Due to his father’s service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jawwad Zaidi, born in Sofia (Bulgaria), had already travelled to and lived in over 5 diverse countries by the time he enrolled in the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore. The initial study of arts in London and taking Design & Technology as an O-level subject in Singapore played a significant role in opting for Industrial Design as a future profession, then a little known field in Pakistan.
Graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Product Design (B.Des), the thesis titled ‘Disabling Disability’ dealt with the challenges and integration of physically-disabled individuals into the Pakistani society, with a powered vending-tricycle as a solution. During the final Thesis Display at NCA, Jawwad was given an offer to facilitate the initiation and development of the Product Design course at the School of Art & Design – University of Gujrat (UOG), becoming the pioneering Lecturer at the institute.
While at the University, he conducted successful shows of the students work at the Tollington under the aegis of the Lahore Museum, design competitions and displays at education expos. As the first batch of designers came of age, he organized and helped conduct the first Annual Thesis Degree Show for Product Design which was inaugurated by the Chief Minister, Punjab. During his tenure at UOG, Jawwad also worked on various industry collaborations with DITA Sports, VANHAWKS bicycles, GFC, Adidas (Forward Sports), Whiterice Communications, Oxfam and TMA Gujrat. Prior to joining SADA-NUST, he has also been a guest juror for the Basics of Design (BOD) course.
