Rediscover Playful Design with Lujain Abulfaraj

Rediscover Playful Design with Lujain Abulfaraj invites designers and creative practitioners to step away from traditional design practices and reconnect with the freedom, curiosity, and imagination of their inner child that creates without judgment or fear. Explore how moments of play can fuel new approaches to design, sustain long-term creativity, and transform the way you think about your practice.

Through guided visualizations, expressive exercise,s and inspirational site visits, you will learn how to translate childhood wonder into professional design outcomes. The program culminates in a design sprint and group showcase, where you will present a finished poster that merges intuition, experimentation, and professional skill.

A Saudi entrepreneur, creative and mother, Lujain Abulfaraj is the co-founder of Twothirds Design Studio and founder of Akwan, a platform that nurtures a love for Arabic in children through play. With over 15 years of branding experience, her award-winning work blends cultural aesthetics, Arabic typography and storytelling to design engaging experiences that inspire communities.

During these two days with Lujain, you will:

• Reconnect with your inner child through guided reflections, drawing and playful exercises.
• Create moodboards that capture your personal “inner child” aesthetic.
• Engage in hands-on drawing exercises that embrace imperfection.
• Design a poster that merges childhood wonder with professional design skills and share your work in a group showcase and collective reflection.
• Draw inspiration from art history and archival materials in a discovery site visit at Bait Barq Studio.
• Enjoy a group networking dinner experience with the program's experts and participants. 
• Wrap up with a reflection session where you’ll look back on your journey, share your insights, and engage in meaningful discussions with Lujain and fellow participants.
• Have an exclusive one-on-one advisory session with Lujain to accelerate your professional journey.

Prerequisites:

• Please bring your laptop or tablet with design software or digital tools you enjoy using for moodboarding (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Pinterest, Figma, Miro).
• Come with openness to experiment, let go of perfection, and reconnect with curiosity.
• It’s recommended to prepare a portfolio of your work for the one-on-one advisory session with Lujain.

Recommended for:

• Professional designers, illustrators, and visual artists.
• Creatives with a design background who want to explore more playful and intuitive approaches.
• Anyone open to reflection, experimentation, and collective dialogue in their practice.