Qassim Saad
Academic Leader (Product)
Current design studies discuss ‘design and social innovation’ as a powerful alternative path in the contemporary design thinking, with its distinguishing features in social development programmes in developing countries – where my current research practices are located. My design research and professional practices seek the goal of sustainable social development, by focusing on experimentation with new methods and interacting with the following broader spheres:
•Mapping the ideological and practical transformation from industrialisation to sustainable social development in developing countries.
•Applying design thinking to empower social groups to contribute to the development of more democratic and sustainable societies.
•Creating bottom-up scenarios of strategies through the design process to incorporate end-users in the designing of new and sustainable systems.
These principles are the cornerstone of my research activities, which address wider practices promoting sustainable development in developing countries. These research activities were initiated in 2005 to develop the theoretical basis of many design concepts I’m interested in, and the results of this research will continue to contribute to research at Otago Polytechnic, strengthen the work related to my PhD candidature at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT University, produce peer-reviewed articles, papers to present at national and international conferences, and contribute to design work in my professional practice as an industrial designer.
The emphasis on human-centred design—HCD—providing the background to our ‘product design’ degree, continues to strengthen and benefits from both the theoretical and practical approaches of these research activities. These influences are evident in students’ engagement in practising HCD principles and methods throughout the design process as the main priority in making sustainable and socially oriented new designs of products, services and systems.
Recently I’m a PhD candidate’s in industrial design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology-RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. My thesis topic is about Iraq ‘my home country’; I’m passionate about the role that could be played by design in its reconstruction.
Research Expertise:
Design in the context of sustainable development,. Ergonomic principles in Product Design. Furniture Design, . Design of Injection Moulding Products.
Research Publications
Journal Article
Saad, Q. (2010). 'Design for Development’: Rethinking Culturally. Scope, Contemporary Research Topics: Art, 4. December 2009 (released 2010).
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2008). The African Bicycle; Design in Development context, involvement and practice. The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability. Common Ground-Australia, Volume 4, Issue 1. pp.57-68.
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2008). Contemporary Iraqi Art: Origin and Development. Scope: Contemporary Research Topics (Art), Issue 3, December. pp50-54.
Link to web publication
Lonie, B., & Saad, Q. (2006). Cartoons: Imagery and Controversy. Scope: Contemporary Research Topics, Art: 1, November. 131-140.
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2006). Design Education in Iraq: Reflections on its emergence, development and contexts. Thinkcycle, Narratives in Design for Development, Digital Publication Library, May.
Link to web publication
Exhibition
Saad, Q. (2009). Desire/n; Otago Polytechnic Design Staff Exhibition. Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Art Educators Conference, Dunedin, Catalogue ISBN 978-908846-42-9. 20 - 24 April.
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2007). Enarah 1 & 2. ReMix exhibition, Salisbury House Gallery, Dunedin, Sept 29-Oct 13.
Link to web publication
Design Output
Saad, Q. (2009). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: MG-73.
Saad, Q. (2009). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: MG-71.
Saad, Q. (2009). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: MG-72.
Saad, Q. (2008). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: TW-04-JJ.
Saad, Q. (2008). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: GL-08-06.
Saad, Q. (2008). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: WG-53.
Saad, Q. (2008). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: WG-52.
Saad, Q. (2007). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: GL-06-06.
Saad, Q. (2007). Table ware. AZAD Plastic Manufacturing House Co. (PMH) Riyadh, S.A, Product Code: TW-02-JJ.
Design Institute of South Africa. (2005). ICSID Interdesign 2005, Sustainable Rural Transport. Design Institute of South Africa, Design Institute of South Africa, ISBN: 0-626-17277-2. 2005. 42 pages with DVD.
Link to web publication
Conference Contribution - Full conference paper
Saad, Q. (2009). ‘Design for Development’: Rethinking Culturally. (Design and Culture) The Fifth Annual Design Research Conference, the Interdisciplinary Design Institute, Washington State University-Spokane, January, 15-16, 2009, Scope; Journal of Contemporary Research Topics, Vol art and Design:4 School of Art, Otago Polytechnic www.thescopes.org. 15-16/January/2009.
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2008). The African Bicycle; Design in a Development Context-Practice and Involvement. The 4th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability, 4-7th/Jan./2008, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia.
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2006). Design for Development, case studies from Jordan. Design Research Society, International Conference, Wounderground 2006, Lisbon, Portugal, ISBN: 972-98701-6-0. 1 - 5 November.
Link to web publication
Conference Contribution - Oral presentation
Saad, Q. (2007). Restructuring and Design; Conceptual Model. GRC Conference, spring-October/2007, School of Architecture + Design, RMIT University, Melbourne-Australia,
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2007). Rethinking ‘Design for Development’ in Developing Countries-Iraq. GRC Conference, autumn-June/2007, School of Architecture + Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia,
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2006). Periods of Forming – interaction between craft and industrial design. Graduate Research Conference, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia,
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2006). Discourse in Development and Culture. Graduate Research Conference, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, October.
Link to web publication
Saad, Q. (2005). Design as a strategic tool in development programmes in developing countries. Graduate Research Conference, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, Spring 2005, 14-18 October.
Link to web publication
Conference Contribution - Abstract
Saad, Q. (2009). Social values in design and technology education. Aoteroa New Zealand Art Association of Educators Conference, Dunedin, 20-24 April.
Link to web publication
Conference Contribution - Poster presentation
Saad, Q. (2010). An African bicycle for women; a design task in a multi-cultural, interactional context. GLIDE’10, Global Interaction in Design A Virtual Conference, BaoHouse and Rensselaer, New York, 27th/Oct./2010. A3 Poster.
Link to web publication
Oral Presentation (Other than Conference Contribution)
Saad, Q. (2005). The History of Design for Development. The History and theory Group, Industrial Design Programme, school of Architecture and Design RMIT University, Melbourne-Australia.
Refereed Publications (Selected papers)
1. Saad, Qassim (2010) An African bicycle for women; a design task in a multi-cultural, interactional context. Poster for GLIDE’10 The Global Interaction in Design, biennial virtual conference. BaoHouse and Rensselaer. NY, http://www.glide10.org/?p=14
2. Saad, Qassim (2009) Design for Development; rethinking culturally. In Scope; Journal of Contemporary Research Topics. Vol art and Design:4, Pp 187-196 School of Art, Otago Polytechnic www.thescopes.org
3. Saad, Qassim (2009) Social Values in Design and Technology Education. In ‘Aoteroa New Zealand Art Association of Educators Conference’ April-2009. Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin-New Zealand www.anzaae.org.nz
4. Saad, Qassim (2009) Enarah; concept of lighting unit. Artificial object exhibited in the Staff exhibition, ‘Aoteroa New Zealand Art Association of Educators Conference’ April-2009. Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin-New Zealand www.anzaae.org.nz
5. Saad, Qassim (2009) Design for Development; Rethinking Culturally. In ‘The Fifth Annual Design Research Conference-Design and Culture’. The Interdisciplinary Design Institute, Washington State University-Spokane, January, 15-16, 2009. http://www.idrp.wsu.edu/
6. Saad, Qassim (2008) Contemporary Iraqi Art: Origins and Development. Scope; Journal of Contemporary Research Topics. Vol-Art: 3, pp50-54. School of Art, Otago Polytechnic. www.thescopes.org
7. Saad, Qassim (2008) The African Bicycle; Design in Development context, involvement and practice. In ‘The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability’. Vol. 4, Issue 1, pp.57-68 http://ijs.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.41/prod.375
8. Saad, Qassim (2008) The African Bicycle; Design in Development context, involvement and practice. In ‘The 4th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability.’ Common Ground-Australia, 4-7th/Jan./2008, University Malaysia Teranganue. http://S08.cgpublisher.com/proposals/4
9. Leonie, Bridie and Qassim Saad (2006) Cartoons: Imagery and Controversy. In Scope; Journal of Contemporary Research Topics. Vol-Art: 1, November, 2006. P: 131-140. www.thescopes.org
10. Saad, Qassim (2006) Design for development; case studies from Jordan. In Wonderground-the Design Research Society International Conference 2006. Instituto de Artes Visuais, Design e Marketing-IADE, Lisbon-Portugal. www.iade.pt/drs2006/wonderground
11. Saad, Qassim (2006) Design for development; case studies from Jordan. In Ken Friedman, Terence Love and Eduardo Corte-real (Ed) (2006) Design Research Society, Wonderground-International Conference 2006. Instituto de Artes Visuais, Design e Marketing-IADE. CEIADE, Lisbon-Portugal. pp.161
12. Saad, Qassim (2006) Design Education in Iraq: Reflections on its emergence, development and contexts. In the project ‘Narrative in Design and Development; International Online Collaborative Project 2006. http://thinkcycle.com/tc-papers/?topic_id=55705&type=all