AFRICA DESIGN DAY - AFRICA DESIGN SUCCESS STORIES

Midrand (South Africa) - The second Africa Design Day, hosted by the SABS Design Institute, South Africa, on behalf of Network of Africa Designers (NAD) was held in Midrand on 17 and 18 June. Designers, design educators, decision makers and other interest
Midrand (South Africa) - The second Africa Design Day, hosted by the SABS Design Institute, South Africa, on behalf of Network of Africa Designers (NAD) was held in Midrand on 17 and 18 June. Designers, design educators, decision makers and other interest

18.06.2008 News

Midrand (South Africa) - The second Africa Design Day, hosted by the SABS Design Institute, South Africa, on behalf of Network of Africa Designers (NAD) was held in Midrand on 17 and 18 June. Designers, design educators, decision makers and other interested parties attended this highly informative and inspirational event.

The focus of the Africa design Day was on design success stories and a celebration of the awakening of design on the African continent. The programme started with an overview and discussion of the South African research results of the IDA (International Design Alliance) World Design Report, a pilot project to create a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary database on design in the world, classified by country. The SABS Design Institute was tasked to coordinate the South African section of the report and the first findings will be released at the Africa Design Day. A highlight was the presentation by Brenda Sanderson, the International World Design Report coordinator and director of the International Council of Graphic Design Associations. She gave an overview of the progress of the project elsewhere in the world, as well as the envisaged developments following the completion of the pilot project.

When it came to African success stories, speakers from Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Botswana and Uganda shared design success stories from their respective countries. The programme concluded with an interactive panel discussion, raising the question of further collaborations.

The Africa Design Day also dovetailed with the SABS Design Institute’s annual Design Achievers programme. Sidhika Sooklal, a fourth-year Information Design student of the University of Pretoria won this year’s Design Achievers award with a business concept “One in Twenty Nine”, an awareness campaign to prevent cervical cancer in South Africa.

The award was made on 16 June and included 24 design students from different design disciplines. The scheme aims to develop design leadership amongst young designers and has been presented since 1987. This year seven design students from other African countries were also included in the preceding workshops.

SidhikaÂ’s prize is to represent South Africa at a Design Student Workshop in Nagoya, Japan during December. She is the first ever Indian woman to win this award scheme in the 21 years it has been running.

This year’s runner-up is Tinyiko Baloyi, a fashion design student of the University of Johannesburg. Her business concept, titled “Illegal Justice” brings artists together to work socially conscious imagery into the linings of fashion products and to use recycled materials in a range of playful accessories. Tinyiko’s award is to represent South Africa at the Zsennye Design Workshop in Hungary during September.

The theme of the Design Achievers award is Hands-on, Minds-on, Hearts-on. Nominations were invited from all tertiary design institutions in South Africa. Students submitted a design business concept which could contribute towards solving a social, environmental, industrial or cultural problem currently experienced in South Africa. The winner was selected on the strength of her leadership potential, portfolio work, as well as the viability of the design business concept.

For more information:
Jennie Fourie
Media liaison, SABS Design Institute
E: jfourie@bpsupport.com



About the SABS Design Institute
The SABS Design Institute is the national design promotion body of South Africa. It promotes the benefits of good design in order to stimulate the economic and technological development of South Africa.



Midrand (South Africa) - The second Africa Design Day, hosted by the SABS Design Institute, South Africa, on behalf of Network of Africa Designers (NAD) was held in Midrand on 17 and 18 June. Designers, design educators, decision makers and other interest
Midrand (South Africa) - The second Africa Design Day, hosted by the SABS Design Institute, South Africa, on behalf of Network of Africa Designers (NAD) was held in Midrand on 17 and 18 June. Designers, design educators, decision makers and other interest

related
articles