5 things every designer can learn from Expo 2020 Dubai

Introduction

With Dubai, an emirate in the United Arab Emirates, getting ready to host the first-ever World Expo event in the Middle East, Africa & South Asia (MEASA) regions, we can grab this opportunity to witness spectacular shows of design innovations, architectural marvels, ecology, culture & cuisine. Expo 2020 will present umpteen opportunities to everyone to experience never-seen-before innovation, concepts & designs. It’s a show of a lifetime where all of us can learn & gain insights from various industries.

It’s been over 10 years since the leaders of the Dubai Expo are religiously planning every experience for the main event. Running a global expo for a span of 6 months is no joke — countless hours have been invested to reach to a stage to carefully say — we’ve thought it all! Kudos to the entire Expo 2020 organization committee & the UAE government to make this happen. For any designer, there is a decade-long journey to review and gain ginormous learnings from.

Here are a few learnings to look forward to :

1. Designing for different cultures

The greatest philanthropic learning a designer can ever get is the ability to create an impact in the lives of a globally diverse audience. People from over 200 nationalities live in Dubai. A similarly diverse group of people coming from all over the world will witness the innovations showcased at Expo 2020. You can learn from everyone at the expo about how different audiences appreciate and work with digital interfaces. Learn about explosive possibilities of crafting culture inclusive experiences — both digital and physical. Learn about how design inspires decision-making and influences people from different cultures to take the next steps. Whether you plan to craft experiences for entertainment or healthcare or education or anything else, there is a lot to learn as a designer at the Expo, with the various themes that are structured. Learn how ethnographic research would be leveraged by the customer experience heads at Expo to take responsibility for such a mammoth event at scale, serving 200+ nationalities.

2. Designing experiences for the whole ecosystem

What areas of focus do you think the Expo management committees are dealing with? — food, travel, parking and accommodation, medical services, emergency services, entertainment services — these are just to name a few. Learn how the pioneers of Expo have dealt with all these areas of experience and crafted an ecosystem that serves everyone across diverse needs. Learn the skill to be empathetic and consider needs with a holistic problem-solving approach.

3. Opportunity to interact with potential business entrepreneurs who have a high demand in digital needs

Successful entrepreneurs who have made it to the top-performing startups coming from a plethora of industries and markets will all be present at the Dubai Expo.

You could grab this opportunity to meet such successful figures through various stage events or interact in person. You can learn about the struggles, successes, and challenges they faced to get to where they are today. Get inspired by their success stories and craft something credible for the Middle East and the global world. There is an endless requirement and opportunity for crafting digital experiences for all their needs and helping such value-adding startups even more! At Lollypop, we serve all emerging entrepreneurs with their startups for all scales of digital needs through our fleet of services. We’ve also enjoyed a global trust and reputation for designing for fortune 500s globally.

4. Planning and decision making

Wanting to learn some leadership and management skills? This is the perfect opportunity to speak to the organizers & leaders at the event and learn from the best who made it to the Expo. Critical thinking and planning skills are very crucial to make any decision successful. Great leaders don’t limit themselves to mentor & teach about their work — they also impart deeper wisdom about life. It encourages not just competence or compliance but the proficiency of skills & freedom of thought & action. Learn how to master planning for such engagements at the Expo and implement these learnings in your own projects.

5. Grow awareness of cutting edge innovations across industries in digital

A learned designer is one who is aware of the challenges and opportunities that exist to make the world a better place. Expo is the perfect opportunity for designers to learn about cutting-edge inventions brought by the leaders of the globe to solve problems at scale. Learn about how you can contribute to emerging technologies and innovations with your own subject matter expertise in design and become a change leader.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dubai is all about celebrating the best of creativity, culture, innovation, and technology from 191 Countries. Visit and experience Dubai Expo which is the perfect opportunity for designers & entrepreneurs to explore business opportunities or to channel their creativity.

Written by Haymkarran S Bhalla at Lollypop Design Studio