How can a design policy benefit South Africa

The speakers at the event share their views on how a developing country like South Africa can benefit from having its own design policy.

Gabriel Mothibedi

Across all platforms and levels of operation, design serves as a driver of innovation and a significant function of business and economic growth. As a human-centred activity, design offers new ways of problem solving and solution generation through a collection of social approaches that lead to appropriate and innovative solutions which can easily be adopted by users. In this case, design's relevance in public policy cannot be overrated.
A design policy could benefit a developing country like South Africa in three ways;

1. The government developing policies that support the design industry in which design and quality assurance standards are put in place,
2. The government and public service adopting design methodologies and tools to develop public policy,
3. The government putting in place policies that enable design methodologies to help better the current state of the country.

Alpay Er

Design is a method of problem-solving or an informed practice of redefining problems as agents of "change for improvement". The systematic and consistent employment of this approach by decision makers at national or regional levels in developing countries can be described as having a "design policy". The main benefit of having a design policy for a developing country is to have a methodology and the confidence to tackle its local problems.

Richie Molaoisi

The policy will provide a platform to promote design awareness within South Africa in particular and the rest of the developing countries. It will assist in the creation of original South African designs that integrate a rich craft traditions and cultural heritage. The policy will facilitate strategic integration and cooperation with other continental and global design organisations.

Anabella Rondina

Each country has its own history, culture, productive system, natural resources, etc. Having its own design policy benefits the country because there is no way to implement methodologies from abroad, especially if they come from developed countries with a very different context. You can analyse them and take some models, learn from other experience but you have to adapt a lot of things to your own context. I think you have to know very well the needs of your context to develop your own tools to help your country to improve through design. And this only can be effective if you develop your own design policy

Giselle Raulik Murphy

Having a design policy is important for any country in order to develop the design sector and the utilisation of design in the country. Within these two aspects there is a myriad of other consequential benefits. For example, the improved competitiveness of industry through better products and services, the enhancement of public services for the citizens through a better application of design within government departments, the retention of creative and technical talent in the country through building a stronger design sector with more opportunities for designers. The impact of a design policy is not only in the field of design, but on industry and society, on economy and living standards as a whole.

Michael Thomson

There are many benefits but I see three as key:

The complex process of thinking about, planning for and writing a design policy is a powerful one. It helps to bring people from different points of view together; to highlight key issues as well clarifying and communicating the needs and opportunities of national and local communities.

It creates a visible focus for politicians and other stakeholders involved in the process to exchange, explore, build and share language around what can design do for the citizens of a country by improving innovation and deepening culture and identity.

A design policy also asks the question, 'What is it about us that is unique?'; 'What do we 'own' (as a characteristic, a quality, a skill, an approach), in a way that other countries do not?' and 'What are the unique strengths that we have precisely because of our unique and special reality?'

Srini Srinivasan

Developing countries like SA needs design-driven solutions that can lead to innovation-led creative economy. Having its own design policy will help the country define a set of uniform design processes and strategies that will boost the design industry locally. Design policy will lead to design enablement, which in turn, create a great value proposition for developing businesses.

Hester du Plessis

The impact of design is one of the more hidden aspects that drive economic development and as such South Africa needs to forefront design as one of the pillars towards the successful implementation of the National System of Innovation (NSI). Within the intentions of the National Development Plan (NDP 2030), which currently serves as driver for the government's desire to eliminate poverty and inequality, we find reference to the critical capabilities required to develop South Africa. As one of those critical capabilities the role of design is crucial given the varied inflows and impacts of design on society.

Ralitsa Diana Debrah

A design policy can benefit South Africa, in a number of ways by:
1. Recognising the role of the designer in government initiated projects such as

• Town and city planning initiatives
  
• Branding government agencies and recognising the design methodology as a way of finding solutions to emerging problems in society

2. Creating standards and capacity building for designers to encourage more young people into this creative field.
Recognition to the design practice in national development