The conference at which Hasan gave this keynote was ‘a rare opportunity to gather international and national expertise in the craft and design community’, ‘an unparalleled chance to have generative conversations on the future of making in Australia’ (National Craft Initiative 2016). It was part of a three-year project (2013-16) to strengthen the Australian craft and design sector through strategic innovation and participation nationally and internationally. Hasan was the sole UK keynote (others were from Italy, Netherlands, USA, Japan, S Africa, Australia).

Hasan’s contribution reflected on his own practice at the convergence of Art and Design processes and techniques. Using his own designing based on historical research as illustration, his talk showed how research in to past methods and materials uses can pave the way for the hands-on development of contemporary design outcomes.

Keynotes were invited who are working at the intersection of craft and design, a field that is expanding and evolving as society reappraises the importance of the hand made in an increasingly industrial world. They focused on the significance and importance of hand made objects, the relationships between commercial design and crafted objects, and the ways in which technology, sustainability, digital connectivity and globalisation are impacting traditions. The project culminated in the report Agenda for Australia Craft and Design Practice, a strategic document written to facilitate the development of Australian craft and design practitioners.