Design Indaba

Q&A with MBOISA, expo winners

This year, the big winners at the Design Indaba Expo were jeweller Kirsten Goss, whose Lily Pad Ring is the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa 2012; graphic designer and Creative Stand winner Mike van Heerden; and Andy Cartwright of Andy Cartwright Homeware, who walked off with the inaugural Innovation Award. Bizcommunity.com finds out what these wins mean and how the expo was for them, as well as their plans for the future.

By Simone Puterman: editor-at-large 8 Mar 2012

AAA student design wins Foodcorp Design Challenge 2012

On the opening day of the Design Indaba Expo, the Foodcorp Design Challenge 2012 announced its winning student entries. Challenged to engineer packaging, marketing and advertising concepts for local blue chip brands, Yum Yum Peanut Butter, Glenryck Pilchards, Ouma Rusks and Mageu Number 1, the first prize went to the AAA's Tanya Reyneke.

8 Mar 2012

Lily Pad ring crowned Most Beautiful Object in South Africa 2012

This year, at the Design Indaba Expo 2012, Kirsten Goss's Lily Pad ring took the title of Most Beautiful Object in South Africa (MBOISA), as voted by the public online and via SMS. The Design Indaba Expo Innovation Award and the Most Creative Stand winners were Andy Cartwright Homeware and Emerging Creative graphic designer Mike van Heerden, respectively.

7 Mar 2012

There ain't no grave

Presenting at the closing session of the first day of Design Indaba 2012, Chris Milk, an accomplished music video producer, and Aaron Koblin, who has the enviable job description as head of the data arts team at Google Creative Lab, spoke about their collaboration in reinventing the music video using new digital thinking. [video]

By Terry Levin 6 Mar 2012

That personal touch at the expo

Studying at the AAA School of Advertising has given me the opportunity to go to the Design Indaba Expo for the last three years. Each year I am blown away by the creativity and innovation that moves through the veins of Cape Town, its surrounding areas and the rest of South Africa. What was most interesting about this year's event was that it had a much more "personal" feel to it.

By Jordan Scott 6 Mar 2012

Short, sharp close to Design Indaba

This year's Design Indaba close saw Mini South Africa and iLuminate, of America's Got Talent fame, produce a glittering representation in lights of the newest addition to the car range, the new Mini Roadster, as it joined international performers.

6 Mar 2012

Firewater Light helps to reveal the new Mini Roadster

The Design Indaba Conference in Cape Town came to a close on Friday, 2 March, and Firewater Light together with Black River FC closed the event off in style. In what was known as the 'Mystery Performance', the two companies took the stage with international act iLuminate, of America's Got Talent fame, to unveil the new Mini Roadster.

Issued by Firewater Group 5 Mar 2012

Invest in people

Coincidentally, while thousands at Design Indaba last week were being inspired by bold urban design that challenges our thinking, the former mayor of Bogota, Columbia, was challenging urban development policies at a conference in Stellenbosch. Screened during the Design Indaba week, the documentary Urbanized expounded on Enrique Peñasola's initiatives. As bold and controversial as these are, the benefits to the citizens are profound. As he states, "We invested in people."

By Anton Crone 5 Mar 2012

SENSEable cities

Presenting at the 2012 Design Indaba conference, which took place last week at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Carlo Ratti and Assaf Biderman highlighted the role technology and information can play in optimising city planning. Bizcommunity.com speaks to the two about their philosophy behind their approach and the tools used in their research.

By Herman Manson: @marklives 5 Mar 2012

Cities that speak

One of the dominant themes to have emerged from Design Indaba 2012, held as usual during the last week of February, at Cape Town's CTICC, might be said to be one of a new kind of assisted or enhanced intelligence - with almost every presenter demonstrating the new narrative and emotive potentials of digital interfaces to connect.

By Terry Levin 5 Mar 2012

Andrew Shoben on how a 'design capital' should view public art

Andrew Shoben makes art in public spaces. His artists' collective Greyworld has become known for creating artwork in mostly urban spaces that resonates with many rather than an 'arty' few. Bizcommunity.com posed a few questions to this Design Indaba 2012 speaker.

By Herman Manson: @marklives 2 Mar 2012

Common Pitch: winner, additional sponsorship by MTN announced

The Common Pitch competition, held on the opening night of Design Indaba saw a surprise move by MTN, who donated an extra R100 000 to Dry Bath, a Limpopo invention; and EarthBag Construction System won R200 000 to use on other projects in communities that need it.

2 Mar 2012

Clive van Heerden sees the 'far-future' of design

Clive van Heerden is the senior director of Design-Led Innovation at Philips Design. In its simplest terms, Van Heerden and his team researches how sociocultural and technology shifts only just emerging today might shape society and the way we live 10 or 20 years from now. Bizcommunity.com caught up with Van Heerden to ask him a few questions.

By Herman Manson: @marklives 2 Mar 2012

FNB, PayPal launch design competition at Design Indaba

Elance, described as a large platform for online freelance employment opportunities, has teamed up with FNB PayPal and launched a Paper Wallet Design competition at Design Indaba.