#DesignIndaba2017: Dokter and Misses creating clean, modern beauty
In a five-act presentation, "Weird Dream by Dokter and Misses and friends", they were joined on the stage by choreographed dancers, performers, projection shows and music by conceptual performers Dear Ribane, Lindiwe Matshikiza, and João Renato Orecchia Zúñiga.
Creating a strong story narrative
With Hugo’s background in industrial design and Taplin’s in graphic design, the duo manages to create a strong narrative with each piece of furniture, lighting and ceramic item they design.
Initially, they mostly used straight lines and often stuck to the primary colours. “We mainly produced things like lights, tables, pendants, and some weird ceramics,” says Taplin.
“Eventually we decided that we needed to extend our product range and in some ways started moving towards mass production,” continues Hugo.
They opened the first Dokter and Misses space in 2007. Ten years on, and they’ve expanded to a workshop and showroom in Braamfontein.
They then started pushing their production boundaries. Where they used to use only hard materials like steel and bright colours, they started using other materials like wood and metal, ceramics and cork, to create softer-looking products.
“Riaan’s mother has a ceramic studio, so we really wanted to make use of that resource available to us and try and incorporate ceramics in our product designs,” says Taplin.
Dokter and Misses appeals to a wide range of people as they create products ranging from educational furniture, to high-end designer pieces.
The Isabelo Smart Bench
They also designed the Isabelo Smart Bench, a stand-alone, solar-powered free Wi-Fi hotspot for public use - complete with USB charging points, night lighting and easy seating.
The smart bench is all about sharing (Isabelo is derived from the Zulu word 'to share'). Whether it's sharing a seat, sharing public spaces, or sharing content online. It allows people to sit down, charge up and freely access information and share ideas online.
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For more:
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About Ilse van den Berg
Ilse is a freelance journalist and editor with a passion for people & their stories (check out Passing Stories). She is also the editor of Go & Travel, a platform connecting all the stakeholders in the travel & tourism industry. You can check out her work here and here. Contact Ilse through her website here.
