and Design: Misbah Azhar, Amin Gilani, Arqam Khan, Meher Malik, Rida Rais, Sumbul Zehra<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by\u00a0Humayun Memon\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Concept Note: We live in times when our interaction with screen-based technology has eclipsed our interaction with nature. For this installation we asked how we could not only integrate the two but try to heighten the sensation of experiencing our natural surroundings. The Sobhraj Chetumal Terrace lent itself perfectly to what we realised could be made playful interaction with the help of a screen and motion sensors in a Kinect.<\/p>\n

Sitaron ki Sair | A Celestial Tour<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Concept and Design: Hamza Arif, Anusha Ijaz, Anas Masood, Moizza Salahuddin, Hira Waseem, Syed Kumayl Reza Zaidi<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Concept Note: In this installation, you can physically interact with the night sky projected onto the intrados or inner vault of the dome of the pergola at the Sobhraj Chetumal Terrace that has been linked to a Kinect motion sensing device. Travel through the galaxies, learn about the stars, planets and constellations with a wave of a hand. Experience a starry night that is otherwise so rare in inner neighbourhoods of our cities that have become cloaked by layers of smog and light pollution.<\/p>\n

Bicycle Ride around Burnes Garden<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Concept and Design: Farjad Ahmed, Mahnoor Shoukat Bawa, Anusha Fatima, Sana R. Gondal, Iqran Rasheed Mehar, Ali Rizvi, Alizar Lalani, Syed Talal Wasim<\/p>\n