The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture is calling on creatives to register online for a chance to be part of the eighth edition of Ithra Design Challenges. This year will mark the beginning of a new chapter as the annual flagship design event, now in its ninth iteration, was previously known as Tanween for eight editions and has been rebranded as Ithra Design Week. What was known as Tanween Challenges will now be Ithra Design Challenges. The challenges will bring together 90 shortlisted participants from across the globe, who will compete across four specialized tracks. These are urban spaces: Designing lightweight, open-ended playgrounds to spark curiosity and spontaneous play in cities; product design: Reimagining classroom seating as flexible tools that enhance student engagement and well-being; visual communication: Creating a modern visual language to improve the accessibility and experience of electric mobility in Saudi Arabia; and global impact: Developing multidisciplinary solutions to help communities adapt and thrive amid extreme heat.⁠‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ This year’s theme is “What is the Next Norm?” It encourages potential participants to challenge existing assumptions and develop adaptive, forward-thinking solutions. Those selected will engage in an intensive schedule of workshops and talks, utilizing design thinking to develop practical solutions under tight deadlines.⁠⁠ One winning project from each track will be recognized at the closing ceremony and advance to a development phase with a production partner. Positioning design as a lens for inquiry and future-making, Ithra Design Week aims to “fuel exchange across disciplines, cultures and ways of thinking, making a direct contribution to the creative economy in Saudi Arabia and beyond,” it said in a statement. The event will be hosted across four thematic districts. These are The Scene: The hub for workshops and venue for the Design Challenges; The Agora: An open-air space featuring art installations and interactive experiences focused on inclusivity; The Hype: A large-scale exhibition showcasing the work of design graduates; and The Canvas: An architectural exploration of large-scale design installations within the Desert Garden. Hosted over six days, the design challenges will take place as part of Ithra Design Week, held between Nov. 16-21 at Ithra headquarters in Dhahran. Applications will be open until Oct. 24 via the “challenges” page on the Ithra website. All winning projects will be featured in a curated Ithra exhibition next year.