A MINI DESIGN FESTIVAL FOR ABU DHABI
AT SLASH STUDIO, ERTH ABU DHABI

16. 17. 18.
May 2025

Final Draft is the last event of our Abu Dhabi Sessions season and our own mini Design Festival.
It’s three days of design/culture/creativity-focused sessions to light up your brain in the best ways.

With a few international guests, some local creators, our team and you, the community, we are promising a very good weekend.

SPEAKERS

  • Jorunn Sannes, Snøhetta

    Jorunn Sannes is a Norwegian artist whose tactile, large-scale works have shaped iconic public spaces—most notably the massive granite wall of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the marble roof of the Oslo Opera House. She’ll be sharing the stories of the craft behind these iconic projects.

  • Keiji Ashizawa, Keiji Ashizawa Design

    Keiji Ashizawa is a Tokyo-based architect and designer whose “Honest Design” approach blends craft, architecture, and social impact, with projects ranging from interiors and furniture to community-led initiatives like Ishinomaki Laboratory.

  • Anti Teyajaryi, Artek

    Artek for nearly 16 years and has led Artek 2nd Cycle since its founding in 2006, focusing on Finnish design heritage, responsible consumption, and the reuse of aged Artek pieces through exhibitions and retail.

  • Tokuhiko Kise, Truck Furniture

    Tokuhiko Kise is the founder of TRUCK FURNITURE, a furniture brand based in Osaka, Japan. Since its founding in 1997, he has followed a simple philosophy: to design and create furniture he personally wants to use, and to sell it directly through his own shop. Tok’s approach emphasizes authenticity, craftsmanship, and timeless design, all rooted in a deep commitment to making things by hand and staying true to his vision.

SCHEDULE

Here is the full Final Draft program for 2025 in all its awesomeness!
Registrations: Sessions with an * have limited space and require registrations.
Click the link inside the session description to register – it’s first in first served.

Friday 16th

6.00 – 7.00pm
Main Session: Sculpting a Legacy
w/ Jorunn Sannes (Snøhetta)
Norwegian artist Jorunn Sannes kicks off Final Draft 2025 with a behind-the-scenes look at her iconic granite work on Egypt’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina as well as other masterful projects.

Stay around right after as we officially open the People and the Library of Alexandria exhibition that celebrates the library’s life and legacy.
7.00 – 8.00pm
People and the Library of Alexandria
Join us as we open the exhibition “People and the Library of Alexandria,” telling the story of the project, the architecture, its unique connection to the UAE and its impact in the local communities.

Saturday 17th

1.00 – 1.50pm
Masterclass*: A Crafty Life
w/ Tokuhiko Kise
Peeling back the layers of Tokuhiko Kise’s no-nonsense ethos for furniture making and a reliance on analogue techniques. Straight from Osaka to our Abu Dhabi studio.
RSVP
Fount Workshop*: Weave In, Weave Out
w/ Nanimarquina
A special Nanimarquina weaving workshop. Learn the stories, touch the textures, and help create a one-of-a-kind rug under the expert eyes of the Nanimarqina team.
RSVP
Erth Photo Walk*:
w/ @AbuDhabiStreets
Come and explore Erth, one of Abu Dhabi’s most remarkable architectural icons (formerly the Armed Forces Officers Club) from 1pm to 2.50pm, with a camera and some curiosity.
RSVP
2.00 – 2.50pm
Masterclass*: Good Design Across Decades
w/ Antti Tevajärvi
An unashamedly geeky session that breaks down decades of Finnish design excellence, the details that make the craft so timeless and how it still translates to today.
RSVP
Workshop*: Thread. Repeat.
w/ Aimee
A hands-on workshop exploring slow stitching, materials, and motifs as a meditative, creative practice. You’ll work with texture, fabric, repetition, and rhythm through thread and fabric.
RSVP
Erth Photo Walk (continued)*:
w/ @AbuDhabiStreets
Come and explore Erth, one of Abu Dhabi’s most remarkable architectural icons (formerly the Armed Forces Officers Club) from 1pm to 2.50pm, with a camera and some curiosity.
RSVP
3.00 – 3.50pm
Slash Session: Ugly By Design
w/ Lea x Felipe
What makes design beautiful? Or “ugly”? We’re taking the stage to unpack those questions through personal reflections and practice.
Fount Workshop*: Creative Recess
w/ Joana + Anna
For adults who want to design like kids for an hour, this workshop is all about rediscovering the joy of making and being okay with making a mess.
RSVP
Small Talk:
Spontaneous design conversations with friends and collaborators, recorded by our Slash CEO, Nuno, and whatever interesting person is sitting across from him. Listen in.
4.00 – 4.45pm
Local Talks: Ancient Tales, Modern Storytellers
w/ Ray & Bashir (This Is Good)
Go behind-the-screens with the This Is Good crew as they unpack their film series The Way of Our Ancestors, screening at Expo 2025 Osaka. Through powerful cinematography, they bring Emirati culture to life—crafting a vivid, soul-stirring journey that celebrates heritage, deep-rooted identity, and the depth of human experience.
4.45 – 5.30pm
Local Talks: Intuition at Work: The Tacit Dimension of Design and Method
w/ Martin Gran (Snøhetta)
Design is not just what we produce—but how we think, collaborate, and process the world around us. Martin Gran, Partner at Snøhetta, explores how intuition functions as a powerful yet often overlooked form of knowledge in design. Drawing from 800+ projects that range from everyday objects to civic landmarks, he reflects on how these methods shape creative excellence.
Slash Session*: I Like It. What Is It?
Explore how strategy, storytelling, materiality and craft come together to shape products that resonate.
RSVP
6.00 – 7.30pm
Main Session: Honest Design
w/ Keiji Ashizawa
A conversation covering architecture, craft, design and social impact. Where traditional Japanese aesthetics meet modern functionality, told by one of the masters of the modern Japanese aesthetic — Keiji Ashizawa.

Sunday 18th

1.00 – 1.50pm
Masterclass*: Honest Design
w/ Keiji Ashizawa
A deeper dive into Keiji Ashizawa’s philosophy of “honest design” and how the deep respect for Japanese tradition is brought to life in modern times and contemporary designs.
RSVP
Workshop*: Clay Stuff
w/ Betsy
We’re rolling up our sleeves for this one. Learn how to transform clay tiles through carving, layering, and much more. You’ll probably get dirty hands, but you’ll make something cool.
RSVP
Slash Session*: Seriously Though, What Are We Saying?
How can the right words shape ideas and drive impact? We’re putting on our strategist hat to define key concepts, craft meaningful narratives, and transform them into compelling visuals.
RSVP
2.00 – 2.50pm
Masterclass*: Snøhetta Concept Methodology
The team from Snøhetta shares insight into their Concept Methodology–a structured yet open framework for developing ideas that integrates artistic intuition with analytical thinking.
RSVP
Workshop: In Form and Essence
w/ Oxalá
Step into the world of Oxalá for a deep dive into what it really takes to shape great design. With a short video from master designer Enzo Mari as our guide, we’ll explore the beauty of form and the fight to get it right.
3.00 – 3.50pm
Slash Session*: The Idea Is… Still Loading
This thinkshop is an invitation to stretch your imagination. It’s not about finding the perfect answer, but about expanding into new perspectives and leaving with practical tools to inspire bigger ideas.
RSVP
Fount Workshop*: Weave In, Weave Out
w/ Nanimarquina
A special Nanimarquina weaving workshop. Learn the stories, touch the textures, and help create a one-of-a-kind rug under the expert eyes of the Nanimarqina team.
RSVP
Small Talk:
Spontaneous design conversations with friends and collaborators, recorded by our Slash CEO, Nuno, and whatever interesting person is sitting across from him. Listen in.
4.00 – 4.45pm
Local Talks: Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennale: In the Making
w/ Clemence, Darine & Carmen
Step behind-the-scenes of one of Abu Dhabi’s most awesome cultural events as Darine and Clemence from the Public Art Abu Dhabi team share what it really took to bring this large-scale initiative to life — from creative vision and challenges to community impact and what’s next.
4.45 – 5.30pm
Local Talks: Stories in ink
w/ Mohammed Al Shaibani
Erth Photo Walk*:
w/ The Creatives Shop
Come and explore Erth, one of Abu Dhabi’s most remarkable architectural icons (formerly the Armed Forces Officers Club) from 4pm to 5.30pm, with a camera and some curiosity.
RSVP
6.00 – 7.00pm
Main Session: The Finnish Way of Making
w/ Antti Tevajärvi (Artek)
Design expert Antti Tevajärvi of Artek takes the stage to reflect on the history and excellence of Finnish design—its timeless forms, deep respect for craft, the quiet power of sustainability and what it all means for today.
Erth Photo Walk (continued)*:
w/ The Creatives Shop
Come and explore Erth, one of Abu Dhabi’s most remarkable architectural icons (formerly the Armed Forces Officers Club) from 4pm to 5.30pm, with a camera and some curiosity.
RSVP
7.00 – 8.00pm
Main Session: Design Without Compromise
w/ Tokuhiko Kise (TRUCK)
Tokuhiko Kise founded TRUCK FURNITURE in Osaka in 1997 with a clear vision: to craft the kind of furniture he’d want for himself. Since then he’s built a crazy universe of passion projects – listen in as he talks about his hands-on approach that champions quality, simplicity, and staying true to what feels right.

Library Tours

Guided tours of the People and the Library of Alexandria exhibition will run at the following times:

Saturday 17th
  • 1:00pm – 1:25pm
  • 1:25pm – 1:50pm
  • 4:00pm – 4:22pm
  • 4:22pm – 4:45pm
  • 5:30pm – 5:45pm
  • 5:45pm – 6:00pm
Sunday 18th
  • 2:00pm – 2:25pm
  • 2:25pm – 2:50pm
  • 3:00pm – 3:25pm
  • 3:25pm – 3:50pm
  • 5:30pm – 5:45pm
  • 5:45pm – 6:00pm

Click here to RSVP for Library Tours