National Design Conference 2023

A two-day National Design Conference was held at Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) from May 16-17, 2023.
The conference revolved around the basic theme of Art and Design Practices. The event consisted of five technical sessions, two panel discussions, and poster as well as paper presentations. Leading industrialists, designers, researchers and academicians along with a large number of students from different parts of the country participated in the conference.
The major topics, discussed in different sessions of the conference, included multiplicity and inclusivity fashioning the future of wearable design, design thinking and evolution, industrial edge on design development, innovation in design and management process, green design and sustainability and, art and design education practices.
Mian Kashif Ashfaq, Chief Executive Officer, ChenOne was chief guest in the opening ceremony. Prof. Hina Tayyaba Khalil, Vice Chancellor PIFD was also present on the occasion.
The chief guest said PIFD is a unique national institution which is providing education at par with the global standards in the fields of Textile Design, Gems & Jewellery, Furniture Design & Manufacture, Leather Accessories & Footwear, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Ceramic & Glass Design. He said that this conference will open up new arenas of research in the field of Art and Design.
The Vice Chancellor PIFD welcomed all the participants of the conference. She termed this event a milestone for Art and Design education in Pakistan and vowed to continue such efforts in collaboration with other local and global institutes that are imparting design skills among the students.
The first day started with the inauguration ceremony followed by a technical session with six key points comprised sustainable trends and opportunities in textile and fashion industry; the impact of environmental knowledge and attitude on green consumption values; conceptualizing the design process through fashion thinking strategies; exploring graphic design student’s perspectives on incorporating AI into the design process for a post-human future; the study of museums of Lahore through experiential learning: design thinking as a tool for problem solving and, Art and Design pedagogy in Pakistan.
A panel discussion on the topic Pakistan’s Fashion and Apparel Industry: Past, Present and Future was also held on the first day of the conference. The famous designers including Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, Deepak Perwani and Kamiar Rokni were also among the panelists.
The panel discussion was followed by another technical session on strengths and weaknesses of the blended courses taught during the COVID-19 in Art and Design Institutes of Lahore; improving art appreciation and interpretative skills of undergrad design students through visual training strategies; altering current practices in the light of lockdown: material and medium; the impact of dress code on students in art and design learning environment and the metro train system in Lahore.
Another key feature of the conference was the visual representation of the research through text, charts, graphs, and other visual aids. There were seven poster’s presentation including effects of digital storytelling as a medium of instruction to teach civic education in schools of Lahore; role of semiotics and semantics while creating visual language for branding purposes; circus of power; changing perception of symbolic colors in Art and Design education; understanding and interpreting design aesthetics via shape, design and color in conceptual framework development of PIFD final year undergraduates; hijab-dress code for Muslim women: study of required scarf fabrics for tropical climates and, evolution of art and design education practices in various geographical regions of Pakistan.
In the third technical session presentations were made on exploring effective pedagogical approaches for Art and Design education practice and assumptions vs. designing with empathy: A case study on student behavior.
The opening session of the second day was chaired by Prof. Dr. Tanveer Hussain, Rector National Textile University (NTU), Faisalabad while the concluding session was presided over by Prof. Hina Tayyaba Khalil, Vice Chancellor, PIFD.
The Rector NTU appreciated the PIFD management and faculty for conducting this uphill task in an efficient manner. He said such events play a vital role in grooming the students.
The fourth technical session of the conference was focused on demystifying the design process towards the development of textile based sensors; revival of banana fiber as sustainable textile raw material; development of sustainable textile palette for efficient home textile products; exploring sustainable fashion design model through zero waste practices; green design and sustainable-A case study of Pakistan textile industry projects and, digitalization of Kashmiri shawls; traditional to contemporary.
The panel discussion on the second day, entitled Academia-Industry linkages: A way forward, was attended by renowned industrialists as well as academicians. In the fifth and final technical session the topics included creative practice as a method of research; bridging up gaps with industry expectations for students of interior design; effects of incorporating dramabased pedagogy: to make theory course interactive for undergraduate students; culture and practices: A case study on social awareness regarding the missing children of the remote areas of the Punjab, Pakistan; impact of technology-enabled design in improving education outcomes for underprivileged children in Pakistan and, abstract art and its effect on anxiety levels and academic performance in high school students.
In the concluding session PIFD Vice Chancellor thanked all the participants and panelists for making this event a success.

NDC DAY 01

NDC DAY 02

NDC Concluding Ceremony

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