Thirteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

This paper explores the VCUarts Qatar MFA in Design program field study workshop. We travel, as a group, to produce a tailored project, collaborating with experts in an immersive learning experience. Each year, the trip is planned to leverage students’ existing abilities, while providing exposure to fabrication methods and technology that expand our core offerings. By design, each trip produces a tangible outcome of cultural relevance to our home in Qatar and its region. In 2018, our field study re-examined the traditional Arabic lantern, or Fanoos—a symbol of festive welcome and safe haven. To make our contemporary lanterns, we traveled to The Glass Hub, in Southwest England, to learn in a workshop setting from practicing glass artists. Prior to departure, MFA students and faculty each designed a light source: programmable, rechargeable, and controlled via smartphone app. Also prior to departure, we each designed two-part, 3d-printed steel molds. Onsite in England, with the help of workshop leaders, we blew molten glass into the hinged molds. This fusion of traditional process and modern technology leveraged our students’ creative capacity, providing control in a medium that otherwise takes years to master. The fusion of old and new reflects our affinity for Qatar’s rich cultural heritage, and demonstrates our belief in the power of design to shape the future.