Design in Africa

 



September 17, 2008

Cape Craft & Design Institute

The Cape Craft and Design Institute is a joint initiative of the Western Cape Provincial Goverment, AMTS, DST and CPUT. The CCDI incorporates a Fabrication Laboratory (Fab-lab), this laboratory is a high tech facility with open-source design software linked to digital desktop manufacturing technology.

This means that people in the emerging creative class will have access to improve their economic situation, grow their business and learn new skills.

Erica Elk, executive director of CCDI says 'We aim at design that makes a difference to quality of life in our developing world.' from South African crafts: style and social investment, Pingmag 2006. 

One of the success stories is the range of wire tables and stools produced by Willard Musarurwa and developed by New York designer, Steven Burks, as part of the Aid to Artisans programme. They are being marketed in Italy and Europe by Enrico Basson of Artechnika and are availabe at Weylandts in South Africa.

 

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September 12, 2008

Design for slums


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Lagos will be home to 23 million people by 2015. Challenges for people living in these mega-slums include poor infrastructure, inadequate housing, overcrowding and sanitation. Soon after viewing the clip, I came across this; some clever Swedish designers came up with a possible solution; the Peepoo bag is a disposable single use toilet, that is of course biodegradable.

Based on 'flying toilets' which is a term coined from Kibera, Nairobi. 'It means that one uses a normal plastic bag as a toilet, which after use, is thrown outside the home into the street or on a pile. The name flying toilet indicates that it is thrown as far as possible.'

The Peepoo bag is a more elegant solution, and Peepoople hopes that the bags will be collected and used as fertiliser. Oh, yes, it is odor free too for up to 24 hours.

I hope that sustainable economic benefits evolve for distributing and collecting the bags, which will add value and communicate clear benefits to the people who purchase them.

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September 9, 2008

South Africa as part of a global product production community

In a recent article in Business Day, Roelf Mulder MD of XYZ Design, discusses using offshore toolmakers while manufacturing in South Africa. The benefits are increased product quality and export competitiveness.

'South African manufacturers ought to see themselves as part of a global product production community that combines the best resources from around the world to take a product to market, rather than trying to keep all the processes onshore'

The Condom Applicator won the 'Winner of The Most Beautiful Object In South Africa 2007 Award' at the 2007 Design Indaba. 

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September 9, 2008

Google and connecting the next 3 billion

Google announced today that it will invest in O3b Networks, delivery internet access to people in emerging markets in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East via satellite at competitive prices.

'The O3b Networks system will offer fiber performance over satellite, at prices comparable to fiber in developed regions. By allowing direct connection to core networks and 3G Cellular/WiMAX towers, the O3b Networks system will completely change the economics of telecommunications infrastructure in the world's fastest-growing markets for communications services' Market watch reports.

The implications of this means that in 2 years, people who have never even heard of the internet will have access to it, and they will help shape and direct what it will become. Exciting times ahead!

via Appfrica

 

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September 8, 2008

Nokia Homegrown

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From the LIFT Asia conference Raphael Grignani has an updated presentation that shows some of the thinking and projects Nokia Design Homegrown has been working on. The Remade phone concept explores 'the use of reclaimed and upcycled materials that could ultimately change the way we make things.'

Via putting people first.

 

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September 8, 2008

ColaLife


ColaLife is embarking on one of the most fascinating approaches to innovating current distribution methods.
What about Coca Cola using their distribution channels (which are amazing in developing countries) to distribute rehydration salts? Maybe by dedicating one compartment in every 10 crates as 'the life saving' compartment?
Simon Berry recently called for a collaborative effort to explore the challenges that lie ahead. Like "How are we going to incorporate non-Coke items in Coca-Cola crates?"

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September 7, 2008

Opportunities in Africa

'Emerging markets are the next big frontier for the Internet, but the
old business models fall away. In Africa the Internet is now about how
to get it to cellphones'
Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Sunday Times, September 7 2008

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September 4, 2008

Haldane Martin


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Haldane Martin is launching a new showroom at 12 Aberdeen Street in Woodstock, Cape Town, on Saturday 6 September from 10h00 to 13h00.

via Heather Moore, writer for Elle Decoration.

 

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September 4, 2008

New Ushahidi design


Erik Hersman from White African has announced that Ushahidi has been updated.

The Ushahidi Engine is a platform that allows anyone to gather distributed data via SMS, email or web and visualize it on a map or timeline. Our goal is to create the simplest way of aggregating information from the public for use in crisis response. 

 

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September 4, 2008

FROM IDEA TO PRODUCT SEMINARS

As part of its initiative to support new product development, the SABS Design Institute presents the seminar on product development - FROM IDEA TO PRODUCT

 

The content of the seminar addresses the problems most commonly experienced in the following areas:

  • Pitfalls in the development of a new product;
  • The protection of intellectual property;
  • Available financial incentives and how to access them;
  • Available technical assistance and how to access it;
  • The role of the industrial designer;
  • Individual business strategy and entrepreneurship.

Experts from industry lead the discussions. 

 

On Thursday, 18 September 2008, the seminar will be presented at the Agri Mega week in Bredasdorp, Western Cape.

On Saturday, 4 October 2008, the seminar will be presented at the CSIR Convention Centre, Pretoria, Gauteng.

For more information and to register for the event, go to www.sabs.co.za/Business_Units/Design_Institute/Initiatives/Africa/Seminar.aspx



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