Pakistan’s premier flagship design conference, The National Digital Design Conference 2018 (ND2C), powered by Graana.com was held in Islamabad from Saturday, September 29, 2018, to Sunday, September 30, 2018.
ND2C, a partnership between Nida Salman and Sana Khalid, provides a platform to creatives and design enthusiasts to come together and share their thoughts and experiences.
In its second year the conference was hosted by the upcoming giant Graana.com and aimed to bring an array of amazing design events and opportunities to the local talent. This year, the two days conference was attended by a huge gathering of 700 plus creatives from Pakistan and six other countries.
What was the speaker lineup for this year?
This year’s international speakers included Jessica Walsh, designer and art director at New York City-based design firm Sagmeister & Walsh; Valentina D’Efilippo, an information designer, illustrator, and creative director based in London; Laraib Atta, a London-based VFX artist whose team won an Oscar for Blade Runner 2049 and BAFTA for Black Mirror; and Miroslav J. Azis, experience design practice lead at IBM.
Joining them was Shafiq Akbar CEO of Graana.com with over 18 years of experience bringing innovation through technology and design to the neglected real estate sector, Farhan Javed- Director and design guru of Graana.com with an experience of revolutionising the real estate industry of Pakistan through design, Ali Rez, a creative director who has won more than 200 international awards in his career; Hira Mohibullah, the most awarded female creative director in Pakistan; Alia Chughtai, a visual journalist at Al Jazeera; and Uzair Khan, writer, director and producer of animated feature film Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor (2018), among others.
The two-day event, taking place for the second year in a row, also provided participants the opportunity to attend workshops and learn from experts in the field, including those flying to Pakistan from abroad.
A Live Design Challenge giving 5 applicants from across the country the opportunity to pitch their design on the ND2C stage for critique from attendees and an independent jury.
The conference hosted a ‘Creative Fair’ which showcased 14 featured artists coming from across Pakistan providing a platform to budding artists, entrepreneurs and their creative projects.
National Design Conference is Pakistan’s very own design movement and with the support of corporate giants like Graana.com looks promising in uplifting Pakistan’s neglected sectors through the power of design.
