The National Design Academy held its first Dubai-based event on Wednesday 14th May 2014 at the Dubai Ladies Club entitled; Interior design is my cup of tea. Over 60 people attended and enjoyed pastries and cakes over a cup of perfectly brewed British tea in a luxurious setting reminiscent of an English tea party.
The audience consisted of architects, designers, National Design Academy students and many interested individuals who attentively listened to the presentations. Helen Keighley, the National Design Academy’s Director of Quality & Business, made the case for employing an interior designer, indicating it was often lack of awareness of the broad skillset interior designers possessed that prevented people from engaging a designer. Helen then went on to discuss how the perception that interior designers were expensive was inaccurate and they could in fact contribute to financial savings. She described the range of services offered by designers from simple advice paid on an hourly basis to a full turnkey project management approach. She also defined the types of training available to prospective designers and had the opportunity to show how the National Design Academy successfully delivers such a practical subject online.
This was followed by a fascinating presentation led by APID, the Association of Professional Interior Designers, which serves the Gulf region. Delegates were shown the broad range of activities undertaken by APID and how they could join in with future events. APID’s philosophy is to reach professionals and end users to educate and raise expectations of Interior Designers.
The event concluded with a short thought-provoking presentation which considered the brain’s role in creativity. The audience had an opportunity to try out a few brain training exercises to consider our reaction to creative situations. The National Design Academy’s representative in the UAE, Rola Al-Zobai, brought the day to a close and expressed her enthusiasm for the growth of the interior design market in the UAE.
This event marked what is expected to be the first of many, where APID and the National Design Academy share the stage to promote interior design in the Gulf region, an exciting taste of things to come.
