Brand the Beloved Country

[Terry Levin] What would you do if you had the opportunity to do an image makeover of your country? Respected idea people, Thebe Ikalafeng from TwoTone, Gary Harwood of HKLM and Gaby de Abreu of Switch, were invited to measure their branding and design skills - in the hardest brief ever: 'Brand the Beloved Country', in front of the toughest audience anywhere at Design Indaba 9. 23 Feb 2006 12:00

The next big thing in design is YOU

[Louise Marsland] Design revolutionary, Li Edelkoort, dissected the human body to open up designers to future trends affixed to a colour palette that was more organic in nature, in a presentation entitled 'Future Lifestyles' at the 9th annual Design Indaba in Cape Town yesterday, Thursday, 23 February 2006. 23 Feb 2006 11:58

Your consumers' opinions matter more than yours

[Louise Marsland] One of the best presentations at Design Indaba this year was that given by Ze Frank. Best described as an internet anarchist, great speaker, poor dancer and trend maven, Frank is adamant that people no longer want to hear the opinion of brand makers and advertisers, or even get info from traditional media any longer: it's all about the consumer getting their own opinions across. 23 Feb 2006 11:57

Raising the bar on design

[Terry Levin] The world has no face value for designer, Ji Lee, who wowed at Design Indaba, yesterday, Thursday 23 February 2006, with a mind so conceptual, a vision so inspired, a craft so utterly mastered and honed, that one might well think of giving him the brief to Brand the Beloved Country, just to get a fresh perspective on things. 23 Feb 2006 11:55

Wrapped in thought at Fashion Indaba

[Terry Levin] 'Has clothing in South Africa got us thinking', was the title of the first presentation of the Fashion Indaba stream of the DI9 conference currently on in full swing in Cape Town. "Do the clothes we wear reflect our thoughts, are we letting people into our minds via what we wear without even knowing it?" asks Durban-based designer Amanda Laird Cherry. 23 Feb 2006 11:41

Design a tree at the Indaba

One of the more fun and original activities on offer at this year's Design Indaba is the opportunity to participate in the creation of an interactive wire and bead sculpture. 23 Feb 2006 11:14

Getting it together at Design Indaba

[Terry Levin] The 9th annual Design Indaba kicked off at the CTICC yesterday, Wednesday 22 February, with an uncharacteristic lack of ceremony - no address by the Premier, Deputy Ministers of Arts or Culture, no choirs and no praise singers. Perhaps this was fitting because in a climate where so much in the world needs to be redesigned, there is little time to waste. Arguably the world's most pressing design challenge is that of environmental degradation. 22 Feb 2006 11:00

Design's soft sell

[Terry Levin] In pursuit of doing things differently, better, or with more integrity in design, you seldom have to look further than the Japanese. With a seemingly endless supply of masters such as Shigeru Uchida. Maybe it is lost in translation, but the title of his presentation - 'Weak Modernity' did not sound particularly promising, yet in reality contained all the secrets of successful consumerism. 22 Feb 2006 10:52

Expo showcases contemporary SA architecture

South African architecture created during the first decade of the country's democracy comes under the spotlight at the Design Indaba Expo in Cape Town this week. The Expo, which opens Friday, marks the South African opening of an exhibition of contemporary local architecture, the launch of a coffee table book based on the exhibition material, and the announcement of a local design competition. 22 Feb 2006 10:50

Bring down the creative silos, says John Hunt

[Louise Marsland] Let your brands breathe and break down the creative silos, was the plea from TBWA worldwide creative director, John Hunt, who opened the 9th annual Design Indaba conference in Cape Town today, Wednesday 22 February 2006. Rolling mass blackouts in Cape Town continue, with business centres being given priority during the day and residential areas in the early evening, with mass cuts at night across most areas expected to continue to Friday. 21 Feb 2006 10:47

Design Indaba goes green

The Design Indaba Conference has become the first major carbon-neutral event in Africa. The Design Indaba and partners, in an undertaking known as the Carbon Standard, will calculate the carbon generated by the event and then plant trees to offset it. Conference-generated emissions are based on participants' long-term and local travel, as well as inputs such as local accommodation and the conference venue. Planting trees will reduce the environmental impact of the conference and allow organisers to offset greenhouse gases. 21 Feb 2006 10:44

Creative sparks fly in Cape Town

Fifty of the world's most creative minds gather in Cape Town this week as the Design Indaba - recently judged the best conference in the world by EIBTM in Barcelona - kicks off on Wednesday 22 February. The Design Indaba is now in its ninth year, with corporate commissioners such as marketing teams making up 40% of the audience. 20 Feb 2006 13:43

Films feature at Expo

The Design Indaba Expo is offering a host of local movies this weekend at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, free to visitors attending the expo. The films are supplied and curated by the Cape Town World Cinema Festival. 20 Feb 2006 12:45

Emerging Creatives

The Design Indaba prides itself on the development and diverse support of the Creative industry in South Africa. A vital element of this support is the identification and growth of Emerging Creatives in a multitude of vibrant sectors, including visual art, textiles, ceramics, photography, décor, multimedia, fashion, graphic design and jewellery. 20 Feb 2006 12:15