Great design - ponder the question, review award winner

Delve deeper

Absa, which is a sponsor of the Design Indaba, hopes to encourage participants to look deeper into the keynote presentations, big name speakers and installations and ask themselves what truly is the value of the idea they are being shown.

According to the company, some of the simplest ever creations have had an immeasurable effect on our lives, from the ballpoint pen, to the paper clip and even a block of Lego, all of which have a value beyond any price tag that could be attached to them.

Colleen Jackson, brand manager at Absa, says, "Every year, it's an exciting challenge to create a campaign that is able to hold its own at a conference that itself focuses on creativity. The executions keep things fresh with insightful interpretations of what everyday objects could be used for beyond their everyday intended purposes."

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Creative masterpieces

From 29 February to 2 March 2012, delegates will be exposed to some of the designs they might take for granted and see them in a new light. There will also be different large-scale installations paying homage to great design. Nathan Sawaya, the artist famous for his Lego sculptures, will be collaborating with the bank, as he builds another one of his creations over the course of the Design Indaba.

Delegates and the public can visit the Absa Gallery at the expo to enjoy creative masterpieces inspired by the previous entrants of the Absa L'Atelier art competition. Every year, the Absa L'Atelier competition awards one artist a six-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. This year, the Absa L'Atelier campaign focuses on creating your own art child.

"We hope that our continual involvement within the arts and design sphere will go a long way in entrenching our belief that working as a collective will make our country so much richer in every way," states Jackson.

Sleek design of 'slice'

The sleek design of 'slice' includes a mirrored wedge sliced from each side of the classic wooden chopping board, creating a clever funnel effect for foodstuffs.

"We were really pleased with the outcome of the design and finish of 'slice' and wanted to see how we fare in the eyes of international design critics. As Good Design is one of the most prestigious global awards for excellence in product design, we felt it was apt. Winning the award gives us as South African designers the credibility that what we produce is both recognised and appreciated in the international design arena," says Jonathan Fundudis, head designer of snapp Design.

"It is an honour to be acknowledged by our design peers and the reassurance of attaining our vision for being respected as a globally distinctive brand. As there are thousands of entries from around the globe, including renowned international companies, we feel proud to be able to showcase South Africa as a design contributor."

The company will be on show at Design Indaba, with a freestanding island display and a new range of eight inspiring products. For more, go to www.snappdesign.com.

For more:

• Bizcommunity special section: Design Indaba
  
• Bizcommunity twitterfall: Design Indaba
  
• Design Indaba website: www.designindaba.co.za
  
• Facebook: Design Indaba
  
• Twitter: @DesignIndaba
  
• Twitter Search: Design Indaba OR designindaba OR DI2012
  
• Google News Search: Design Indaba

Snapp Design website corrected at 2pm on 16 February 2012.

For more:
www.designindaba.com