disarming design
Disarming Design from Palestine (DDFP) is a Belgian non-profit design label founded in 2012 that develops artisanal Palestinian products via create-shops with local artisans and sells them globally through DTC e-commerce from its Belgium studio, supplemented by donations and educational programs with European art schools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What disarming design does
Disarming Design from Palestine (DDFP), legally Disarming Design vzw, is an independent Belgian non-profit founded in 2012 that operates as a thought-provoking design label rooted in Palestinian cultural production. Its core activity consists of running create-shops in Palestine — held in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Gaza, Jerusalem and Birzeit — where Palestinian artisans and self-producing designers co-develop products under the organization's participative design methodology. Outputs span more than 70 distinct SKUs across accessories (watermelon wallet, theblacksac), jewelry (leaf behind earrings, Silver Solidarity, Gaza 'Love for life' earrings), textiles (multiple keffiyeh variants sourced from the Hirbawi factory), homeware (Nabulsi soap, Palestime hourglass, Distance to Gaza plate), apparel, books (Subjective Atlas of Palestine, Reworlding Ramallah), games (Watchtowers and water tanks game) and crafts. Each product carries an explicit narrative tied to Palestinian identity, history, occupation or resistance, and pricing ranges from €0.50 (Barcelona or Madrid? No, Palestine!) to €245.00 (Watchtowers and water tanks game), with the bulk of items priced between €7.95 and €75.00.
The business operates on a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through disarmingdesign.com, shipping internationally from its Belgium studio in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw (Hoogstraat 151), while manufacturing and creative development take place at its Birzeit create-shop in Palestine and partner sites. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales supplemented by donations from friends and patrons; the non-profit vzw structure means there are no external investors or subscription revenues. A small Belgium-based team — led by Artistic Director Annelys de Vet, Executive Director Raed Hamouri, and Design & Production Manager Ghadeer Dajani — keeps operational costs to a bare minimum. Beyond commerce, DDFP runs educational programs, workshops, and exhibitions internationally (Amman Design Week, Design Museum Cologne, Droog Amsterdam, Design Museum Ghent, Het Nieuwe Instituut Rotterdam, Bozar Brussels, Darat al Funun Amman, KVS Brussels, C-Mine Genk) and formal academic partnerships with art schools including Sandberg Instituut Amsterdam (Masters programme 2020-2022), Sint Lucas School of Arts Antwerp, Willem de Kooning Academie Rotterdam, Lucerne School of Art & Design, and VCUarts Qatar.
The organization was recognized with a Henry Van De Velde Awards nomination at Bozar, Brussels (2017) and a Prince Claus Awards recognition for its bags project (December 2019). It positions design as a cultural tool for political resistance and international solidarity, explicitly investing in participative methods that contribute to decolonial futures. Customers are international individuals — primarily art and design enthusiasts purchasing culturally significant Palestinian products — with educational institutions engaged as a secondary segment through workshops and create-shops rather than commercial contracts.
disarming design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- disarming design
- Legal name
- Disarming Design vzw
- Website
- https://disarmingdesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Disarming Design from Palestine (DDFP) is a Belgian non-profit design label founded in 2012 that develops artisanal Palestinian products via create-shops with local artisans and sells them globally through DTC e-commerce from its Belgium studio, supplemented by donations and educational programs with European art schools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
disarming design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Palestinian Design Products
- NAICS
- Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (459130), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DIY Craft Kits & Project Kits Retail (CRALACAH)
Keywords
Where disarming design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
disarming design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Sale of artisanal products created by Palestinian artisans and self-producing designers through their e-commerce platform. Products are shipped from their Belgium studio to international customers worldwide.
- Donations: Non-profit organization that accepts donations from friends and patrons to invest in design, fair production and communication.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Physical products with cultural/political narratives |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
disarming design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Disarming Design from Palestine is a Belgian non-profit that develops and sells a portfolio of over 70 artisanal and design products (including keffiyehs, wallets, jewelry, books, plates, candles, games, bags, scarves and aprons) created by Palestinian artisans and self-producing designers during create-shops. Products are manufactured locally in Palestine and shipped to the Belgium studio for international direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales. The organization additionally runs create-shops, summer schools, workshops and exhibitions focused on decolonial design practices.
Product overview
Disarming Design from Palestine is an independent non-profit project that serves as a thought-provoking design label from Palestine. The company offers a diverse portfolio of over 70 distinct artisanal products including accessories (watermelon wallet, theblacksac), jewelry (leaf behind earrings, silver solidarity), textiles (various keffiyeh styles, t-shirts), homeware (plates, candles, soaps), books (subjective atlas of Palestine, Reworlding Ramallah), games (Watchtowers and water tanks game), and crafts. Products are created by local artisans and self-producing designers during create-shops in Palestine, then shipped to the studio in Belgium for sale. The items combine artistic expression with cultural storytelling, each carrying a unique story about Palestinian identity, history, and resistance. The company operates as a non-profit, sustaining operations through product sales and donations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Watermelon wallet Wallet featuring a watermelon design (the watermelon is a symbol of Palestinian identity), sold at €24.95 through the DDFP shop for international consumers.
- Awakening goggles Goggles designed to catalyze a broader view and prevent people from covering, sold at €29.95 through the DDFP shop.
- Made in Palestine Palestinian-origin branded product priced at €75.00, sold via the DDFP shop to international customers.
- Anti Colonializm Anti-colonial themed apparel item priced at €19.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Leaf behind earrings Earrings representing 'I leave you behind', priced at €64.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Tears Handcrafted item referencing a flourishing craft industry from Roman rule in Palestine, sold at €8.95 via the DDFP shop.
- Silver Solidarity Silver jewelry item expressing solidarity, priced at €225.00, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Distance to Gaza Plate connecting different locations in the world to Gaza, priced at €29.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Beyond first impressions Art piece challenging initial perceptions, priced at €29.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- White on black keffiyeh Keffiyeh with white pattern on black, priced at €34.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Keffiyeh bandage Keffiyeh-inspired bandage item priced at €7.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Watermelon flag Flag featuring the watermelon motif symbolizing Palestinian identity, priced €19.95–€79.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Leaf behind ring Ring representing 'I leave you behind', priced at €64.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- 'I am an Arab' t-shirt T-shirt referencing 'Record! I am an Arab, and my identity card is number 50 000', priced €20.00–€25.00, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Subjective atlas of Palestine Book showing landscapes and urban scenes of Palestine that challenge stereotypes, priced at €24.50, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Classic keffiyeh Classic keffiyeh made by Hirbawi factory, one of the only remaining factories manufacturing keffiyeh locally, priced at €34.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Reworlding Ramallah Collection of short science fiction stories from Palestine, priced at €12.50, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Gaza earrings 'Love for life' Earrings expressing 'We love life whenever we can', priced at €165.00, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Basta Cultural homeware product from Palestine priced at €49.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- State of Palestine Art piece where the artist declares the existence of a non-existent state, priced at €11.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Qastina apron
- White on white keffiyeh Keffiyeh with white pattern on white, priced at €34.95, sold via the DDFP shop.
- Bird plate
- Palestime
- Measuring inequality
- Poetic nights
- Black on black keffiyeh
- Christmas baubles from Bethlehem
- Yellow cab toy
- theblacksac
- Coloured keffiyeh
- Unveiled souls
- Maisa
- Lullaby
- Nabulsi soap
- Everywhere Palestine
- Memory belt
- Freedom shoes
- Gaza scarf
- Heirloom seeds
- Hasakah
- 'Everywhere' fisherman's box
- Gaza birdhouse
- Cactus fruit candle
- Identity = health face mask
- Barcelona or Madrid? No, Palestine!
- Proudly Made in Palestine
- Watchtowers and water tanks game
- Checkpoint brush
- Gaza box
- Vicious circles
- Under the olive tree
- Under construction
- Stress ball
- Straway
- Spiced landscape
- Soccer keffiyeh
- Old news from Palestine
- Relax (hardly) pillow
- Blanco
- In-between
- Jerusalem spell
- Hide and see travel pouch
- Gaza hero medal
- Disengaged observer outfit
- Daftar
- The land of milk and honey
- Carrying home
- The meaning of home
- Keffiyeh spring dress
Quantifiable outcome
- Products developed during create-shops with local artisans
Companies that use disarming design
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
disarming design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
disarming design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- Sandberg Instituut AmsterdamflagshipMasters programme collaboration (2020-2022). Exploring how design can be a vehicle for political resistance and solidarity, defining what is needed to enhance social, political and emancipatory impact.
- Prince Claus AwardsminorReceived recognition for bags project - extraordinary people working in areas where cultural expression faces challenges.
- Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar)coreCrossing Boundaries lecture series (November 2019). VCUarts Qatar invited DDFP for lectures and workshops about development of local Palestinian design, effect of occupation on craft development, and how designers can be empowered to engage more actively in society.
- Palestinian MuseumcoreCollaboration on Intimate Terrains summer school (August 2019). The museum provided exhibition narratives and served as venue for final presentations. Museum is an independent institution dedicated to supporting open and dynamic Palestinian culture, a flagship project of Taawon-Welfare Association.
- Sint Lucas School of Arts AntwerpflagshipParticipated in Intimate Terrains summer school 2019 with international students collaborating with Palestinian designers on create-shop projects.
- Willem de Kooning Academie RotterdamflagshipParticipated in Intimate Terrains summer school 2019 with international students collaborating with Palestinian designers.
- Lucerne School of Art & DesignflagshipParticipated in Intimate Terrains summer school 2019 with international students.
- Droog (Amsterdam)minorHosted Thought-provoking December gifts exhibition (December 2018 - January 2019).
- Design Museum GhentminorHosted 'My house is your house' exhibition (February-April 2018).
- Het Nieuwe Instituut RotterdamminorExhibition collaboration (November 2017).
- Darat al Funun AmmanminorHosted exhibition during Amman Design Week (October 2017).
- KVS BrusselsminorEye on Palestine exhibition (March-April 2014).
- C-Mine GenkminorConflict & Design exhibition participation (December 2013 - March 2014) - 7th Design Triennial in Flanders.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
disarming design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ten Thousand Villages: Fair-trade artisan retail model that sources handcrafts from artisans in developing regions and sells direct-to-consumer with the producer story as the core value proposition — directly comparable to Disarming Design's artisan-from-conflict-region, story-driven retail approach.
- The Little Market: Fair-trade e-commerce store selling artisan goods made by underserved communities, with each product carrying a producer's story — analogous positioning to Disarming Design's artisan-and-narrative model.
- Sseko Designs: Ethical apparel and accessories brand employing artisans in Uganda and sharing their stories; comparable to Disarming Design in combining handmade production, mission-driven narrative, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
- GOEX Apparel: Apparel brand with a social mission (supporting at-risk and rescued populations) and story-led products — overlaps with Disarming Design on mission-driven apparel retail and storytelling.
- Holy Land Gifts: Retailer specializing in products made by Christian and minority artisans in the Holy Land/Israel-Palestine region — overlaps directly with Disarming Design on geography and artisan-made goods, though more religious in framing.
Broad incumbents
- Etsy: Global marketplace for handmade and artisan goods; serves as the broad incumbent in the artisan D2C space where Disarming Design competes for the same ethically minded consumer.
- NOVICA (National Geographic-licensed): Large-scale online retailer of handcrafted artisan goods from around the world with artist stories — same story-plus-artisan D2C archetype as Disarming Design but at much larger scale.
Emerging players
- Accompany: Curated ethical marketplace partnering with artisan cooperatives globally; an emerging player in the same curated-mission-driven-artisan retail category as Disarming Design.
Regional players
- Bashar Al Hantash Palestinian Crafts: Palestinian-origin artisan producer and seller of cultural goods (olive wood, embroidery, etc.); a regional peer operating from the same artisan community and selling internationally with cultural narratives.
Others
- Droog: Dutch conceptual design platform/retailer that has hosted Disarming Design exhibitions; relevant as an adjacent design-curation ecosystem player, not a direct competitor but a channel peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
disarming design social profiles
Digital presencedisarming design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
disarming design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
disarming design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
disarming design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about disarming design
What does disarming design do?
Disarming Design from Palestine is a Belgian non-profit that develops and sells a portfolio of over 70 artisanal and design products (including keffiyehs, wallets, jewelry, books, plates, candles, games, bags, scarves and aprons) created by Palestinian artisans and self-producing designers during create-shops. Products are manufactured locally in Palestine and shipped to the Belgium studio for international direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales. The organization additionally runs create-shops, summer schools, workshops and exhibitions focused on decolonial design practices.
Is disarming design a public or private company?
disarming design is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was disarming design founded?
disarming design was founded in 2012.
Where is disarming design based?
disarming design is headquartered in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does disarming design make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations.
Who are disarming design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ten Thousand Villages, The Little Market, Sseko Designs, GOEX Apparel and Holy Land Gifts. Broad incumbents are Etsy and NOVICA (National Geographic-licensed). Accompany is listed as an emerging player. Bashar Al Hantash Palestinian Crafts is listed as a regional player. Droog is listed as an others.
Does disarming design have an API?
No public API is recorded for disarming design.
What industry is disarming design in?
disarming design's product category is Artisan Palestinian Design Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALACAH, DIY Craft Kits & Project Kits Retail. Its NAICS code is 459130 and its SIC code is 5600.