Imagine a world where design isn't just about aesthetics, but about actively shaping a better future for everyone, regardless of age. That's the fascinating challenge I explored at Dubai Design Week, and the insights I gained could revolutionize how we approach design. This journey, encompassing everything from cutting-edge technology to cross-disciplinary education, revealed three key lenses for designing for multigenerational futures: embodied learning through photogrammetry, immersive narrative environments, and the cultivation of versatile, 'Pi-shaped' designers. Get ready to rethink aging, participation, and the very role of the designer in a rapidly changing world.
My exploration unfolded through three distinct experiences: co-facilitating a Design for Longevity (D4L): Unclock workshop, stepping into the captivating world of the Museum of the Future, and engaging in vibrant discussions at an education forum hosted by the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI). Each experience offered a unique perspective on how design can address the challenges and opportunities presented by an aging population, promote inclusive participation, and redefine the skills and knowledge necessary for designers to thrive in the 21st century. These experiences allowed me to crystallize three crucial learnings related to service and experience design gleaned directly from Dubai's innovative spirit.
Learning 1: Embodied Learning: Reimagining Longevity Through Photogrammetry
Professor Sofie Hodara and I had the privilege of leading a workshop where we introduced participants to the Design for Longevity (D4L) Unclock Framework. We coupled this framework with Scaniverse, a readily accessible mobile photogrammetry app, to offer a fresh lens through which to perceive the Dubai Design Week campus. Think of it as using your smartphone to create 3D models of the world around you, but with a purpose: to understand how design can better serve people of all ages.
This three-hour session was designed to ignite a new way of thinking about longevity. But here's where it gets controversial... Many people still equate "longevity" with simply living longer. However, D4L encourages us to broaden our perspective, considering diverse life stages, trajectories, and the impact of the environment on well-being. We demonstrated how accessible tools like photogrammetry can serve dual roles: as powerful research methods and as unexpected sources of design inspiration.
Photogrammetry, at its core, is the art of creating 3D models from a collection of 2D photographs. Specialized software analyzes these images, extracting spatial information—depth, scale, and positional relationships—to reconstruct physical objects or entire environments. Imagine taking dozens of photos of a park bench from different angles, and then using software to create a detailed 3D model of that bench. That's photogrammetry in action!
When combined with ethnographic and design research methods like mind mapping and service blueprinting, smartphone photogrammetry becomes a potent tool for documenting and interpreting environments in relation to longevity challenges. For instance, participants systematically scanned a chosen site within the Dubai Design Week campus to generate a 3D model. This "slow," evidence-driven observational process encouraged them to reflect on how longevity-related challenges manifest in everyday spaces, leading to the identification of potential design interventions. Think of it as slowing down and truly seeing the environment, noticing details that might otherwise be overlooked.
Although three hours might seem like a significant time commitment, the workshop's dynamic structure—a blend of mini-lectures, hands-on activities, and individual sharing—kept participants highly engaged. We kicked things off with a 30-minute lecture, laying the conceptual groundwork for D4L, longevity planning, and the concept of the urban exposome. We challenged participants to reframe aging beyond mere chronological years, embracing the diverse tapestry of life stages and trajectories.
The hands-on component gave participants 30 minutes to unleash their inner photographers, scanning their surroundings with their smartphones and sharing their resulting 3D models. As Professor Hodara pointed out, photogrammetry intrinsically involves bodily movement through space, aligning perfectly with principles of bodystorming and embodied interaction. This physical engagement was paramount to the workshop's immersive and participatory nature. In this context, the process of scanning—the close observation, the walking, the circling, the focused attention—held more significance than the technical perfection or resolution of the final model. It was about experiencing the space and its potential through a new lens.
Reflecting on this experience, I realized my own motivation for leading workshops has evolved. I once approached them primarily with a "I want to learn" mindset. Now, I recognize the profound value in co-creating peer learning environments – experimental and generative spaces where knowledge emerges collectively through shared exploration. The abstract nature of the workshop allowed for deeply inspirational moments, sparking new ideas and perspectives.
Learning 2: Curated Immersive Experience for Museum Exploration
Beyond the workshop, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of the Future, an architectural marvel that opened its doors in February 2022. The building's distinctive oval form, reminiscent of a human eye, symbolizes a shared vision for the future. Arabic calligraphy gracefully adorns both the exterior façade and interior surfaces, seamlessly blending the museum with Dubai's rich cultural heritage and its unwavering commitment to innovation.
Given the building's complex structural geometry, the exhibition team devised a clever "box within a box" spatial strategy. This ingenious approach allows each floor to showcase a distinct experiential world without compromising the structural integrity of the curved calligraphic envelope. It's like having multiple museums within a single, breathtaking structure.
To expedite my entry, I opted for a fast-track pass. The wristband, which served as both a ticket and an access credential for parking and storage, immediately brought to mind the fast-track systems at Disneyland and Universal Studios. And indeed, the museum experience itself echoed that immersive, theme-park-like quality. The wristband allows visitors to interact with interactive stations, further enhancing the narrative.
Throughout the museum, physical artifacts, such as staging consoles, seating installations, and reflective surfaces, are seamlessly integrated with projection mapping, creating a layered and sensorial environment. Imagine stepping into a space where the physical and digital worlds blur, creating a truly immersive experience.
One particularly captivating gallery invites visitors to explore the five senses through "connection therapy." Feeling therapy, for example, uses ultrasound-based haptic feedback to create the sensation of a light breeze across one's fingertips. Grounding therapy centers on sound, while movement therapy utilizes AI-generated visuals that respond to a visitor's gestures as they move through the space. It's a truly unique and thought-provoking way to engage with the future.
Adding to the immersive atmosphere, staff members role-played as members of a spaceship crew in each gallery, providing contextual cues and narrative framing. Their tone, script, and costuming significantly heightened the sense of presence and emotional engagement. It's like stepping into a movie, where everyone is committed to making the experience believable.
The first three stops were guided, after which visitors were encouraged to explore other exhibition themes at their own pace, striking a thoughtful balance between structure and personal discovery. This allowed for both a shared experience and individual exploration.
Before departing, I purchased Imagine Design Execute: Inside the Museum of the Future, a book that delves into the museum's conceptual foundations. The book's central aim is to cultivate a sense of shared imagination and community, extending visitors' experience beyond the exhibition floors and into a broader discourse on the futures we collectively design. It's a powerful reminder that the future is not something that happens to us, but something we actively create.
Learning 3: Cultivating Pi-shaped Designers in an Era of Cross-Disciplinary Practice
On my final day, while exploring the Dubai Design Week campus in the D3 district, I stumbled upon an education forum hosted by the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI). DIDI is a non-profit private institution dedicated to nurturing a new generation of designers capable of shaping the future socially, digitally, and creatively. Its curriculum, developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Parsons School of Design at The New School, encourages students to explore emerging possibilities at the intersection of design and technology.
I was particularly captivated by DIDI's multidisciplinary Bachelor of Design program, which allows students to customize their education by combining two concentrations from four domains: Product Design, Multimedia Design, Fashion Design, and Strategic Design Management. This approach recognizes that the most innovative ideas often emerge from the intersection of different disciplines.
A central ambition of DIDI is to cultivate "Pi-shaped" designers – individuals who develop depth in two complementary disciplines and can seamlessly navigate across boundaries. And this is the part most people miss... It's not just about being good at two things; it's about understanding how those two things relate to each other and how they can be combined to create something new. In an era shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), computational design, and rapidly evolving knowledge systems, the ability to work across domains while continually learning has become paramount to contemporary design practice.
This aligns with four dimensions I outlined in my perspective paper published by Design Studies (2025), reframing design as:
- Immersive Experience: Shifting from artifacts to situated experiences.
- Evolving Computational Capability: Redefining AI from artificial to anticipatory intelligence.
- Relational Tension: Balancing ego-driven authorship with empathy-driven action.
- Expanding Field: Integrating cross- and trans-disciplinary knowledge.
These dimensions position designers as connectors, curators, and co-creators of meaning – not merely makers of things, but stewards of shared futures. They are the architects of experience, the interpreters of technology, and the champions of human connection.
Learning from Dubai: Design, Longevity, and Cross-Disciplinary Practice
Throughout the participatory workshop, the immersive museum visit, and the insightful conversations with educators in Dubai, I gained a deeper understanding of Design for Longevity (D4L), which has become the central focus of my current research. D4L isn't simply a framework or methodology; it's a practice of reorienting how we perceive time, interaction, and future possibilities – shaping a collective vision for navigating complex, multi-generational cultures, work environments, and societies. It's about creating a world where everyone feels valued, connected, and empowered to live their best lives, regardless of age.
The embodied photogrammetry exercise demonstrated how movement and close observation can reshape our understanding of aging and place, positioning longevity as something experienced through everyday encounters rather than measured solely in years. The Museum of the Future illustrated how environments can be intentionally choreographed to spark imagination, encouraging visitors to feel, speculate, and co-construct narratives about what lies ahead. Meanwhile, the discussion around cultivating Pi-shaped designers reinforced that contemporary design education must develop both depth and range. Designers require foundational craft and process skills, but also the adaptability to navigate across various scales, disciplines, and modes of collaboration – what Simon Sinek, an author and leadership expert, refers to as human skills.
Together, these experiences during Dubai Design Week highlight a shared imperative: to design educational, urban, and experiential environments that foster curiosity, empathy, and continuous learning. D4L is not only about planning for an aging society, but also about shaping conditions that allow people of all ages to feel connected, capable, and empowered to shape their own futures. Dubai's ambition and openness to experimentation provided a fertile ground to explore these ideas. The work ahead lies in translating these insights into design practices that support more inclusive, multigenerational, and imaginative urban futures.
Now it's your turn. What are your thoughts? Do you believe that photogrammetry can be a valuable tool for understanding and addressing longevity challenges? How crucial do you think cross-disciplinary skills are for designers in the 21st century? Share your opinions and let's discuss!
