"This year (2025), Tanween designs the unspoken. It could be environmental, social, cultural, or educational - but it always returns design to humanity. We focus on the actual needs of people across many disciplines. That is the real role of Tanween: to experiment, to inspire each other, to support each other, and to develop ideas with ambition. Each edition builds a thematic path in the design process, allowing designers to explore what truly matters,"
"At the heart of Tanween was a deliberate shift toward empathy as a design method. Rather than centering aesthetics alone, the program invited designers to step into the lived realities of users and communities, translating overlooked needs into tangible outcomes. This approach reframed design as a practice of listening, one that responds to social, cultural, and emotional dimensions often absent from conventional briefs, and one that resonates strongly within the region's rapidly evolving creative landscape."
From November 17–22, 2025, the eighth edition transformed Ithra into a multidisciplinary laboratory combining exhibitions, Majlis talks, the Tanween Challenges, and Day with an Expert programs. The program examined how design can reveal hidden needs and generate societal impact by emphasizing empathy as a method. Designers were encouraged to step into users' lived realities, translating overlooked social, cultural, environmental, and educational needs into tangible outcomes. Tanween prioritized experimentation, mutual support, and ambitious idea development across disciplines. From 2026 Tanween will evolve into Ithra Design Week, expanding scale while preserving the community-driven core and strengthening Ithra's role in regional and global design exchange.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
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