The pandemic changed the world and changed us. The challenge of producing another coffee-table book in the pandemic led to the journey of reimagining our approach to showcasing the beauty of design in Jordan through a digital platform. We learned that today more than ever we need to dream bigger and embrace new mediums to continue to strive to do what we do – empower ecosystems to enable individuals economically and socially.

We are storytellers. This is our story.

Did you know that in Jordan, 100,000 young people start looking for work every year? Thirty-two per cent of youth aged 15-30 years are unemployed. The situation for girls is even more challenging, as Jordan has the third lowest female labour force participation rate in the world. Since 2020, unemployment rates have reached 24.7%, while there has been a 50% decline in youth unemployment.1 The numbers are expected to get worse. Globally, ILO estimates that lockdown measures are affecting almost 2.7 billion workers, representing 81% of the world’s workforce.2

[1] UNICEF Jordan
[2] ILO Monitor 2nd edition: COVID-19 and the world of work

With every Empowering through™ project, we commit a part of our proceeds to solving local challenges. We are honored to partner with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) to contribute towards creating employment opportunities for youth.

Our projects are based on the Empowering through™ model that identifies and connects stakeholders — aid agencies, private and public sectors, academia, impact funds, and civil society — to work together to enable and celebrate individuals.

Design Jordan is a digital platform featuring the stories and design work of 42 designers across multiple disciplines. Also featured are 18 articles contributed by experts from different fields of design, sharing insights and tools for designers to enhance their skills, become self-employed and scale their impact.

The partners of this platform include: Wavoto, Jabal Amman Publishers, The Outfit, Amman Design Week, Jordan Fashion Week, Jordan River Designs, Design Institute Amman, Dezain, Silsal, Chamber Gyld, Maysalward, Mad Hook, Interior ph, Pioneers, Studio be, Design Ideas Studio, SADDA design and build, Waragami, Design Battlefield, Kama, H2 Interiors, Dimitris, Kheit, and The Italian Embassy in Jordan. – The Jordan Ministry of Youth

Empowering through is a new breed of social enterprise founded by Seven Circles and Xische Ventures with the purpose of empowering ecosystems to enable individuals economically and socially. Since 2017, we have been creating an impact in more than 10 countries with a portion of our proceeds committed to giving back.

They say that if you work hard enough you will live your greatest dream. While our dream of a kinder world is not yet our reality, we are humbled to be able to engage with experts who believe that we are on the right path to building a model that can impact lives and be replicated on a mass scale. We are humbled to have worked alongside countless thought leaders, change-makers, storytellers, and heroes to develop a model that gives power to those who want to create change. Thank you for working with us on championing the cause of empowering ecosystems to enable individuals, both socially and economically, so that they may go on to create impact while they tell their stories.

You are our story.
Et™ Design Jordan team.