In a region where heritage and modernity constantly intersect, these product designers are redefining what contemporary design looks and feels like. Rooted in culture yet globally relevant, these creatives are shaping objects that go beyond function, they tell stories, preserve identity, and challenge convention. This edition highlights a selection of designers whose work continues to inspire and influence @zeinomakes, @studionadadebs, @hudaadesign, @plypalm, and @bokjadesign.

Studio Nada Debs

Nada Debs is a Lebanese designer living and working in Beirut. Her work spans scale and discipline: from product and furniture design to one-off commissions across craft, art, fashion and interiors. What ties her work together is her ability to distil culture and craftsmanship to create pieces of emotional resonance. Nada grew up in Japan, studied design at the Rhode Island School of Design in the United States and has spent significant periods of time living and travelling the world, finding connections between different cultures. There is something of each of her experiences in all of her work. In essence, she captures the power of the human hand to tell stories that touch the heart. She calls her approach: handmade and heartmade.

PlyPalm

PlyPalm is a sustainable material originating from the United Arab Emirates, crafted from discarded branches of Date Palm Trees.

With approximately 40 million date palm trees flourishing in the UAE, each shedding an average of 20-30 kgs of waste annually, including approximately 9.75 kgs of branch midribs per tree, PlyPalm represents an innovative initiative developed within Tanween by Tashkeel.

This material harvests and repurposes palm leaf midribs, transforming them into a reclaimed hardwood substance with structural integrity suitable for crafting furniture and interior applications. By reintegrating this historically significant natural element into contemporary resources, PlyPalm embodies centuries-old traditions, history, and culture.

BOKJA Design

Beirut based design collective. Inspired by stories and weaving narratives to create a community with values in sustainability, creativity and freedom.

BOKJA’s signature is its assemblage aesthetic, bringing together textile fragments of a time and place, situating them in unusual arrangements to communicate a unified message. The integrity of each piece is upheld as it is connected, layered and ultimately integrated and juxtaposed. It is through the juxtapositions of disparate surfaces that the importance of each component becomes magnified; a rich and unexpected visual language is created.

‘BOKJA’ is a regional word referring to a ‘bundle’ or the piece of fabric that is used to wrap the dowry of a bride. A familial tradition, a typical ‘bokja’ always bears the treatment of hand-embroidery from different female members of the family.

Zeina Makes

Founded by designer Zein Hageali, zeinomakes is a brand rooted in the thoughtful reinterpretation of cultural heritage through contemporary product design. The work of the studio reflects a deep respect for tradition, while embracing innovation in both form and construction.

One of the standout pieces from the brand is “Tawlitna”, a contemporary exploration of the traditional Syrian table. More than just a piece of furniture, Tawlitna represents a dialogue between past and present, honoring cultural identity while rethinking how objects are made and used today.

Hudaa Design

Huda Al-Aithan (b. 1991) is a Saudi Arabian visual artist and designer whose work spans utilitarian products and three-dimensional installations. Her practice focuses on exploring shape, color, and light as tools for communication, using harmony, repetition, and organic forms to create meaningful visual experiences.

Rooted in memory and cultural heritage, her work reflects an ongoing inquiry into essence and identity across time. Growing up surrounded by stories and traditions, Al-Aithan reinterprets these influences through contemporary forms, asking: “How can we conserve the beauty and soul of the past while reshaping it for the future?” Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Misk Art Institute, Noor Riyadh, Art Dubai, and Dubai Design Week. She holds an MA and MFA from the University of Iowa and is based in Dubai, where she is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the American University.

What makes this group especially compelling is their collective contribution to a growing regional identity in design. They are not following global trends; they are shaping them.

By embracing local materials, honoring craftsmanship, and telling authentic stories, these designers are building a design language that is distinctly their own. One that is thoughtful, expressive, and deeply connected to place.