Hosted by the University of Johannesburg in collaboration with Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the conference ran from 26–28 November in Johannesburg under the theme "Design Intelligence and the Fifth Industrial Revolution," exploring human-centred innovation across three sub-themes: Ubuntu, Metaverse, and New Materiality.
Rethinking the Classroom for the 5IR
Dr. Annabell Wienand, The Academy’s Academic Head, presented "Creating Outside the Classroom: Experiential Learning and Participatory Design Approaches to Learning in the 5IR," making the case for moving beyond traditional classroom teaching to prepare South African design students for unfamiliar, real-world contexts. Her paper introduced the Creative Exchange model, a peer-to-peer initiative, in which The Academy’s Honours students collaborated directly with art and design spaces across Southern Africa. The approach embeds participatory and co-design methods into student training, building ethical research practice, technical skill, and contextually grounded solutions for industry-ready graduates.
"Maak 'n Plan": A Design Framework Rooted in Southern Africa
Theory Subject Lead, Suen Muller, and Applied Illustration Lecturer ,Tamara Weetman co-presented "Maak 'n Plan: A Potential Southern African Design Framework," drawing on a 2024 creative exchange in Harare where The Academy’s Honours Visual Communication students partnered with Mbare Art Space artists to design adaptable wayfinding signage from everyday materials, including subway tiles and household paint. Their framework rests on three pillars, resourcefulness in turning scarcity into innovation, resilience in the face of challenge, and cross-cultural empathy through community collaboration, formalising the pragmatic "maak 'n plan" mindset already present in Southern African creativity and positioning it alongside established global models.
A Global Platform for Local Ideas
The acceptance of all three papers reflects The Academy's growing role in shaping how design is taught and practised across the region, bringing Southern African resourcefulness, resilience, and community-centred thinking to one of the design education sector's most respected international platforms.
