Landmark Groups largest fashion retailer, Centrepoint collaborated with the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) for Project Design Space, the UAEs largest design challenge for schools. In its third edition, the initiative provided the student community with a unique opportunity to work alongside professional designers and showcase their creativity.

As a part of this contest, over 4,000 participating students from grades 5 -12 across all seven Emirates, were given a design brief. Centrepoint presented the participants with a brief to design an innovative omni-channel experience for its stores.

All participating students were provided with 16 weeks of intensive training that included design thinking, prototyping and practicing enabling them to prepare solutions for the design briefs. They were also mentored by their school teachers during the after-school workshops in addition to exclusive workshops held at DIDI campus in Dubai Design District (d3).

Following this, the participants developed innovative design concepts which focused on omni-channel experience for Centrepoints new Store of the Future and recommended solutions that addressed other business challenges as well. Through the entries submitted, the students highlighted customer convenience as a key feature of the stores.

Nisha Jagtiani, Group Director, Landmark Group said, Were happy to see so many creative entries and would like to congratulate the winners and all the participants. This competition gave them real-world experience, encouraging them to innovate and think outside the box. We presented them with challenges which involved situations our businesses have dealt with and continue to deal with. It gave them a real taste of retail and fashion in the region. Through Project Design Space, we look forward to providing a platform for budding designers to showcase their design concepts.

The final entries were adjudged by a panel comprising of senior managers from Centrepoint and DIDI faculty. Based on the final pitch by the students as well as the quality of their prototype, Al Manahil Private School and Al Hudaibah School were announced as winners of Project Design Space Season 3. Interactive screens, F&B, Easy check-out & customisation were the key highlights of the winning entry.

Conceptualised for school students, Project Design Space allows them to get a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience in the field of design, and support the UAE's strategy for development, growth and youth employment.