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This paper focuses on an Egyptian experience of participation in the design of a vegetable and fruit market. In 1999, the re-design of the Tablita Market based on community participation was proposed as one of the components of a larger encompassing project aiming at the economic revitalization and environmental upgrading of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar; a physically deteriorating district located in the medieval city referred to as Historic Cairo. The idea was that the upgrade of this major local market would serve in promoting comprehensive environmental and physical upgrading of the whole Al-Darb Al-Ahmar. The funding for upgrading the Tablita Market required the vendors’ participation in the new design.

This paper presents the participatory design process that we initially designed as well as its development and adjustment during implementation. The aim is to discuss to what extent the conflicts of interest and power relations among actors, inflamed by the historic dimension of the place, affect the process of participatory design. What type of reactions did the participatory design process provoke among the vendors and other actors including the local government authorities? Are there winners and losers in participatory design?

In preparation for the community participation workshops, the findings from the Needs Assessment research were analyzed using the concept of Functional Opportunities (Shehayeb, 1995) to show the relation between the advantages and disadvantages, problems and concerns expressed by the different actors. These were then summarized into six categories of Functional Opportunities that represent the Goals of the vendors. The means of achieving these goals were to be explored in a series of workshops with different groups of vendors. The criteria for selecting each group was to mix in awareness levels, but not power, so as to give an opportunity for the less influential vendors to express their opinion and not be dominated by the more powerful leaders of the vendor community. A scaled model of the existing Tablita Market was constructed as an aid to help the participants spatially represent their ideas. After implementing the first and second group workshops, the reactions to those events necessitated a revision of the process as well as a readjustment among ourselves as to the goals and impacts of this process. It turned out to be much more than a process involving a group of vendors in the re-design of a market place.

This paper's aim is to evaluate the dyeing performance of newly designed azo dye system based on thiazole substituted for improved dyeing when applied to synthetic fibres.

For improved dyeing qualities, various azo dye systems were synthesised based on polyfunctionally substituted thiazole as the coupling component. The heterocyclic moiety was coupled with diazotised aromatic amines to afford the respective azo or hydrazono systems. The structure of the novel systems was elucidated based on elemental analysis and spectral data. Dyeing performance, electronic spectra and optical properties were characterised based on UV and K/S measurements. Fastness properties were evaluated.

The novel systems were designed so that the functionalities located on the heterocyclic ring afforded structure modification that led not only to good dispersion but also to improved adherence on the fibre. The location of the sites led to constructing a resonating system with higher electron mobility and higher absorption maxima.

The azo dyes, used in the present context were synthesised via a step‐wise pathway leading to new dyes. In addition, the variations in substituents and location of sites on the heterocyclic core could also be studied.

The novel azo dye systems based on polyfunctionally substituted thiazole provided a simple practical access to a series of azo dyes with improved dyeing properties. The availability of starting materials, the simplicity and efficiency to production in good yields and high purity lead to valuable achievements for commercial production.

The designed azo dye systems could find numerous applications as disperse dyes in the fields of dyeing, printing and surface coating. Moreover, the systems can find applications as reactive dyes for wool, silk and cellulosic fibres.