Programme Structure
Phase I: Foundations & Concept Development​​
4 weeks in duration
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​This phase focuses on establishing a strong foundation for furniture design practice. Fellows develop a clear design direction grounded in user needs, material understanding, and early feasibility considerations, while gaining familiarity with the workshop environment and core making processes.
*Critique session concluding Phase I
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Phase II: Design Development & Partial Prototyping
6 weeks in duration​
Fellows develop their concepts into technically resolved designs, testing critical aspects of buildability and feasibility. Design decisions are refined through structured development and validation processes, ensuring readiness for full-scale fabrication.
*Critique session concluding Phase II
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Phase III: Full Prototype Fabrication​​
6 weeks in duration
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This phase is dedicated to the fabrication and refinement of a full-scale furniture prototype. Fellows translate their design into a physical outcome, focusing on execution quality, detailing, and presentation.​
*Critique session concluding Phase III
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Phase IV: MVP Fabrication​​​
8 weeks in duration
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Building on the completed prototype, fellows progress toward producing a single Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This phase introduces real-world production considerations, either through in-house fabrication or external manufacturing collaboration.​
*Public Showcase Phase IV
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Showcase​​
Following the conclusion of Phase IV, each cohort concludes with a public showcase presenting the final prototypes developed during the programme.
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The showcase highlights Athath Fellowship’s contribution to the local furniture design scene by presenting custom-made, culturally influenced furniture designs to a broad public audience, including both children and adults.
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The public showcase for Cohort 2025 was held at Downtown Design during Dubai Design Week in November 2025.
​Seminars​
Scheduled throughout the programme, the seminars feature a curated selection of guest critics and speakers from across academia, industry, and professional support services.
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Through engagement with these practitioners and industry leaders, fellows expand their professional networks and gain insight into diverse perspectives, practices, and career pathways, with opportunities for mentorship and collaboration.
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Notable past speakers include Dr. Pradeep Sharma, Nada Debs, Studio D04, Omar AlGurg, Carla Baz, Achraf Mizilly, Caitlin Nation, Suraya Turk, and Claudia Rus, among others.
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