EDUCATIO

N

NO. 2

2010

www.flordecor.co.za

www.flordecor.co.za

w w w . b o w m a n . c o . z a

CONTENTS

TRAILBLAZERS

14 > MarianneFassler:Beingtruetohermuse

24 > ChrisSaunders&BrettRubin:Photographyinspiredbypersonalpassions

34 > TheLionheart

40 > Joule:Africa’sfirsttrulysustainableelectric-poweredvehicle

BUILTENVIRONMENT

50 > Designforthepeople

58 > RawStudiosmakewoodwork

64 > Alternativearchitecture

5 >

EDUCATION

70 > Ethicalarchitectureandthecaseoftheeveryday

78 > OldMacDaddy

84 > Uncoveringthemysteriesofthemagicmirrortents

COMMUNICATIONDESIGN

90 > Un-packed:Astoryaboutboxesandbags

98 > StefanGBucher:Themonstersmademedoit!

108 > TINGATINGATALES:ReawakeningfolktalesfromAfrica

114 > Welcometothe3rdDimension

POPULARCULTURE

120 > Avantgraffiti

6 >

128 > ThehottestactinVideoDJ-ing

134 > SA’szeftriothrashmusicscene

FASHION

140 > Inspiredjewellery

146 > AnEcoBride?

DESIGNTHINKING

152 > Designchallengeofthiscenturyiseducationforall

156 > Designomics:Designdriveneconomics

160 > TheGhanaThinkTank:DevelopingtheFirstWorld

CREAMOFTHECROP

166 > CannesLionYoungCreativeCompetition

7 >

EDUCATION

8 >

EDUCATION

170 > DesignAchievers:Aleadershiplaunchpadforyoungcreatives

174 > AfricanstudentsjointhecrèmeofSouthAfricanDesignAchievers

182 > Youngcreativeskeepemerging

188 > AroadtriptoNeighbourstardom

TERTIARYRESOURCES

194 > KateMoross’guidetofreelancing

202 > Canarty-fartydriveaMaserati?

208 > Areyoucompetent?AskDrTruth

HIGHSCHOOLRESOURCES

212 > Designingthefuture

216 > Picsmadefrombasictools:Photogramsandpinholephotography

220 > AnimationAcademyopensnewdoorsforyoungcreatives

222> WanttostudyDesign?

College of Human Sciences

School of Arts

Artwork: Ronit Judelman, UNISA student Nurture your creativity in the visual arts We offer a wide variety of learning programmes in the disciplines of Art History, Visual Arts and Multimedia Studies.

Our programmes prepare you for a multiplicity of careers in the contemporary art world: professional artist, corporate art advisor, community art specialist, arts and culture journalist, animator, art educator, art historian, art critic, multimedia designer, music video producer and video director. Undergraduate Studies: • BA degree in Art History • Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) • BA (Culture and Arts) with specialisation in Multimedia Studies

Postgraduate studies: • Honours, Masters and DLitt et Phil degrees in Art History • Advanced University Diploma in Visual Arts • Masters degree in Visual Arts (MVA)

For more information: Tel: (+27) 12 429-6459 / (+27) 12 429-6798 Fax: (+27) 12 429-3556 E-mail: mabitl@unisa.ac.za / ndalafs@unisa.ac.za Website: www.unisa.ac.za/dept/arts

10 >

ENDORSERS> MEDIAPARTNERSHIPS>

EDUCATION

10 >

PUBLISHER>

CameronBramley

cameron@designmagazine.co.za

GROUPEDITOR>

JacquesLange

jacquesL@iafrica.com

EDITOR>

SunéStassen

sune2000@mweb.co.za

CONTRIBUTORS>

MariekeAdams,JasonAldridge,LorraineAmollo,

ChevawnBlum,AndreaBokelmann,Fatima

Cassim,MaranCoates,IngaForde,JennieFourie,

ZeldaHarrison,MohammedJogie,JoeKrenzer,

AzaneLouwrens,WeyersMarais,Anastasia

MirandaMessaris,RobertoMillan,LilacOsanjo,

NickyRehbock,ChristopherRobbins,Stacey

Rowan,SarahStewart,LianivanderWesthuizen

SALESTEAM>

FrançoisFassler,GeriAdolphe,RachelHarper,

CheneMadzvamuse,JeffMalan

PRODUCTION>

CharlLamprechtandStaceyRowan

ADMINISTRATION&ACCOUNTS>

ClaudiaMadurai&MichelleSwart

CREATIVEDIRECTOR>

JacquesLange

DESIGN&LAYOUT>

BluprintDesign

COVERPHOTOGRAPHY>

SimonDenier+SDR

PUBLISHEDBY>

DESIGN>MAGAZINE

Tel:+27(0)828828124

Fax:+27(0)866788448

www.designmagazine.co.za

©2010DESIGN>MAGAZINE

ISSN1814-7240

Edition2,August2010

DESIGN>EDUCATIONisproducedbyDESIGN>MAGAZINE.Nomaterialmaybereproducedinpartor

wholewithouttheexpresspermissionofthepublisher.Noresponsibilitywillbeacceptedforunsolic-

itedmaterial.Thepublisheracceptsnoliabilityofwhatsoevernaturearisingoutoforinconnection

withthecontentsofthispublication.Thepublisherdoesnotgiveanywarrantyastothecompleteness

oraccuracyofitscontents.TheviewsandopinionsexpressedinDESIGN>EDUCATIONarenotneces-

sarilythoseofthepublisher,itsendorsers,sponsorsorcontributors.

CREDITS

11 >

SonowthatSouthAfrica(andAfrica)has

pulledoffthebiggestsportingeventinits

historyIthinkit’sfairtosaythattheSoccer

WorldCup2010wasprobablythebestex-

ampleofagrand-scaleproject,incorporating

justaboutallaspectsofbusiness,market-

ing,brandandnationbuilding,merchandis-

ingandretailing,entertainmentandevents

management,visualcommunicationinall

itsforms,digitalmediaandhigh-endtech-

nology,thebuiltenvironment,engineering

andurbandevelopment,tomentionjusta

few.ThiswasTHEgrandstagethatshow-

casedthecreativeindustriesatthetopof

theirgameworkinginperfectharmonywith

businesstowardseconomic,socialandcul-

turaldevelopment.Itwasagoodexample

ofcreativeandanalyticalthinkingresulting

insuccessfulstrategiesandthedesignand

executionofsystemsandprocessesthat

createdenvironmentsandexperiencesthat

overwhelmedvisitorsandaddedcritical

dimensionstothismonumentalachievement.

Theimpactandtheroleofthecreativeindus-

triesshouldneverbeunderestimated.Ac-

cordingtoIDEOpartnerDiegoRodriquez

“goodbusinessarisesfromadesign-centricprocess

thatincorporatesmarketing,researchandideas”

anddesignisacknowledgedasthe“bottomline”.

Knowingthatdesignisnotaluxurynoranelitist

activitybutratheranecessitythatrespondsand

servesbasichumanneeds,itisdifficulttounder-

standhowanycultureorcountrycanexistwithout

eventheverybasicsthatcreativity,innovationand

imaginationcanprovide.Wehavealways–ever

sincetheStoneAge–expressedcertainbasicneeds

inordertosurvive,communicate,travelandfeed

ourselvesandothers–nottomentionourbasic

needsformedicalcareandprotectionagainstthe

elementsandmuchmore.

Asabiannualpublication,DESIGN>EDUCATION

(orjustcallherED>)continuestofocusontrendyand

valuablemorsels,delvingdeeperthantheusual

show-and-tellandsharingvaluableinsightsinto

worldclassproductionsanddesignsdonebyextraor-

dinaryteamsoftalentedandskilledindividuals.

InthissecondeditionofED> welookatthepower-

fulroleofcreativitywithintheworldofbusiness

andsocietycovering37articleswhichhighlight

diverseanglesanddisciplines.Becauseofcreativity,

powerfulbrandsarebuiltandimprovedupon,result-

inginnewmarketsandtargets.WevisitatrueSouth

AfricaniconMarianneFassler,learnmoreaboutthe

makingoftheTingaTingaTalesandfindoutaboutthe

soon-to-be-releasedfirstbatchofanimatedfeature

filmsproducedinSouthAfrica.Enroutetoethical

architectureviaNoeroWolffArchitectsisacaseof

theeverydayandarchitectsAlejandroAravenaand

MarceloRosenbaumusetheirdesignskillstoim-

proveandempowerthelivesofmanypeople,while,

atthesametime,alleviatingpoverty.

ED> willcontinuetoscoutforthesebalancingacts

betweentheneedsandthewantsthatequallyand

successfullyaddresssomanyhumanconditions

throughtheapplicationofcreativethinkinginan

innovativeandproblem-solvingway.Theultimateaim

istoproducesomethingthatcanbeofrelevenceto

themarketanditsusers.

Haveagreatandinspiringread!

SunéStassen

EDUCATION

13 >

EDITOR’SFOREWORD

14 >

BEINGTRUE

TOHERMUSE

ByJacquesLange

EDUCATION

15 >

WhataretheoriginsofLeopardFrock?Leop-

ardFrockwasestablishedintheearly90s

afterImovedfrommyshopinHydeParkCorner.

Ineededmorespaceandthoughtitmade

sensetohavemyworkshopandretailspace

inoneintegratedunit.SincethenIhavebeen

tradingfromatypicalSaxonwolddoublestorey

inJohannesburg.Ihaveneverregrettedthe

moveoutoftheshoppingmall,althoughIsome-

timesmissmyshopwindowwhichIjustloved

dressingup.NowofcoursetheInternetismy

shopwindowandIcantrade24hrsaday.

Thenamewasatongueincheekplayaround

theLeopardRockgenericplacenameforan

Africangamepark.Ofcourseitalsodescribes

whatIdo…makefrocks,ofteninleopardprint.

Youareoneoftheveryfewdesignersinthe

worldthathavemanagedtokeepleopard

printenvogue.Whydoyouhaveapassion

forthisandwhatisyoursecretforreinvent-

ingnewinterpretations?Contrarytopopular

belief,Idon’talwaysuseleopardprintinmy

collections.Idohoweveruseitasaleitmotif

WhenwethinkofcontemporaryAfricanfashion,MarianneFassler’s

nameimmediatelycomestomind.Itisoutofherstudio,LeopardFrock,

thatsomeofthemostingeniousfashioncreationsemerge.Inspiredby

thecontinent’sculturesandtraditions,hergarmentsexudeAfricanism

combinedwithurbansubcultureandpossessawow-factorthatoften

shockthestereotypicalfashionista.

Mariannesharessomeinsightsregardingherillustriouscareer,personal

passions,thefashionindustry,entrepreneurshipandmuchmorewithED>

16 >

Vivatheevolutioncollection,2010.PhotosbySimonDenier+SDR.

17 >

EDUCATION

whenIhaveashow.Leopardprintisoneofthose

strangeconstantsinfashionallovertheworld.Itis

regalandexoticandverymuchloved.Dolce&Gabbana,

wouldn’tdreamofhavingashowwithoutitandthere

isalmostneveramomentwhenonecannotbuya

leopardprintshoe,bagorscarfinthegreatdepart-

mentstoresoftheworld.Rightnowitishowever

especiallyfashionable,asis‘genericAfrica’withits

mélangeofprintsandcolours.

Mysecretistomakeitdesirable.Itransfertheprint

ontotulle,softsilkchiffonsandstretchgauzes.I

combineitwithotherprints,dyeitinmanyhuesand

sometimesjustgiveahint…likeaslipshowingseduc-

tively.Iactuallyhateitwhenleopardprintisfashion-

able.Justlikecamouflage–theurbanleopardprint–

peoplewholoveitshouldwearitallthetime.Iwear

Camoandhavedreads.Ifeelcomfortableinmyown

skin.Itisnotafashionstatement.Inthesameway,

wearingleopardprintshouldneverbeafashion

statement.Itshouldbealoveaffair.

YouareoftendescribedasthedoyenneofAfrican

fashiondesign.Doesitputunduepressureonyouto

keepuppingyourgame?Theword‘doyenne’freaks

meout!Itisveryold-fashioned…soundsabitCape

TownorPretoria.LastnightIsawEvitaBezuidenhout

andsheremindsmeofadoyenne.Nobodyotherthan

myselfputspressureonmetoupmygame.Iamstill

verymuchaplayerinthisindustryandIwillcontinue

todowhatIdountilitnolongerexcitesme.

YouwereoneofthefirstmainstreamSouthAfrican

designerstoembraceyourAfricanheritage.Didthe

politicsofthe70s-90sinfluenceyourworkinanyway?

Fashionreflectslife,history,socialconditions,weather,

location…etc.Itisnotcreatedinavacuum.Real

fashioniscreatedonthestreet,insubculturesallover

theworld.ItistotheLeftBankofParisthatYvesSt

Laurentturnedwhenhelookedforinspiration.Itune

18 >

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EDUCATION

19 >

intomyplace,mytimeandmymuse.Itneverfails

toinspireme.IfIhadtolookatfashionmagazines,

retailchainsortheInternetforinspirationIwouldbe

abaddressmaker.IliveinSouthAfrica,Iconsider

myselfanAfrican.Assuch,whatIdoandhowIlivewill

beunique.Iaminterestedinpolitics,music,history,

artandtheatre–allplaceswhereonehastheoppor-

tunitytoreflectonheritage,politicsandthehuman

condition.OnecanbebothAfricananduniversal

especiallywhenoneiscreative.Perhapsgrowingup

inthe70sto90swasuniquebecauseoftheshiftof

power,butitwasalsoaveryunsettledtimeallover

theworld.Ialsotrytokeepfocusonwhatishappening

inpoliticsrightnow.Allutaconinua!

Itwasonlyintheearly90sthatSouthAfricansstarted

beingexposedtotheflowingrobesandnationalcos-

tumefromalloverAfrica.Istartedbeinginspiredby

thoseclothesafterIreceivedacopyofAfricaAdorned,

byAngelaFischerin1983.AngelaFisherandCarol

BeckwithhavebeendocumentingAfricanceremonies

anddressforthepasttwodecadesandtheirwork

hasbeenthemostinfluentialinshapingmylovefor

thecontinent.CarolandAngelabroughtAfricatomy

livingroomandtheyweremoreinspiringthanany

specificdesigner…butthen,howcanonenotgivecred-

ittothosemagnificentAshantiKings,thoseexquisite

Himbawomen,thosenobleMassaai?Ialsocollect

BarbaraTyrrellwhowasoneofthefirsticonichisto-

rianstodocumentthewaytribalpeopleofSouth-

ernAfricadress.Hersketchesareiconic.

Inyouropinion,whataretherolesresponsibilities

andchallengesofthefashionindustryinthecontext

ofthecreativeeconomy?Dressmakingisahuge

businessalloverthestreetsofAfrica(asitisinIndia

andChina).Tailorscanoperateanywhereanytimeas

longastheyhaveamachineandsomebasictools.

Whenonetalksaboutthemuchbiggerpicture,the

challengesarenumerous.Weusedtohaveavery

vibrantclothingmanufacturingindustryinSouthAfrica.

CompanieslikeTransvaalClothingandRexTruform

manufacturedgarmentsofaveryhighstandardfor

exportallovertheworld.WeevenhadaFashion

Fortnighttwiceayearwherebuyerscamenotonly

fromalloverthecountryandoutsideitsbordersto

purchaseforboutiquesbutalsofromEurope.But

thencamethedreadedsanctionsandbythetimewe

becameplayersagaintheAsianTigerhaddestroyed

manufacturingintheUSAandEurope.Wewereno

longercompetitive.Thatishowmarketswork.

Asanindustrywecannotremainstagnant.Wehave

alotofskilledpeoplewhoarenowunemployed.The

industryisstillhemorrhagingjobsandthegovern-

menthasnorealvisionfortheindustry.Thisisthe

problem.Thegovernmentissobusypoliticing,it

haslostfocus….theclothingindustryisjustoneofthe

neglectedareas.SouthAfricahasbecomeadumping

groundforcheapChineseimportsand2ndhand

clothing.Thebestwecandoasconsumersistobuy

onlySouthAfricanproductsandtodemandcom-

petitiveprices.

Ibelievethelong-termisaseriesofshort-termsand

asamanufacturingindustrywehavenotmovedfor-

ward,buttheInternethasmadeahugedifferencein

thatwecanshowonarampinSandtonandinstantly

beinthehomesofpeopleallovertheworld.The

designer-focusedFashionWeekshavegivenusa

platformtoperformandthenitisuptouswhatwe

dowiththatmaterial.

Youhavealwaysbeenveryexperimentalinyour

selectionoftextiles,printsandcolour.Arethesesome

ofyoursignaturesandhowdoyoumaintainyourre-

inventivequalities?Ilovecolour.Iwasluckyenough

togrowupinahomewheremymother,thepainter

HannatjievanderWat,constructedhugecolourful

canvassesandwhereweweresurroundedbycolour

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20 >

allthetime.Hannatjieisacolouristofnote!Ialso

thinkthatcolourcombineswellwithcolour.Iwillnev-

erputcolourwithblackorwithwhite…butthen

onemustneversaynever!

Ibelieveonehastodeliveraproductthatiswell-

constructed,comfortabletowearandusefulinones

lifestyleandinone’swardrobe.Idon’tlingertoo

longontheballgownortheweddingdress…those

arejustoccasionaltreatsformeasadesigner.My

clientscomeoverandtheyliterallycollectbitsand

piecestogivethemanexciting,wearableworking

wardrobe.

Thequestionofre-inventingisprobablytruebutin

mycaseIneverlookback.Itrytoremainfreshand

interestingfortheconsumerandformyregular

clients.AsGiusseppeLampedusawrote inThe

Leopard“Forthingstoremainthesame,everything

mustchange.”IwouldbearathersaddesignerifI

justturnedoutthesamethingyearafteryearyet;the

constantsinmyworkremainthesame.Myclothesare

veryinteresting,crafted,colourfulandverywear-

able.Theyarealsotimelessyetverycontemporary.

Howimportantisnarrativeinyourwork?Narrative

isveryimportantbecauseitisongoing.Icalledmy

latestshow[AFIinJuly]Vivatheevolutionandbacked

itupwithaquotefromBenOkriwhichsaid“Artis

findinganewhomeland,yetalwayssettingsail.”

ThecollectionwasinspiredbyKarabo,theshort

namefortherecentlydiscoveredAustralopithecus

sedibafossil.

IsawanexhibitioninParisinMarchcalledVanites.

Itshowedhowskullshavefeaturedinartthrough

theagesrightuptoDamienHurst.Skullsfascinate

me.Ihavealargecollectionofskullmemorabilia

andKarabowasactuallysuchanobviouschoice

forme.IttalksabouttheoriginsofMan,yetalso

FashionWeek2005.

EDUCATION

21 >

representssubversion,longevity,ancestorsand

magic.

Yousaythattravellingfuelsyourcreativity.Howdo

youcapturetheseinspirations?Yes,undoubtedlyI

aminspiredbytravel.Iamsoluckytohavetheulti-

matetravelcompanioninCharles,myhusband.To-

getherweexploretheknownandtheunknown,al-

waysinsearchoftheessenceofaplaceorrevisiting

oldfavorites.Wearepassionateaboutcontempo-

raryart,butalsolovethehistory,cultureandfood

ofdifferentplaces.EverywhereIgoisaninspiration.

EvendowntownJoburgisaninspiration.Afewweeks

agoIwenttoMai-Maimarketagainandcamebackvery

inspired.Onedoesn’tneedtotraveltobeinspired.

Mostpeopledon’tevennoticetheirownsurround-

ings…orvice-versa,arealwayslookingtoforeign

destinationstoinspirethem.Havingsaidthat,how

canonevisitMexico,India,NewYork,StPetersburg,

Cambodia,BaliandBrazilandnotbeinspired.Itake

pictures,makesketches,drinkin.

Whatcriticalskillsdothecontemporaryfashion

industryrequirefromnewentrants?Theyhavetoget

overthe‘fame’thing.Weheraldpeopleasdesigners

beforetheycanevensewagarment.Theexpectations

aretoohighsothedisillusionmentisalsoveryhigh.

Youcannotsurviveinthisindustryunlessyoumake

yourmarket(client)atthetopofthepyramid.Itisnot

onlyaboutyouasadesigner.Itisabouttheclient

whobuysyourproductandthepeoplewhohelpyou

producethatproduct,andwithoutthosefunda-

mentals,onecannotoperateorexistasadesigner.

Wealsoofcourseneedmorecritical,educated,skilled

fashionjournalists.Sooftenwelackthatnuance,the

depthofknowledgeaboutthehistory(recentand

past)offashionaswellasthevocabularyoffashion.

SooftenIhavetoliterallywritecopyforthecaptions

tomyworkbecausethefashioneditororcopywriter

23 >

EDUCATION

doesnotknowsimpletermslike‘tulle’,

‘godet’,‘rouche’,‘bustier’etc.Thismeansthat

theyarethereforealsonotcapableofattend-

ingafashionshowandwritingacritical

evaluation.Theycannotdescribethegar-

mentandcertainlycannotgaugeifisde-

rivativeornot.Itismostlyabouthypein

thisworldoffashioninSouthAfrica.

Youhavealsobeenreinventingyourper-

sonalimageovertheyears.Theflamingred

hairhasbeenaconstant.Isthispartof

yourbusinessstrategy?Mydreadshave

beenaroundforabout9yearsnow.They

areareallabourofloveandtheyareun-

likelytochangeintosomethingelse.My

personal image has evolved over the

yearsbecauseIhavegrownup,matured,

gotmorecomfortableinmyownskin.I

don’tchangemyselftoattractattention

fromanybodyelse.Ijustdoitforme.

Youaredescribedasanartist,designer

andentrepreneur.Whatcamefirst?That

ishowIamdescribed,soIguessIamthat.

Iguessdesigningisapracticaloutletfor

me.Ineverwantedtoputpainttocanvass

ortoexpressmyselfinanyotherwaythan

throughfashion,but,inmycaseithadtobe

somuchmorethanjustfashion.Orperhaps

Ishouldrephraseit.Iwantedtocreate

fashion,notcopyorfollowit!Ihateshop-

ping.Idon’tbuymagazines.Ihatenewclothes

andhavetoreallybondwithsomething

beforeIownit.Ineverattendfashionshows

andIshyawayfromthefashioncrowd.

Theentrepreneurcomesinwhenyouneed

toearnalivingandpaythewagesatthe

endoftheday.Mycreativityreachesapeak

whenIreallyneedthemoneytomeetmy

wagebill.Seriously,itisarealmotivation

tomakesomethingreallynewandoriginal

toenticeyourconsumer.Ialwaysthinkitis

sostupidoftheretailerstofallbackonbasics

whentimesaretough.Whattheyreally

needtodoistotempt,toseduce,tolurethe

consumerbackforsomethingreallyspecial

tospiceuptheirdepressedlives!

Whatarethemostimportantlessonsthat

youhavelearntasafashionentrepreneur

overtheyears?Iamnotthemostimpor-

tantelementinmybusiness.Iamonly

importantinthatIinspiretheproductand

facilitatetheprocess.Myclientsareatthe

topofthepyramidandmyskilledstaffman-

ufactures my product.Without them I

wouldnothaveabusiness.

Thereisanenduringqualitytoyourwork.

Towhatwouldyouascribeyourlongevity

inthefashionindustry?Beingtruetomy

museand‘livingmyart’,asAdamLevin

said.

Whatdoyoustillaimtoachieveinfuture?

Hopefully more of the same. Nadine

Gordimerwassuchaninspirationat89.

VivienneWestwoodandReiKawakuboof

CommedesGarçonsarebothstillveryac-

tiveintheindustryandcontinuetoinspire

generationsofyoungdesigners.WhenIam

nolongerinspiredbywhatIdoeveryday,

Icandosomethingelse.Iamprivilegedto

spendeverydaydoingwhatIlove.<

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CHRISSAUNDERS

&BRETTRUBIN:

PHOTOGRAPHYINSPIREDBYPERSONALPASSIONSBySunéStassen

24 >

ChrisSaunders isayoungBritish

photographerbasedinSheffieldwho

humblydescribeshimselfasresident

snapperofmuchof that finecity’s

outstandingmusicscene.Duringthe

pastdecadehehasmanagedtoblend

twoofhispassionstoshapeanillus-

triouscareerofshootingfamous,in-

famous and not so famous actors,

comedians,authorsandfilmdirectors.

“AtfirstIwasareallykeenmusician

inmyteensandwantedtobearock

starbeforeIgotintophotographyin

myearly20s.BeforeIstumbledacross

it, photography was not my first

choiceforacareer.Itactuallystarted

whenIborrowedafriend’sSLR[single-

lensreflexcamera]totakesomephoto-

graphsofthisreallycoolpetcatIhad

and I took tophotographystraight

away”.Asheisstillplayinginaband

itisprettynormalforChristomove

betweenhispassionformusicand

hispassionforphotography.

AfterbuyinghisfirstSLRheinitially

wentonatwo-yearcollegecoursein

Sheffield and then to University in

Manchester.AccordingtoChris,the

collegecoursewasreallyworthwhileas

ittaughthimthetraditionalpractical

andtechnicalskillsthatwereneeded

backthenduringthefilmanddark-

roomdays.“Learningthisonmyown

wouldhavebeenreallydauntingand

wouldhavetakensomuchlonger.”

“IhatedtheUniversitycoursethough.

AfterthecollegeIappliedforadocu-

mentary/portraiturecourseandjustas

Iwasaccepted,muchtomyannoyance,

theychangedthecurriculumtoafine

artphotographycourse.Notexactly

whatIhavesignedupfor!Thisisprob-

ablyanotherreasonwhyIlikethefol-

lowingquotefromElliotErwitt:‘My

theoryisthatphotographyissosimple

thatpeoplefeeltheneedtoinventall

sortsofbullshitinordertojustifyit.”

Oneday,purelybychance,Chrissaw

the comedian Bill Hicks onTV and

lovedhisperformance.Hedecided

thenandtherethathehadtomeet

Hicksandthatphotographymightbe

theidealmeanstoachievethis.Luck

wasonhissidesinceHicks’nextper-

formancewasprettyclosetowhere

Chrisstayedandsohewentdownto

thevenue.“OnhisarrivalIexplained

tohimthatIwasaphotographystu-

dent,justgettingaportfoliotogether

and ifhewouldmindbeingphoto-

graphed?Hewasverywillingandthe

photographItookofhimisstilloneof

myfavourites.”Hicksdied18months

laterandhehassubsequentlydevel-

opedahugefollowingthatkeepson

growingtothisday.

TheareainManchesterwhereChris

stayedwasalsohometoahugebook-

storewherelotsofwell-knownauthors,

actorsandcomedianswoulddobook

CHRISSAUNDERS

&BRETTRUBIN:

PHOTOGRAPHYINSPIREDBYPERSONALPASSIONS

25 >

EDUCATION

26 >

signingsandreadings.Chrisbe-

camefriendlywiththemanager

andheagreedtolethimsetupa

littlestudioinhisofficesothat

thesefamouspeoplecouldbe

photographedbeforetheirpub-

licappearances.“Igottophoto-

graphquiteafewfamousnames

thisway.Notthatalotofthese

photographsareanyofmyfa-

vourites,butatthetimethiswas

agreatopportunitytobuildmy

portfolio”.Today,Chrishasbeen

aprofortenyears.

Hesaysthateachcommission

bringsitsownchallengesandyou

shouldalwayshaveanumber

ofapproachesinmindforajob

sothatyouhaveoptionstofall

backontowhenthingssuddenly

takeadifferentturn.Chrisex-

plainstheprocessofoneofhis

mostmemorableshootswhen

hehadtheopportunitytocap-

turetheworldfamousfilmdirec-

torDavidLynchin2001while

hewaspromotingMulholland

Drive.“IwastoldI’dhavehalfan

hour(aluxury!)tophotograph

LynchathishotelsoIlooked

onthehotel’swebsitejustto

note that therewerea lotof

furniturepiecesdesignedby

PhillipeStarckwhichsparked

offnumerousideas.Theseideas

includingashot inthe lobby

wherethereisasofa,intheform

ofahugepairofbrightredlips

whichwouldbegreattoposition

Lynchon.SoIplannedouthow

longI’dtakephotographinghim

ineachspot,howI’dlighteach

shotetc.WhenIarrivedatthe

hotelIwastoldthatbecause

LynchwasbehindscheduleI’d

onlyhave5-10minutesatthe

mostandthatbecausethehotel

wassobusythatdayI’dhave

tophotographhiminhishotel

room.”Thisisthenatureofthe

game.Youneedtobeadjustable

atasecond’snoticeandstillpro-

ducetopqualitywork.“Theroom

wassmallandduetoanumber

ofpeoplehangingaboutforin-

terviewshissurroundingsmade

itnearly impossibletoshoot

whatIoriginallyplanned.Ihad

to resort to a close-up shot

outsideonthebalcony–still

oneofmyfavouriteshotstodate.

Ijustloveit!”

Sometimesitistoyouradvan-

tagenottoplantoomuchand

allow for other elements to

naturallyfinditswayintothe

composition,liketheshothedid

of theband, IMonster.Chris

explains:“Ihadthelocationset

upbeforehandbuttheideato

havedogsintheshotdidn’tcome

about until we had started

shootingandtheownerofthe

housecameoutwiththeinten-

tionoftakingthemforawalk.I

immediately roped the dogs

intotheshoot.Ithinkitworks

thoughandaddstothestrange

feeloftheshot.”

Comparingthedifferencesbe-

tween doing portraiture and

shotsofaliveperformanceis

likedayandnight.Obviouslythe

photographerhasa lotmore

controlwhenshootingapor-

trait,whilewithaliveperform-

anceyouhavetoanticipateand

wait fortheperfectmoment,

whetherit’sintheemotionofthe

performance,somethinghap-

peningwiththelighting,ora

combinationofbothwhichis

whenChrisbelievesheusually

getsthebestshots.“Greatexam-

plesofsomeofmywork,thatI

amextremelypleasedwith,are

shotsofAmyWinehouse,Tom

Morello,PearlJamandPeaches

whichIthinkdisplaythelatter

best.Ican’tstandphotographs

ofvocalistsjustsingingblankly

intothemicrophone.Asfaras

thesettingsonthecamerago,

useawideopenlensonaper-

turepriority,+1exposurecom-

pensation,highisoandtakeit

fromthere.Itdependsonthe

setupofthelighting.”

27 >

EDUCATION

TOPLTR:BillHicksandIMonster.ABOVELTR:DavidLynchandAmyWinehouse.©ChrisSaunders.

28 >

TOPLTR:TomMorelloandPeaches.ABOVELTR:PearlJamandHaroldPinter.©ChrisSaunders.

29 >

EDUCATION

Chrissaysthatpeoplearecom-

plicatedbeingsandhedoesnot

believe that a photographer

hasthepowertocapturesome-

one’spersonalityorcomplete

character but rather has the

abilitytocaptureanemotion

of thatparticularmomentor

time.

WiththepicturesofLynch,peo-

plebelievethatChriscaptured

his‘coolcharacter’andhisshot

ofHaroldPinter,doneafterhe

recovered“steelyresolveinhis

expression.”AccordingtoChris,

Pinterdidnotenjoybeing in

frontofthecameraso“maybe

hejustlooksannoyed.”

Whenaskedaboutwhathap-

penstohisshots,Chrisexplained

thatoccasionallyit’scommis-

sioned,butmoreoftenhesub-

mitshisphotographstoagen-

ciesthatsyndicatetheresults

to various publications on a

commissionbasis.

FLIPSIDEOFTHECOIN

SouthAfricanBrettRubinisa

photographerthatspeaksadif-

ferentvisuallanguagethanthat

ofChrisSaunders.Brettisacom-

mercialstorytellerwithadiffer-

ence,whoisknownforshooting

hissubjectsindramaticback-

dropswiththeatricalambiances.

BorninJohannesburgin1982,

heleftschooltopursuefilmand

mediastudiesattheUniversity

ofCapeTown.SimilartoChris,

Brettisalsoamusicmanand

wasinabandthroughouthis

schoolyears,somusichasalways

beenhisinspiration.Howeverhe

alsohadaverystrongconnection

withphotography,especially

musicvideos.Hisstudieswere

completelytheorybased,study-

ingthehistoryoffilmandthe

historyofphotographybutin

hindsight,hesaysthat“Iamvery

grateful forbeingexposedto

filmsandimagesthatIwould

probablyneverhaveencoun-

tered otherwise.” During his

studieshedecidedtodoablack

andwhitedarkroomcourseinthe

eveningsandaftertwomonths

hewashookedonphotography.

Atfirsthedecidedtogainvalu-

ableexperienceasanassistant

photographerbeforehewas

readytoembarkonhisprofes-

sionalcareeraboutfiveyears

ago.

ForBrett,beingagoodphotog-

rapherisabouthavingasharp

eyeforcomposition,line,colour

andtheabilitytovisualisethe

complete shoot in the finest

detailseventhoughthingsmight

changeinthelastminute.“You

basically illustrateand tella

storyusingyourlensinsteadof

adrawingtoolandpaper.”He

furtherexplainsthathisinter-

estinliterature,arthistoryand

computertechnologyalsocon-

tributesalottohisindividual

approachtophotography.

Bretthasrecentlycompletedan

excitingshootcommissioned

byWantedmagazineandshared

somedetailsabouttheCutting

Roomproject.“Theclientwanted

ustocreateaveryquirkyand

surrealshootthatincorporates

theconceptualtablesdesigned

byGregorJenkin.Iimmediately

knewthatIwantedtocreatea

surrealistofficeenvironment

wherethetwomodelsconduct-

edtheirbusinessmeetingsin

themostunusualsetting.”

30 >

Heexplainsthatbeforehecould

dotheshootthathehadinmind

heneededtoconsiderthebest

location,findtherightmodels

andclothingandhirethebest

lightingthattheproject’sbudget

couldaccommodate.

Hecontinues:“Thenthecreative

processkickedin.Thestylist

sourced the wardrobe while

thetablesweredeliveredand

assembledinthestudio.The

magazineeditor,GaryCotterell,

andthestylistsalsosourced

propsthatwouldbringextra

charactertoJenkin’suniqueta-

bles.Eachshotwascarefully

composedconsideringthelay-

outofthepublicationbefore

themodelswereaddedtothe

composition.”

Thefinalresultoftheshootwas

verydramaticandBrettsays

thattheeditoroftheWanted

magazinewasahappyman.

Brettmentionsthatotherhigh-

lightsfromhisfairlyshortcareer

asaprofessionalphotographer

includethecommissionforthe

DesignIndabamagazinein2009.

“ItwasthefirstshootIdidcom-

biningfashionanddécor.Theidea

behindtheshootwascreating

outdoor livingenvironments.

Thetransportationofthefurniture

fromlocationtolocationaround

CapeTownwasabigchallenge,

andIwasveryluckytoworkwith

an outstanding team on the

shoot.”PhotographingDesmond

Tutuandworkingwithanamazing

graffitiartisttocreateatorch-

paintingcampaignforGroltsch

Beer, and collaborating with

someinspirationalfashionde-

signerstobringtheirvisionsto

lifealsorankashighlights.

“Ithinkphotographyhasapower-

fulwayofcapturingideasand

storiesandputtingthemintoa

single image. I always try to

createworkthatisnottooliteral

anddoesn’tdictateanideaor

agendatoaviewer,butrather

leavesaplatformthatisopen

tointerpretationandimagina-

tion.Ialsobelievethatphotog-

raphyisareflectionofaphotog-

rapher’spersonalityandworld

view.”

Brettsaysthatalthoughhegets

alotofinspirationfrommusic,

film,literatureandart,“Ithink

itispossibletofindinspirationin

themostunexpectedplaces.”

31 >

EDUCATION

RIGHT:CuttingRoom.ABOVE:DesignIndabamagazine2009.©BrettRubin.

32 >

TOPLTR:GrolschGreenLightDistrictcampaignandshootforMargotMolyneux.CENTRELFT:SuzaanHeyns’

Spring/Summer‘10CollectionandStiaanLouw’sNextGenerationcampaign.ABOVELTR:Collaborationwith

mensweardesignerCameronFodenforanexhibition,Tomorrow’sSociety.©BrettRubin.

33 >

EDUCATION

When asked what he would

considertobehisdreamproject,

Brettresponds:“Iwouldloveto

workonallaspectsofphotog-

raphyforsomeoneinfilmorTV

whoisdoingworkthatIgener-

allyadmire.Consideringthis,

DavidSimon,whocreatedThe

Wire,springstomindimmedi-

atelyandIwouldlovetophoto-

graphKeithRichardsaswell.”

Aftermuchcontemplation,Chris

andBrett(whohavenevermet,

nor collaborated) independ-

entlycompiledlistsofthegreats

in photography whose work

theyadmire.Surprisingly,there

were many overlaps and it’s

worthwhiletochecktheseout.

Inmusic,ChrisandBrettselected

Steve Gullick, KevinWesten-

berg,AntonCorbijn,Perou,Gre-

goryCrewdson,RichardAvedon;

andDavidBailey’sworkinthe

60’s,BillBrandt,AnnieLeibowitz,

JimMarshall,Horst,IrvinPenn,

ArnoldNewmanandRankinfor

hisportraits.Inaddition,they

mentionedcommercialphotog-

rapherNadavKander,Stephen

Meisel,CraigMcDean,RyanMc-

Ginley,InezVanLamsweerde,

VinooshMatadinandTimWalker.

Brettconcludes:“I think the

scalethatthesephotographers’

workonisunbelievable.Nothing

isoutofreachandtheyareca-

pableofbringingtheirvisions

tolifeinthemostgrandestways

possible.”

MaybeChrisSaundersandBrett

Rubinshouldconsiderajamming

session?<

LION-HEART

ScenesfromTheLionofJudah.ImagescourtesyofCharacterMatters.

THEByJasonAldridge

34 >

>Viewthetrailerhere.

Bravery,orfearlessness,inthefaceofgreatadver-

sityneedstobeputintotherightcontextforittobe

seen as particularly brave. For example, ‘People

madeamovie’soundsveryrunofthemillandun-

extraordinary.But‘Makingthefirst3Danimationfea-

turelengthmovieinSouthAfrica,inlittletimeand

withasmallteam,thatcanstandnexttoproductions

ofmajorstudiossoundslikesomethingentirelydif-

ferent.CharacterMattersofWestlakeinCapeTown

havedonejustthat,turningDeryckBroom’sdirection

intoanimatedbeautyandtheyaren’ttheonlyones...

Thefledglinglocalanimationindustryhadnofeature

lengthproductions,nevermind3Dprojectsinthe

worksthreeyearsago.Yet,inthenextsixmonths

threefull-lengthanimationfeatureswillbereleased

bystudios,whichareminisculeincomparisontoany

Hollywoodanimationpowerhouseintermsofcrew

LION-HEART

35 >

EDUCATION

36 >

andresources.CharacterMatterswillreleaseThe

LionofJudah,directorDuncanMacneillieisproduc-

ingJockoftheBushveldandTriggerfishareinpro-

ductionwithWayneThornley’sZambezia.

Thepassion,creativityanddeterminationofthese

designers,animatorsandfilmmakersexceedany

thoughtsofthechallengestheymayface,boldlycar-

ryingonSouthAfrica’sboominhome-grownproduc-

tions,ensuringthecountryandcontinent’simpact

onthemainstreamfilmindustryforyearstocome.

TheLionofJudahwillbethefirsttobereleasedon

theinternationalfilmcircuitduringthefinalquarter

of2010,afterayearandahalfofproduction–and

thensomeforconversion into3D.Thestory is

adaptedfrombiblicalthemes,positionedasan

Easter-likestoryfromtheeyesofagangofbarnyard

animals.ThefilmiscommissionedbyAnimated

FamilyFilmsintheUSAandismarketedtowardthe

USChristianmarket.Thisfamilyfilmcentresaround

thegroupofanimals(apig,ahorse,arat,arooster,

acowandadonkey)wholookfortheirfriendJudah

(thelamb),whomtheytrytosave,ashewillbesac-

rificedbythetownspeople.Theimpendingdoom

forthebravelittlelambspurshisfurryfriendsonto

somehilariousadventuresculminating in their

searchforthe‘King’whowasbornintheirstable

yearsearlier.TheKinghowever,isJesus,weaving

thestoryintoatimeinhistory,andmanyotheroc-

casionssettingthecharactersintohumouroussitu-

ationsandhistoricalevents.ActorssuchasMichael

MadsenandErnestBorgnine,aswellasGrammy

AwardwinnerSandiPatty,providetheanimated

voices.

ScenesfromJockoftheBushveld.ImagescourtesyofJockAnimation(Pty)Ltd.

>Viewthetrailerhere.

EDUCATION

37 >

Evenonwww.thelionofjudahthemovie.comthe

back-storiesonthecharactersareextensiveand

theartworkandanimationhashighproduction

value,givingtheaudienceorviewerasenseofa

rich, well-rounded product.The more thought

thereisinthedetails,thebettertheaudiencecan

relateandemotionallyinvestinanon-screenen-

tityorsituationascharacterisdefinitelykingat

CharacterMatters.Thefactthatthetargetaudi-

enceisChristianAmericans,andthemoviehasa

biblicaltheme,doesn’tpigeonholethedistribu-

tionofthefilmnorwoulditmakeanylessmoney.

Asmanywillknow,themarketandsuccessofthe

Christian sector, as well as the need for more

‘wholesome’content,islarge.HillsonginAustralia

andmanyotherchurches/organisationsinAmeri-

cahavehugefollowingsandgeneratelargereve-

nueandinterestintheirrespectivecountriesas,

wellasabroad.Suchnichemarketsarestillun-

tapped,forexample:theAfrikaans-speakingmar-

ket.ThedubbedHeidifromSouthAfricanTVwas

ahitinthe90sandthereisnoreasonwhythere

won’tbeananimationinthefuturesporting‘Die

Taal’.Thisishowtheindustrycanchooseit’sbat-

tles,stillprovidingqualityonparwiththeinterna-

tionalproductionhousesbutcompetingwithina

certainmarket–howmanyotherChristian3Dan-

imationswilltherebeshowingatthesametime?

TheLionofJudahlookstobehittingalltheright

notes,butallthisdidn’tcomewithouthardwork.

AccordingtoCharacterMatters,duringthepeak

production36peoplewouldbeworkingonthe

movieatthebusiesttimes.FindingNemoorShrek

haveteamsof300-400,andsothescaleofthe

accomplishmentandgrandscaleofa+-90minute

ScenesfromZambezia.ImagescourtesyofTriggerfish.

>Viewthetrailerhere.

productionisseeninperspective.Themakingof

thefilmrequiredmanyroles,suchasconceptart-

ists,illustrators,3Dmodellers,3Dtexturing,light-

ing,visualeffectspeople,compositorsandren-

deringartists.Theanimatingwasdoneusingthe

programPMGMessiahandtexturedandrendered

usingtheLightwave3Dprogram.

Thenatureofthefilmindustryingeneralischar-

acterisedbypeoplewhohaveahungertowork

(usuallylongandhard),apassionandloveforper-

fection,aswellasacertaininvestmentownership

oftheresponsibilityforthefinaloutcomeofthe

job/production–whichmeansthebottomlineas-

sistantillustratorwouldwanttheprojecttodo

well,justasmuchasthedirectorwantsitto.

CharacterMatters’entirestudiowascommittedto

theproductionofTheLionofJudahastheproject

waslarge,withatightdeadline.Whatthismeans

forthenewbieanimator,isthat,showingagood

workethicandnotbeingshytodomanyfreebies

andinternshipsduringyourearlyyearsinthein-

dustrywillpayoffandpeoplewillnotice.That’s

whypeoplewillnoticeTheLionofJudah.Theani-

mationstudio’sinSouthAfricawillbeessentially

‘punchingabovetheirweight’andwiththeaudac-

ityof36vs400,wewillbeabletocompetewith

theinternationals.

Thenewsgetsbetter:CharacterMattersalsohas

aTVseriescalledZoovolutionfortheinternational

marketaswellaspendingnegotiationsforaThe

LionofJudahsequel.AwayfromCharacterMatters,

thedirectorofthe3DanimatedfeatureJockofthe

38 >

Bushveld,DuncanMacneillie,hasgrownhisteam

toaround25andshouldwrapproductioninDe-

cember.ThefilmfollowsJock,ourfearlessruntof

thelitter,whowithhismasterFitz,theprospector,

encountersadventures,builds‘crazy’friendships

anddefiesdeath.Thestoryissetinthe1880sGold

RushSouthAfricawithanarrayofAfricananimals

(e.g.baboonsandmonkeystonameafew)notto

mentionthesprawlingveldandJamesthepowerful

Zuluwarrior.Theanimationqualityofwhathas

beenreleasedisalsolookinggreatandthefilmwill

definitelydojusticetotheanimalclassic.

TriggerfishAnimationalsohasZambeziacoming

in2011,thestoryofafalcon,Khaya,whoonce

breakingtheshacklesoflivingunderhisover-pro-

tectivefather,discoversalifefullofexcitement

andopportunityintheintricateandgrandbird-city

ofZambezia.Thestoryisoneofself-discoveryand

howKhayalearnstofightforhiscommunityin-

steadofbeingsoself-orientated.Thecityitselfis

builtinahugebaobabtree,withoneopenside

revealingacrosssectionofthelevelsandstages

teamingwithbirdseverywhere–thissettingisa

visualassaultinitself.Letshopewedon’thaveto

waittoolongforthisone!

Justasthecharactersovercomeobstacleswhen

theoddsarestackedagainstthem,theanimation

industryalsosoldiersonandachieves.Andyou

cannothelpbutdrawparallelswiththeindustry

andtheverystoriestheytell,when‘smalllambs’,

suchastheseanimationstudios,fightwiththe

heartsoflions.<

EDUCATION

39 >

ELECTRIC-POWERED

AFRICA’SFIRST

JOULETRULYSUSTAINABLE

VEHICLE

40 >

Whatdoaprojectmanagerofthe

SALTtelescope,anautomotive

designerborn inCalvinia,CO2

emissionsandaspunkyelectric

carhaveincommon?Wellthey’re

allpartofthemagicoftheSouth

African-bornelectriccarcalled

Joule.

Carsarethebiggestsinglecontrib-

utorstogreenhousegassesand

specificallyCO2emissionsinurban

areas,nottomentionnoisepol-

lutionandotherwasteduetothe

inherentinefficienciesofinternal

combustionenginevehicles.

Nowenterthefirstplayersinthe

Joulestory:KobusMeiringfound-

edOptimalEnergyin2005,to-

getherwithMikeLomberg,Jian

Swiegers and Gerhard Swart.

Kobus,whowasinstrumentalin

thesuccessoftheRooivalkheli-

copter project which entered

serviceinthelate90sandregard-

edasoneoftheworld’sbench-

marksinitsclass,wasalsoproject

manageroftheSouthernAfrican

LargeTelescopeproject(SALT)

since2000.Hehadrecentlycom-

pletedhisworkontheinterna-

tionallyapplaudedSALTproject

andhadalwaysbeeninterested

insustainablesolutionstothe

draining of earth’s natural re-

sources. Kobus believed that

SouthAfricacouldplayaninstru-

mentalroleinbeingpartofthe

solution.

Withthesupportofgovernment

andagrantfromtheInnovation

Fund,afunctionoftheDepart-

mentofScienceandTechnology,

OptimalEnergystartedafeasi-

bilitystudyonpossiblemobility

solutions,includinghybridvehi-

clesandhydrogen-poweredso-

lutions.Thecompanyfoundthat

electricvehicleswerethemost

efficientsolutionthatcouldbe

producedonamassscaleinthe

nearfuture.

ThiswasthebirthofJoule,the

firstzero-emissionelectricvehicle

forSouthAfricawithaminimal

environmentalfootprint.Present-

ingaradicalreductioninnoise

pollution,Jouleisapproximately

fivetimesmoreenergyefficient

thanpetrolordieselvehicles.The

vehicle’slithium-ionbatteriescan

berechargedfromanyelectricity

source,andwhenobtainedfrom

cleansourcessuchashydroor

solar, thismulti-sourceenergy

carriercanleadtoa100%reduc-

tioninpollution.

EnterKeithHelfet…

KeithHelfet isoneof the few

SouthAfricandesignerstohave

gainedaninternationalreputa-

tioninbothautomotiveandprod-

uctdesign.Borninthesmalltown

ofCalvinia,Keith’spassionfor

carswasevidentfromayoungage.

Hisdreambecamearealityafter

graduatingfromtheprestigious

RoyalCollegeofArtintheUKwhen

hebeganworkingwithJaguar.

Itwasduring this timethathe

learntthetradefromhismentor,

SirWilliamLyons.Theoriginality

andbeautyofhisstyledovetailed

perfectlywiththeiconicvisionof

Jaguar. Inhis25-yearcareerat

Jaguar,Keithdesignedanumber

ofhighperformancesportscars

includingtheXK8,theXK180and

theXJ220,aswellastheF-Type

conceptcars.Keithhasworked

withOptimalEnergyastheirde-

signdirectorsince2005.

Throughachancemeetingwith

KobusMeiring,Keithbecamein-

volvedintheJouleprojectand

firststartedconductingvolume

studiestodeterminetheoutlines

oftheproportionsoftheMPVthe

Optimalteamplannedtodevelop.

41 >

EDUCATION

AutomotivedesignerKeithHelfet.

Joulewentthroughvariousitera-

tionsuntilarefinedconceptstage

wasreached.

Keith’simmenseexperienceinthe

automotivedesignindustrycame

to the fore when shaping the

serviceablevisionofthefound-

ers intoanelegantform.Keith

wasinstrumentalincreatingthe

understandingthatJoulehadto

portrayaestheticappealandavoid

theTonka-toyimpressioncreated

bysomeearlierelectricvehicle

concepts.Atthisstageallthede-

signsexistedonlyintheformof

electronicdataandthenextstep

wastoturntheconceptsintoa

physicalmock-up.

Inordertomakethispossible,

KeithBrightofBrightglasswas

commissionedtoshapethe‘plug’

fromanegg-cratedesigncreated

byHelfet.Anegg-cratestructure

formedthebaseofthe‘plug’,and

comprisedofsectionsandcross

sectionsmadeofwood,filledwith

foamandshapedtocreateabasic

representationoftheelectronic

model.To ensure an accurate

portrayaloftheHelfet’sdesign,

Brightmeticulouslyshapedthe

foammodelbyhandandcoated

itwithlayersoffibreglasstocre-

ateausablesurfacefromwhich

amouldcouldbecreated.

Abody-shellwaspulledfromthe

mouldstocreatethefirstphysi-

calrepresentationoftheexterior,

andJoulestartedtocometolife.

Withthis importantmilestone,

Helfetshiftedhis focus to the

designofJoule’sinterior.

Parisshowcar

AsanMPV,theinteriordesign

requirement stated that Joule

hadtoaccommodatesixpassen-

gers.Thisrequiredathree-seat

configurationinthefront,offer-

ingspaceandfunctionality,and

madepossibleduetotheunique

advantagesofferedbyelectric

vehiclessuchasfewercompo-

nentsrequiredandnoneedfora

gearboxandtransmission.But

this design also posed some

uniquedesignchallengessuch

astheeliminationofthecentre

consoletocreatespaceinthe

foot-wellforallfrontoccupants,

thuslimitingthespaceavailable

forthepackagingofwiringand

components.

Helfetmanagedtousetheavail-

ablespaceinthebestpossible

waybycreatinganinteriortheme

thatfeaturedafloatinginstru-

mentpanelandoptimisedseat-

ingpositionforallpassengers

throughwhichtheinteriorspace

ofJoulecouldbehighlighted.The

interiorthemeechoedsomeof

theflowingexteriorfeaturelines,

visibleinareassuchasthedash-

boardprofileandthedoor-panel

trimlines.

Onceagain,thedesignneeded

tobeconvertedintoaphysical

shape,whichrequiredtheexper-

tiseofKeithBright.UnderHelfet’s

guidance,Brightshapedtheinte-

riorinasimilarprocesstothatof

theexterior,tobeinstalledintothe

existingbodyshell.Withanexte-

riorandinteriordesigninplace,

theprototypewasreadyforits

debutatthe2008Parismotor

show.

Inaworldofcompactandoddly

shapedconceptsofelectricvehi-

cles,Jouleofferedarefreshing

andattractivealternativetoan

internal combustion-engined

competitor,anditdidnotgoun-

noticed.Theinternationalmedia

launchimmediatelyputOptimal

EnergyonthemapandJoulewas

applaudedforitsstylishdesign

and unique flowing lines that

giveitsuchbroadappeal.

Whensixbecamefive

Whilethesix-seaterconfiguration

garneredplentyofpraise,Optimal

Energyresearchindicatedthata

6-seaterconfigurationmightlimit

themarketabilityofJoulebyposi-

tioningitinanichesegmentofthe

market.Adecisionwastakento

introduceafive-seaterconfigura-

tion,bettersuitedtotheneedsof

thetargetmarket,andthiscreat-

edanopportunityforthegrowing

designteamtorenewtheinterior

ofJoule.

With a revised interior design

briefinhand,Helfetandhisteam

42 >

KeithBrightshapingtheprototype.

Egg-cratedesign. Shapingoftheprototype.

43 >

EDUCATION

Initialinteriorconcept(topleft).Otherrevisionsoftheinteriorconcept(toprightandbelow).

KeithHelfet’sdesignoftheinterior.

44 >

EDUCATION

tooktothedrawingboardandstart-

edtopenthenextphaseofinterior

conceptrevisions,whichwouldulti-

matelyleadtotheuniqueandstyl-

ishinteriorthatJouleboaststoday.

TheZagatofactor

ToeffectivelymarketJouleonaglobal

scale,afleetofpre-productionproto-

typeswouldberequiredandthese

vehicleswouldhavetobeproduced

usinglow-volumeproductiontech-

niqueswhilestillretainingtheap-

pearanceofafullproductionvehicle.

Producingvehiclesinlowvolume

requirestheuseofmoulds,andto

createthese,Class-Asurfacedatais

required.Thisdatarepresentsthe

smoothsurfacesofthevehicle,andto

obtainthese, Jouleneededtobe

scannedusingspecialisedequip-

ment.TheexpertservicesofZagato,

the famous Italianstylinghouse,

wereenlistedtoassistwiththisproc-

ess.Zagatoconvertedthescandata

intoClass-Asurfacing,andtogether

withtheOptimaldesignteam,made

furtherexteriorimprovements.

HelfetworkedcloselywithZagato,

acompanywhohavedesignedand

builticoniccoachesforthelikesof

Bentley,FerrariandAstonMartin.

Thecollaborationdeliveredaremark-

abledesignwhichdemonstrated

themostimportantdistinctionof

3Dscanninginprogress.

Initialinteriorconcept(topleft).Otherrevisionsoftheinteriorconcept(toprightandbelow).

RenderingsbyZagato.

45 >

Joule over competitors: the fact

that Joule was born electric.

Most electric vehicles developed by

competitors are based on existing

internal combustion engine vehicle

platforms, and thus have to make

sacrifices in design to accommo-

date requirements which are redun-

dant in electric vehicles. Joule was

designed as an electric vehicle from

the start, and the design that Za-

gato and Helfet delivered echoed

this. Joule offers significant interior

space for a semi-compact vehicle,

and boasts the biggest amount of

boot space in its class.

Geneva Show car

The Geneva International Motor

Show is widely regarded as the

best motor show in Europe. This

judgement is not about size, Frank-

furt is the largest show, but about

raw prestige: manufacturers love

to show off their best new models

in Geneva.

The show-car design delivered by

Helfet and Zagato, and hand-built by

Hi-tech Automotive in Port Elizabeth,

was first shown to the world at the

80th anniversary of the show, held

in March this year. The show attract-

ed over 690 000 visitors and more

than 11 000 media and placed a lot of

emphasis on alternative automotive

technologies. Most manufacturers

had an electric vehicle concept on

display, but even amidst this stiff

competition, Joule was described

by many as being the best-looking

EV. The feedback received in Geneva

is a testament to the fact that South

Africans can compete with the best

in the world in automotive design

and manufacturing.

Optimal Energy has come up with

a shape that is a breakthrough in

design and practicality yet has a

drag coefficient that puts it at the

forefront of aerodynamic efficiency.

Joule also boasts a list of features

that make it exceptionally user-

friendly, including clever packaging,

an infotainment system, connectivity

and navigation. All of these design

features make Joule the most prac-

tical and intelligent car that an urban

motorist can own.

Based on the final design, mass-

production of Joule will start in

2013. It will be built in South Africa

and will be sold both domestically

and in the UK and Europe. <

The Geneva Show car and its interior.

> View a video of Joule here.

46 >

EDUCATION

47 >

www.ergosystem.co.za

50 >

Wearelivinginanagewhereneedseemstobebur-

geoning.Andyet,itisthewantsofaconsumersociety

thatcommandtheattentionofthedesigner.Designers,

bydefinition,arecreativeproblemsolvers.Yet,aren’t

theresomeproblemsthatare farmoreurgent to

solvethanothers?Somedesignersareacutelyaware

ofthis,managingtobalanceboththeneedsandthe

wantswhileequallyaddressingmanyoftheissuesat

handinacreative,sociallyrelevantway.

AlejandroAravenaandMarceloRosenbaumaretwo

designerswhohaveestablishedthemselvesasprob-

lemsolvers.Agreatdealoftheirtimeisspentusing

architectureanddesigntoimprovelives,empower

peopleandalleviatesocialproblems.Withtheirvastly

differentapproaches,philosophiesanddesignmeth-

odologies,theyyieldhighlycontrastingsolutions,yet

bothaddressveryrelevantchallenges.

ChileanarchitectAlejandroAravena ispragmatic

whenitcomestocreativity.Heseescreativityasa

meansofsolvingproblems–creativitythatisbred

andnurturedinthecontextofalackofknowledge

andunderstanding.Forhim,creativityitselfisnota

goal,butratheraconsequence.

Economic recession, global warming,

the explosion of social media cultures,

civil unrest, emerging third world pow-

ers and terrorism are just a few of the

ever changing aspects and issues that

confront us on a daily basis.

DES

IGN

FO

RTH

E P

EOP

LE

ByMariekeAdams&SarahStewart

51 >

EDUCATION

AftergraduatingwithaBachelorofArchitecture

degreefromtheUniversidadCatólicadeChilein1992,

hewonacommissiontodesigntheMathematics

Facultybuildingatthisuniversity.Thesuccessof

thisbuilding,amongothers,resultedinfurther

workonanumberofuniversity-relatedprojects.In

1994,AravenaestablishedAlejandroAravenaArchi-

tects,ofwhichheistheprincipal.Inaprofessional

careerspanningmorethan15years,Aravenahas

engagedinanarrayofhigh-profileprojects,both

withinhisnativeChile,aswellasinternationally.

Hisworkhasincludedaglobalrangeofprivate,

public,educationalandinstitutionalprojects.

Despitethesehigh-profileprojectsandincreasing

internationalacclaim,Aravenaalsomakesanexten-

sivecontributionintheareaoflow-incomehousing.

In2001hefoundedElementalS.A.,alongwitharchi-

tectPabloAllardandengineerAndrésIacobelli.Ele-

mental,whichisaffiliatedtotheUniversidadCatólica

deChileandtheChileanoilcompany,COPEC,deals

withpioneeringarchitecture,infrastructureand

transportationthataresociallyanddevelopmentally

oriented.

WhileAravena’sworkstraddlestwocontrasting

designmarketsitisinterestingtoseethathemakes

nodistinctioninhisapproachtolow-incomesocial

designandtoupmarketcommercialdesign.Instead,

heoptsfornocompromisewhenitcomestodesign,

irrespectiveofthenatureorfinancialsignificanceof

theproject.Itisthelow-costendofthedesignspec-

trumwithallofitsconstraintsandrestrictionsthatoften

provesmorechallenging.Thisispreciselywheretruly

gooddesignneedstobeeffectivelyimplemented.

Thegeneralattitudeoftenseemstobethatlow-

costsocialhousingwithitslimitedbudgetsimply

hastomeandowngradingofstandards,sizeand

quality.YetAravena’sapproachisjusttheopposite.

Forhimthereshouldbenocompromiseonthe

levelofdesignexcellence,irrespectiveofthelimited

financesavailable.Hewouldratherdesignand

buildwhathecanwiththemoneyathand,evenif

thismeansbuildinghalfofagoodhousewhen

presentedwithlimitedfinancialresources.

ThisattitudeisexemplifiedinQuintaMonroyin

thenorthernChileancoastaltownofIquique.This

housingproject,completedin2004,epitomisesthis

pragmatic,problem-solvingapproachthatbothhe

andElementalhaveadopted.Inthisinstance,the

Chileangovernmentrequestedtheircreativeproblem-

solvinginhousing100familiesonthesame5000m2

plotoflandthattheyhadillegallyinhabitedfor30

years.WorkingwiththecurrentUS$7500housing

policysubsidyperfamilyunit,whichwasexpected

tocoverallelementssuchasland,infrastructure

andarchitecture,thechallengewastofindaway

ofaligningtheirdesignideologywiththecontex-

tualreality.Thisposedawholearrayofrestric-

tionsandconstraints.Infact,simplytakinginto

considerationthesitepriceandlocalbuildingin-

dustry prices, the housing subsidy would not

amounttomuch.

Howisitpossibletomaintaindesignstandardsin

suchacontext?Normallyonewouldexpecthouses

graduallytogaininvalue.Yet,inthecaseoflow-

costsocialhousing,thefinancesdeployedaresimply

regardedasasocialexpense.PartofAravena’s

52 >

contributionhasbeentochangethisperception

sothateffectivelydesignedlow-incomehousing

wouldincreaseinvalueandhencebeviewedas

aninvestmentandnotjustanexpense.

InthisparticularprojectinIquiqueefficientland

usewasalsooffundamentalimportance.Boththe

numberoffamiliesandthelandavailablewerea

constant.Yet,itwasafarmorecomplexequation

thansimplydividingavailablelandbythenumber

offamilyunits.ForAravenaandElementalfactors

suchasdecentlivingconditions,thepossibilityfor

expansionandensuringsufficientnatural light

andspacewerealsosignificantvariableswhich

neededtobefactoredintotheequation.

Theirsolutionwasthedesignandimplementation

ofhalfagoodmiddle-incomehouse.Duplexeswere

designedthatwouldofferenoughdensitytocover

thesiteexpense,whilesimultaneouslyavoiding

overcrowding.Thesetwo-floordwellingswouldbe

abletoprovideroomforexpansionwithinthesup-

porting,yetnotconstrainingstructuralframeworks.

Inthiswayeachfamilywouldhaveafullyfunctional

dwellingwithbasicservicesalreadyinstalled,but

withaframethatwouldeasilyallowforexpansion.

Elementalfocusedonprovidingthathalfofthe

housethatrequiredspecialexpertise,whileleaving

themoreeasilyconstructedsecondhalf tobe

filledinbyeachfamily.Thisideaofaneutralframe

wouldalsoallowforcustomisationthatcouldadd

TheQuintaMonroylow-costhousingproject

epitomisesthepragmaticapproachthat

AlejandroAravenaandElementalhaveadopted

inthenorthernChileantownofIquique.

EDUCATION

53 >

personalityandindividualitytoeachhome,and

thus,asenseofownershipthatisoftenlackingin

genericandblandlow-costhousing.

Allowingresidentstomakechoicesastoexactly

whattheywantedwithintheirhomeswasanother

wayofinvolvingresidentsintheQuintaMonroy

project.Suchchoiceswereobviouslyconstrained

bytheavailablefunds.But,forexample,residents

wereintegrallyinvolvedinmakingdecisionsabout

fixturessuchaswaterheatersandbathtubs,in-

steadofthearchitectsdictatingwhattheypre-

sumedthefamilieswouldwant.Thiscultivatedafar

greatersenseofownershipandinclusionamong

residents.

TodayQuintaMonroyremainsathrivingresidential

community,owingmuchtothewell-thoughtthrough

designapproachofAravenaandElemental.One

canoftenoverlookseeminglyinsignificantelements

inthedesignprocess.Andyet,whenAravenaspells

outeachpartofthisprocessinhispragmatic,real-

isticandsensibleapproach,itallseemssoobvious.

Designhasarealparttoplayinaddressingsocial

needsandinequalitiesaroundtheworld.Anditis

encouragingthatpeoplelikeAravenaareactively

engaginginthistaskbyemployingtheircreativity.

MarceloRosenbaumisaBrazilianinteriordesigner

whogivesequalattentionandprioritytodesign-

ingbothhigh-endandlow-enddesignprojects.

54 >

RosenbaumsetupadesignofficeinSãoPauloin

1992andhassincethenbeenaffirmingtheidentity

oftheBrazilianpeoplethroughhisuseandinclusion

oflocalculturalheritage,traditionaltechniques

andtheemploymentofcraftsmenandartisansto

aidhiminhisdesignprojects.

RosenbaumwashiredtodesigntheVIPbaratRio

Carnival.HisvisualinterpretationofBrazilianculture

–completewithdoilycarpets,colourfulembroideries

andlocalartisans’work–wasasurprisetotheclient

butadelighttoallvisitingdignitarieswhofeltthat

thedesignembodiedaspiritandflavourofBrazil.

Hehassinceconsecutivelywontheannualcommis-

sionyearafteryear.

Rosenbaumshottofamewithhishomemakeover

televisionprogrammeHomeSweetHome.Theshow

isflightedontheRedeGlobostationandreaches

99.5%oftheBrazilianpopulationanddocuments

howRosenbaumandhismultidisciplinaryteam

improvelivesbyrestoringhomesintheBrazilian

favelas.Homeownerscontactthetelevisionpro-

grammeandexplainwhotheyareandwhattheir

needsare.Onceahomeownerisselected,this

informationformsthebriefforRosenbaumandhis

team.Thephysicalrenovationprocesstakes12

daystocomplete.

Itisthebehaviourofpeoplethatdefinetheirspaces.

Rosenbaumaddressestheowner’sneedsbycon-

sideringtheindividual’sfamily,theirrelationships,

roots,memories,habitsandneeds.Thesefactors

informthedesignanddecorativetrends.Rosen-

baumseesthehomeasamirrorreflectingourper-

sonalitiesandnotviceversa.Itistheteam’saim

tocreatesolutionsthatimprovelivingconditions,

minimiseday-to-daycosts,saveresources,reduce

OneoftherenovationprojectsbyMarceloRosenbaumwhich

formedpartoftheHomeSweetHometelevisionseries.

Before(left)andafter(below).

EDUCATION

55 >

monthlyexpensesandinsomecases,evenprovide

asourceofincome.

Thefavelasareinformalsettlementsorareaswhere

themajorityoftheresidentsarelow-incomeearners.

AlargepartofwhatRosenbaumandhisteamdois

nottorejectthehomeofaresidentbutaffirmthe

resident’sidentitybyworkingwithintightfinancial

constraintsandusingexistingobjectsoftheresi-

dentinconjunctionwithstructuralreinforcement

and interior interventions tocreatesomething

beautiful.

Rosenbaum’sphilosophyiscentredonthebelief

thatgooddesigncanbeatransformativetoolfor

buildingself-esteemandencouragingeducation.

TwoexcellentexamplesofhowRosenbaumlivesout

thisphilosophywouldbetworecentHomeSweet

Homeprojects.Theteamrenovatedahairdresser/

manicurist’shomeandaddedahomesalontoher

house.Anotherexampleisahomethatwasreno-

vatedforasinglefatherraisingtwochildren.The

fatherwouldhave to leavehisyoungchildren

aloneathomewhenhewasatwork,sotheteam

builtacinemaandsmallshoponthegroundfloor

toprovidethefatherwithasourceofincometo

enablehimtobeathomewithhischildren.

Rosenbaumdiscusseshowonecanlearntoberele-

vantinone’scommunity.ThestrengthofBrazilian

cultureliesinitsabilitytoblenddiversecultures.

Thiscacophonyofculturalelementshascreateda

needtoimproviseanddeliberatelycreatesimplicity.

Itisimportanttoplaytoyourstrengths.Lookatthe

predominantcharacteristicsofanindividual,acul-

turalgroupornationandconsiderhowthesecanbe

usedtobestadvantage.Manydevelopingcountries

sharecommonvalues.Itistheoutstandingability

PublicTransportSharedServicesCentreby

MakekaDesignLab(right).Re-imaginingCape

Townstationdesignedasajointventurewith

MakekaDesignLab,ComrieWilkinson,DHK

andJakupa(centre).TheOrdos100project,by

MakekaDesignsLab,isaground-breaking

experimentinurbandevelopmentandthe

artssituatedinMongolia(farright).

56 >

ofpoorpeopletodevelopskillsneededinorderto

surviveincrisis.Thereisagreatdealoftalentand

geniusthatcanbeexploredamongstpeoplewho

havebeenincriticalsituations.

Rosenbaumalsohighlightsanemergingglobal

trendofempowermentthatisseeninpublicplat-

formsthatallowindividualstobethemastersof

theirowncontent.Examplesofsocialplatforms

wouldbeYouTube,MySpace,blogs,Etsy,eBay,

Craigslist,Flickr,LinkedIn,BeboandOrkut.This

empowermenttrendisanimportantsocialtool

that can provide platforms for collaboration,

awarenessandultimately,change.

Brazilisacountrywithasignificantgapbetween

thehavesandhave-nots.Interiordesignskillsthat

areusuallyonlyassociatedwithahigh-endmarket

areusedbyRosenbaumtoblessandgivebackto

underprivilegedcommunities.Hehighlightstheim-

portanceofgivingbackandsupportingcommunities.

JustlikeChileandBrazil,SouthAfricahasmany

sociallyrelevantissuesandneedsthatcryoutto

beaddressedandresolved.

MokenaMakekaisaSouthAfricanarchitectwho

providesadifferentapproachtoaddressingthese

needs–byadvocatingthebenefitsandnecessity

ofpublicspacedesign.Heactivelyseekstoleave

thisworldinabetterstatethanhefoundit,serv-

inghiscommunityandcountrybydevoting90%of

histimetothedesignofpublicspaces.

Makekastressesthatdemocraticpracticeandpublic

spacedependonandreinforceeachother.Throughout

TheCaruaru

Collectionof

furnitureby

Marcelo

Rosenbaum.

EDUCATION

57 >

history every regime that has violated human

rightshasusedarchitecturalelementsanddeliberate

townplanningtointentionallysegregateandstrip

awayhumanidentity.Makekasitesdiabolicaldesign

decisionsmadeduringtheapartheidregimetodelib-

eratelysegregateanddividecommunitiesandpeople.

Overandaboveviolatinghumanrights,thisunder-

minedpublicspaceaspeopleretreatedintogated

communitiesandwithdrewfromcontributingto

society.Whileapartheidisgone,theconsequences

ofthosedesigndecisionsremain.

Currentandfuturedesigndecisionswillphysically

realiseSouthAfrica’sframeworkofdemocracy.

Makekaisinvestinghisskillsintomorehumanised

SouthAfricancommunities.Atthecoreofhisdesign

philosophylaystheopinionthatitisahumanrightto

liveinadesignedenvironment.Livingandworking

withinSouthAfricawherethemajorityofthepop-

ulationliveininformalsettlementswithopentoilets

andun-insulatedshelters,Makeka’scallforaradical

improvementofbasicstandardsforhumanliving

needtobeheardandmet.

Ineverycountrytherearecommunitiesthatneed

helpandsocialissuesthatmustbeaddressed,

bothonmacroandmicrolevels.Designerscanuse

creativitytoactivelysolveproblems.Beawareof

situationsandindividualsaroundyou.Youhave

thepotentialtoberelevant.Whiletherearemany

problemsandissuesthatneedtobeaddressed,

therearejustasmanysolutions.Thetrickistorecog-

nisehowyoucanuseyourgifttoblessothers.<

WOODWORKR

AW

STU

DIO

MA

KES

RawStudiocollaborateswithdifferentartistsanddesignersontheprintsfortheirprojects.

ByMaranCoates

58 >

EDUCATION

amazingworkinchurchesalloverthecountry.My

fatherandbrotherwereinterestedinwoodwork

andwehadquiteabitofwoodworkingmachinery

inourworkshopathome,”hesaid.

Hisintegrityandloveofwoodhastranslatedinto

workingwithecoplywoodinawaythatvenerates

allthepositiveaspectsofthisproduct.

PreviousadventureshaveinformedPeet’scurrent

thinkingandapproachwhichincludecutting-edge

technology,functionaldesignandenvironmental

consciousness.Peet’scleardeterminationtodesign

andcreateproductsthatfocusonconsumingless

energy–notonlyinproductionbutalsoduringtheir

lifespan–isachievedbyusingsustainablematerials

andmanufacturingasefficientlyaspossible.His

diplomainarchitecture,focussingonadvanceden-

vironmentalandenergystudies,whichhedidin

Wales,hashelpedhimtomakethisanachievable

goal.

Peet’sdesignapproachhasundergoneseveral

shiftsoverthelast13years.Hisapprenticeshipwith

cabinetmakerNicGodaurdofSwissJoinery,gave

thethenwow-factorjunkietheopportunitytoplay,

creatingvariousprettyweirdartfurniturepieces

thatpushedtheboundariesofdesignandjoinery.

LivingandworkinginRotterdamusheredinanew

perspective,characterisedbysimplicity,elegance,

functionalityandthriftiness–allelementsifgood

Dutchdesign.BusinesssenserequiredthatPeet

begintodesignwithusers,modularexpandability

andproductioninmind.Hisattitudeformaking

joineryworkforhimandnottheotherwayround

hasresultedindevelopingglue-lessjointingsys-

tems.ThewondersofCNCmachineprocesses

Likehiswork,RawStudio’sPeetvanStraatenhas

evolved,eachstepbringingwithitanessential

integritythathasculminatedinhiscurrentstudio,

whichheestablishedinTshwanein2005.

AlargepartofPeet’sthinkingatRawStudiois

takenupbydevelopingflexible,adaptablesystems

offurniturethataredrivenbyinnovation,butalso

bynecessity.Themodularsystemsaredesignedto

beeasytoinstall,customisableandexpandable

withmachiningandsimpleassemblyinmind.

Comingfromafamilyofcabinetmakers,Peet

hasthistimelesscraftetchedintohisDNA.“My

grandfatherwasafinecabinetmakeranddid

59 >

60 >

usheredintheuseofflatboardecoplywood,

whichhehasemployedsuccessfullyever

since.

Aquicklookattheendangeredspecieslist

wouldconvincemostpeoplethatit’sjust

notokaytouseexoticsolidwoodsanymore.

InSouthAfricathemarketstillusesmostly

solidwoodthatcannotbetracedbacktoa

sustainablesource,soPeetsteersclearof

these.Toovercomethis,RawStudioimports

Koskisenbirchplywood(98%realwood)

directlyfromthemillinFinland,whichis

certified for sustainable forestmanage-

ment.Theecoplywoodisidealbecauseof

itsexcellentqualityandwidevariety.Suited

toaclean,simpleandmodulardesignethos,

plywood’scost-effectivenessallowsRaw

Studio’ssmalloutfittoproducenumerous

prototypes,whichPeetandhisteamoffive

manufacturefortestingandaestheticevalu-

ation.Unfortunatelythequalityoflocalply-

woodleavesmuchtobedesired,saysPeet.

RawStudio’sprojectsincludeofficesystems,

shopfittings,point-of-saleunits,branded

products,massseatingandacousticpanel-

lingforuniversitiesandprivateclients.

Thestudio’sretailedmodularrangesrequire

extensiveresearchandaredesignedtointer-

acteasilywithcustomers,toenrichtheirenvi-

ronmentsandmaketheirlifeeasier,even

thoughPeetmaynevermeetthecustomer

face-to-face.

Onemodularsystemthathasbeenreally

successful istheofficesystemoriginally

designedforTriBeCaCoffeeCompany. It

worksseamlesslywiththiscompany’sbrand

andisexpandableanduser-friendly.Theoffice

systemwillbecomeaproductthatcanbesold

tomoreuserswithouthavingtoreinventit

alloveragain.

Thenotionofmodulardesign,whichonthe

onehandisaboutunitsworkingtogether

butontheotherhandofferindividualsthe

opportunitytomakeuptheirown,culminates

withRawStudio’swidelyfeaturedIkonik

modularlockersystem.Eventhoughsteel

lockersare“sortoftheepitomeofindustrial

design”,Peethasalwaysfoundthemboth

“beautifulandintriguing”.“Alockerisalittle

bitofpersonalspaceonagridofotherpeo-

ples’personalspaces.”Thebeautyliesinhow

peopleinteractwiththeirpersonalspacein

relationtoasocialcontextthroughcustom-

isation.RawStudio’sideawastousethe

lockerdesignasweknowitandbuild it

completelyfromplywoodandpresentitas

anemptycanvastographicdesignersand

artists.

Peethashadtheopportunitytobrainstorm

andbounceoffideasofvariousartists,design-

ersandarchitects.Heviewscollaboration

asa“veryvaluableprocess–fromtimeto

timeit’snotagoodideatobelefttoyour

owndevices”.

ForRawStudiothepotentialofcollabora-

tionhasbeenreallysuccessfulinteaming

upwithfreelanceillustratorandsurfacede-

signerYmkeHemmingawhoillustratedoneof

theirIkoniklockers.Ayearagoshestarted

hercompanyScratchtheSurface,illustrating

EDUCATION

61 >

Ikon

ik,a

com

plet

ely

plyw

ood

vers

ion

ofth

est

eel

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er,i

sm

odul

ara

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and

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ith

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Peet

van

Str

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nin

his

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Enth

usia

stic

hai

r(le

ft)a

ndW

ings

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illus

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ion

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62 >

Soultable(right).Tressel(farright)

isamodularinterpretationofthe

traditionala-frametrestle.Klik

(below)affordsuserstheopportunity

tofitofficesorhomesinaunique

yetmodularwaywhichtheuser

canmodifyasrequirementschange.

63 >

EDUCATION

surfacesmostlyonpaper,crockery,furniture

andfabric.Herstyleworkedwellwiththe

aestheticsofthepersonalisedwoodenlockers.

Sheisdefinitelysomeonetowatch–super

talented,”saysPeetoftheirpartnership.

ShehasbeenexhibitingwithRawStudioon

aregularbasis.

“Idraw,Iwrite,Iparent,Iteach,innospecific

order,”saysYmkeHemminga.Borninwhat

she calls a “little slow-motion village of

Benoni-esqueboredom”intheNetherlands

shespentyearsthinkingandtravellingand

thenlandedupinSouthAfrica.Shehasboth

fine art and creative writing/playwright

qualificationsandhasworkedasafreelance

illustratorandwriter.Inspiredbyallthe“ab-

surdandbeautifulaspectsofbeinghuman”,

Ymkereflectsthehumoursheseesinmundane

dailyacts,likedoingdishesandgroceries.

“It’sallwe’vegottoriseaboveourselves,to

connectandevolve”.Herhopeisthather

illustrationscreateamoment,evokeagrin

oragiggleamidstour“mind-numbing”daily

domesticity.

Peet’s creative adventure has had many

facesandlivedinmanyplaces.Therearesome

thingsthathethinksarevitallyimportantto

rememberwhenstartingyourownbusiness:

“Getyourhandsdirty;theoryandformal

educationisjustastart,makingitworkisa

matteroftrialanderror;don’tbeafraidtomake

mistakes;inthebeginningyouhavetosatisfy

clients,butmakesureyourelaysomething

ofyourselfinthedesignandsticktoyour

guns;trytobeinnovativeinallyourwork,

innovationiswhatspursprogress;workin

collaboration with others, don’t isolate

yourself,butdon’tprostituteyourideas(if

theyaregood).”

Peet’sintuitiveabilitytoliveouthispassion

forgooddesign–whichhesaysismorea

feelingofthingsbeingintheirrightfulplace,

therightsolutionsforthespecificproblem

andbeauty–hascreatedaperfectperspec-

tive inwhichRawStudiocan thriveand

prosper.<

Haarlem(farleft)isaroom-dividerthatis

designedforusebetweenakitchenand

dinningroom.Sim3(centre)isabathroom

cabinet,partlaminated,partjoinedfrom

beechplywood.Openspacesbetween

cabinetsareusedtostorerolleduptowels.

SlimShady(left)isaroomdivider/vanity

paneldesignedtobeusedasadressingarea

intheclosedpositionorafilteredsunlight

screeninopenposition.

ALTERNATIVEARCHITECTUREByLianivanderWesthuizen

Architecture is a rapidly changing

profession.ED>explorestheblurring

oftheboundariesofarchitectureasa

disciplineandshowcasesthreeindivid-

ualswhohaveredeployedtheirskills,

knowledgeandexperienceoutsidethe

traditionalcontextofarchitectural

practice.

Inthefirsteverbookentirelydevotedto

architecture,theRomanarchitectandwriter

Vitruvius stated that Roman architects

practised a wide variety of disciplines,

which,inmodernterms,couldbedescribed

asengineers,architects, landscapearchi-

tects,artistsandcraftsmen.Vitruviuscalled

forarchitectstobe‘skilful inmanyarts,

equippedwithknowledgeofmanybranches

ofstudyandvariedkindsoflearning’.

Describedasasocialartandalsoanartful

science,architectsdesign,invent,explore,

write,sketch,teach,speculate,theorise,film,

map,critique,analyseandimagine;allin

anattempttopositivelyshapetheenviron-

mentinwhichwelive.Architecturaltraining

andexperienceintheprofessionprovide

designersnotonlywiththespecialistexper-

tisetoflourishintheconstructionindustry,

butalsowithawealthofgeneralistskillsto

assistthemtoturntheirknowledge,intellect

andvisualskillsintovirtuesoutsidethe

traditionalcontextoftheprofession.

Withcreativitybeingatthecoreofarchitec-

turalthinking, interdisciplinarypractice,

collaboration,technologicaladvancement

andsustainabledevelopmentaffirmthe

advantagesgeneratedfromagreaterdis-

tributionofprofessionalsworkingin‘alter-

native’architecturaljobs.

KARINHARCUS-HARRISON

Mostofuswillhavedifficultyinidentifying

therelationshipbetweenmortarandthread,

butforKarinHarcus-Harrisonthesimilarity

betweenconstructingbuildingsandmaking

garmentsisobvious.Aftercompletingher

MProfinArchitectureattheUniversityofPre-

toriain2005,sheembarkedonabachelor’s

degreeinfashiondesignattheLondonInter-

nationalSchoolofFashion(LISOF)inJohan-

nesburg.

Karinconsidershercareerinfashionasa

naturalprogressionofherarchitecturalcareer.

Sheseesthedesignprocessesinvolvedin

fashionandarchitecture“inconstantconver-

sationwitheachother”andinevitablydraws

inspirationfrombothmediums.

Karinconsidersthetheoreticalbasisofher

architecturalstudiestobeaninvaluable

resourceintheconceptionofhergarments.

InfluencedinparticularbythetheoryofDecon-

structivism,shequestionsthetraditional

methodofpatternmakinganddisregards

64 >

KarinHarcus-

Harrison’sfinal

rangeatthe

LISOFDegree

FashionShowin

2009.Photo:

IvanNaude/

LISOF.

KarinHarcus-

Harrison’s

fashion

sketchesin

preparationof

herfinalrange

atLISOFin

2009.

OneofKarin

Harcus-

Harrison’s

garmentsatthe

2008SanlamSA

FashionWeek.

Photo:Ivan

Naude.

KarinHarcus-

Harrison

modellingone

ofherown

creationsfora

fashionshootin

2009.

65 >

EDUCATION

MelissaKinnearduringa

discussionwithafocusgroup

meetinginthecommunityin

SalvadordaBahia,Brazilas

partoftheASF-UKBuilding

Communitiesworkshopin

March2009.Photo:Christina

Eddings.

Participantsonadesignand

buildworkshopatOxford

BrookesUniversityaspartof

theASF-UK/OxArch

workshopinMarch2009

(centreleft).Aninternational

teamofparticipantsduring

theASF-UKVulnerabilityand

RiskworkshopinJune2008.

Theteamdesigned,procured

andconstructeda

transitionalstructureinan

earthquakeproneareain

India(centreright).Photos:

MelissaKinnear.

Participantsdiscussing

housingtypologieswithlocal

childreninSalvadorda

Bahia,Brazilaspartofthe

ASF-UKBuilding

Communitiesworkshopin

March2009.Photo:Lianivan

derWesthuizen.

66 >

theModernistapproachof‘formfollows

function’andsubstitutesitwith‘formfollows

fantasy’.Structuralgarmentelements,such

asseamallowancesandliningswhichare

usuallyconcealed,arepromotedtobecome

exposedasfunctionalelementsincluding

pockets,lapelsandcuffs.Thegarment’s

construction,therefore,providestheembel-

lishmentandgraphicquality,reducingthe

needforapplieddecoration.

Althoughwell-versedinbothdisciplines,

Karinunavoidablythinksofherselfasan

architectbecausesheregardsarchitectas

amoreinclusivetermthanfashiondesigner.

Nevertheless, her multidisciplinary ap-

proachtodesignallowshertodeemthatall

designersarepartofa“collectiveunder-

standing”where theirdesigneducation

enablesthemtoparticipateandcontribute

toeachother’sprofessions.

Althoughtheboundariesbetweenfashion

andthebuiltenvironmenthaveblurredfor

Karin,sheultimatelyreliesontheenergy

sheinvestswithinthedesignprocessto

deliveraninnovativeproduct,irrespective

ofitsbeingconstructedwithconcreteor

withfabric.

MELISSAKINNEAR

Whenfacedwithmakingacareerchoice

afterschool,acombinationofapathytoin-

vestigatepossiblecareeroptionsandhaving

twoarchitectsasparents,adegreeinarchi-

tecturewasthemostobviouschoicefor

MelissaKinnear.AftercompletingherBArch

studiesattheUniversityoftheWitwaters-

randin1999,shegainedvaluablepractical

experienceinavarietyofarchitecturalof-

fices,butsoonbecamefrustratedwiththe

lackofengagementoftheprofessioninlarger

developmentalissuessuchasincreased

urbanisation,unplannedcitiesandpost-

disasterreconstruction.

Withasincereinterestinparticipation,sus-

tainabilityandethics,Melissaswappedthe

interiorofanarchitect’sofficeforanoppor-

tunitytobemorerelevanttotheworld’spoor.

AsdesigntutoratOxfordBrookesUniver-

sity in theDevelopmentandEmergency

Practicedesignstudioforundergraduates

andgeneralmanagerforArchitectureSans

Frontières-UK,sheismakingwavesinthe

worldofinternationaldevelopment.

Throughaprogrammeofworkshopsand

talks,thisUK-basedcharityiscommitted

to providing architectural students and

professionalswithopportunitiestoequip

themselves with the necessary skills to

contributemoreeffectivelyintheinterna-

tionaldevelopmentsector.Melissastresses

theneedforprofessionalstoacknowledge

theirresponsibilitytowardstheimpoverished

95%ofthepopulationandurgesarchitects

tobecomemoreinvolvedinimprovingthe

livingconditionsoftheurbanpoor.Shebe-

lievesthatarchitects’abilitytohaveanover-

viewofaproject–fromdetailthroughtothe

macro-scalecoordination–isreallyuseful

whenworkinginthedevelopmentsector,

asthey“areabletoengagewithcommuni-

tiesatgrassrootslevelaswellasnegotiate

withparliamentariansatthemacroscale”.

Workinginthedevelopmentsectoroffers

participantstheopportunitytofullyengage

withthecommunitiesinwhichtheywork

67 >

EDUCATION

andtoplacethematthecentreofdecisions

thataffecttheirlives.ArchitectureSansFron-

tières-UKdoesjustthat.

Withanincreasedinterestbyfellowbuilt

environmentprofessionalsandstudents,

andthesuccessfuldeliveryofworkshops

inBrazil,India,Japan,UKandSouthAfrica,

Melissaisanexampleofhowarchitects’

creativityanddesignskillscouldbehar-

vestedtoimprovelife-standardsandaddress

socialandenvironmentalinjustices.Witha

newsetofvaluesandasenseofpurpose

sheiswellonherwaytoempowerothers

tobecomeequallyrelevant.

FormoreonMelissa’sworkatArchitecture

SansFrontières-UK,visitwww.asf-uk.org.

JACOBOOYENS

WhendrivingthroughtheOverberginthe

WesternCape,youmightpassafarmwhere

you’llcomeacrossarchitectJacoBooyens’s

projectforself-sufficiency.Inthisambitious

project,whichhemodestlycalls“work in

progress”,Jacoinvestigatesthemeaningful

connectionsbetweenarchitecture,ecological

systemsandtechnologyinanattempttooffer

asolutiontoamoresustainablefuture.

Thefirsttwocomponentsofhisthree-fold

investigationrelatestothebuiltenvironment

andtechnologywheretherammedearth

buildingsonthefarmareconstructedwith

clayandstoneextractedwithinaonekilo-

metreradiusfromsite,thussubstantially

reducingtransportationandmaterialcost.

Energyisharvestedfromthewindandsun,

anearbyriveristhesourceofrunningwater

andirrigationandhisbakkie,tractor,and

waterpumpandeventhegeneratorrelyon

usedsunfloweroiltooperate.

Jacoconsidersarchitectureasaseriesofcare-

fulconsiderationsbetweenaself-sustainable

useofenergy,theefficientfunctioningof

thenaturalsystemsofenergysupplyand

theimplicationsoflow-impacttechnology

ontheenvironmentwhereheemployslow-

techsolutionsratherthanhigh-techones

to ease maintenance and repair work,

whichhedoeshimself.“Communication

methodsareinescapablytangledinevery-

daytechnology,”hejokinglyadmits.“But

oncethefarmisfullyoperational,Iwould

liketoweanmyselfandratheruseSkype

andLinuxthanTelkomandWindows.”

Theremainingelementinthisbalancing

acttobecomeself-sufficientisfoodpro-

duction.Jaco’scurrentlivestockcountin-

cludesafewsheep,goats(formilk),poultry

andtilapiafish.Thevegetablegardenand

fruitorchardsupplyfreshproduceforcon-

sumption and enough organic waste to

sustainthemethanegasdigesterandcom-

postsystem.

Withfutureplansthatincludecultivating

oil-richplantsforbio-fuel,implementing

permacultureprinciplesandevenconvert-

inghisparaffinrefrigeratortorunonplant

oil,Jacoeffectivelyemployshisinsightsof

architectureasasynergybetweenplace,

buildingandhabitationtofulfilhisvision

foraself-sustainableexistence.<

68 >

Selfconstructedclay

andstonebuilding

withJacoBooyens’s

tractorthatrunson

vegetableoil.

JacoBooyensat

work,duringthe

finalstagesofroof

constructionforhis

clayandstonefarm

dwelling.

Alltheenergyused

onthefarmis

harvestedfrom

naturalsources–the

bakkierunson

vegetableoil,and

waterispumped

fromanearbyriver.

Images:Jaco

Booyens.

EDUCATION

69 >

DelftChildcareCentres,DelftSouth,CapeTown,2004.AsetofspacesmediatebetweenthestreetandthemoreprivatespacesoftheCentres.Linedwithseatsandpartiallyroofed,theyformpartofthepublicspacesofthecommunity.Anyonefromtheneighbourhoodcanutilisethesespaces,althoughtheybelongtotheCentre.

ETHICALARCHITECTURE

70 >

NoeroWolffArchitectsisanenigma.Like

alltrueanomalies,thefirmrefusestobe

stereotyped into a neatly labelled box

(starchitect,image-maker,style-breaker),

preferringinsteadtoremainunclassifiable

whilenegotiatingthepathseldomexplored.

Tousethefirmsimplyasanexampleof

ethicalandeverydayarchitecture(although

these termsarehardlysimple)seemsa

limitationofwhattheystandforasawhole.

What becomes obvious after meeting

partnersJoNoeroandHeinrichWolffisthat

alltheyreallywanttodoistocreatedignified,

beautiful,positivespacesforpeople.

Itwasexploringandlamentingtheterms

‘ethical’and‘everyday’withinthepracticeof

localarchitecture–sothoughtfullydiscussed

and built upon within our architecture

school(andseeminglysoeasilydisregarded

withintheprofession)–thatdrovemetothe

doorsofNoeroWolffArchitects.Tome,they

areoneexample,withinasmallgroupof

firms,whoaimstomaketheseconceptsa

builtreality;conceptsIbelieveformthebasis

ofasustainableandnecessaryarchitecture

and,consequently,society.

Whatexactlyismeantbytheterm‘ethical’

andwhy,whenmovingfromtheorytopractice,

isitsodifficulttoexercise?Isethicalarchi-

tecture‘green’architecture?Isitarchitecture

ofpublicparticipation?Presumablytheterm

raisesmorequestionsthanitilluminates,

however,onecandeducefromtheconcepts’

manybuiltmanifestationsthatitisoften

anintrospectivearchitecturewhere,when

asked,thedesignercanrespond:“Ireflected

uponthat”.Itisawayofdesigningwhere

thearchitects’considerableknowledgeof

theoryandpracticeisusedinaresponsible,

ByAnastasiaMirandaMessaris

ETHICALARCHITECTURE &

TH

EC

AS

EO

FTH

EEV

ERYD

AY

EDUCATION

71 >

72 >

consideredway.Generallyspeaking,ethical

architectureisformedfromthedesigner’s

genuineconcernswithandresponsesto

environmentalresponsibility,contextual

significance,culturalandsocialintimations

andhisownpersonalvalues.Inthisway,

ethical architecture is profoundly influ-

encedbytheeveryday,bythemeandering

humanconditionofwhatsurroundsit.

Whythenisitsodifficultformostpracticing

architectstoincorporatethiskeyvalue?As

JoNoerostatesinhisarticle‘TheExpedient

andtheEthical,TheEverydayandtheExtraor-

dinary’:

“Howoftenhasoneheardthelamentofthe

architectabouttheuncaring,unforgiving

clientwhoforcedhimorherintomaking

decisions…Thistension[betweentheethical

andtheexpedient]hasexercisedmemuch

ofthetimeandconfoundedmeallofthe

timebecausethereisnoeasywaytoanswer

thesedilemmas.”(JoNoero.TheExpedient

andtheEthical,theEverydayandtheExtraor-

dinary,ArchitectureSouthAfrica.Novem-

ber/December2007;p.8)

Perhapsit isacaseofthink-timeversus

output-time,whereclientanddeveloper

necessitateaquickresponse.Perhapsitis

becauseofaglobaltendencytowardform-

andstyle-basedarchitecture.Perhapsitis

simplyignoranceorindifference.Regard-

less,NoeroWolffhassofarmanagedto

avoidbecominganyofthese.

Lookingatthelistofprojectsthatthisfirm

hasbeenchargedwithcreatesistheimpres-

sionthatNoeroWolffisapracticebased

largely on modest, socially generative,

thoughtfullyconsideredprojectsofavery

highquality,integrityandresponsibility.

And,asmanifestedintheRedLocationMu-

seumofStruggle,whiletheyaimtocreate

buildingsthatstemfromgenuinehuman

needanddesire,theyalsoendeavourto

createaspacethatisspecial.Generallyob-

servedarchitecturallessonsthatthisfirm

canimpartareasfollows:

> Projectsareacceptedduetotheirsocial

relevanceandtheiropportunitytocreate

meaningfulandoptimisticspace.Looking

atthebroadrangeofdesignsthatthefirm

isinvolvedwith,suchashousing,muse-

ums,schools,sportshalls,privateresi-

dences,churches,hospitalsandcommer-

cialbuildings,itbecomesapparentthat

makingexcitingandpertinentspaceis

notconfinedtoaspecificgenre,onlyto

one’swayofperceivingit.

> Simplearchitecturallessonsaremore

importantthanever.Basicfirst-yearprin-

ciples,suchastakingintoaccountbuild-

inguseandclimatearefarfrombeingage-

ingarchitecturalgenerators;theyarestill

initiatorsofimaginationandopportunity.

Mostimportantly,ageneralcognisance

ofsocialandurbancontextisimperative

totheproject.Asseeninbothtypologi-

callyopposingprojectssuchastheDelft

DaycareCentres(DelftSouth,Western

Cape)andVelocityFilmStudios(Rivonia,

Gauteng),contextcanleadtoformby

contributingtotheformalstreetedge,as

intheformer,andbymanipulationof

thesection,asinthelatter.

> Technologyplaysapivotalroleintransform-

ingthesketchdesignintothebuiltobject.

Throughtechnologyasincereattemptat

creatinganethicalbuildingcanfaildue

73 >

EDUCATION

Soweto Careers Centre, Soweto, 1990.

Usasazo Secondary School, Khayelitsha, Cape Town, 2000. This secondary school was commissioned by the Provincial Government and consists of 37 classrooms, a library, computer room, hall and an administration section. The brief was expanded by the architects to allow the school to be adapted to new Further Education and Training (FET) legislation which calls for more entrepreneurial training.

Velocity Films Studios, Rivonia, Johannesburg, 1995. The building was designed as ‘a work in progress’ that represents the framework within which all film production companies operate and allows the company the flexibility to reinvent itself both spatially and culturally over time.

74 >

EDUCATION

tounresolvedandmisunderstoodbuildingma-

terialsandtheir limitationsandcapabilities

and,significantly,theskillswithinthecompany

whoistaskedwiththebuilding’sconstruction.

Onceagain,fortechnologytheimportanceof

contextisimperative.NoeroWolffisknownfor

theirresourcefulanduncomplicateddetailing

ofsimplelocalmaterialssuchassheetmetal

andsteel.

> Alwaysbeinterested,alwaysbeinvolvedand

alwaysbeassiduous.BothHeinrichWolffand

JoNoeroarestillactivelyinvolvedintheeduca-

tionofyoungarchitectsattheUniversityofCape

Townandmercilesslypursueknowledgethat

maycontributetotheirgeneralunderstanding

ofarchitectureandwhoitisbuiltfor.

> AnoptimisticstancetowardthefutureofSouth

Africaandthearchitecturalprofessionnever

hurtanyone.Andlastly,

> Draw!Theybothstillpreferhanddrawingtothe

computer.

Theconceptofethicalarchitectureistoovastand

multi-facetedtosimplydescribe.Furthermore,at-

tributingallofitsnuancestoonefirmappearsto

beasingle-mindedattemptatunderstandingthe

practiceinquestion.Whatonecan,however,take

fromthisdiscussionisthatasincereattemptat

understandingethicalpracticesinarchitecture–an

architecturethatisdesignedforthepurposeofim-

provingthelivesofthosewhoencounterit–isan

admirablefirstattemptatbroachingthissubject.

NoeroWolffstandsastestimonytoabeliefsystem

instilledinmostarchitectsattertiarylevelthata

practicecoulddesignstrikingandnecessaryarchi-

tecture,bothinspiredbyandfortheeveryday.<

AllimagescourtesyofNoeroWolffArchitects.

TheRedLocationMuseumofStruggle,RedLocation,PortElizabeth,2006.Itisdesignedtochallenge

conventionalviewsofmuseumdesign.Theconventionsofrepresentinghistoryasasinglestoryare

challengedthroughthedesignofthemuseumspacesaswellasitsgeographicpositioning.

World Architecture FestivalBarcelona3-5 November2010

1000 practices

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Meet hundreds of architects from all over the worldWorld Architecture Festival offers architects from all over the world the chance to meet, share and learn. Since 2008 we have welcomed architects from over 80 countries, and urge you to take advantage of this three day opportunity to network and gain information and inspiration.

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Future Project of the YearSpanish Pavilion, ShanghaiMiralles Tagliabue EMBT, Spain

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BySunéStassen.Visionary.Legendary.Perhaps

evenalittlebitwacky?Thesearethewordsthat

springtomindwhentalkingtoJodyAufrichtig–

thebrainbehindtheDaddybrand–abouthis

latestproject,thebrandnewOldMacDaddyfarm.

DaddyLongLegsArtHotelistheboutiquehotel;

anotheroneiscalledtheGrandDaddy;thepres-

identialsuiteiscalledSugarDaddy;thebaris

DaddyCool;thecinemaontherooftopinthe

middleofthepenthousetrailerparkwhich is

alsoopentothepubliciscalledAgPleaseDaddy.

Nowthelatesthotelproject,OldMacDaddy,has

beenaddedtotheDaddycollection.

Forthelastcoupleofyearsthedesignstudio,

Room13,hasbeentakingcareofthegraphics

andbrandidentityoftheDaddycollection.From

OLDMACDADDY

78 >

thestartJodywantedsomethingfunky,fun,func-

tionalandenergetic,butaboveall,hewantedpeople

tosmilewhentheyinteractedwiththeirbrands.

“It’sallaboutthefeelgoodfeeling,”saysJody.

Itwasatroublesomebirth.TheAirstreamproject

wasbornfiveyearsagowhenJodywastravelling

throughZimbabwe.Hefoundabeautifullocation,

idealforanotherboutiquehotel.Butduetothe

politicalriskinZimbabwecoupledwiththeinabil-

itytogetfinance,hethoughtofadifferentsolu-

tion.Whatifyourvaluableinvestmentactuallyhas

theabilitytopackupandmovetoanotherloca-

tionataday’snotice?At2AMinthemorningthe

thoughtofcaravansimmediatelysprangtomind.

TheideaofaconvoyofLandRovers,eachhooking

acaravanandtrekkingtothenextlocationexcited

himandJodyknewhehadstumbledonsomething

unique.ThehistoryoftheVoortrekkers,trekking

throughunknownandroughterrainwiththeirox

wagonsmadethisconceptevenlessfarfetched.

Addingthemysteryandintrigueofnomadsand

gypsiesandrememberingthesongCaravansthat

fuelledourimaginationforfarawayplaces,mys-

teriousandromantic,madeJodythinkthathehad

definitelyhitthejackpot.

UninspiredbymodernSouthAfricancaravans,

Jodywaslookingforsomethinguniquewhenhesud-

denlyrememberedthestunningshiningsilverAir-

streamtrailersofthe50sand60sthatgrabbedhis

attentionwhenhesawthemovieWhat’seating

GilbertGrapewhenhewasonly13yearsold.These

shining beauties would be the ultimate must-

havestocompletethisuniqueconcept.Buthedidn’t

realise that they were sought-after collectors’

BrightlypolishedAirstreamtrailers.

EDUCATION

79 >

80 >

items,manufacturedandfoundmostlyacrossthe

Atlantic.

WhenJodyboughttheformerMetropoleHotelin

LongStreet–nowthenewlytransformedGrand

Daddy–hewasrelievedtofindthattherooftopwas

constructedwithsolidconcreteslab,perfecttoset

uphisfirsttrailerpark.Thisuniqueproject,com-

biningsevenofCapeTown’stopcreativetalents,each

commissionedtodecorateatrailerwithaunique

themeandbolddetails,madethisfirstprojectthe

phenomenonthatitistoday.Afour-starrooftop

trailerpark!

Thefirsttrailerparkwasnotwithoutitschallenges

butattheenditwasJody’spassionthatprevailed.

Theteamfacedtheirfirstmajorobstaclewhenthey

arrivedintheUSAandrealisedthatauthenticAir-

streamtrailerswerenotreadilywaitingatadepot.

Thesecollectors’itemsarescarceandwithonly

twodaystogotheywereeventuallytippedoffto

searchforafamilysomewhereinnorthernOhio.

JodyandhisbusinesspartnerStefanBothaeven-

tuallyfoundtenoriginalAirstreamtrailerswhich

hadbeeninthefamilyofalocalfirechiefforthree

decades.

Importingsecond-handvehiclesaretabooinSouth

AfricaandgettingthesebeautiestoCapeTownbe-

cameanightmareinitself.Gettingcustomstounder-

standthatyouwanttoimportafewvintagetrailers,

putitonyourhotel’sroofandturnitintoaccom-

modationjustdidnotcutit.Negotiationswiththe

headofcustomsand16rejectionsandanaffidavit

latereventuallyresultedinanimportpermit.Get-

tingthetrailerstoSouthAfricawasanotherhel-

luvabusinesssincethetrailersdidnot fit into

standardshippingcontainers.FinallyinCapeTown

itwasahugeandcostlyoperationtolifteachtrail-

er on to the roof of The Grand Daddy Hotel,

“weighingbetween1.5and3.5tonspertrailer,”

Jodyexplains.

StoryboardandinteriorviewsoftheGivebeesachanceAirstreamdesignedbyTamaraJoubert.

StoryboardandinteriorviewsoftheTheprivatelifeofplantsAirstreamdesignedbyPelican&Peony.

81 >

Afterthesteeplearningcurveofthisfirstproject,

thelatestadditiontotheDaddycollection,OldMac

Daddy,seemedtobeabreeze.

Still,aprojectofthisnatureisneverwithoutchal-

lenges.Carefulplanning,coordinationanddetailed

projectmanagementskillsareoftheutmostim-

portanceforachievingsuccess.Ithasbeencurated

andproject-managedbyJodyandDeirdreAufrichtig,

NickKinganddécorstylistTracyLynch.

KEYLESSONSINPREPARATION

Althoughthesevintageladiesaremadeofalumin-

iumanddon’trust,Jodyexplainsthat:“theyare

over50yearsoldsotheylookedatrociouswhen

theyarrived.Thesurfacesontheoutsidewere

heavilyoxidisedsowebecomeexpertsinpolish-

ingthemtotheshinymadamsyouseetoday.It

tookusaboutamonthandahalftopolish10or11

trailers.”

ThetrailersarrivedinMarchthisyearandaftera

fewmonthsofpreparationtheartistsanddesigners

werehandedtheirnewcanvasesandgivensixweeks

tocompletetheirprojects.

“Beforewecouldhandthetrailerstotheircreators,

alotofworkneededtobedonelikepolishing,

addingaprotectivesealantfortheexteriorandin-

terior,stabilisingthechassis,puttinginnewfloor-

ingandaddingextractorfanstosuckouthotair.

Weaddedheatresistantlaminatestoalltheglass

windows;everytrailerhadtoberewiredto240

voltstoensuresufficientpowersupply for the

four-starratedtrailersthatarekittedoutwithair-

cons.Finally,allthesurfacesneededtobeprop-

erly prepped before the artists and designers

couldapplyanypaintorwallpaper.”

“Welearnedthehardway,”saysJody,“soallsmall

appliancesarestuckdownandallsurfacesand

upholsteryarestain-proof”.

StoryboardandinteriorviewsoftheLifeBeforeColourAirstreamdesignedbyLeasaMensing.

EDUCATION

82 >

THESETTING

Partwholesomecaravanpark,partdesignerfarm

lodge,OldMacDaddyTrailerHotelisanewchap-

terinadventure,escapismandpurerelaxation.

Setonthepine-whisperingslopesofabeautiful

corneroftheElginValley,inWesternCapeProvince,

OldMacDaddyisacollectionofvintageAirstream

TrailerSuites,eachdesignedbyadifferentCape

Town-basedartistordesigner.

Forsomethiswillbeanostalgiccampingholiday

filledwithfondchildhoodmemories.Withmostof

thetrailerssituatedonthehillside,addingluxuri-

oustouches,placedamongstwhisperingpines

andabeautifullake,Jodycanonlydescribeitasa

placeofmagic.

THEPROCESSANDEXTRAS

“Atrailerisadifficultspacetoworkin.Everything

isrounded,nothingisreallysquareinsidewhich

initselfisquietachallenge,”Jodyexplains.

DécorstylinggeniusTracyLynch,whowasrespon-

sibleforthedecorationofoneoftheroomsat

DaddyLongLegs,andwhodecoratedoneofthe

firsttrailers,wastheprojectmanagerandworked

closelywiththeartistsanddesignersontheOld

MacDaddyproject.Theyreceivedanopenbrief,

butasJodyexplainsthat“therewerecertainre-

quirementstheyhadtocomplywithlikehavingan

eco-friendlyprojectthatwillbehardwearingwith

afunandfunkyedge”.Theprojectwasputoutto

tender and they received over 50 proposals.

“Whenwecouldnotdecideonthefinalconcepts

weinvitedthepublictovotefortheirfavourites.

StoryboardandinteriorviewsoftheForbetterorforboereworsAirstreamdesignedbyJulieKenney.

StoryboardandinteriorviewsoftheMills&BoonAirstreamdesignedbyKirstenTownsend&JeannieSherwood.

83 >

Wehadanoverwhelmingresponsewithjustunder

1300peoplewhoparticipatedinthevotingprocess.”

Onetrailerwassizeableenoughtoincludeabath-

room,completewithaVictorianbath.Interesting

tonotethatthisbeautywasanoriginalUScom-

mandcentreuntiltheteammanagedtobuyit.

Therestofthetrailersonlyhaveabedroomfrom

whereyoustepoutintoawoodencabinwitha

62m2loungeandanensuitebathroom.Abigdeck

infrontallowsgueststoenjoybeautifulviews,

withtwooftheunitsoverlookingthelakeanda

familyfarmhousecalledDaddy’sVilla.Herethe

aestheticcontinuityoftheprojectwaspulledto-

getherwithdesignelementsbyPedersen+Lennard.

“Becausethetrailersareboldandquiteintensein

detailwedecidedtocallthestyleofthelounges

Detox.Itisverysoftwithgentlewashesofsub-

duedcolourpaletteslikehuesofgrey.”Alltrailers

arekittedoutwithmini-bars,cottonlinen,and

centralheatingforthosecoldwinter’sdaysand

mosthaveSMEGfridgestoaddthatextracool.”

OldMacDaddyisafamilydestination,pricedforthe

SouthAfricanmarket.Akiddie’sareawillreceive

soonreceiveacreativetouchfromartistSachaOliver.

Wherepossibleonlyorganicandfree-rangeprod-

uctswillbeonofferandMacDaddydoeshaveits

ownvegetablegarden.

Thisseemstobeanothersuccessstory in the

makingfortheDaddycollection–apowerfulcom-

binationofbusinessandcreativityandboundto

setthestageforamagicalexperience.<

PhotographscourtesyofOldMacDaddy.

StoryboardandinteriorviewsoftheYellowSubmarineAirstreamdesignedbyCecilevanLoggerenberg.

StoryboardandinteriorviewsoftheDirkieSanchesSuiteAirstreamdesignedbyJoeandMarkStead.

EDUCATION

84 >

EDUCATION

85 >

UNCOVERINGTHEMYSTERIESOFTHEMAGICMIRRORTENTSImaginethemovieMoulinRougecometo

life.AndwhatyougetisTheSpiegeltents.

Seenasthedomainofheartbreakers

anddreamchasersandasymbolofthefin-de-sieclenightlife,thesemirrortents

wereusedthroughoutEuropeastravel-

lingdancehallsandentertainmentven-

ues.OriginallyfromBelgiumandbuiltin

thelate19thcentury,theSpiegeltentswere

filledwithmirrorswhichalloweddiscreet

eyecontactwithothervisitors,amereves-

selforartofseductionandflirtation.The

Klessens,aBelgianfamilywererespon-

sibleforthesemagnificentcreations.

SouthAfricanaudiencescannowexperi-

enceasenseoftheMoulinRougefor

themselves,withtheopportunitytosee

oneoftheselegendarySpiegeltentsup

close,whilstenjoyingitswarmhospi-

tality,whenMadameZingara’sTheatre

ofDreamsreopens.The2010LoveMagicTourkickedoffinCapeTownon1June

andwillbeheadingtoJohannesburgin

October,withshowsplannedforDurban

earlyin2011.Thesemagicperformances

willtakeplaceinthe80-year-oldSpiegel-

tentcalledVictoria,oneofthemostlux-

urioustentsintheworld.WhileMadame

Zingarabringshermagictoherlocal

audiences,onecan’thelpbuttobere-

mindedoftheKlessensfamily“andtheir

amazingloveaffairwiththeseremark-

ablepalacesofglassandlightthathas

enthralledaudiencesforoverfourgen-

erations.”

WhencarpenterWillemKlessenswent

searchingforaorganforhisnewlybuilt

dancehallin1920,theonlydanceorgan

hecouldfindwaspartofadancetent.The

purchasingofthisdancetentsawthe

creationoftheSpiegeltent.Theopening

ofthedancetentthefollowingweekend

broughtwithitaleapofsuccess.Kless-

ensthenrealisedthathecouldbemore

successfulatthisinoneweekendthan

doingcarpentryforthreemonths

Successiswhenopportunitymeetsprep-

aration.Willemsawanopportunityand

startedusinghiscarpentryskillsinthe

preparation and construction of his

newdancehall,aSpiegeltenthenamedTheClassique.Hisplanwastotakehis

newcreationandtravelthevillagefairs

inBelgium’snorthernparts,settingup

inadifferentvillageeveryweek.The

village’swouldneverbethesame

again.

AugustKlessens,Willem’sson,took

overthefamilybusinessin1935and

travelledforover50yearstovillage

fairsallacrossBelgium.Working

withhistwotents–LeMoulinRouge

andLaGaiete–itwasnosurprise

thatAugust,‘TheKingoftheDanc-

ingTents’,becameknownthrough-

outBelgium.

Beingpastdownfromgeneration

togeneration,WillyKlessenswas

nextinlinetocontinuethistradi-

tion.Butwiththeriseofthedisco

and dance halls that sprout up

likemushroomsacrossEuropeat

thetime,Willyrealisedthathewould

havetobraveahugefinancialrisk

incompetingwiththesediscohalls.

Havingalreadysuccessfullyrented

outhistentsintheNetherlands

andDenmark,itwastimeforthe

restoftheworldtoseeandexpe-

rience thebeautyandmagicof

these remarkable venues. By

1992,LeMoulinRouge,at18min

diameter,becametoosmall for

theever-growingcrowdsatlocal

festivalsandWillyheadedbackto

hisworkshoptoproduceaneven

biggermasterpiece,anenchant-

ingArtNouveau22mindiameter,

thePalaisdesGlaces.

Togrowhiscollection,Willythen,in

1995,purchaseda1920Spiegeltent

fromabankinSwitzerlandandre-

nameditasthePalaisNostalgique.

Thisbeautifullyrestored90year

oldtentisnowthesettingofthe

TeatroZinZanni inSanFransisco.

SheisthemostsenioroftheKless-

ens’Spiegeltentfamily.

GustKlessens,who’spassionand

loveforthesemasterpieces,never

fullyretiredfromthefamilybusi-

nessofSpiegeltents,thathisfather

Willemhadstarted in1920.His

greatloveforthesebigoldoak-

panelledtentedladies,,especially

thebeautifuloldClassique,was

brokenwhenvandals,onenight

inasmallvillage,setalighttohis

favourite,renderingthetentcom-

pletelydestroyed.

Butoutofdespaircomesoppor-

tunityandso,at70yearsofage,

Gustbeganconstructiononanew

Spiegeltent.For thenextseven

years,everypieceofthisnewtent

–fromthewoodenfloors,leaded

glasswindowsandoakinterior–

wereputtogetherbyGustandhis

wife.Consideringthateverything

wasmadebyhandinaverysmall

workshop,thisaccomplishmentis

staggering.

Theyfinallytookownershipofthe

newtentontheirgoldenwedding

anniversary,namingthenewtent

the Classic – after the sorely

missedClassique.

TheLaurijssenbrothers,consisting

offourcarpentersandanengineer,

andalsotheofficialcompetition

86 >

oftheKlessens,builtabeautiful

Art Nouveau Spiegeltent which

waseventuallysoldtotheKlessens

in2001.

In2004,anotherauthenticSpiegel-

tentjoinedtheKlessenfamilywhen

Jean-PierreToury entrusted his

family’sheritage–theTourySpiegel-

tent–totheKlessens.In2006,the

fourthgenerationofKlessenscon-

structedtheyoungestmemberof

thefamilybusiness,the22min

diameterSalonRevue.TheSpiehel-

tentwillcontinuetoamazeandwow

audiences,astheKlessonsfamily

continueconstructingthesemaster-

pieces,witheachnewtentgetting

biggerandbetter.

VICTORIA’STECHNICALREQUIREMENTS&INSTALLATION

Itisdifficulttoimaginethesheer

labourthatgoesintobuildingone

ofthesemagnificentcreations.In

ordertoillustratehowmuchcon-

structionisrequiredtobuildoneof

thesetents,wehaveprovidedan

explanationofthetechnicalrequire-

mentsandinstallationinvolvedin

constructingtheVictoria.

Thebuildingsitemustbelevel,so

areasonableflatsurfacewitha

maximumslopeof40cmover30m

oneithergrass,concrete,paving

ortilesisrequired.

Theinstallationofthemirrortentis

puremanuallabourandnoelectric-

ityisneeded.Itisstrictlyforbidden

tonail,screwordrill insidethe

mirror tent. In case something

needstobeattachedthisshould

bedonebymeansofplasticadhe-

sivestrips.

Thetrucksthattransportthepieces

needstobe16minlength, 2,55m

inwidthand4minheight,taking

atotalweightof32toneach.With

afoyerof15m,12stakeshaveto

bedrivenintothegroundatthe

frontextensionofthetenttoguar-

anteethetent’sstability,whilethe

flooringalwaysconsistofwood.

Theinterioralcovesmustencom-

pass permanent seats.With 16

alcoves, each accommodating

sevenpeople,allowfor112people

seatingcapacity.Byaddingextra

chairsandtables,thenumberof

seatscanbeincreasedupto450.

Aseatingandstandingroomis

possibleforupto600people,and

withtheextendedversionofthe

15mfoyer,thestandingandseat-

ingroomcanbeincreasedupto

800people.<

Storyandphotos©Madame

ZingaraEnterprises

EDUCATION

87 >

HEAD OFFICE:Tel: +27 (0) 11 493 6833Fax: +27 (0) 11 493 7760

JOHANNESBURG:Tel: +27 (0) 11 493 6833Fax: +27 (0) 11 493 7760

CAPE TOWN:Tel: +27 (0) 21 510 8023Fax: +27 (0) 21 510 8025

DURBAN:Tel: +27 (0) 31 700 4881Fax: +27 (0) 31 700 4811

www.graphica.co.za

Leatherlikes - Leather

Metallics - Meta l

Textiles Textiles

is synonymous with nobility, style and quality. The world of Leather offers a rich variety of surfaces and textures. Our product range offers a wide selection of solutions to meet the needs of those looking for a material both classic and contemporary.

can be rough or sophisticated, matt or shiny, luxurious or worn. Metallic features are attractive and eye-catching, and create unusual and unexpected visual and tactile images. We explore the fascinating world and extraordinary properties of metallic materials, offering a large range of metallic features.

- The luxurious world of is rich in opportunities. Fabrics can either be soft or rough to touch, matt or sheen, plain or richly patterned, or intricately woven. Our range explores the vast and fascinating world of fabric surfaces and features.

NatureNature

Technicals - Industrial materials

Black-White - Black and White

- Each and every colour surface is a gift of . Nature is a regular source of inspiration and creative energy that draws us to authentic materials. Our range combines a selection of natural features in harmonious colours inspired by nature.

can be unconventional and geometrical, highly sophisticated or extremely simple, using both state-of-the-art technology and traditional knowledge. Our range offers an insight into a world of originality and creativity.

represents a chic, classic timeless image. A world of broad, almost infinite possibilities, black and white offers a multitude of designs and tones. Our range explores the world of contrasts.

Inspirational InnovationGraphica is synonymous for creative and exquisite cover materials.An unequalled stance of highest quality, be it for sales enhancing, packaging, demanding folding boxes, luxurious displays, books, diaries, exceptional mailings and advertising, our unique materials delight the eye and touch alike. Our new concept offers you the perfect guide to your current projects. It is always your creativity and imagination that transforms the visual communication into reality. We take great pleasure in introducing an aid that inspires the mind to allow for creative and exceptional solutions. Six main topical themes facilitate the entry to new ideas and elevated imagination.

HEAD OFFICE:Tel: +27 (0) 11 493 6833Fax: +27 (0) 11 493 7760

JOHANNESBURG:Tel: +27 (0) 11 493 6833Fax: +27 (0) 11 493 7760

CAPE TOWN:Tel: +27 (0) 21 510 8023Fax: +27 (0) 21 510 8025

DURBAN:Tel: +27 (0) 31 700 4881Fax: +27 (0) 31 700 4811

www.graphica.co.za

Leatherlikes - Leather

Metallics - Meta l

Textiles Textiles

is synonymous with nobility, style and quality. The world of Leather offers a rich variety of surfaces and textures. Our product range offers a wide selection of solutions to meet the needs of those looking for a material both classic and contemporary.

can be rough or sophisticated, matt or shiny, luxurious or worn. Metallic features are attractive and eye-catching, and create unusual and unexpected visual and tactile images. We explore the fascinating world and extraordinary properties of metallic materials, offering a large range of metallic features.

- The luxurious world of is rich in opportunities. Fabrics can either be soft or rough to touch, matt or sheen, plain or richly patterned, or intricately woven. Our range explores the vast and fascinating world of fabric surfaces and features.

NatureNature

Technicals - Industrial materials

Black-White - Black and White

- Each and every colour surface is a gift of . Nature is a regular source of inspiration and creative energy that draws us to authentic materials. Our range combines a selection of natural features in harmonious colours inspired by nature.

can be unconventional and geometrical, highly sophisticated or extremely simple, using both state-of-the-art technology and traditional knowledge. Our range offers an insight into a world of originality and creativity.

represents a chic, classic timeless image. A world of broad, almost infinite possibilities, black and white offers a multitude of designs and tones. Our range explores the world of contrasts.

Inspirational InnovationGraphica is synonymous for creative and exquisite cover materials.An unequalled stance of highest quality, be it for sales enhancing, packaging, demanding folding boxes, luxurious displays, books, diaries, exceptional mailings and advertising, our unique materials delight the eye and touch alike. Our new concept offers you the perfect guide to your current projects. It is always your creativity and imagination that transforms the visual communication into reality. We take great pleasure in introducing an aid that inspires the mind to allow for creative and exceptional solutions. Six main topical themes facilitate the entry to new ideas and elevated imagination.

UN-PACKEDASTORYABOUTBOXESANDBAGS

Fromourtoothpasteboxestoourdesignershoeboxes,package

design–theforceoftheirresistiblepower–sucksusin.But

haveyoueverconsideredwhyyouselectaparticularbrandof

thesameproductlikeaspecificwashingpowder,shampooor

toothpasteasopposedtothedozenotheroptionsonthesuper-

marketshelf?Doestheproductdefinethepackage,oristhe

productdefinedbyitspackage?And,attheendoftheday,what

differencedoesitactuallymake?

ByAndreaBokelmann

90 >

91 >

HUMBLEBEGINNINGS:Believeitornot,

onceuponatime,thepackagewasassimpleand

nondescriptasitsdefinitionimplies:“1:pack-

agenoun2:aboxorothercontainerinwhich

goodsarestored.”

Itallstartedwiththebasichumanneed:Food.

Aspeoplebegancollectingfood,storingand

transportingit,theysawaneedtodevelop

waysofcontainingandprotectingtheirfind.

Theseveryfirstprimitive–butnolessinnova-

tive–packagingsolutionswerecreatedfrom

naturalmaterialssuchaswovengrass,cured

animalskinsandhardenedclay.

Thedevelopmentofnewtechnologiesover

thecenturieswasreflectedintheevolvinginno-

vationsinpackagematerialsandproduction.

Grass,clayandskinswerereplacedwithpaper,

glassandmetal–allsignificantlymoredurable

andbettersuitedforthepurposeofprotection

andcontainment.Asthetrademarketgrew,so

toodidtheneedforpackagingsolutionsthat

werebestsuitedtotheneedsofaproduct.This

inspiredthecontinuedexplorationanddevelop-

mentofavarietyofpackagingmaterials,such

astheplasticpackets,cardboardboxes,glass

bottlesandmetalcanswidelyusedtoday.

Upuntilabouttheendofthe19thcenturythe

packagemerelyservedasafacilitatorofthe

handingoveroftheproductfromtheretailerto

theconsumer.Itsmaingoalwastoservethe

purposeofprotectionandtransportationand

nothingelse.

Inthefirsthalfofthe20thcenturyimageryand

wordswereintroducedinordertocommuni-

catebasicdetailsaboutthemanufacturerof

theproduct,withsimpleelementssuchas

picturesofthefactoryorabriefdescriptionof

themanufacturer.Thismarkedthebeginnings

ofamovementtowardsusingthepackageas

ameansofestablishingthatspecialrelation-

shipwiththeconsumerthroughvisualmeans.

NOTJUSTABOX:Enterthefull-blownage

ofconsumerismatthebeginningofthe1950s,

andtheadditionofanewcriteriondefiningthe

humblepackage–anewrolethatcatapulted

theartofpackagingtotheforefrontofvisual

communication:Thebrand.

Nolongerwasthehumblepackagesimplya

meansoffacilitatingthetransportationofthe

productorenhancingtheimageofthemanu-

facturer,itnowhadalifeandpurposeofits

own:Tocommunicateabrand,toadoptaper-

sonalityofitsown,tospeaktotheconsumerand

say:“Youlikeme.Youwanttotakemehome,

becauseIhavesomethinguniquethatyou’re

notgoingtogetanywhereelse!”

Packaginghaslongsincemovedpastjustbeing

aphysicalobjectthatholdssomeformofvisual

appeal.Ithasbecometheembodimentofan

experience;atooltoengagethesensesandstim-

ulateadesiredemotionalandsubconscious

responseintheconsumer.Thetheoryofsensation

transferencestatesthatwhateverpeoplesee

andexperienceonthepackage,theysubcon-

sciouslyattributetotheproductitself.Essen-

tially,thepackagehasbecometheproduct.

Thiswasprovenbyastudyconductedbymar-

ketinginnovatorLouisCheskin,wherebythesoft

drink,7-Up,wasfilledintocansthathad15%

moreyellowinthegreenofthedesign,thanwhat

theconsumerswereusedto.Thisminorchange

inthebrandaesthetichadsuchasignificant

psychologicaleffectontheconsumersthat

EDUCATION

92 >

P&G’s Herbal Essences packaging uses bright colours to communicate a brand that is luscious and comforting, but playful at the same time, resonating with a young, but classy, target audience. Note the subtle curves to the shapes that enhance the products elegant appeal.

they were absolutely convinced that the drink in

these modified cans definitively had more of a

lemon flavour than the 7-Up in the other cans.

The package no longer serves to simply sell the

product, but to sell itself and it does this by cre-

ating a brand experience for the consumer; a

unique personality that they will come to know

and love, and even form a personal bond with.

People, by nature, crave personal interaction and

relational bonds. Package design, through the

communication of the brand, taps into this basic

human need in order to establish a sense of loy-

alty and commitment in the consumer, ensuring

that they come back for more.

THE ART OF THE PACKAGE: So how

exactly does a simple package achieve this sense

of personal interaction? A package is a visual and

tangible piece of design. It gleams at you from

the shelf begging to be looked at and touched,

and, if all goes well, taken home. It’s all about

the sensory stimuli. The three things our eyes

most readily recognise are colour, shape and

size. The initial response to these visual stimuli

will set the stage for the consumer experience.

We know it’s all about first impressions – it’s that

split second encounter between the product and

the consumer.

THE POWER OF COLOUR: In the human

brain colour registers the quickest compared to an

image or typography and is, therefore, the most

powerful visual tool that be the difference between

a successful package design and a failure. Colours

also convey different emotional states to each

consumer, which need to correspond to the mood

and feel of the brand that is being communicated.

As a designer it is essential to have an intimate

understanding of the psychology and emotional

powers of colour. It has the potential to transcend

every other design element in the process while

creating a brand. But you can also offend a consumer

if you are not sensitive to the symbolic understanding

of colours that differ amongst cultures.

Not only should the designer consider what col-

ours are most appropriate for the brand, but also

what colours will resonate the strongest with the

desired target audience, and most importantly,

what colours are going to create the desired vis-

ual and psychological brand experience for this

audience.

7-Up cans showing how colour can influence consumer perceptions.

EDUCATION

93 >

SHAPE: Another visual element of package

design is the shape of the package. Subtle and

sometimes not so subtle variations in the shape of

standard packaging serve as subliminal reminders

and reinforces of the brand message that is being

conveyed. For example, a slimmer box design can

subtly communicate the benefits of a health-

conscious cereal that promises a slimmer figure.

Designers are becoming more experimental with

the shapes of package solutions, not only experiment-

ing with subtle variations, but also bold, some-

times outrageous forms that immediately make

daring, exciting statements about the brand they

are portraying. An example of this is the Doritos

chip package redesign by Peter Parlov. Moving away

from the traditional chip packet, Peter has cre-

ated a cardboard box incorporating the geomet-

ric triangular shape, as well as the texture, of the

chips itself. Not only is this a visually appealing,

eye-catching design, but the structured geomet-

ric shape also helps keep the container closed

when it’s not in use, making it more functional

and practical than the conventional packet.

Doritos chip package designed by Peter Parlov.

The Acne Jeans rebrand proposal (top) by Kevin Cantrell, demonstrates how a lack of colour can communicate a sense of simple, clean elegance. And, if used correctly, can create a visual just as bold as the use of a bright colour.

Mentos product range (centre). Take note of the difference between the use of cool and warm shades in package design. Warm shades are generally considered more cheerful, comforting and sometimes playful, whereas cooler colours create an impression of calm, cleanliness and freshness.

Mousegraphics design solution for Mez Pastilles (above). Combining black and white with subtle touches of colour create a feeling of elegant nostalgia.

There has been advances in the tactile element

of package design, creating a complete sensory

brand experience. When texture and interesting

shapes are incorporated into the design of a

package, it encourages the consumer to reach

out and touch, feel and engage with the product.

Once the product is touched, the chance of a pur-

chase is significantly higher.

This concept of a multi-sensory package is fast be-

coming the most effective means to make a product

stand out from the rest. Engaging all the sensory

stimuli available to the consumer triggers emotions

and responses in the brain. Adopting this approach

to package design introduces a new league of

packaging that has the potential to become one

with the product, allowing the consumer to expe-

rience the product through the package.

The concept The Yay! juice boxes designed by Naoto

Fukasawa, combines colour, shape and texture to

create a fruit juice carton that imitates the nature

of the product itself. By taking on the nature of the

fruit, this novelty design transports the consumer

right to the heart of the product, without the need

for logos and catchy marketing phrases.

Woolworths’ To go range of sandwich packages, uses cardboard, rather than plastic. The cardboard used is certified as coming from a sustainable and well-managed forest, and the transparent window is made from corn, not plastic.

The Yay! juice boxes.

THE GREEN BOX: The 1980s marked the

beginning of a move to both consumers, and

designers, becoming more environmentally aware.

As consumers’ awareness around ‘green’ issues

increased, so did the focus on ‘green design’, with

package design being at the forefront. From the

conceptual phase, right through to production

and transportation, the green concept is increasingly

finding its way into the design consciousness.

The pivotal role that package plays in this

consumer-driven system, places it at the fore-

front of the green design movement.

Designers are increasingly adopting the mantras

‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ and ‘cradle-to-cradle’

when approaching package design. Not only are

they using environmentally friendly materials,

such as recycled paper, natural materials or soy

inks, but creating elements that the consumer

can use more than once – increasing the product

lifespan, and reducing waste.

94 >

Dieter Zermatten adopted the reuse and reduce

approach when designing his Play bag, a design

that won the House and Leisure Green Designers

competition in 2010. This portable storage bag

transforms into a play mat, reducing two prod-

ucts into one practical design that is versatile

and durable, making the consumer’s life much

easier, as well as reducing the strain on the envi-

ronment.

M&A Designs is a South African package design

company that has, to a large degree, been lead-

ing the way in sustainable and environmental

packaging in the country. They are dedicated to

educating their clients, and guiding them in mak-

ing environmentally friendly design and produc-

tion choices. Not only do they always take the

greenest route in every design solution, but also

support sustainable and eco-friendly farming

practices at the supply level.

One of M&A’s biggest clients is Woolworths, a

household name in South Africa that is well

known for its commitment to bringing consumers

the most environmentally friendly product ranges.

M&A Design’s revolutionary new Appletiser bottle

design has given new meaning to the concept of

functional design. The most groundbreaking ele-

ment of the design is the leaf shape that has been

raised out of the glass. While this might just seem

like a clever way of incorporating the logo into the

actual glass of the bottle, it is an element that also

takes on the functional role of the orientation

mark of the bottle. So the leaf shape is the device

used during the production process that ensures

the bottles are positioned correctly along the pro-

duction line for the placements of the labels. This

mark, usually situated nondescriptly along the

base of a bottle as a series of small lines, has been

utilised as a quirky design element, enhancing

The Play bag (top).Appletiser bottle (above).

the overall aesthetic of the design and, by exten-

sion, the communication of the brand.

Designers and marketers are realising that it is not

enough just to adopt the green approach, but that

bigger changes need to be far-reaching: impacting

socially, as well as environmentally. Design can

only claim to be truly sustainable if it assumes the

responsibility of the environmental consequences

of the material used, as well as the social conse-

quences of the content. Package design no longer

aims just to sell a product, but to make a difference

in the environment, and to use its powers of com-

munication to its most meaningful potential.

95 >

96 >

PUMA is an internationally recognised brand that

has fully adopted the practice of sustainability. Not

only have they been involved in numerous social and

environmental initiatives, but their strong stand

on sustainability and social upliftment influences

their approach to design.

Puma’s innovative new package is making waves in

the packaging industry. Yves Béhar, founder of the

industrial design and branding firm, Fuseproject,

developed the concept for Puma’s Clever Little Bag.

Moving away from the conventional shoebox, this

design consists of a sheet of cardboard that is held

in shape by ‘a clever little bag’. By completely doing

away with the box, this design uses 65% less card-

board, no tissue paper, weighs less and takes up

less space, which reduces resources required for

shipping and replaces the harmful plastic retail bag.

Sustainable philosophies lead to sustainable

brands, which become sustainable products and

packages.

The South African company Give It Bag uses recycling

to provide jobs in communities where it is much

needed and to generate money to help those in

need. Give It Bag makes use of old polypropylene

packaging sourced from all over the world, each

with a unique print or design. These are used to create

beautiful designer bags, using specially designed

patterns. All income received for the sale of these

bags goes to various charity initiatives. This innova-

tive design solution communicates the message

to the consumers that they have the ability to make

a difference in the world, by making small, but mean-

ingful decisions. By becoming more informed

about social and environmental issues, consumers

are realising that the power lies with them and in

the products they choose to purchase, and the

brands they choose to support. Read more about

Give It Bag here.

Give It Bag. PUMA’S Clever Little Bag.

EDUCATION

97 >

Thebagitselfcanbereused,andisnon-woven,

whichmeanslesswork,andlesswaste.

Thisinnovativedesignsolutionwillreducethe

consumptionofwater,dieselandenergyby60%

peryearinmanufacturing.Ituses8500tonnes

lesspaper,andthedifferenceinweightwillsave

approximately275tonsofplastic.Ifonegood

designsolutioncanmakesuchanoverwhelming

impact,imaginethepossibilitiesofanentirede-

signcommunityadoptingthesamesustainable

approach.Viewavideohere.

TheDreamballreliefaidpackagedesignedby

UnplugDesign,transformsdesignintoanactive

toolforupliftmentinimpoverishedcommunities.

Thisdesign,intendedforthirdworldcountriessuf-

feringfrompoverty,warandnaturaldisasters,can

bereassembledbyfollowingsimpleinstructions,

tocreateafootballforthechildrenofthesedevas-

tatedareas.NotonlydoestheDreamballphysically

assistthesecommunities,byprovidingreliefaid,

buttouchestheheartsofthesecommunities,by

facilitatingpersonalandplayfulinteractionbe-

tweentheaidworkersandthechildren.Read

moreabouttheDreamballProjecthere.

Peoplefromallwalksoflifefromallovertheworld

interactwithsomeformofpackagedesigncountless

timeseveryday.Thequestioniswhatwe,asdesign-

ers,communicatetoaworldthatisconstantlyinter-

actingwithourdesigns.Rememberingthefamous

lastwordsofSpiderman’suncleBen,“Withgreat

powercomesgreatresponsibility”,Iaskwhatde-

signersintendondoingwiththegiftwehavebeen

given?Willweremainsetintheconsumeristways

ofmakingaproductsell,nomatterwhatthecost,

orwillwecreateboxesthatleadthewayintrans-

formingourworld?<

Dreamball.

THEMONSTERS

DOIT!

MADEME

STEFANGBUCHER:

98 >

ByZeldaHarrison

StefanGBucheristhemanbehind344DesignandtheDailyMonster

–anonlinedrawingandstorytellingexperiment.Hismonstershave

invadedcomputerscreensacrosstheworld,andtheirsavagead-

olescenceischronicledinthebook100DaysofMonsters(2008).

HehascreatedgratuitouslyambitiousdesignsforSting,DavidHock-

ney,directorTarsemandtheNewYorkTimes,andworkswithawhole

rosterofbrilliant,drivenclients.Histime-lapsedrawingscurrently

appearontherebootedTVclassicTheElectricCompanyonPBS.

In2009hepublishedTheGraphicEye:PhotographsbyInternational

GraphicDesignersandanewTaiwaneseeditionofhisfirstbook,

AllAccess:TheMakingofThirtyExtraordinaryGraphicDesigners.Two

newbooksareinthepipelinefor2011.

StefansharedsomeinsightsintohiswordinaninterviewwithED>

PHILOSOPHY,MOTIVATIONANDINSPIRATION

TellusaboutyourartstudiesandyourmovetotheUSA:Mywhole

lifeseemstobeanongoingquesttomakemycircumstancesmatch

withwhat’sinmyhead.IwasbornandraisedinGermany,andwhile

I’mgladformyeducationandforasafeand,insomeways,down-

rightidyllicchildhood,Ialsodidn’tfitinatall.Thiswasfrustratingand

depressing,andalsomademedeeplyunpopular.Nobodylikesaweirdo.

DuringmyfirstvisittoCaliforniaIimmediatelynoticedhowmuch

bettereverythingmeshedtogether.Ididn’trealiseituntilImadethe

move,butIthinkmyheadhadgonetoCaliforniaafewyearsbeforeme

withoutbotheringtoletmeknow.Iwasjustalittleslowtocatchup.

Therewasn’treallyaculturalshiftforme.Ijustfoundaplacewhere

thingsworkedthewayI’dalwaysthoughttheyshould.Thismade

mehappy.Iworkreallywellhere.

Alongthosesamelines,studyingartwasn’teverachoice,justanac-

knowledgementofwhatwasalreadybubblinginmyhead.Therewas

neverevenathoughtthatI’ddoanythingbutart.Itwasaforegone

conclusion.ArtCenterCollegeofDesign[Pasadena]justgaveme

someserioustoolsforgettingideasoutofmybraininonepiece.

EDUCATION

99 >

100 >

The

Gra

phic

Eye

: Pho

togr

aphs

by

Inte

rnat

iona

l

Gra

phic

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101 >

EDUCATION

Whatwasyourfirst(orfavourite)job?Well,my

firstjobwaspickingpoorlydoneadsoutofthelocal

paperbackinGermany,remakingthemfromscratch

(allbyhandwithpenandinkandLetratonefilm),and

thenwalkingintotheunsuspectingclient’sstoretosell

themmyversion.Itwasthebest!Igottodraw,Igotto

fiddlewithtypography,Igottobejudgmental,and

tellpeoplehowIthoughtthingsshouldlook–and

Imanagedtogetmydrawingsprinted.Thatwas

thebiggestthingaboutit–seeingmydrawingsin

thepaper.Iwas15yearsoldthen,andtothisday

nothingisrealuntilit’sinthepress.

Howhasyourcareerhasevolved?Drawingcame

first.Ibecameanillustrator,wenttoartschool,

thentriedmyhandatadvertisingontheromantic

assumption that itwould letmedraw,design,

write,takepicturesandmakefilms.Istarteddesign-

ingCDsforrecordlabels,whichreallywasasfun

andexcellentasIhaddreamtitwouldbe.When

themusicindustrytookaturn,Idiscoveredbook

design,which–inaroundaboutway–ledtothe

Monsters.NowI’manillustrator-designer-writer

whoaspirestobeanentry-levelanimator.

AlongthewayI’vebeenluckytoalwayshavebrilliant

peopleinmycornerwhogavemeencouragement,

supportandinspiration.Forexample,someofmy

earliestjobswereoverflowassignmentsIgotfrom

afamousGermancartoonistwholikedmystuff,

andwhotookmeunderhiswing.LaterIwasfortu-

natetohavegreatteachersandexcellentcreative

friends.Andofcourse,I’vefoundclientswholove

andsupportwhatIdo,butalsopushmeforward.

102 >

THEMONSTERPROJECT

HowdidMonstersdevelop?Whatkindofthemes

doyouexplorethroughthem?ThefirstMonster

‘appeared’onmyarmasIwasdrivingonthe10

freewayinLosAngeles.Itwasasunnyafternoon,

andthelittleguyseemedfriendly.AssoonasIgot

home,Itriedtodrawhimandhadsomuchfun

makingMonstersthatIhaven’tstoppedsince.

Whichsoundsabitcontrived,Iknow–avision

mademedoit–butthat’showithappened.I’m

usuallymuchmoremethodical,buttheMonsters

justshowedupandtookrootinmybrain.

VisuallytheydefinitelyshowmyloveforRalph

Steadman,andifyoutracethembackthroughmy

earlierwork,theyhavesomeHans-GeorgRauch

DNA,too.Theonlymajorthemesthathavedevel-

opedarethattheMonstersareneurotic,alittle

shyandgoofy,sometimesfrustratedorevenangry,

butneverviolent. Isometimesget requests to

makesometrulyevil,nastyMonsters,andIcan’t

doit.It’snotintheirnature.Theydolikepinstripe

pantsandhighheels,though.They’reverystylish

andhavestrongarches.

Whathasbeenyouraudience’sresponsetothe

Monsters?TheresponsetheMonstershavere-

ceivedisbeyondanythingIeverthoughtpossible.

Hundredsofpeoplestartedwritingstoriesabout

themonthesite.Somesenttheirowndrawings

andnowteachersaretellingmethatthey’reusing

theMonsterstoteachdrawingandwritingskillsto

theirkids.Ihadabsolutelynoideathatthiswould

happen,butnowI’mcurioustoseehowfarIcan

takeit.

103 >

EDUCATION

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104 >

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105 >

EDUCATION

TheMonstershavealreadycrossedtheworld,and

differentmedia.Whatarethelatestdevelopments

forTheMonsterProject?ThereisaMonstermural

inSeward,Nebraska,abignew-framedMonsterin

alawfirminNewYork,andawholegaggleinanad

agencyinBrussels.

I’mworkingonanewportfolioof large format

Monsters,andonafewskunkworksprojectsthat

Ican’ttalkaboutyet.MoreMonstersaredefinitely

ontheway.

DESIGNASTHEULTIMATECAREER

Whathavebeensomeofthethoughts/experi-

encesthatyou’vesharedwithyourstudentsand

viceversa?Iactuallydon’tteach.Ijustvisitalotof

schoolsandsayirresponsiblethings.Ihavethe

highestrespectforteachers,andwhenIdidteach

aclassatArtCentre[Pasadena]yearsbackIloved

it.Ihopetodoitagainsoon,butrightnowI’mabetter

unclethanadad.

Whathavebeensomeofthesignificantchanges

indesigneducationinthepastdecade?Ithinka

trulysignificantchangeindesigneducationwill

comewhenmostoftheteacherswillhavegrown

upusingcomputers.Rightnowthereisstilltoo

muchofalove/hatethinggoingonthatmakes

someteachersignorethecomputer,orplacetoo

muchemphasisonit.Oncethatbecomesanon-

issue,andpeoplewhoplayedLittleBigPlanet

whentheyweresixteachclasses,Ithinkit’llget

interesting.

Regardlessofthetoolsandtechniques,itallboils

downtodiscipline,anyway.Everybodyhaveideas.

Everybodyhaveawayofseeingtheworld,andan

106 >

opiniononhowthingsshouldlook.Allyoucanteach

peopleishowtoturnallofthatintoactualwork.

Andthatcomesdowntodiscipline.Howmuchtime

andeffortareyouwillingtoinvestinyourcraft?

Anyadviceforyoungdesignerswithagreatidea,

lookingtostrikeoutontheirown?Again,disci-

plineistheanswer.Ifthere’sanideathat’ssoun-

deniablybrilliantthatit’llbecomerealonitsown…

Ihaven’tseenit.Eventhebestideasrequirecount-

lesshoursofworkanddedicationtogetthemout

intotheworld.Youmayneedtospendyearsdraw-

ingorwriting.Maybeyouhavetodevelopawhole

newprocessforyouridea.Andifyourideaisso

brilliantthatyoucandoodleitonanapkin,you

mayendupspendingyearsfindingtherightper-

sontoshowthatnapkinto.

RightoutofschoolIrecommendthatyoutakea

staffjobforawhile.Therearealotofday-to-day

thingsyoujustcan’tlearninschool.Thingsyou

needtoknow.Youcanlearnthemonyourown,of

course,butwhynotpickupsomeexperiencefrom

peoplewho’vebeenthere?

Howdoyoudefineyourself,AmericanorGerman?

It’sprobablymoreaccuratetocallmeaPrusso-

Californian—Bauhauswithanoceanview.<

FindmoreMonstershere.

107 >

EDUCATION

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108 >

TingaTingaTaleshastakentheentertainment

worldbystormwithstoriesandproductsinspired

bytraditionalAfricanfolktales.MuchlikeTheLionKingofthe90sbroughtabreathoffreshairtochil-

dren’sentertainmentbaseduponAfricanfolklore,

TingaTingaTales,targetedatpreschoolers,hasbeen

describedasanambitiousprojectthatshowcases

indigenousknowledge,packagedandnarrated

throughmoderntechnology.

ClaudiaLloyd,headofanimationatTigerAspect

ProductionsintheUKcantakecreditforthisfresh

ideathathasbeenpackagedtoappealtoyoung

childrenallovertheworld.TigerAspectsetupa

fully-equippedanimationstudioinNairobiand

hiredlocaldesigners,animators,musiciansand

writerstoworkonproducingtheshow.Claudiasaw

theopportunitytodevelopTingaTingaTalesand

inspiredbyherloveforAfrica,marshalledanimpres-

sivepoolofAfricanandinternationaltalenttotell

theAfricanstoriestoaninternationalaudience.

TheproductionofTingaTingaTalesstartedin2008

whenHomeboyzAnimation(Kenya),CBeebies

(theBBCChildren’schannelintheUK)andDisney’s

TINGATINGATALESREAWAKENING

FOLKTALESFROMAFRICA

ByLorraineAmolloandLilacOsanjo

109 >

EDUCATION

Playhousechannel(USA)teameduptostartpro-

ductionunderthedirectionofClaudia.Theteam

hasputtogetherover40ofthe52partseriesand

isscheduledtocompleteproductionlate2010.

Thefirst26episodesoftheseriesarealready

airingintheUK.Theelaborateequipmentand

productioncrew isworkingat theHomeboyz

AnimationstudioinNairobi.

TingaTingaTaleshasopenedawiderangeofop-

portunitiesfortalentinmusic,voicecasting,art

anddesign.Thespin-offsincludemerchandise

suchasbooks,T-shirts,furnishingandcutlery.

ThefirstserieswerereleasedinFebruary2010in

theUKontheCbeebieschannelandwillsoonbe

availableinothercountries.

TINGATINGAROOTS

Tingatinga(orTingaTinga)isatermusedtode-

scribeahighlydecorativefolkartstylethathasits

rootsinthesouthernregionofTanzania,bordering

Mozambique.EduardoSaidiTingatinga(1960-

1972)isthemancreditedtobethecreatorofthe

Tingatingaartform.Havingdroppedoutofprimary

schoolaftercompletingonlyfouryearsofeduca-

tion,Eduardostartedproducingartusingenamel

paint(alsoknownasbicyclepaintincertainparts

ofAfrica)onmasonite.Thewildanimalsthatroamed

theAfricanplains,whichincludedtheKingofthe

Jungle,elephantsandzebras,inspiredhisearly

paintings.Theuseofenamelpaintensuredvery

brightanddecorativecolours,appealingtochil-

drenofallages.Overtime,hisrelativesjoined

andbroughtvariousadaptationsofTingatinga

art.Thebirdsandanimalsareexaggeratedand

cheerful.Thepeacockisacommonsubject,ren-

deredwithrepetitiousmotifsonthewings,long

neck,sharpbeakandlonglegs.

TheTingatingaArtsCo-operativeSociety(TACS)

inDaresSalaamwasthevisualinspirationforTingaTingaTales–alivelycollectiveofmorethan

50Tanzanianartistspaintingwonderfulcreatures

inbrightcolourswithanintricateuseofpattern

anddesign.

TheoriginalTingatingafamilyfromsouthTanza-

niasitsattheorganisation’sveryheart.Members

Sce

nes

from

Tin

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inga

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es.

110 >

ofTACShavetaughtmanyartistswhohavegone

ontobecomerecognisedmastersofthegenre.

SomepaintershavemovedtootherpartsofTan-

zaniaandevenabroad.Nomatterwherethese

artistsreside,theyremainlinkedtoeachother

andtotheirhomelandbyfamily,friendshipand,

ofcourse,theirbeautifulartwork.

Aftermorethan40yearsavibrantTingatingacom-

munityhasemergedandestablisheditselfasan

originalEastAfricanculturaltradition.

Intheearly70sacompanydevelopedwhichpro-

ducedT-shirtsespeciallyforchildrenunderthe

nameTingaTingawithanimalsdepictedinbright

colours.TodaytheseT-shirtsstillcommanda

largemarketespeciallyamongsttouristsvisiting

Africa.ItcanbesaidthatTingaTingahasemerged

aspartoftheAfricanexperience.

ARTISTSANDDESIGNERS

Illustratorsanddesigners,includingCelesteand

Melissa,bothgraduatesoftheUniversityofNairobi,

designmostofthecharactersforTingaTingaTales

whicharethenhand-paintedintheoriginalTinga

TingastylebylocalartistssuchasMbwanaSudi,

MaulanaSaidi,HasaniKamale,AbasiRafikiand

ZachiChimwanda.Thehand-paintedcharacters

arethenscannedandrenderedinappropriate

formatsforanimationbythedesignteam.

Sce

nes

from

Tin

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111 >

EDUCATION

Whenitcomestothesoundtrack,theTingaTinga

soundsarealsoverymuchAfrican.Onecanimme-

diatelyrecognisethejinglesassociatedwithEric

Wainaina,aKenyansinger-songwriter.Heisfamous

forhisTwendeTwendesonginwhichhecollabo-

ratedwithOliverMtukudziofTodifame.Ericisa

famoussingerandsongwriterspecialisinginAfro-

fusion;sometimeswithaKenyablendofBenga

rhythmandEastAfricanguitars.Hehasreceived

numerousinternationalawards,includingthe

BestEastAfricanArtistatthepan-African7thKORA

All-AfricaMusicAwardsandwasrecentlynamed

bytheGuardiannewspaperasaKenyancultural

icon.In2008hewasalsonamed‘Messengerfor

peaceandnon-violence’bytheUnitedNations’

OfficeonDrugsandCrime.

ThevoicesinTingaTingaTalesareimpressive

withthelikesofEdwardKwach,afamousradio

personality, providing voice-overs. Children’s

voicesarealsoincludedinsongsandusedfor

characters.

Alfred,oneofthemaindesignersandagraduate

oftheUniversityofNairobisaysthattheworkis

intensebutthatheenjoyseveryminuteofit.He

hasbeenworkingintheanimationindustryfor

morethantenyears.Aftergraduation,Alfredpur-

suedacareeringraphicdesignbeforesuccumb-

ingtothelureofanimation.Anopportunitycamein

2009whenhewasselectedtojoinotheranima-

torsfromAfricaataUNESCO-sponsoredwork-

shop.Attheworkshophegotanopportunityto

112 >

producehisfirstfullanimatedwork,entitledOlokut.

HisloveforanimationhasseenAlfredgivingtalks

andworkshopstouniversitystudents.Heisa

foundingmemberoftheAssociationofAnimation

Artistes(A3,Kenya)thatseekstopromoteanimators

andconsumersofanimation.

Thesmoothcontinuityoftheseriescamouflages

themanyhoursofconcentrationandhardwork

putinbytheproductionteam.Threeanimation

teamsoffiveanimatorseachworkona10-minute

episodeforuptofiveweeks.Thisworkisintense

and requiresexpertise inCelActionandPho-

toshopasthedesignersaretaskedwithcreating

backgroundsandpropsindigitalformat.The

animatorsthencomeintobringthestoriestolife

andpiecetogethereachepisode.

CHARACTERDEVELOPMENT

Africannarrativeisanchoredintraditionalskills

passedonfromgenerationtogenerationandTinga

TingaTalesisnodifferent.Thestorylinesarebased

onanimalsandnaturalresourcessuchaswater,

drought,foodandstrength.Kenyahasover52

tribes,eachwithnumerousuntoldfolktalesthat

canallbedevelopedintoTingaTingaTales.In

traditionalfolklore,therabbithasalwaysbeen

thecunningone,oftenpittinglargeanimalssuch

astheelephantandtherhinoagainsteachother

forhisownselfishgains.Thestoryofhowthe

tortoisegothimselfabrokenshellorwhyhewears

acoathasdevelopedfromlocalcommunities

whoencounteredtortoisesintheirenvironment

onadailybasis.Thepeacockhasalwaysbeen

theepitomeofbeautybecauseofitscolourful

PaintingsbyEduardoSaidiTingatinga,thefatheroftheTingatingaartform.BELOWLTR:Brownlion;Flamingos,LeopardandUntitled.

ImagescourtesyofAfricaArtOnline.

113 >

EDUCATION

PaintingsbyMbwanaSudi.

Imagescourtesyofwww.afrum.com

feathersandthisiscertainlynotlostintheTinga

TingaTales.

FORMANDMEANING

ThestrengthoftheTingaTingaTalesliesinthe

educationalvaluethatisaddedinaverychildlike

manner.Theproducersgotogreatlengthsto

maintainthetraditionalauthenticityofcolour,

formandstoryline.Eachstorylinehasalearning

componentthatmotivatespositivebehaviour

andattitudesamongstyoungviewers.Thesto-

riesexpresstheneedtoupholdmoralvaluesand

beconsistentindoinggood,whilealwaysshowing

gratitudetoothers.Thisagainisconsistentwith

Africanfolklore,inwhichgoodalwaystriumphs

overevil.Theonestoryofthetortoiseandhis

crackedshellholds,forinstance,anunderlying

messagetochildrenthattheyshouldneverbe

selfishandshouldalwaysbereadytohelpothers.

EvencunningHareandRabbitareforcedtoturn

fromtheirwickedwaysinordertosurvive.<

ImagescourtesyofTigerAspectProductions,BBC,

Disney,HomeboyzAnimationandTingatingaArts

Co-operativeSociety.

>ViewclipsfromTingaTingaTaleshere.

> ViewaBBCvideonewsstoryonTingaTinga

Taleshere.

LTR:HassaniKamaleshowingoneofhispaintings.MaulanaSaidishowingoneofhispaintings.ZachiChimwandashowingoneofhispaintings.ApaintingbyHassaniKamale.

ImagescourtesyofTingatingaArtsCo-operativeSociety.

WEL

COM

ETO

TH

E

3RDD

IMEN

SIO

N ByJasonAldridge.Theveryfirsttimeyougoto

thecinemaasachildacertainmagiciscreated

andafamiliarritualensues.Thebuild-upofalong

ticket-line(whereyouurgetheadulttochoosethe

seatsrightatthefront),thesweetsandotherac-

coutrementsarecollectedforthejourney,andaf-

tertheticketsarechecked,youmeanderdowna

dark,burrow-liketunnel.Deepwithin,amongst

manyothers,youtakeyourseatinapaddedland-

scapesurroundedbycurtainsandsoftshuffling

popcornboxes.Oncesettled,thewhispersand

soundsofsucklingstrawsaremuffledandseem

crushedbythelargedimlylitspaceaboveyou.

Suddenly,thelightsdieaslow-motiondeath–the

darknesstakingonthecomfortingwarmthofyour

duvetonawintermorning,whilsttheraintip-taps

outside. Turning out the lights like this when

you’refullyawakeeliminatesthosearoundyou

andtheexperiencebecomesallthemorepersonal.

Finally,thelightflickersonthewhitespaceahead,

andthroughcinematicsoundandfilmicspecks

andscratchesontheilluminationofworldsfarand

wide,youbecomeaddictedandentranced.The

homeTVsetisneveragainquiteasawesomeand

thefeelingofthissensoryoverloadlingerson,long

afterthecreditshaverolled.

114 >

Wecannotdenythatcinemaisauniqueexperi-

enceinitself.IfamovieisreleasedonDVDandon

thebigscreensimultaneously,theconsumerswill

stillgotothemoviesbecausetheoutingisviewed

asaspecialactivity,amodernpastime.Thereisa

newversionthough,awayto‘upsize’thecinema

traditionthroughapairofredandgreenfiltered

plasticglasses.Theheroofthestoryisnowelevated

fromthebackgroundandourperceptionsofspace

andperspective–andalsoreality–areintegrated

intotheworldofthecharacterswewatch.

The3Dmoviesofferenhancedviewingandal-

thoughanimations,primarilyaimedatayounger

audience,makewideruseofthistechnology,live-

actionmovieslikeTransformers2(2009)andAvatar

(2009)makethe3Dexperiencethehotnewmedium

forcinema-goers.Thespecificvisualattributes

andsubjectmatterareamplifiedinthesefilms

andthemoviebecomesmoreofaneventwhenit’s

onlyin3Dforlimitedtime.

3Dworksbyprojectingtwoimagesofthesame

frame/picture,andtheglassesensurethateach

eyeonlyreceivesoneoftheimagesviadiffering

polarisation(darkerandlightertones)orcolour/

chroma(redandgreen)foreachlens(rightand

left).Sowhenyourbrainputsthetwoimagesto-

gether,the3Deffectiscreatedliftingtheimage

fromthescreenandhoveringaboveandinfrontof

you.Thissimpleexplanationinvolvesamorecom-

plicatedfilmingandproductionprocessandwith

abudgetof$237million,JamesCameron(director

forAvatar(2009))madethehighestgrossingmovie

ofalltime.

ThefirsttimeIeverheardof3DwaswhenIwas

aboutsixorsevenyearsold,squintingthrough

somegreenandredcardboardglassesintoakid’s

dinosaurmagazineandtheimageofanoldblack

andwhitemoviemodelscaredmehalftodeath.

Filmsstartedoffbeingjustblackandwhiteimages,

aselectionofwideshotsthatreallyresembled

theatre.Thenthesecollectionsofimagerystarted

tobenefitfromimprovedfilmeditingtechniques

andshotselectionandthemediumconjuredup

moreclimacticandsuspensefulstories.Withtime

cametheadditionofsoundtotheplayers’voices

andmusictothesurroundingcacophonyofthe

film’sworldandthelivepianoaccompaniment

wasforgotten.Improvedfilmstockselevatedmov-

iesfromthedefaultblackandwhitetosomething

whichcouldtrulyrivalpaintingsfortheirabilityto

evokeemotionthroughrealisticandsurrealistic

shades,artcloselyimitatinglifeinitsrealrepre-

sentationofcolour.Thiswasatotalgamechanger.

Evenwithinnovationssuchassurroundsound,

VHS,DVD,HDtechnologyandthedigitalrevolu-

tion,aswellascontinuouslyimprovingfilmmaking

equipmentandtechniques,the2Dformathasjust

beenrefinedovertheyears.Movies,andtheyway

wewatchthem,haven’tchangeddrasticallysince

thelastmajorinnovation–thechangefromblack

andwhitetothefirstTechnicolorfilm.

Thecommercialisationof3Dmarksahugeturning

pointinfilmhistoryanditseemsitwillhavelon-

gevityandstayingpowersothatthe3Dexperi-

encecanbeimprovedandrefined.Somefilmsare

alreadydubbedbyviewersas‘...notworthitifyou

don’tseeitin3D...’andsowhenwatchingthe2D

EDUCATION

115 >

versions,thepublic’sopinionalreadysuggeststhat

it’salesserorinferiorexperience.

Evensporthasgoneovertothe3rddimension.A

gamebetweenManchesterUnitedandArsenal

was the first English Premiership game to be

broadcastin3Don31Januarythisyear–Arsenal

beingthefirstPremierLeagueteamtolosein3D.

TheMastershasalsoenjoyed3Dcoverageandthe

2010FIFAWorldCupwasalsoreportedlybroad-

castin3Dbysomenetworks.Thistechnologymay

beseenasagimmick insomerespects,but it

bringswithithugeprofitsandsuccess.It’snotas

ifeverymoviewillnowbein3D,butit’shereto

stayinsomeway,shapeorformaspartonthe

cinemaexperience.

The2Dexperienceisstillvalid,and3Disused

whenitisnecessarytoamplifythecontentsofa

narrative,thedigitaleffectsandotherimageryin-

volved.Thesameprincipleappliestofilmsthatare

showninblackandwhiteasacreativechoiceand

usingfilmorHDcamerasaretothefilmmakeras

usingoilsoracrylicsaretoapainter.

Sowiththearrivalof3D,thefutureofhowweex-

perienceandconsumemediaisbrightwithmany

possibilitiestoconsider.Maybeoneday3Dcan

evolvetovirtualreality,placingtheviewerliterally

amongstthescreenactionandabletoviewthe

actionfrommultipleangles.Theexperiencewould

notbeunlikethePCorconsolegamesavailablein

whichoneisabletochoosemultiplestorylines

andalternateendings,dependingonchoicesyou

make.Theviewercouldtravelandweavethrough

climaxesandcliff-hangersthattheJJAbrahms’s

(creatoroftheLOSTTVseries)oftheworldcould

create.

Whilethisseemselaborateorfar-fetched,thede-

signconceptofstorylineswithmultiple/alternate

endingsalreadyexists.Fromthoseteenagenovels

whereyouturntoacertainpage,basedoncertain

choicesyoumakeasthecharacter,toroleplaying

andcomputergameswithdifferentendingsand

stories,basedonwhichsideyouchoosetocom-

peteon,theideaisalreadythere.Nowlookingat

theway3Dvisuallyinvigoratestheactualviewing,

theaudience’schoiceorvote(calculatedasaper-

centage)couldaffectthestorymuchinthewaya

realityTVaudiencevoteswitharemoteattheir

cinemachair.Thecharacterswouldcompletethe

moviebasedonhowtheaudiencevotedandso

onecouldenjoydifferentoutcomesofthesame

moviebasedonwherethefilmwasshownand

withwhomyouwerewatchingit.

Thepuristswouldmaybebrandthe3Dmovieas

morebiasedtowardeyecandy,accusingfilmmakers

ofshyingawayfromcrediblestorylinesandoriginality

withinthenarrative.WithAvatar,criticslikeOwen

GleibermanforEntertainmentWeekly(www.ew.com)

says:“Cameronissuchaskillednuts-and-bolts

filmmakerthatthestoryhetellsisneverlessthan

serviceable;ithasnoneofthenatteringclutterof

oneofthelatter-dayStarWarsfilms.Butit’snever

morethanserviceableeither.Whatit’sintheservice

ofisthecreationofarelentless’Oh,wow!’acid-trip

videogamejoyride.”And“Asspectacle,Avataris

indelible–atruerush–butasamovieitallbut

evaporatesasyouwatchit.”

WhenaskedbyFredTopel(forCraveOnline)how

importantthe3Dexhibitionofthestoryistothe

movie,JamesCameronsaidaboutAvatar:“Idon’t

thinkthe2D,3D,reallyaffectsthenarrativepower

ofthestory.Thathastoexistasitsownthing.And

Ithinkeveryfilmhastohaveacertainamountof

116 >

©TwentiethCenturyFoxFilmCorporation

andDuneEntertainmentLLC.

EDUCATION

117 >

darknesstoappreciatethelight.ButIthinkthe

curiousthingaboutthisfilmespecially,andoneof

thereasonsthatIwasattractedtoit,isithasreal

beautyinthefilm,bydesign.Imean,wewanted

tobalancetheintensityandtheterror,andkindof

thedarkness,withthemomentsofjusttransporting

beauty.And I thinka lotof films,most films, I

wouldsay,especiallyinthesciencefictiongenre,

don’ttrytodothat.Theyshould,andoccasionally

theysucceed.Buttome,itwasaboutdoingboth.”

Thebottomline,though,isthatthe3Disyetan-

otherwaytoexperienceacertaintypeofmovie.

Theexperiencefortheviewerisdesignedfora

certaintargetmarket,achievingthat‘wow-factor’

andmuchlikearollercoasterordifferentrides

withinathemepark,anothervehicleforentertain-

menthasemerged.JamesCamerongoesontosay:

“IthinkwhatI’vefoundovertheyearsisthatI’m

enoughofafanthatIshareacertainbaseresponse

withpeoplethatlikesciencefictionandfantasy

filmsthesamewayIlikedthemwhenIwasakid,

whenitwasTheSeventhVoyageofSinbadand

2001:ASpaceOdyssey.Iwantsomebodyinathe-

atreseatsomeplacetofeelwhatIfeltwhenIsaw

thatstuffforthefirsttimeanditblewmymind.If

Icandothatthenthat’sthebiggestthrillitis”(For

CraveOnline).

Neverbeforehavetherebeensomanyoutletsfor

artiststoexpressthemselves,andthecreativein-

dustrycontinuestoinnovateandunderstandthe

public and the different types of viewers they

serve.3Dtechnologyisexcitingandamarkerfor

things tocome,breathing life into thecinema

whenitseemedtobeindecline.<

©DreamWorks&ParamountPictures.Scenesby

IndustrialLight&Magic–©TMand2009Dreamworks

LLC.andParamountPictures.

118 >

EDUCATION

JAG - Advert-REVERT2.indd 1 2010/06/29 4:43 PM

120 >

SprayonbyFalkoOne.

ByWeyersMarais.Iamsureyouwillagreethatthere

areenougharticles,blogpostsandinterviewsout

therethatentertainthedebateaboutgraffiti;whether

it’sartorvandalism.Thisarticlewon’tgothatway,so

relaxandenjoyaglimpseofwhatishappeningatthe

‘topofthefoodchain’asFalkoOne,localwriterand

pioneerfromCapeTownputsit.

Sincetheageof19Falkoknewthathedidn’tlikefit-

tingthemould.Studyinggraphicdesignemphasised

thisfactandhehassincespenthistimeandenergy

lookingforwaysofdoingthingsoutsidethemain-

stream.Heisnotonlyknownasoneofthebest

writersinSouthAfrica,butalsoconsideredagraffiti

pioneer.InMaythisyearMisaelhostedTrueVoca-tion,aSportscene(CapeTown-basedyouthbrand)

initiativefeaturingFalko’snewSplitpiecework.

ED>methimtofindoutmore:

Whenaskedwhatinspiredthiswork,Falkoelabo-

rated:“In1992,whenIwas19,IrealisedthatIdidn’t

likedoingwhateverybodyelsewasdoing.Ifthere

wasnewmusicIhadbeenlisteningtoandsuddenly

everybodyelsestartedplayingitaswell.Iwould

stoplisteningtoitthatsamedayandfindsomething

else.SoeventuallyIgottiredofdoingeveryday

graffiti,thesameold,sameold.Iwantedtodosome-

thingout-of-the-boxthatwouldchangepercep-

tions.ForalongtimeIdidn’twanttodoanygraffiti.

Iwasuninspiredandbecameabitofa‘graffitiher-

mit’.Idon’tdograffitiinpublic,it’sbeenoverdone.

Sowhateverismainstream,Ialwaystrytodothe

opposite.Idomypaintinginsecludedareaswhere

nobodywilleverseeit.”

AVANTGRAFFITI

EDUCATION

121 >

“TheseedforSplitpieceswasplantedwithanidea

twoyearsago,butittookayearformetounderstand

howitwouldwork.WhatIwantedtoshowisthat

everybodyisfightingforthesamethingatthebot-

tom,butthereissomethingnewgoingtohappen

atthetopofthefoodchain.Splitpiecesisbasically

onemuraldividedintopiecesstretchedoverdifferent

wallsindifferentplaces.Somepiecesaredoneover

threewalls,othersuseeightwalls.Althoughthewalls

aredifferentsizesanddimensions,ifyouhaveto

pieceallthesectionsofthemuraltogetheritwillfit

likepuzzletocompletethebiggerpicture.”

LookingatthephotographsofSplitpiecesmakes

itlookquitesimpleatfirst,butthenIrealisedthat

allthewallshaddifferentdimensionsandmaking

thatworkmusthavebeenachallenge.Themaths

musthavebeenintense?

“Whenwestarteddoingthis,Iwaswritingwith

Sethone.Wejustwantedtodothistoseeifitwas

possible.Onlyonceweweredonewiththefirst

threeweunderstoodwhatwasreallyinvolvedto

makeitwork.InthebeginningIdidsketchesand

triedtoworkoutallthemeasurementsexactly,but

thenyoualwaysgetadifferentwallthanwhatwas

originallypromisedsoattheendtheprocesswas

notsimpleatall.Oncewe’ddonethefirstpiecewe

couldatlastshowpeoplewhatwehadinmind

andeveryoneautomaticallyfedintowhatthey

thoughtitallmeant.Averysimilarprocesstoany

otherartwork,isn’tit?Oncecompletedtheaca-

demicswillcomeandinterprettheartforyou,

nevermindwhattheartistoriginallyintendedtodo.”

SowasFalkotryingtotelladeep,meaningfulstory

withtheSplitpieces?“WhenIfirststartedIdidn’t

122 >

haveanexplanation.Themeaningdevelopedas

themuralsdevelopedandasIcontinuedtowork,

otherpeoplestartedinterpretingthemuralsand

givingitmeaningwhichisreallygreat,ifyouthink

about it.Somesaythemuralsareunifyingbe-

causetheyaredoneindifferentareas.Nowithas

becomeaunifyingtool,becausewhenyougoask

forpermission inonearea topaintsomeone’s

wall,youneedtoexplaintopeoplewhatyouare

busywithandthattheirwallispartofabigger

goal.Thenyoushowthemthesketchestoexplain

whatthebiggerpictureis.”

“Peoplelovedtheidea,eventhoughtheyknew

theywouldn’tseethecompletedwork.Theyjust

lovedtheideathattheywereapartofsomething

bigger.Ithinkpeopleliketobelong.”

“I’mkeepingthecontentassimpleaspossible;I

don’twantittolooklikeItriedtoohard.Atry-hard

andawannabearetheworst.Lessismore.Ifyousee

twogirlsinaclubandtheoneontheright-hand

sidehasherhairalldoneup,she’sgotthemakeup,

theblusher,thefakeeyelashesandthebangles

andallwhiletheotheroneisprettyplainwithjust

thejeansandaT-shirt,youaregoingtobemore

attractedtothesimpleronebecausesheisreal

andyouknowwhatyouaregetting.It’sallabout

packaging.Therearepeople inartwhotrytoo

hard;theyuseallthecoloursandtheextraspre-

sentedinabeautifulpackage.Butifyouarereally

good,youshouldbeabletopresentyourconcept

successfullyevenasaskeletonandpeoplewould

alreadybeimpressed.It’stheprettygirltheory!”

EDUCATION

123 >

Char

acte

r3p

iece

by

Falk

oO

ne.

Wonderinghowheplannedhiscontentwithout

addingtoomany‘bangles’andstillkeepingitsimple,

Falkoexplainedthatthefirstthreeattemptsdid

involvedetailedplanningbecausehealsoused

thisasawaytounderstandtheprocessandthe

conceptbeforehecouldreallygetintoit.“Isketched

outanddidalittlepreviewdrawingforeachone.I

wouldsitanddrawitexactlyhowitwouldbe.Once

onsiteyouwouldhavetomeasureittogetthe

sectionsright.”

BythefourthonetherewasnoplanningandFalko

wouldjuststartdrawing.Thisfreestylewayallows

forthevisualstonaturallydevelopwhilecontinuing

withthecreativeprocess.Thenextpieceinthepuzzle

needstobeinformedbythepreviousoneandyou

alwaysknowinadvancewhatneedstohappen

next.“Theplanningofthefirstlotmadeitreally

difficult,especiallywhenwehadtofindawallto

fitaspecificpiece,whereaswhenwewerefree-

styling,wecouldjustfigureitoutaswewerego-

ingalong.Thecontentjustdeveloped;sometimes

influencedbywhatwasaroundmeorwhathad

happenedontheday”.

Falkoexplainsthattheonlythingyouhavetokeep

track of is your measurements, because that

wouldbeimportantfortheotherpiecestofollow.

“Wehadtoworkouttheratiosandpercentages

forthescaleofonewalltofitanother,itwashectic.

InPhotoshopIonlyallowedmyselftousethree

tools:brightness,contrastandtransform.Nocrop-

pingorcutandpastetoolswereused.Thecompu-

terwasjustthetoolusedtobringallthepieces

together.”

ThisqualityofFalko’srecentworkisreallywhat

madetheexperienceattheSplitpieceexhibition

sospecial.Knowingthattheimagesanddifferent

pieceswithinonefinalworkwerenotcoordinated

andmanipulatedbycomputerandthatall the

piecesweredoneinafreestyle,highlightshisin-

credibleskill.

124 >

“Wellja,justoneSplitpiececantakeuptoamonth.

It’samission,youfillyourcarwithpetrol,abootfull

ofpaint,youhaveaskeletonideaforthesketches

andoffyougo.Thenyoujustmissionuntilyou

findawall.Sometimesyoufindtheperfectwall,

butthentheownersdon’twantyoutowriteonit

becausetheyaresellingthepropertyorsomething.

IwasinPhilippiyesterday,inthefarmareaandthe

samethinghappened;therewasthisreallybeau-

tiful,perfectwall,butthefarmerwouldn’tletme

paintit.Youknow,sometimesyoujustfeellike

givinguphope.”

Splitpiecesmustbeprettyexpensivetodoifyou

takeintoaccountthatFalkoneedstotravelall

overthecountrytosucceedwiththisconceptand

thematerialsdon’tcomecheapeither.

“WhenIfirstcameupwiththeSplitpieceidea,all

Ihadwasthetheorybehinditandafewsketches.

Itookthisideatoonebigcorporate,explainedmy

ideatothemandIeventoldthemthattheycould

owntheideaandturnitintoanadvertisingcampaign

fortheirbrand.Iwaspreparedtobetheircorporate

slaveaslongasIcouldgetfundingtobringmy

concepttolife.OneSplitpieceisexpensiveifyou

takeintoaccountatankofpetrol,amonth’sworth

ofwork,alotofpaintandanassistanttowork

withme.Thefirstcorporatedidn’tcatchontothe

vision,despiteaninitialpositiveresponse.SoI

wentoutandIdiditonmyown.”

“AtthetimeIdidaSportscenecampaignwhereI

hadtocustomisesomeshoes.Thisventurewas

meanttobebecauseIendedupsittingnexttothe

brandmanager.Turnsoutshewas leavingthe

companyintwoweeks,thoughshestillorganised

forSportscenetogivemex-amountofmoneyto

domySplitpiece.Thebeautywasthattheywant-

ednothinginreturnwhichismorethanwhatone

canbesaidaboutmostcorporates.Theyjustwanted

toinvestinmetodoaSplitpiece.Sotheygaveme

themoneyandIwentoffanddidonewhichIwas

reallystokedwithitwasawesome.Ialsomadea

EDUCATION

125 >

Spor

tsce

neb

yFa

lko

One

.

videooftheprocesswhichisareallygreatadd-on

tothefoundationofthisconcept.Theyalsoallowed

metoaddthevideotoYouTubewhiletheycovered

allmycosts.”

Afewmonthslaterthesamecompanyagreedto

payFalkototravelthroughoutSouthAfricaanddo

anumberofSplitpieceswiththeagreementthat

hewouldeventuallyhaveenoughmaterialforan

exhibition.Itwasnotthateasyforhimtogetthe

roadtripfundedbuttheyalsorealisedthatwith-

outitanexhibitionwouldnotbepossible.Theex-

hibitionwasverysuccessful.“TodayIamreally

gratefultothemfortakingtheleapoffaithtoinvest

inmyideaandenablingmetodothis.!”

SowhatisnextforFalko?Heexplainsthathehas

apartIIandapartIIIforSplitpiecesbutfornowit

isonlyanidea.HeisfirstgoingtodoaSplitpiece

forAdidas.Theideaistoeventuallytakeeachsec-

tionandturnitintoatoy.Eventuallywhenyouput

allthetoystogetheritwillcreatetheoriginalpiece

again.HeisalsotalkingaboutaSplitpiececonun-

drumwherehewantstodoaSplitpieceofwhichthe

orderofthepiecesisnotrestricted.Sonomatter

howyoumovethepiecesaround,youwillalways

createapicture.“I’vespentaweektryingtofigure

thisout,butit’slikearubricscube.It’shectic.This

ideashouldbelaunchedinSeptemberanditwill

beaworldwidecampaign.”

Falkofindshimselfinafortunatepositionasthe

contentofthiscampaignwillnotbeprescribedto

himbysomeoneelse.“ThegrandfinaleSplitpiece

wouldconsistofdoingonesectiononeachconti-

nenttoprojectthecharacteristicsofthespecific

continent.Forinstance,inEuropeIwouldliketo

gettheParisskylineinthebackground.”

126 >

Thin

kch

ick

byF

alko

One

.

Assoonasthesemonstroustaskshavebeencom-

pleteditwillbebacktohermit-modeforawhile.

“I’vegotsomeothercompaniesIwouldliketoap-

proachforsimilarworkbutalotofworkstillneeds

tohappenbeforethatandit’sreallydifficulttoget

ameetingwiththerightpeopleatthesecompa-

nies.Unfortunately,ourworldworksonrecom-

mendation.Youonlygettheworkifsomebodyelse

said,hey,thisguyisgood,askhimtodoitforyou.”

FinallyFalkowouldliketoincorporatealltheSplit-piecesintoonebookandtraveltheworldtalking

abouthiswork.

Likewithmostotherartists,yousometimeshave

tojumpinanddootherprojectsthatwillhelpto

paythebills.“Thecorporategigisultimatelywhat

paysthebills,doingafewcovers,etc.Fortunately,

withmostofthecorporategigsIgetalotofleeway,

whichisgreat.Butthenyougettheoneswhere

yougettold‘Thisishowit’sgoingtowork,’which

isreallynotthatgreat.Workingforyourself is

tough,evenwhenpeoplethinkit’ssonice,you’re

soluckyyoucandothat…No,it’stough!Youget

upthesametime,you’reontheroad,youhaveto

fightwithpeopletogetpaid.Peoplethinkthatbe-

causeyouareself-employed,lifeiseasy,butitis

everythingbut.Youmust rememberwhenyou

earnasalarytherearemanythingsthatautomati-

callygetsortedforyou.Whenyouworkforyour-

selfitisaverydifferentballgameandyoubecome

aJack-of-many-trades.ButintheendIwouldrath-

erworkandenrichmyself.SoI’mhappy,evenifit

meanstostrugglefromjobtojobbecauseatthe

endofthedayit’sforme.”<

EDUCATION

127 >

> SeemoreofFalkoOne’sworkhere.

THEHOTTEST

ACTIN

VIDEODJ-ING

ByAzaneLouwrens

128 >

CraigSchackletonandWayneEllis-Leefrom

AfterlifearesaidtobethehottestVJactin

SouthAfrica.HailingfromDurban,Craigisa

selftaughtDJwhoteamedupwithWayne,

asoundtechnicianandDJ.Aftercombining

theirskills,theybeganwhatistodayrecog-

nisedasvideoDJ-ing.

SowheredoesVideoDJ-ingoriginatefrom?

Thetermitselfbecamepopularinitsassocia-

tionwithMTV’sVideoJockeybutitsorigins

datebacktotheNewYorkclubsceneofthe

70s.However,itsantecedentsdatebackas

farasthelate-1910s.Historically,VJ-inggets

itsreferencesfromartformsthatdealwiththe

synestheticexperienceofvisionandsound.

Thesehistoricalreferencesaresharedwith

otherliveaudiovisualartforms,suchas

‘LiveCinema’,toincludethe‘cameraobscura’,

the‘panorama’and‘diorama’,the‘magic

lantern’, ‘color organ’, and ‘liquid light

shows’.

Inadditiontothis,VideoDJ-ingalsohasa

numberofapplications.Inthemusicworld,

insteadofabandorDJplayingonlymusicat

thevenue,VideoDJs,likeCraigandWayne,

willaddcreativevideomixingandtrans-

formthesameoldsongsintonewstylesand

genres.Essentially,thisis‘musicwithmov-

ies’.These‘artists’havealsotakenthiscon-

cepttothecorporateworldwheretheyare

abletotransformavenuebybringinglive

videofootageandcompanylogosintothe

brandingoftheevent.

VideoDJs,willinmostcases,(anddepending

onthethemeandevent),pre-producevideo

footage.Attheactualevent,theywillover-

laythiswithvariousotherprojectedlayers

ranging fromsimplecolouroverlays, to

animationsandlivecamerafeeds.Allof

theseareoperatedseparatelyandtherein

laysthenewfoundskillofVideoDJ-ing.The

audiencehoweverwillexperiencethisasif

itisasinglevideo.

TheirskillsasDJsareevidentwhenone

considersthattheymayproducecreative

videosforabandtheyknowlittleabout.Their

naturalability to translatemusic tempo

andrhythmintovariousvideolayerswithin

thecreativevideosystemismuchlikewhen

normalDJswillsimply;hencetheirname

forthisprofession–VideoDJ.

If this isnotcoolenough, they recently

startedplayingwithVMS(VideoMoving

Systems)whichtakesprojectingintoanew

dimension.Usingmovablemirrorsinfront

oftheprojectors,thewholevenue(from

roof to floor)nowbecomesacanvas to

projecton.

Inthemusicworld,notablytheyhaveworked

withtheband,Goldfish.Theirfirstproject

wasVJ-ingata12-week-longGoldfishgigin

CampsBay,CapeTown.Thethemeforthis

eventwas‘Submerged’.Takingthepassion

oftheGoldfishmusicians,theypre-produced

videofootageofthemsurfingandhaving

funatthebeach.Thisfootagewasprojected

ontotwobigscreensaswellasonthefront

oftheDJtable.Onthenightsoftheevent,

CraigandWayneoverlaidlivefootageas

wellasvariousothervideolayerssuchas

theGoldfishlogo,Goldfishanimationsand

typicalaquaticcolour layers.The latter,

combinedwithlivefootageofthecrowds

andfootageofGoldfishoneachnightof

theevent,wasmixedaltogetherintoa‘sin-

glevideoexperience’,insupportofGold-

fish’sstyleofcrazyvisualsandanimated

characters.

EDUCATION

129 >

130 >

TheydrewontheanimationexpertiseofMike

Scott,whocreatedtheveryfirstanimated

walkinggoldfishwhichwasthenadopted

bytheGoldfishband.Mikeverycleverly

createsstoryboardsofhanddrawncharac-

tersandscenes.He thencombines this

withphotosoftheartistsandmixesitto

thebeatoftheselectedmusic,whilstani-

matingtheselayersintoseamlessGoldfish

musicvideos.CraigandWaynethenuse

thesevideosduringtheirVJsets.AsGold-

fishimprovisesalotduringtheirliveper-

formances,CraigandWaynesometimes

havetoimprovisewiththembycreating

videoloopsofcertainsectionswithinthe

song.Theyhavetokeepthetimingandpro-

gressionofthetracktogetherasseamlessly

aspossible.HereinliestheartofVJ-ingin

thelivemusicworld.

Withregardstothecorporateworld,Craig

andWaynewereinvolvedinaneventfora

majorretailerinHoutBay.Thiswasanevening

functionthatwasheldinanoutdoorvenue.

The‘canvas’thattheyusedwastheactual

buildingwheretheeventwasbeinghosted.

Thebuildingitselfwasacornerstructure

withrecessedwindowsandcantilevered

balconies.Cleverly,CraigandWaynephoto-

graphedthebuildingandutilisedtheirtech-

nicalskills,togetherwiththeanimatedkey

partsofthearchitecture.Forexample,the

outlineofthebuildingwas‘drawn’incolour.

Theyalsoemphasisedbalconiesandrecess-

es.Thisprocessiscalledvideomapping.On

thenightoftheevent,theysetuptheirpro-

jectorsstrategicallysoastoprojecttheVideo

Mapofthebuildingontotheactualbuilding.

Inrhythmwithmusictheeffectexperienced

bytheguestswasoneoftheactualbuilding

beingdrawninoutlineform.Itwasalmost

asifthebuildingwasbeingsketchedbyan

invisibleartist.Theentireprojectionwas

131 >

EDUCATION

AfterlifeVJ-ingatLevi’sYoungGuns(aboveleft).VJSoftware(aboveright).AfterlifeperformingwithGoldfish(below).

CraigSchackletoninaction.AfterlifeperformingwithGoldfish.

132 >

TheAfterlifeteamincorporatesanimationandimagescreatedbyMikeScottwhenperforminglivewithGoldfish.

EDUCATION

133 >

thenrenderedupwiththecompanylogoand

eventbranding.

ThesearejusttwoexamplesoftheworkCraig

andWaynehavedone,butjustimaginethe

endlesspossibilitiesofcreativelyapplyingVJ-

ingandvideomapping.Oneisnotlimitedto

VJ-inginthemusicworldorvideomappingat

corporateevents–thesetechniquescanbe

appliedatanyoccasionbyanyindustry.

ThereissomuchmorethatCraigandWayne

wanttodo.Iwasblownawaywithwhatthey

arestillplanning.Astechnologyevolves,they

wanttousethistoimprovetheirdeliveryof

VJ-ing.Forexample,theywanttobringthe

controlofwhatisonthescreenstothecrowd

throughaudienceparticipationviatechnolo-

giessuchasI-Touchphones,WIIcontrollers

andthelike.

Whatreally impressedmeabouttheseVJs

wasthefactthattheywanttosharetheirskill

andknowledge.Theyareseriousaboutsocial

developmentandeducationoftheyouthof

todaysomuchsothattheyareofferingan

eight-weekshortcourseatAVTI(amusicpro-

ductionschool)inCapeTown.Nextontheir

lististotakethiscoursetoJohannesburgand

offeritthroughSCIM(SoulCandyInstituteof

Music).

ThenextworkshopswillbehostedinAugust/

Septemberandyoucanfindmore infoat

www.avti.co.zaforCapeTownandwww.scim.

co.zaforJohannesburg.<

>ViewvideosofAfterlife’sperformanceshere.

Sce

nes

from

Ent

erT

heN

inja

,dir

ecte

dby

Nin

jaa

ndR

obM

alpa

ge.

Withcatchyandcrudebeats,pre-pubescent

bodies,goldteeth, tattoosandmean-

looking mullets, hilarious trio, Die Ant-

woord,havebecomeoneofSouthAfrica’s

hottest–andmostunlikely–exports,

landingadealwithamajorUSlabelthat

representssuperstarslikeEminemand

LadyGaga.

134 >

By Nicky Rehbock

SA’SZEFTRIOTHRASHMUSICSCENE

135 >

EDUCATION

SA’SZEFTRIOTHRASHMUSICSCENEAndallthissinceFebruary2010,

whenthegroupemergedfrom

relativeobscuritywithaseriesof

YouTubevideosandtheirdebut

album,$O$,postedasafreedown-

loadontheirofficialwebsite.

Withindaysitwentviralandtheun-

expectedswarmofhits,amounting

tomorethanaterabyteofdata,

crashedthegroup’sserver,forcing

themtoswitchtheirhostingto

the major US-based blog siteBoingBoing.

AquicklookatYouTubetoday,four

monthson,showsthattheirEnterthe Ninja video has amassed

5.1-millionhits,whileZefSidehas

2.2-millionviews,whichclearly

atteststoDieAntwoord’scult-

likeglobalfollowing.Theircuri-

ousnameisAfrikaansfor ‘the

answer’.

‘Zef’referstothegroup’sX-factor,

whichseemstosimultaneously

embodywhiteAfrikanerworking-

classtrashinessand,according

tothem,“theultimatestyle.”

SouthAfricannewspaperBeeld

saysthetermcomesfromanold

makeofcar,theFordZephyr,which

small-townfolkherewouldpimp

upwithmodifiedenginesand

bulgingtyres,toripthroughde-

sertedstreetsduringlate-night

dicing sessions. Disapproving

neighbourscalledtheserough

types‘realzefs’.

KoosKombuis,oneofthecoun-

try’sbest-knownalternativeAfri-

kaansmusiciansandauthors,

saidearlierthisyearthat‘zef’is

awordfromhischildhood,and

means‘common’.But,“thesedays

it’snotnecessarilynegative.Ilike

beingcommon.It’slikewearing

highheelswithatracksuit.Being

trulyzeftakesguts.”

INTERNATIONALHITAndgutsarecertainlywhatDie

AntwoordhadinMarchandApril,

whentheymadetheirfirsttwo

overseastrips.Theybeganwith

amini tourofEuropeand the

US,andthenreturnedtoNorth

Americatoperformatthepres-

tigiousCoachellamusicfestival

inCalifornia,withacrowd ru-

mouredtobeaslargeas85000.

Joiningaline-upthat included

world-famous Jay-Z, Beyonce

andGorillaz,theSouthAfricans

sentshock-wavesthroughthe

audience and earned instant

praisefromwell-knowncelebrities

andrespectedpublications.

BurlesquestarDitavonTeese

wroteonTwitterthattheSouth

Africanswereamong“thebest

ofCoachella”,andlatertheNew

YorkTimescommentedthatDie

Antwoord“fully livedupto its

reputation”.

TheLATimeswasalsotakenby

the“deliciouslytrashy”trio,re-

portingthatthe“suspectednov-

eltyactprovedtheyhadanover-

whelming magnetism and a

ferocious,deadlyseriouslyrical

flow.”

136 > Sc

enes

from

Zef

sid

e,d

irec

ted

byS

ean

Met

eler

kam

p.

LOOKINGFORANSWERS

ButwhoexactlyareDieAntwoord,

andwhyhastheirparticularbrand

ofmusicandbrutalimagecreated

suchastir?Thegroupcallthem-

selvesa“fresh,futuristikrap-rave

crewfromthedarkdepthsofAfrica”

(sic).Itsmembersareconceptual

artistWatkinTudorJones,who

performsastheroughed-upgang-

ster‘Ninja’alongsideslinkyblonde

sopranoYolandiVisser,aka‘Yo-Lan-

diVi$$er’,andaratherquiet,portly

chapknownonlyas‘DJHi-Tek’.

By opting for cleverly crafted,

crypticmediainterviews,thetrio

maintainanairofbizarreintrigue.It’s never quite clear whethertheyare indeedtheportrayedbunchofpoor,low-lifepalsfromrun-downsuburbia,oraslickas-semblyofmanufacturedperso-nascreatedtothrillandshockaudienceswho’vegrownwearyofconventionalmusicgenres.Eitherway,itworks.

Writersfollowingthecrazehavetheir own opinions about thegroup’sstrategy:

“Well,let’sjustsaythatthere’sawholelotmoremethodtotheirdarklysurreal liveshowsthan

such seeming slapstick might

suggest,” reviewer Miles Key-

lockwritesintheMail&Guardian

Online.

US-basedmusicguidePitchfork

goesabitdeeperinitsoffbeat

analysis Who the hell are Die

Antwoord?, calling the outfit

“Jones’latestidentity-skewing

artproject,which,on thesur-

face,isjustthemostrecentina

never-endinglineof‘didyasee

that?!’blog-hoppingmusicme-

mes”.

But,“consideringthemixofab-

surdity,genuinetalentandim-

pressiveproductionvalues,you

can’thelpbutthink:arethese

EDUCATION

137 >

138 >

guys for real?” Pitchfork’s Ryan

Dombal writes.

GANGLAND TIES

The group’s heavy use of slang and

irreverent lyrics emanate from

the culture of the Western Cape’s

coloured people, who were forced

to settle on the dusty plains out-

side Cape Town during the apart-

heid years, so authorities could

too make space for more white

families within the city.

Most communities on the so-

called Cape Flats are descended

from slaves brought to the coun-

try from east and central Africa,

the Khoisan who lived in the re-

gion at the time of colonisation

in the 1800s, and other indige-

nous African, and white people.

This complex racial mixing –

combined with a legacy of cross-

over culture, displacement and

oppression – still haunt the area

today, and crime, drug abuse

and gangsterism are rife.

But there are also likeable things

that stem from this notorious place,

like a highly expressive and often-

impersonated dialect – a mix of

mainly English and Afrikaans that’s

often very funny if you get the gist

– and a thriving hybrid of hip-hop

music from groups like Brasse

van die Kaap and Kallitz.

It’s this that Die Antwoord has

picked up on and, perhaps, par-

odied to blow the minds – and

ears – of fans.

SO BAD, IT’S GOOD

For those who may not immedi-

ately appreciate or understand

the group’s skilful fusion, Richard

Poplak, of Canadian publication The Walrus, offers an artful de-

scription of zef rap: “an ungodly

potpourri of top-40 hip-hop,

chintz house, rave music, DIY

beat-making and bad techno.”

In other words, a combination so

wacky and disturbing you can’t

help but be drawn in by it.

Jones’s bad-ass alter-ego, Ninja

– who has metallic incisors, heavy

gold neck chains and a patch-

work of prison-gang tattoos – is

also straight out of the Cape Flats.

In fact, “this is where Ninja spent

years, mining for meaning among

the violence, the misery, the

strong familial bonds – develop-

ing not just a style, but an entire

persona”, Poplak writes.

Jones has been compared to Em-

inem in this regard, posing as a

“white-boy rapper who success-

fully appropriated the energy

and anger of the black ghetto”,

editor Kevin Bloom comments in The Daily Maverick.

But Die Antwoord themselves put

it best in their $O$ album intro,

implying they embrace even

more than just “zef-ness” and

Cape Flats street cred: “I repre-

sent South African culture. In this

place, you get a lot of different

things … Blacks. Whites. Coloureds.

English. Afrikaans. Xhosa. Zulu.

Watookal,” says Ninja. “I’m like

all these different people, f****d

into one person.” Yo-landi chips in,

in her little voice: “Whateva, man.”

Poplak believes this makes Ninja

“the ultimate South African”. The

idea is “thrillingly, gloriously

radical”, and an essential step

towards racial cohesion in South

Africa, he writes.

Well, we’ll never quite know

whether Die Antwoord are actu-

ally out to unite an entire nation

– or simply cause a bit of contro-

versy and entertaining hype

along the way – as they’ll prob-

ably never tell us, but that’s okay.

Their rise to fame has been a

gritty and fascinating study, and

has carved out new, brave arenas

of performance and expression.

Let’s hope there’s a lot more to

follow ... <

> View Die Antwoord’s website here.

> View the Zef side video here.

> View The Ninja video here.

This article is republished courtesy

of www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com

EDUCATION

AndallthissinceFebruary2010,whenthegroup

emergedfromrelativeobscuritywithaseriesof

YouTubevideosandtheirdebutalbum,$O$,posted

asafreedownloadontheirofficialwebsite.

Within days it went viral and the unexpected

swarmofhits,amountingtomorethanaterabyte

ofdata,crashedthegroup’sserver,forcingthem

toswitchtheirhostingtothemajorUS-basedblog

siteBoingBoing.

AquicklookatYouTubetoday,fourmonthson,

showsthattheirEntertheNinjavideohasamassed

5.1-million hits, while Zef Side has 2.2-million

views,whichclearlyatteststoDieAntwoord’scult-

likeglobalfollowing.TheircuriousnameisAfri-

kaansfor‘theanswer’.

‘Zef’referstothegroup’sX-factor,whichseemsto

simultaneouslyembodywhiteAfrikanerworking-

classtrashinessand,accordingtothem,“theulti-

matestyle.”

South African newspaper Beeld says the term

comesfromanoldmakeofcar,theFordZephyr,

whichsmall-townfolkherewouldpimpupwith

modifiedenginesandbulgingtyres,toripthrough

desertedstreetsduringlate-nightdicingsessions.

Disapprovingneighbourscalledtheseroughtypes

‘realzefs’.

KoosKombuis,oneofthecountry’sbest-known

alternativeAfrikaansmusiciansandauthors,said

earlierthisyearthat‘zef’isawordfromhischild-

hood,andmeans‘common’.But,“thesedaysit’s

notnecessarilynegative.Ilikebeingcommon.It’s

likewearinghighheelswithatracksuit.Being

trulyzeftakesguts.”

INTERNATIONALHIT

AndgutsarecertainlywhatDieAntwoordhadin

A night out without music is like a business without profit.

Make sure your business has a music licence!!!

At SAMRO we understand the value of music in business. For further information on music licences

please contact us on 011 712 8000 or email customerservices@samro.org.za

Visit us on www.samro.org.za

SlickbyTiffanyMarx.PhotocourtesyofAngloGoldAshanti.

140 >

Ensuringthatherhandmadepiecesarehighin

qualityand integrity,TiffanyMarxproduces

jewelleryitemsthatarebothfreshandattrac-

tive.TherewasnohesitationforTiffanytoopen

herownstudiostraightaftergraduatingfrom

theCapePeninsulaUniversityofTechnology.This

step,sheknew,hadtobe takenwithconfi-

denceifshewantedtobecomeanindependent

designer.

Asastart-upbusiness,Tiffanyhadlimitedre-

sourcesformarketingandhadtofindinnova-

tivesolutionstomakehermarkinaverycom-

petitiveindustry.Sheexplains:“Youhavetoget

creative,especiallywhenthereisnomarketing

budget.Iamverygoodatshamelesslyadvertis-

ingbywearingmyownjewelleryandsharing

thedetailsofthepieceswithanyonewhowants

toknowmore.Peoplelovetolistentodesign-

erswhoarepassionateabouttheirwork.This

immediatelycreatesaninterest.”

Herpiecesarequiteeye-catchingsopeopleask

heraboutthemallthetime,sosheisherown

walking talkingbillboard.Althoughshehas

producedbrochuresandothermarketingtools,

the personal ‘showcase approach seems to

workbestforher.Thepublicjustlovespeaking

totheactualdesignerandthisisanotherrea-

sonwhyitisvitaltoattendandparticipatein

exhibitionsanddesignexpos.“Thesearegreat

andvaluableplatformstomeetpotentialclients

andtocatchupwithyourpeersintheindustry,”

saysTiffany.

“Sometimes,whentheopportunitypresents

itself,Iloanallmyjewelleryouttofriendsand

associateswhentheyhavetoattendbusiness

functionsorweddingsand I loadthemwith

businesscardsand,voila!–aninstantmarket-

ingteam.Ihavealsoestablishedgreatrelation-

shipswiththefashioneditorsofsometopmag-

azinesandIsendthemjewelleryonamonthly

basistouseintheirshoots.It’strickytoget

yourfootinthedoor,butoncethere,theimpact

ispriceless,andalthoughyoudoabitofrun-

ningaround,it’sfabulousadvertising.”

Asinanybusiness,communicationandpeople

skillscannotbeemphasisedenough.People

lovepersonalattentionandifthereisamutual

respectandastrongworkethic,itisawin-win

situationtoapotentialclient.“Makingsure

thatIalwaysgetthecontactdetailsofpotential

clientsdoesnotonlymakeforgoodbusiness

butalsogivesyoutheopportunitytobuildre-

lationshipswithpotentialclients.Ofcourseitis

hardworknotto losetouchwiththosewho

loveyourwork,butpeopledoappreciatethat

extraeffort.”

INSPIREDJEWELLERY

EDUCATION

141 >

142 >

Tiffanydescribesherstyleasmodern,cleanand

definitelynotcommercial.“Someofmyworkis

veryminimalistandotherpiecesareveryfeminine

andpretty.Itisimportantformetokeepproducing

freshconcepts.Ialsocontinuetotryandreinvent

existingthings.IthinkIhavemanagedtofinda

midwaybetweenway-outbutpracticalandcom-

fortablepieces.ThisiswhyIbelievesomany

peopleappreciatemywork.Thesepiecesarealso

jewellerythatIpersonallylovetowear.Itisvery

seldomthatIneedtoproduceapiecethatdoes

notexciteme.Sofarsogood,and,it’sgreatfun!”

Tiffanyexplainsthatoneofthemostvaluable

abilitiesofanywell-traineddesigneristofind

inspirationinalmosteverythingandanything

aroundyou.“Ihavealwaysbeeninspiredby

nature–theshapesofpebbles,texture,line,

balance and rhythm in organic shapes and

landscapes.Japanesedetailsandmotifsalso

inspireme.Thesecretliesinthequalityandthe

uniquenessandtheskillyouuseforinterpreta-

tion.Thiswilldeterminethelevelofthefinal

product.”

Independentjewellerydesignersareoftenchal-

lengedwiththestruggletostrikeabalancebe-

tweenwhattheylikeandwhatthemainstream

publicdemand.Tiffanysaysthatshehasal-

waysmadejewellerythatshelovesandshehas

beenreallyluckythatherstyleispopularwith

thepublic.“Ihavenotreallypaidmuchatten-

tiontotrendsandfashion;juststayedtrueto

mysenseofaestheticsandproducedjewellery

thatI lovetowear.EverynowandthenIget

privatecommissionsthatincorporatedesigns

thatmyclientsaredead-seton.AlthoughItry

andguidethem,onealsoneedstounderstand

andrespectthefactthatweallhaveadifferent

senseofwhatisbeautiful.”

Besidesbeingcreativeandagooddesigner,

therearemanyotherlifeskillsthatarevitalif

youwanttobesuccessful.Inthefieldofjewel-

lerydesignTiffanyfeelsthatyoufirstneedto

establishwhichpartofthejewelleryindustry

youwouldliketospecialisein.Ambitionisvital

ifyouconsidergoingsololikeshedid.Toget

yourworknoticedshouldbeamajorpriority.

Youneedtobearisktakerandahardworker

withstrongworkethicsandagameplan.Tiffany

explains,“IdidatestrunbeforeIwentsoloand

startedrunningmyownshowsandexhibitions,

justtoseewhattheresponsewouldbe,andifI

couldstandachancetobeasuccessfulinde-

pendentdesigner.Ineverexpectedtheamazing

responseIreceivedandifIdidnottaketherisk,

IwouldneverhaveknownthatIcanmakeiton

myown”.

Herfavouritetwopiecesareundoubtedlythose

shedesignedfortheAngloGoldAshantiUrban

Tribescollectionin2009.“Thesetwopieceswere

thebiggesttechnicalchallengestodateand

workingwithsomuchgoldonsuchabigscale

wasprettystressfulandintimidating.”Together

withBrettBouwer,who isalsoagoldsmith,

theytackledthisexcitingbriefsetbythespon-

sors,AngloGoldAshanti.ThethemewasUrban

Tribes,andtheyhadtochoosea‘tribeset’consist-

ingoffivepairsoffictitiouscharactersthatin-

cludedtheirtwopiecescalledTheFuturistand

UrbanStreet.“Weevenreceivedpersonalitypro-

filesforthesecharacters,”saysTiffany,“andthey

haddetailedbreakdownsoftheirhobbies,life-

style,interestsandmore”.EventuallyTiffanyand

Brettsetouttodesignpiecesthatwouldfit

theirpersonalitiesandlifestyle.“Oncethecon-

ceptswerefinalised,wemanufacturedmock-ups

frommetalandpaperandusedthesetodeter-

minetheamountofgoldweneededtorequest

143 >

EDUCATION

Vision(above)by

TiffanyMarx.Photo

courtesyofAngloGold

Ashanti.

Cherryblossombrooch

(right).Photoby

TimothyAtkins.

Rockring(below)by

TiffanyMarx.Photoby

TimothyAtkins.

144 >

LTR: Large pod ring, Curved flower ring and Volcanic ring by Tiffany Marx. Photos by Timothy Atkins.

Satellite ring (above) and

Bangle (right) by Tiffany Marx.

Photos by Timothy Atkins.

EDUCATION

145 >

fromAngloGoldAshanti.Thefinalresultswere

greatandwewereamongstthewinnersofthe

competitionin2009.”

Besideshavingawholelotoftalentandabril-

liantmarketingstrategyonealsoneedsanumber

ofothercreativetoolstoincorporateintoyour

gameplanifyouwantastrikingpresentationof

yourfinalproduct.Creativeapplicationslikeex-

hibitiondisplaysandphotographycangivethe

edgetoyourfinaldisplayormarketingstrategy,

providedthattheapplicationoftheonedisci-

plinestronglycomplementstheother.

Workingwithaphotographerwhounderstands

thesubjectmatteriscrucialsothatthetruechar-

acterandqualityoftheproductcanbereflected.

Photographer,TimothyAtkins,whohavebeen

collaboratingwithTiffanyexplainsthat:“itisquite

crucial tofirstunderstandthe jewellery, the

creatorandtheprocessofmakingthejewellery

beforeyoucansnapaway.”

Elaboratingontheirlatestcollaboration,Tiffany

andTimothyexplainthattheyhavemetseveral

timestodiscussandstudythecharacteristics

ofthepiecesandwhatitmeanttoher.Timothy

believesthatexperimentingwithdifferentop-

tionsisalwaysagoodideasothatonecaneven-

tuallyselectthebestoption.InthecaseofTif-

fany’sworktheoriginalstylingthattheyplanned

fortheshootwasoverpoweringandtookaway

theelementofuniqueness.

“Ieventuallydecidedtophotographhercomplex

designsoncleanblackPerspextoenhancethe

shapes,shadows,reflectionsandfocus.The

piecesalreadyreflectthenaturalelementsthat

inspired them,”saysTimothy.Andthatwas

enough.Keepingwithasimplisticstylingand

showingthepiecesinstarkcontrastwiththe

blackPerspexcreatedtheperfectsettingto

trulyreflecttheelementsanduniquecharacter-

isticsofeachpiece.

Timothycontinues:“Whenshootingjewellery

youhavetoknowthecomplexitiesoflighting

andexploreit.Everyphotographerhashisor

herownwayofdoingthings,butIbelievethat

byunderstandingtheproductionprocessof

jewellerycanbeanincrediblehelpforthepho-

tographicprocess.Duetothereflectivenature

ofmetals,Iusedajewellerytentandconstant

light,whichisspecificallydesignedtoprovide

softlight.Thisprocessisverytime-consuming

aseachpieceandeverydetailreflectsthelight

differently.Whenshootingspecificpieces,dif-

ferentpartsofthejewelleryreflectmorethan

otherssoyouhavetocarefullytakedifferent

sectionsofthesamepieceatdifferentexpo-

sureswhilepositioningthecameraonatripod.

Thisprocessiscallbracketing.”

Andfinally,aftertheshootthebestshotsare

chosenandpostproductionkicksinwhenindi-

vidualstagesoftheshootgetsedited.Some

photographsarecombinedthroughtheuseof

software,whileunwantedreflectionsandcol-

ourarealsotakencareof,”explainsTimothy.

ItseemsthatthesynergythatiscreatedbyTif-

fany’s jewellery andTimothy’s photography

makesthispairawinningcombination.<

146 >

ANECO-BRIDE?Weddingsarecomplexaffairs.For

centuriessoon-to-be-brideshad

aplethoraofthingstoconsider

whenplanningfortheir‘special

day’andprioritiesshiftedfrom

generationtogenerationtoalign

withthezeitgistofthetime.Yet

oneaspectremainstheprimary

priority:Theweddingdress.In

mostinstancestheweddingdress

isthefirstandoftenthemostex-

pensiveaspecttodepletethere-

sourcesintheweddingwallet.But,

unbeknownsttomost,wedding

dessesesalsodepletetheearth’s

resources.Veryfewbridesever

questiontheimpactthattheseof-

tenmulti-layersoffabricandthe

abundanceofjewels,laceanddec-

orativeaccessoriesplasteredon

thesedresseshaveontheMother

Earth’sresources…untilnow.

DurbanUniversityofTechnology

CreativeFashionDesignDevelop-

mentlecturerandownerofDimity

eveningandbridalwearlabel,

WendySchultz,isnowquestion-

ingtheeco-friendlinessofthese

much-sought-aftergarments.She

iscurrentlycompletingaMasters

DegreeattheFashion&Textiles

Department.Thefocusofherstudy

isthedevelopmentofanenviron-

mentally friendly bridal gown

collection for the responsible

consumer.

“Idon’twanttojustmakewedding

dresses.Iwanttocreateemotion-

allydurablegownsthatabride

willneverwanttogetridof,dueto

heremotionalconnectiontothe

garmentitself.Eithertheoriginof

thegownorthepassionsome-

oneelsecraftedintoit,createsthis

connection,”saysWendy.

“Ihavebeendesigningandmak-

ingcustomgowns for the last

sevenyears.Witheachgarment

Ibecomemoreandmoreaware

ofthelackofconcernfortheen-

vironmentduringtheproduction

processes,likethemanufacturing

oftextilesanddistribution.Today

itiscommontoseeapublicfigure

showingoffhershow-stoppergar-

mentonTVorviewinggownsin

the glossies emphasising the

sheerquantityofthefabricand

whereitwasimportedfrom.By

now,weareallwellawareofthe

vastnegativeeffectstheglobal

textileindustryhasontheenvi-

ronment.The saying ‘I’m only

goingtogetmarriedoncesoIwant

thebestnomatterwhat’isnorea-

sontobemorewastefulandless

responsibletowardstheenviron-

mentonyourweddingday.”

EDUCATION

AccordingtoWendy,herturning

pointoccurredwhiledoingre-

searchonthisverytopicforher

MTechstudy,whiletrawlingthrough

theInternetonthelookoutforany-

thing‘ecoandwedding’related.

Although,shediscoveredawealth

of‘green’weddingsites,theyonly

pertained to vintage wedding

dressesorsecondhandgowns.

Althoughthesemaybemoreeco-

friendlyinclinedthanthenormal

weddingdress,theyarenotprac-

ticalforwomenwhoneedcustom

fits,orforthosewantingtosport

thelatestSpring/Summer2011/

2012collectionwitha‘clearcon-

science’?

“Thisinsightpresentedaclear

gapinthelocalmarketandIreal-

isedthatanalignmentbetween

trendyeco-weddingsandthebridal

gownsworntothesefunctions

needtobecreated.Iwantedto

designacollectionofgownsmade

entirely fromenvironmentally-

friendlyfabrics,whislthavingso-

ciallyandethicallysoundproc-

essesinplace,”saysWendy.

Wendy’sfirststepwastouncover

whatexactlycouldbeconsidered

eco-friendlywhenconsidering

thevariousprocessesrequired

bybridalgowndesignandcon-

struction.Fabricsourcing,de-

signmodelsand theoriesand

technicalsewingproceduresall

neededtocomplywiththevari-

oussustainabilitystandards.

Wendy’sresearchindicatesthat

thesourcingoffabricsremainsto

bethebiggesthurdlewhichholds

backthedevelopmentandgrowth

ofaneco-friendlybridalmovement.

Foragowntobeconsideredasan

EcoBridegown,thefabricmust

eitherbeaneworganicfabric,

wheretherawmaterialsarefarmed

andthefabricmilledclosetoits

sourceoffinaluse,orthegown

mustbeasecond-hand/vintage

piecethatwouldhaveotherwised

beendiscarded.Bothtypesare

raritiesinSouthAfrica.Research

onobtainingorganicfabrics,and

theEcoBridemovementingeneral,

continuestoevolvewithandas

thetextileindustrydevelops.

Shesays:“Thusfar,Ihaveput

togetherastrongcollectionmade

fromre-useablefabricswhichIhave

sourcedfromlocalantiqueand

second-handshops.Thiswillde-

terminetheaestheticsofmypro-

totypecollectionandwilldictate

everythingtofollow.”

Reclaimedsilkbouretteand

organiccotton(SoilAssociation

certified)corsettedgown

featuringareclaimedlace

peplumandself-fabricwaist

belt(farleft).Backandfront

detailsshowingreclaimed

buttonsmadefromglass,

pearlandshell.

147 >

Thesecondstepofdevelopment

requiresthemostcreativityand

technicalknowledge,aseachpiece

ofsourcedtextilesmustbeas-

sessedaccordingtometerage

availabilitywhichisoftenveryre-

strictedespeciallywithvintage

materials.Theconditionofthe

piecealsoneedstobedetermined

andifandhowapatterncouldbe

cutfromit.“Aprototypeexample

ofthisisavintagesilkbourette

safarisuitwhichwascutupfora

corsettedgownwithanoldtray

clothreinventedasapeplum!”

explainsWendy.

Toensurecreativethinking,de-

signmodelsandtheorieswere

incorporated intoher thinking

processes.Theorieslikeemotional

durabledesign,bodydressing

andthegreenfetish,cradleto

cradle,consumerbehaviour,and

‘slow’ versus ‘instant’ fashion

systems,assisted inclarifying

whatneededtobeincludedin

thedesignprocessandassessing

thedevelopmentofthecollection

according to what should, or

would,sell.

TheEcoBridebrandservicesthat

areofferedalsoincludethere-

workingofexistinggowns,even

those ancient 1850 heirlooms

thathavebeeninfamiliesforgen-

erations.Thesetransformationsof

theoldtothenew,entailthecrea-

tionofcompletelyneworadjusted

gownscreatedfromtheoldand

trousseaucollectionsoflaceand

textiles,Sheexplainsthat“these

twopropositionsfitintothe‘emo-

tionallydurabledesign’model,

sincetheresultinggownscarry

aninherentsentimentalvalueto

theowner.Thesegownswillnever

endupinthebin!”

148 >

AnotherdesignethosofEcoBride

istherecyclingandconservative

useofrawmaterials.Alloff-cut

fabricsarekepttobeusedinthe

creationofhairpieces,smallpurs-

esorbuntingusedatthewedding

venue.Inaddition,EcoBridealso

sourcesandusesoldarchitectural

plansandrecyclesthesetodouble

upaspatternpaper,therefore

increasingtherecylingfootprint

intheproductionprocess.

Furthermore,EcoBridealsocom-

missionscrochetandbeadwork

fromspecialistcraftersatlocal

unemploymentassociationslike

Woza Moya at HillAids and St

AgnesBeader’sAssociation.The

beadworkandcrochetareused

foralltheextraembellishmentson

EcoBridegowns.“Theemphasis

onpersonalhand-crafteddetails

andtheuseofsewingtechniques

whichfollowcoutureguidelines

meansthatEcoBridecanbebrand-

edasa ‘slow fashion’brand,”

saysWendy.

WithanticipationED>willwatch

thedevelopmentofEcoBrideand

hopethatthisnewbrandwillset

somevaluablestandardsfora

truly environmentally friendly

bridalrangeproducedinSouth

Africa.Now,soon-to-be-brides

canbewellinformedaboutwhat

theybuyandwherethegowns

comefrom.Enjoyingtheirspecial

dayisnowmadeeasier,knowing

thattheirweddingandtheirdresses

areeco-friendly.<

Featherandorganiccottonorgandiehand-moulded

hairflower(farleft).Oversizedsinamayandlace

hairpiecemadefromlaceoff-cutsfromthebridal

gownsareusedtoembellishpetals(centreandleft).

EDUCATION

149 >

Rich aroma.Refined taste.

Find your inspiration

120374

Rich aroma.Refined taste.

Find your inspiration

120374

Xo[sic],it’sprettysimple.Wedesignersliveina

worldthataffordsustremendousprivilege.From

topdesignschoolstodozensofindustryprofession-

alsasmentors,evenourstandinginglobalcom-

petitionissomethingthatBafanaBafanacantake

alessonfromiftheyhaveanambitionofbeing

worldchampions.IncludeourApples,Smartcars,

Photoshopandoodlesof Internetusedforthe

criticalresearchwerequire–wedoingprettyOK.

ManyofusarethinkingofthenextLoerie,how

muchmagentatolaydownforthatfabcorporate

identitywe’reworkingonandhowitmighttrans-

lateontheweb,andsoon,andsoon.I’msaying

thatthisiscoolbut,aseducatedSouthAfricans,

let’spauseforasinglemoment...

Imaginenothavingaccesstoelectricity,quality

education,basichealthcareorrunningwater.You

don’tevenhavetodrivetoNongomatowitnessthis

phenomenon.JustpopintodowntownGugulethu,

AlexorKwaMashu.Youknow,qualityeducationis

reallythekeytounlockingthepotentialofevery

oneofourcitizensandovercomingtheseseem-

inglyinsurmountablechallenges.

THEDESIGNCHALLENGE

OFTHISDECADEIS

EDUCATIONFORALL

ByMohammedJogie

152 >

Asadesignindustrywe’vemadeprogresslikeget-

tinggovernmenttoacknowledgedesignasaschool

subject,albeitwithnoorverylittleteachingtalent

todeliverit.Notwithstandingthefactthatdesign

isstillnotseenasaworthydisciplineforauniver-

sityentrance.Butthesearecertainlychallenges

wecantriumphover.Atleastourkidshaveaccess

todesigneducationfromayoungage,evenifit’s

notaltogetherperfect.

I’dliketopresentanovelidea(that’snotmineat

all).Whatifwecouldequipthe‘other’kidswith

libraries in their homes, books and research,

gamesandmusicaltools,emailandtheall-wise

Internet.ThatonesuchtoolistheXOLaptopfrom

OneLaptopperChild(OLPC)–aprojectledby

noneotherthanex-MITdirectorNicholasNegro-

ponte.

Sowhy’sthissocool?It’sbloodywelldesignedfor

astart,Applecool!Checkoutpicsofthecurrent

shippingXOhere,andnextgenerationconceptde-

signsbyfuseprojecthere.Itcatersfortheworld’s

harshestconditionsincludingbeingabletowork

indirectsunlight.Itcanbechargedwithelectricity

TheimportantspacethatisTheKliptown

YouthProgram(top).Everythingsaid(centre).

“Checkitoutbru!”(above).

EDUCATION

153 >

oranA3sizedsolarpanel.And,forme,whatis

mostcompellingisthesingle-mindedinsistence

onthepartofNegroponteandcrewtonotallow

selfishbusinessintereststo‘poison’thisinitiative.

Pleasedon’tgetmewrong,Irespectbusinessmo-

tives,butinsomepriorityareasitneedstobecare-

fullymanaged.ThismeanswecanthrowonUbuntu

andwritestuffinisiZuluifweneededto.Ofcourse,

itshipswithSugar,aLinux-basedOSthatoffersa

wholelotalready.

Thesebabiescostintheregionof$229US.Yes,

it’salittlesteep.OLPCwantittobesub-$100and

areworkinghardonmakingthatareality.Iurge

youtoplaytheirvideo(clickhere),whichtalks

aboutkidsbeingtheirmissionandnotamarket.

Andthatisthekey.Itsnotaboutthetechatall,its

abouteducation.

Allowmetobringitbackhomeandshareanin-

crediblestorythatisunfoldingbyanincredible

teamofsocialentrepreneursledbyDirectorThu-

laniMadondoandhisteamattheKliptownYouth

Program.Thebackdropistheimpoverishedcom-

munityofKliptown,Soweto.Manywillremember

itastheplacewherethehistoricFreedomCharter

wasadoptedsomanyyearsago.Today,thiscom-

munitycontinuestobedoggedbyalmostanyso-

cialchallengeonecanfathom.Thulani,a20-year

olddynamohasestablishedafacilitywitharound

300XOscateringforallwholivethere.Onless

thanashoestringandadime,withpassionand

heart,theyaretransforminganentirecommunity

andgivinghopetogenerations.Americanfamilies

andindividuals,notfromSouthAfricaorthelocal

corporationsorgovernments,havedonatedevery

oneofthesecomputers.

Thekidstakeownershipofthedevicesandtake

themhome.Becausetheyhavenoelectricity,the

XOsarebroughtbacktotheCentreeachdayfor

recharging.Whilethekidsareatschool,theteam

cleanthemachinesandhostbasicliteracyclasses

forhigh-schooldropouts.Theyalsohostafter-

schoolclassesforteenagers.Addtothistheabil-

ityforkidstousethedevicesforrecordingand

photographingspecialoccasionsathomeand

you’llseethatwhatThulaniandhisteamhave

achievedisshortofamiracle.Thrownintothemix

aresportingprogrammes,afeedingschemefor350

children,performingarts,astudentexchangepro-

grammeandacommunityvegetablegarden.Ona

nationalscale,theteamhashelpeddeployXOsin

Dlamini,Swaziland,Limpopo,KZNandMpuma-

langa.

Thechallengesaremany.Todate,governmentre-

sponsehasbeenunenthusiasticdespitestrong

support fromthedistricteducationauthorities.

Fundingisanever-presentmenaceandrealsupport

fromcorporatesarethin,butimproving.

Andourdesignchallenge?Getinvolved.Support

theeffortthroughactiveparticipationsothatwe

canhelptodesignafutureforallchildren,one

childatatime.

KliptownYouthProgramcanbecontactedatthu_

im@hotmail.com

Abouttheauthor:Artist,designer,writeranden-

trepreneurMohammedJogiestudiedFineArtand

GraphicDesign.HeisfounderofCreativeWeek

andprincipalof‘mymainmojo’,aspecialistcrea-

tiveconsultancy.<

154 >

“Whoyoulookingat?”(left).TheKliptownYouthProgramDirectorandProgrammelead,ThulaniMadondo(right).

TheKliptownYouthProgramveggiegarden(left).Teensfromthesoccerprogrammejoinin(right).

Bunnyearsup!(left).Thechargingstation(centre).Chargedandreadytogo!(right).

EDUCATION

155 >

DES

IGN

OM

ICS

:D

ESIG

N

DR

IVIN

G

ECO

NO

MIC

SB

yFa

tim

aCa

ssim

Oneofthekeythemeswhichemergedatthisyear’sDesignIndabainCapeTownwastherolethatdesignplaysinchangingtheworldeconomy.Incontextofthisprevalenttheme,BruceNussbaumnarratedthestoryofhowhebecameadesignguru.Nussbaum’sinterestinthelinkbetweendesignandbusinessbeganatBusinessWeek,wherehisarticlesaboutincorporatingelementsofdesignintobusinessmethodsgeneratedimmensecuriosityandattention.TheformereditoratBusinessWeekisnowprofessorofInnovationandDesignattheParsonsSchoolforDesigninNewYorkandisregardedasaleadingadvocatefordesignthinkingandinnovation.

156 >

Nussbaum,aself-proclaimedbirdwatcher,

sharedwithhisaudiencehisexperienceof

seeingablackswanwhileinCapeTown.To

him,ablackswanrepresentsaharbingerand

signifiesashiftintrends;itisaconceptofex-

pectingtheunexpectedintoday’sworldand

economy.

Inlightofthis,designcanalsobeequated

withtheideaofbeingablackswanbecause

wearecurrentlyfacedwithanimportantand

interestingtrendwheredesignisbecoming

“moreimportanttothebottomlinethantech-

nology”.Nussbaumreferstothisnewtrendof

designdrivingeconomicsas‘designomics’.

Today,designhasmaturedintoanindependent

andintellectualdisciplinethatisincreasingly

beingsoughtafterasameansofbringing

aboutunexpectedandintentionalchangein

theworld.Inthepasttherewasapreference

forbusinessleaderstoemployleft-brainor

moreanalyticalthinkingasaproblem-solving

method.Owingtothecomplexityoftheprob-

lemswithwhichtheyarenowfaced,these

leadershavebeguntorealisetherolethat

right-brainordesignthinkingcanplayinad-

dressingcontemporarychallengessuchas

globalwarmingandsustainabilitytonamea

few.

Morethaneverbefore,designers,intheirpre-

ferredblackplumage,arebeingacceptedinto

businesscirclesandarenolongerdisregarded

asuglyducklings.Thestoryoftheuglyduckling

tellsofalittlebirdthatisdisregardedbythe

otherducksandisteasedforbeingdifferent,

untilhematuresintoabeautifulswan.The

moraloftheoriginaltaleisabouttransforma-

tionandaboutacceptance.Ittiesinwellwith

thewaydesign,andmorespecificallydesign

thinking,hasbeenreceivedovertheyears.

Theincreasingacceptanceandadoptionof

designthinkingisalsoinfluencingthecon-

temporaryroleofdesigners.Designerstoday

arefoundupstreamintheinnovationprocess

andthey’replayingamorestrategicrole.Inan

interestingarticleondesignthinkinginthe

HarvardBusinessReview,TimBrown,theCEO

ofIDEO(aninfluentialinnovationanddesign

firminCalifornia)highlightsthisstrategicrole

ofdesign:“Now,ratherthanaskingdesigners

tomakeanalreadydevelopedideamoreat-

tractivetoconsumers,companiesareasking

themtocreateideasthatbettermeetcon-

sumers’needsanddesires.Theformerroleis

tactical,andresultsinlimitedvaluecreation;

thelatterisstrategic,andleadstodramatic

newformsofvalue.”

Thischanging roleofdesignerswithin the

contextofbusinessandinnovationisbeing

influencedbyanumberofglobalforces.Nuss-

baumidentifiesthreesuchcatalysts,namely

theriseandfallofnations,theriseandfallof

generationsandtheriseofnewdigitalcul-

tures.Theriseandfallofnationsreferstothe

transferofworldpower“fromtheWesttothe

rest”.TheacronymBASICillustratesthispointby

recognisingemergingmarketssuchasBrazil,

SouthAfrica,IndiaandChinaasleadingplay-

ersintheglobaleconomy.

Withregardtotheriseandfallofgenerations,

NussbaumdiscussedthenatureofGenera-

tionY.ThisgenerationdiffersfromGeneration

Xinthatthereisashiftoffocusfrom“materi-

alitytoshapingsystems”.Thisimpliesthat

thereisachangingconceptofthenatureof

EDUCATION

157 >

designedproductsanditalsopointstothe

significance of the design process and no

longeronlytheend-productofthatprocess.

Withinthedesignprocess,thevaluesystemis

movingfromoneofowningtooneofsharing

andhencethereisagreatemphasisonco-

creationandmultidisciplinaryteams.Nuss-

baum’sinformalpresentationandhis“inti-

mate dialogue with 1 000 people” at the

Indabawereinkeepingwiththisideaofacol-

laborativeapproach.

ThechangingvaluesofGenerationYcannot

beseparatedfromtheinfluenceoftechnology

andtheriseofnewdigitalcultures.Inparticu-

lar,socialmedia(suchasMySpace,Facebook

andTwitter)arefacilitatingtheriseofdigital

culturesandallowingthemtoco-existwith

real-world cultures. More power is being

placedinthehandsofthepeopleand,asa

result,anewchallengefordesignersistode-

signwiththesepeopleandnotforthem.All

thispointstowardsdramaticculturalandso-

cialshiftswhichbusinessneedstoconsiderin

orderforinnovationtoberelevantandsus-

tainable.Consequently,designthinking,asa

human-centeredmethodology,facilitatesin-

novationthroughabetterunderstandingof

whatpeoplewantandneed.

Thecurrentsuccessofdesigninbusinessin-

ternationally,withexamplessuchasApple,

IBMandSonyasforerunnersintheconsumer

electronicsmarket,indicatesthatbusiness

todayvaluesacultureofdesign.Withinalocal

contexttoo,NussbaumreflectedonSouthAf-

rica’s diverse and design-rich culture and

urgedSouthAfricandesignerstoconsiderthe

waysinwhichacultureofdesigncandrivethe

SouthAfricaneconomy.However,inorderfor

suchaculturetoflourishandtoaidtheecon-

omy, it isgoingtobe important fordesign

thinkingtobewidespreadwithinbusiness.

Theadvantageofdesignthinkingisthatitisnot

onlyrestrictedtodesignersbutcanbenur-

turedinareasordomainsoutsideofprofes-

sionaldesignpractice.RogerMartin,Deanof

theRotmanSchoolofManagementinToronto,

Canada,alsoaffirmsthat“weareonthecusp

ofadesignrevolutioninbusiness”andasa

result,“today’sbusinesspeopledon’tneedto

understanddesignersbetter,theyneedtobe-

comedesigners”.Thechallenge,therefore,

liesineducation’sabilitytoincorporatedesign

thinkingingeneraleducationaswellasbusi-

nesseducationtoproduce“T-shape”thinkers

–thatis,thinkerswhocombinetheverticalleg

ofanalyticalthinkingwiththehorizontallegof

lateralandcreativethinking.Sincedesignis

swimminginpreviouslyuncharteredwaters,

thereisnoimminentendtothistale.Thisis

onlythebeginningfordesigninbusinessand

ultimately,thesecretofsuccessfordesignis

forittocontinuetobelikeaswan:smooth

andunruffledontop,butpaddlingfuriously

underneath.<

USELFULLRESOURCES:

> ViewBruceNussbaum’sblog,Nussbaum

onDesign,here.

> TimBrown’sDesignThinkingarticleinthe

HarvardBusinessReviewhere.

158 >

159 >

EDUCATION

THEGHANATHINKTANK:DEVELOPINGTHEFIRSTWORLD ByChristopherRobbins

160 >

IamanAmerican,paidbytheJapanese,to

tellhowyouthink.AtleastIwas.

FormuchofmylifeIworkedinforeigncoun-

tries,problem-solvinginplacesfarfrommy

hometown.IgrewupinNewYorkCity,but

thenworkedinWestAfrica,formerYugoslavia

andtheFijiIslands.DuringthistimeIsawhow

many international organisations hired

peopletosolveproblemsinplacesthey

didn’tevenlive.

Theseexternalsolutionsoftendidn’twork,

orevenhurt:replacingawellwithapump

thatthenbreaks,whichforcespeopletogo

backtotheriverfortheirwatersource;build-

ingachimneytohelpsmokeescapefroma

mud-hutkitchen,whichcausesanincrease

inmosquitoesandmalaria;designingtech-

nologytocreatelocalproductsthatno-one

willuse…

TheironywasthatwhileIsawexternalsolu-

tionsfail,Iwasseeingtonnesofworking

solutionscomingfromthecommunities

themselves.Isawpeoplemakeaforgefor

meltingmetaloutofmudandagoatskin.I

sawmapsofoceancurrentsmadefrom

wovensticks,andstoriesmemorisedwith

patternsmadefromstring.

Prettyquickly,Irealisedthatitwasridiculous

tothinkthatthe‘developed’worldcould

havealloftheanswersforthe‘developing’

world.Ihadseentheimpactofexternal

solutions,andknewthatinmanyways,the

developedworldhadalottolearnfrom

thedevelopingworld.

NewYorkcould–andshould–learnfrom

Kokrobite(asmallfishingvillageinGhana).

TheGhanathinktankbegins

In2006JohnEwing,MateyOdonkorandI

formedtheGhanaThinkTank.CarmenMon-

toyajoinedtheprojectin2009.Inbrief,the

GhanaThinkTankisanetworkofthinktanks

fromthedevelopingworld,formedtosolve

theproblemsoftheFirstWorld.Westarted

in2006withthinktanksinGhana,Cubaand

ElSalvador,andhavesinceexpandedto

includeMexico,Serbia,IranandEthiopia.

Tobegin,wecollectproblemsinaspecific

communityofthedevelopedworld–sofar

wehavetargetedtheUnitedStatesandthe

UnitedKingdom:Boston,NewYork,Provi-

dence,Westport,Cardiff,PenarthandLiver-

pool.Togettheseproblems,weuseanumber

ofdifferenttechniques.Weinterviewpeople

onthestreet,buildcustommailboxes,dis-

tributepostcards,andhaveevenbuiltavideo

booththatrecordspeople’s30second-

problemsforuploadtothethinktanks’

server.

Wesendthoseproblemstoourthinktanksin

Ghana,Cuba,ElSalvador,Mexico,Ethiopia,

IranandSerbia.Thethinktanksthenpropose

solutions,whichweenactphysicallyback

Map

ping

out

pro

blem

san

dso

luti

ons

from

the

thi

nkt

anks

.

EDUCATION

161 >

162 >

inthecommunitythatproposedtheprob-

lems,whethertheystrikeusasbrilliantor

improbable.Inthepast,solutionshavein-

volvedgamesofstreetchessinitiatedbe-

tweenneighbouringbutisolatedcultures;

renamingadog‘Love’,dog-tagsandall;hir-

ingimmigrantstoattendsocialfunctions

inawealthyConnecticutsuburb;combat-

ingpesticideusethroughadandelionpro-

motion campaign, including dandelion

recipe-booksandreplantingworkshops;

helping people replace the PowerPoint

presentationsintheirliveswithsocialthe-

atre,andprojectingslidesoflocaltraffic

accidentscausedbyspeedingontopublic

structures.

Actionshaverangedfromtough(building

cementbollardstopreventparkingonside-

walks)tofun(paintingtheundersidesofum-

brellaswithsunshineandthendoingsunny-

daythingsintherain)toedgy(teachingdrug

addictstobuildAfricaninstrumentsoutof

foundmaterials,sotheycanplaythemto

earnmoneyinsteadofrobbing.)

Culturaldifferenceandproblem-solving

Theprojectisfocusedonthedifferences

betweencultures,andhowtheseaffect

problem-solvingandassumptions.Over

theyearswehavefoundthatourdifferent

thinktanksdonotformonesolidfrontof

thedevelopingworld,buteachusetheirown

strategiestosolveotherpeople’sproblems.

TheElSalvadorthinktank(membersofthe

ruralradiostationRadioVictoria)clearly

takesacriticalstanceastheycreatesolu-

tions,usingtheirthinktankasaplatformto

interrogateAmericanculture–atermthey

rightfullytakeissuewith:“Weareatthe

centreofAmerica,sowhywouldyoube

calledAmerica?”

ItwasElSalvadorwhoproposedmanyof

themoresociallyawkwardsolutions,hav-

ingushireimmigrantdaylabourerstoat-

tendsocialfunctions,andreplacePower-

Pointpresentationswithsocialtheatre.

OurIranthinktank(formerlytheSazmanab

Project)useshumourandheartfeltges-

tures.Theirsolutionforthegenerationgap

wastocollect‘funny,dirtymemories’from

theelderly.

InWales,theysolvedtheproblemofmean

peopleonthestreetbydesigningT-shirts

carryingtheowners’smilingportraits.“A

largenumberofpeoplehavenoconceptof

socialinteractionwithotherpassingstran-

gers.Theylookthroughyouorworse,at

you,likeyou’resomethingthey’vetrodden

in,withdisgustandbitterresentment.”So

westoppedpeoplewhowerewalkingdown

thestreetwithscowlsontheirfaces,asked

themtosmile,tooktheirphoto,andmade

themT-shirtswiththeirsmilingfaces.They

wereallinvitedtoaT-shirtcollectionevent,

sotheycouldmeet,haveadrinkonthe

beach,gettheirT-shirts,andsmile.

Funny,DirtyMemories(topleft).Installingparking

blocksdressedasLiverpoolCityworkers(centreleft).

FromthedandelionreplantingworkshopinWestport

(left).GhanaThinkTankinstallationinPenarth,Wales

(above).

EDUCATION

163 >

InW

ales

,the

yso

lved

the

prob

lem

ofm

ean

peop

leo

nth

est

reet

by

desi

gnin

gT-

shir

tsc

arry

ing

the

owne

rs’s

mili

ngp

ortr

aits

.

164 >

Ghanahasaverypeople-focusedpractice.

Theirsolutionforthegenerationgapwas

totakefamiliesongreetingwalksinthe

afternoon,knockingonthedoorofevery

houseintheirneighbourhood,whether

theyknownthemornot.Theycameupwith

theingenious‘Love’solution,inwhicha

womanwithadogwhobarkedtoomuch

changedherdog’snamefromDuketoLove.

“Now,”shesaid,“whenIyellatmydog,Icall

him‘Love,’anditmakesmelovehimmore.”

Asaresult,shesaidshehasbeentaking

himonmorewalks,makinghimlessdes-

perateforattention,andbarkingless.

Serbia’sapproachhasbeenverypractical,

thoughinterspersedwithlotsofjokesand

laughter.Theproblemofpeopleparking

theircarsonthesidewalkinfrontofaschool

wassolvedbyusdressingasofficialcity

constructionworkersandinstallingourown

parkingblocks/bollards.

Ontheirsuggestion,wefoughtspeeding

inWestportbyprojectingpublicslideshows

ofspeedingaccidentsintheareaatthe

siteswherespeedingisaproblem,andby

placingphotosoflocalspeedingaccidents

underthewindshield-wipersofparkedcars.

So,everythinktankhasadifferentapproach

toproblem-solving,comingfromverydif-

ferentculturalbackgrounds.Somesolutions

haveworkedincrediblywell,whileothers

havebeenembarrassingstruggleswith

unintendedconsequences.

Notjustproblemsandsolutions

Itisimportanttopointoutthatwhilethe

GhanaThinkTankprojectuncoversmany

problemsandgeneratesmanysolutions,

thegoalisnotsimplytosolveproblems

throughacross-culturalprocess.Wede-

velopedthisapproachtoexplorethecul-

turalboundariesandblindspotsthatcan

oftenwreckadesignprocess.

Mostdesigners(andIusethatwordbroadly,

toencompassdesignersofideas,solutions,

andscenarios)workinculturesoutsideof

theirown,eveniftheyareworkingintheir

owncountry.Everyindustryhasitsown

culture–infact,everycompanyhasits

ownculture–soeverydesignermustcon-

tendwiththefactthathisorherclientis

workingwithinadifferentculture.

Bypurposelyseekingsolutionsfromfaraway

places,ourgoalistoamplifythesecultural

differences,toletadesignprocessmake

culturaldifferenceapparent.So,welook

foranswersfromoutsidetheelitecircles

ofstereotypicalthinktanks,becausewe

have realised that sometimes change

doescomefromunexpectedplaces.<

> LearnmoreabouttheGhanaThink

Tankhere.

EDUCATION

165 >

“Noteveryonecanbeagreatartist,butagreatartistcancomefromanywhere.”PeterO’Toole

Cannes,France.Hometomanygreatartists

andwherethecreamoftheworld’syoung

creativefraternitycompeteforthetitleofthe

bestCannesLionYoungCreative.

Stillintheirearly20s,artdirectorGreame

BettleandcopywriterRobertSelmer-Olsen,

fromJupiterDrawingRoom(JHB),createdan

adcampaignforJongaTrust,anorganisation

dedicatedtorestoringthequalityoflifelost

due to treatable visual impairment.This

broughtthemthehonourtorepresentSouth

Africaasfinalistsinthecompetition.

Greamesays:“ASouthAfricanteamhasnot

wontheinternationallegtodateandthat

wouldbetheultimateresulttodoourcountry

proud.”

Ad

cam

paig

nfo

rJon

gaT

rust

,cre

ated

by

Gre

ame

Bet

tle

and

copy

wri

terR

ober

tSel

mer

-Ols

en.

CANNESLIONYOUNGCREATIVECOMPETITIONByJoeKrenzer

“Noteveryonecanbeagreatartist,butagreatartistcancomefromanywhere.”PeterO’Toole

EDUCATION

167 >

andexcitingchallengesandachancetoexercise

thebitbetweenmyears.”

Robertexplainsthathealwayswantedtoworkin

acreativefield.“ItriedactingbutthoughtthatI’d

movetoadvertisinginthehopethatitwouldbea

morefinanciallystablecareer.Afterashortstintat

VegaJHBIstartedworkatPublicis.Ithenmoved

toJupiterinNovemberlastyearandthingshave

beenfantasticeversince.It’samazinghowfast

thingsmoveinthisindustry.”

Wouldyouconsideryourselftofollowaspecificstyleortrend?“Eachbriefcomeswith itsown

challengesandvisuallanguage.Butitdoeshelp

stayingintheknowofwhat’shotandcurrent–be

itthelatestYouTubevideosornewmediaavailable.

Justwhenyouthinkyouhaveseenitall,thereis

CANNESLIONYOUNGCREATIVECOMPETITIONByJoeKrenzer

ED>caughtupwiththesetwoyoungcreatives

justbeforetheyjettedofftoCannes.

Wheredidthisventurebeginandwheredidyoustudy?Greamesays:“Istartedoutdoing

adiplomacourseinadvertisingatVarsityCollege

butthatturnedouttofocusonaccountman-

agement,so IenrolledatVegaDurbanand

studiedunderagreatlecturer,GregTregoning,

whereIgotmydegreeasanartdirector.Iwas

thenofferedajobatJupiterDrawingRoomin

Johannesburg and has stayed there ever

since.”

“Wespendthemajorityofourlivesatwork

andwastingthatinanuninspiringjobseemed

suchawaste.Sothat’swhyIdecidedonaca-

reerinadvertising.Eachdaybringswithitnew

someoneintheagencywhowillfindsomething

fresh.TheWebhasbeengreatinthatsense;your

resourcesarevastandtheusersdictatetrends.

Notus,”saysGreame.

Whatinspiredyoutoenterthisparticularcam-paign?“Wewantedtofocusonthequalityoflife

youloseduetovisualimpairment.Wewereabit

worriedthattheeyechartwasclichéd,butatthe

sametimewewantedtokeepthemessagesimple.

Isupposethefinaloutcomewasahappymedium

betweenofsimplicityandcreativity,”saysRobert.

GreameexplainsthattheprocessfortheYoung

Lionswasprettyhectic.Theyhad48hourstopro-

ducetheentryfromstarttofinish.Althoughthat’s

notmuchdifferentfromsomecreativebriefsfaced

daily.ThebriefwasreleasedontheFridaymorning

andtheyhadtheweekendtobrainstormandcre-

atetheads.“Youhavetodotwopressadswhich

areeithertwodifferentadsortwoadsthatarepart

ofacampaign.It’sdauntingnotknowingwhether

you’regoingtolandonsomethinggreatorfind

yourselfinthelandofOKads,”saysGreame.“Then

comesthewaitingandwonderingiftheadswilldo

anythingandtryingtosecondguesswhatangles

otherpeoplemighthavetakenthatcouldbebetter

thanyours.”

“Themediumwasdictatedtousinthebrief.We

usedtheeyechartinavisualwhichrepresentthe

thingsyoulovethataregraduallygettingsmaller

tothepointthattheycan’tbeenjoyedanymore.

Allwehadtofigureoutwaswhatthesethings

wouldbe.”

Whatmessageareyouconveyingandwhowasyourtargetmarket?“It’sfrighteningtoknowthat

somepeopleinourcountryhavetreatablevisual

impairmentbutdon’thaveaccesstobasicmedical

careandsobelievetheyarepermanentlyblind.

Wetriedtoconveythatthisisaconditionthatis

verycommon,itcanbecuredandrequesteddona-

tionstohelpagoodcause.Wewereprimarilytar-

getingpeoplewithmoneytodonate.Thesecondary

marketwouldbethepeoplewitheyeproblemsto

createawarenessofavailabletreatment.”

Should design have a conscience and reflectsomethingaboutoursociety?Theresponsefrom

bothcreativeswasclear:“Thereisabigtrendto-

wardsdoingdesignthatactuallyhasapurpose.

Opposedtojustdoing‘pretty’work.Thenatureof

ourindustryispersuasiveandwetryandgetpeople

tobuy,soweshouldatthesametimegivebackto

thecommunity.Thisisagoodwaytousecreativity

tomakeadifferencetopeople’slivesthatveryoften

don’thaveavoiceoftheirown.Wethinkthatall

people who work with mass media should be

awarethattheyhaveahugeresponsibilitytowards

largeaudiences.”

According to Cannes Lion CEO PhillipThomas

“WinningtheYoungLionsCompetitionisahugely

rewardingexperiencethatwillchangeyourcareer

forever.”

Greamesays,“Wewouldlovetostanduponthe

internationalstageandreceiveamedal.Ithink

thatwouldbeatruecareerchanger.Inmyopinion

theSouthAfricanlegisjustthebeginning.It’s

theinternationalwinthatwouldmakeallthedif-

ference”.

Whenaskediftheyhadanyadvicetoyoungcrea-

tives,theybothrepliedthattherearesomany

SouthAfricandesignersthatarewellrespected

andhavereceivedinternationalacclaim.Youcan

alsofollowyourdreams,remaininspiredandat

thesametimenotforgettohavelotsoffunwhile

doingso.“Ifyouloveyourcraftit’llloveyouback.

Attimeofwriting,resultsoftheCannesLionsYoung

CreativesCompetitionwasnotyetreleased.<

168 >

EDUCATION

Vega The Brand Communications School, is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd which is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private further and higher education and

training institution under the Further Education and Training Colleges Act, 2006 (reg. no. 2009/FE07/003, prov. to 31/12/2014) and the Higher Education Act, 1997 (reg. no. 2007/HE07/002).

Turbo-charge your careerJozi: Durbs: iKapa:

The A to Z of Branding 25 - 26 Aug17 & 18 Nov

5 - 6 Aug15 & 16 Sept

25 - 26 Oct

Creativity and Innovation 1 - 2 Nov 7 - 8 Oct 6 - 7 Sept

Strategic Marketing for Thinkers

15 - 16 Sept 15 - 16 Sept 16 - 17 Aug

Principles of Strategic Thinking

Jozi: 12 Aug – 9 Dec

Contact our Vega Navigators to learn more about our career-enhancing progammes.

jhb 011 521 4600 • dbn 031 266 2595 ct 021 425 7591 • pta 012 342 4770

or visit www.vegaschool.com

SH

OR

T L

EA

RN

ING

PR

OG

RA

MM

ES

2 D

AY

BR

AN

D W

OR

KS

HO

PS

Jozi, Durbs & iKapa

Introduction to Conceptual Writing for Brands

7 Sept – 11 Nov

Digital Branding in the Innovation Economy

7 Sept – 11 Nov

Adobe Photoshop 25 Oct – 17 Nov

Adobe Illustrator 16 Aug – 8 Sept

Adobe Indesign 20 Sept – 13 Oct

Adobe Dreamweaver 17 Aug – 9 Sept

Adobe Flash 21 Sept – 14 Oct

Action Script for Flash 26 Oct – 18 Nov

170 >

DES

IGN

AC

HIE

VER

SA

LEA

DER

SH

IPL

AUN

CHP

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OU

NG

CR

EATI

VES

MichaelCraig,a22-year-oldinteriordesign

studentoftheDesignSchoolofSouthernAfrica

wonthisyear’sDesignAchieversaward.Michael

developedtheDry-Pod,aconceptforacom-

pactsheltertoprotecthomelesspeoplefrom

adverseweatherandotherconditions.The

DesignAchieversawardceremonywasheldat

MaropengattheCradleofHumankindonAfrica

Day,25May.

Atotalof18studentsfromvariousdesigndis-

ciplinestookpartinthisyear’sDesignAchievers

Awardscheme.Theschemeaimstodevelop

designleadershipamongstyoungdesigners

andhasbeenpresentedbytheSABSDesign

Institutesince1987.Thisyeareightdesign

studentsfromotherAfricancountrieswere

alsoincludedintheprecedingthree-day-long

workshops.

CHANGINGTHEFUTURETHROUGHDESIGN

InthelateeightiestheDesignAchieversAward

wasbornofthebeliefthatopportunitiesshould

becreatedforyoungdesignerstodefinethe

futureandtoprovethatSouthAfricaisacountry

withgreatcreativepotential.Thisinitiativeis

basedonthefactthatdesignleadershipwill

growtheindustryandthatthedesignleaders

oftomorrowwillbeinstrumentalinpromoting

andstimulatingourcountry’sdesign,innova-

tionandtechnologyindustries.

Formorethantwodecadesyoungpeoplefrom

avarietyofdesigndisciplineshavecometo-

gethertosharetheirdesigntalent,tolearnmore

abouttheworldofbusinessandtobenurtured

inacreativeenvironmentinordertobringout

thebestinthem.

ThethemeoftheDesignAchieversawardis

Hands-on,Minds-on,Hearts-on.Nominations

areinvitedfromalltertiarydesigninstitutions

inSouthAfrica.Studentssubmitadesignbusi-

nessconceptwhichcouldcontributetowards

solvingasocial,environmental,industrialor

cultural problem currently experienced in

SouthAfrica.Thewinner isselectedon the

strengthofhisorherleadershippotential,port-

foliowork,aswellastheviabilityofthedesign

businessconcept.

LEADERSHIPTOCHANGETHEDESIGNLANDSCAPE

Inherkeynoteaddressattheawardceremony,

DrBonakeleMehlomakulu,CEOoftheSABS

saidthattheDesignAchieversprogrammehas

provedtobesomuchmorethanwasinitially

anticipated.Shesaidthatsomeofthepast

DesignAchieverswinnersandnomineeshave

madeanindeliblemarkonthedesignland-

scape, both in South Africa and abroad.

“TherearethoseDesignAchieverswho’vebe-

comeoutstandingleadersintheirchosenfields;

othersagainhaveexcelledindesignoutput.

Othershaveachievedoutstandingentrepre-

neurshipanddiversity intheircareersand

thentherearethoseDesignAchieverswho

haveploughedbacktheirtalentsinthecom-

munitythrougheducationandsocialentre-

preneurship,”DrMehlomakuluadded.

MichaelCraig(top),winnerofthe2010DesignAchieversAward.Runner-up,ChadPeterson(left),presentinghisworktoDrBonakeleMehlomakulu,CEOoftheSABS.

EDUCATION

171 >

172 >

OneofthefeaturesofDesignAchieversisthat

theadjudicationpanelmainlyconsistofpast

DesignAchieverswinnersandparticipantswho

arewillingtogiveoftheirtimeandexpertise

toensurethatthewinnerandrunner-upare

worthyrecipientsoftheDesignAchieverstitle.

Theadjudicationprocessismulti-dimensional

andaimstoevaluateleadershipskills,entre-

preneurialpotentialanddesignandinnova-

tiontalent.Itconsistsofpersonalinterviews,

curriculumvitaeandportfolioevaluations,as

wellasareviewofgroupinteractionasthe

mainfoci.

The adjudicators also consider the design

businessconceptsrequiredbytheinitiative’s

brief,asameansofmeasuringnominees’in-

novationanddesignskillsandentrepreneuri-

alpotential.Forthisadjudicationcomponent,

nomineespresentdesignproposalswhich

couldcontributetowardsaddressingaspects

ofsocial,economic,environmentalorcultural

challengesoropportunities.Theseareidenti-

fiedbythestudentsthemselvesandarecur-

rentlyrelevantinSouthAfrica.

Thepanelin2010consistedofJacquesLange,

chairperson,whowastheDesignAchievers

winnerin1987.OtherpastDesignAchievers

onthepanelwereDonovanGoliath,Fatima

Cassim,KwameKhuzwayo,MonicaDiRuvo

andNickHlozek.Thepanelalsoconsistedof

academicanddesignindustryleaders,Mu-

gendi M’Rithaa, Sune Stassen andTendai

Mhiza,aswellassocioligist,MaryCreweand

industrialpsychologistMichelleMay.

AWORTHYWINNERANDRUNNER-UP

TheadjudicatorssaidthatCraigdisplayeda

thoroughunderstandingofhissocialroleasa

designerandthathewasmaturewithclearand

focusedgoals.MichaelwillrepresentSouth

Africanyoungdesignersataninternational

designworkshopinZsennye,HungaryinAugust.

Therunner-upwasChadPeterson(28),anindus-

trialdesignstudentfromtheCapePeninsula

UniversityofTechnology.ChaddevelopedRaw

Creatives,asetofbasictoolsthatwillempower

peopleininformalsettlementstomakefurniture

andotherproducts.Theadjudicatorssaidthat

Petersonwasadeterminedstudentwhowasnot

afraidofhardworkandthatheapproachedreal-

worldproblemswithunderstandingandmaturity.

TheotherparticipantsintheDesignAchievers

programmewereNomhleBooi(CapePeninsula

UniversityofTechnology),HeleneBotha(North

WestUniversity),SamanthaDavis(NelsonMan-

delaMetropolitanUniversity),ClaudiaGroene-

wald(InscapeDesignCollege,Pretoria),Helen

Haddad(CentralUniversityofTechnology),Jana

Langenegger (University of Stellenbosch),

SipiweMajaja(GreensideDesignCenter),Zamo-

kuhleMbuli(LindiweKuzwayoFashionAcademy),

LulamaNtentesa(DurbanUniversityofTechnol-

ogy),JamesRautenbach(InscapeDesignCollege,

Johannesburg),MicaelaReeves(Universityof

Pretoria),WendySchultz(DurbanUniversityof

Technology),HeidiSparks(BHCSchoolofDesign),

MagdaleenvanWykandAnjaWilkens(Nelson

MandelaMetropolitanUniversity)andThulisile

ZwaneoftheDurbanUniversityofTechnology.<

173 >

EDUCATION

NomineesinteractingwithexhibitsatMaropeng(farleft).ZamokuhleMbulidiscussingherworkwithDrBonakeleMehlomakulu(left).

NomineescapturingthespectacularviewsofPretoriaduringasitevisittoFreedomPark(farleft).PhotobyJanaLangenegger.

Nomineesinteracting

withexhibitsat

Maropeng(left).

2010Design

Achieversnominees

andvisitorsfrom

eightotherAfrican

countries.

174 >

AFRICANSTUDENTS

JOINTHECRÈMEOF

SOUTHAFRICANDESIGN

ACHIEVERS

BySunéStassen

175 >

EDUCATION

Overthepastfewyears,studentsfromotherAfrican

countriesareinvitedtojointheirSouthAfrican

counterpartsduringthethree-day-longworkshops

thatformpartoftheannualSABSDesignAchievers

awardscheme.Eventhoughtheyarenotpartofthe

adjudicationprocess,thevisitingstudentsmake

presentationsabouttheirworkandtheireducation

institutions.Yearafteryear,theorganisersfindit

overwhelmingthattheparticipatingAfricancoun-

triesthathavetheleastresourcesforfurtheredu-

cationdevelopyoungtalentwithanunbelievable

abilitytoberesourceful.Addthisqualityskilltoa

meltingpotofpassionanddeterminationand

whatyougetisawinningrecipeforatalentedfuture

workforcethatisequippedtodealwithanychallenge.

ThisyearwasnodifferentandtheSouthAfrican

studentshadalottolearnfromtheirAfricanpeers.

ED>caughtupwithtwooftheDesignAchievers

delegates–LynetteDiergaardtfromNamibiaand

CollinNgoniMedafromZimbabwe–tofindout

moreaboutthestatusofdesignintheirrespective

countries.

BackhomeLynetteDiergaardtnotonlyproduces

herownfashionrangebutsheisalsoresponsible

forthecreationofmostofherowntextiles,which

reallydifferentiatesthefashionworkshedoes

fromthatofherpeers.Continuouslyandtirelessly

experimenting,shecreatestextilesthattrulyadd

totheuniquelookandfeelofhergarments,which

isreallyextraordinaryforsuchayoungtalent.Na-

mibiastillhasalongwaytogointermsofcreativ-

ity,withthisonlybeingamotioninsidethewalls

oftheuniversity.Althoughtherearefewopportu-

nitiestogainexperienceoutsideoftheirstudies,

thestudentsareveryfortunatetobeeducatedby

topqualitylecturersanddesigners.

But,sometimeseventhelecturersarelimitedin

whattheycanofferduetoalackofstudentsora

lackofinterestincertaintopics,whichsometimes

resultsinthemonlycoveringcertainaspectsofa

module.Thusthestudentsdon’talwayshavethe

opportunitytogothroughthewholeprocessas

thoroughlyastheywouldliketo.Lynettesaysthat

sometimesyouwouldonlylearnacertaintech-

nique,whichyoucan’treallyexplorefurtherdue

to limited resources.“Namibiadoesn’t, for in-

stance,haveanindustrialscaletextilefactoryso

itisreallydifficulttofindemployment,specifically

inthisindustry.IalsobelievethatIhavealotto

learnfromthosewhohavebeenintheirtradefor

years.Iwouldreallyliketogoandworkinafac-

toryandworkmywayuptheindustryladder,but

itisnotpossibleformetodothis.So,nowIam

designingmyowntextilesandcreatingmyown

productsbecauseitistheonlywayIcanactually

marketmyfabrics.Ingeneral,asanindustry,we

arebasicallylefttoourowndevicesandyoucan

dowhateveryouwant,”explainsLynette.

DesignstudentsfromnineAfricancountries

participatedinthethree-day-longworkshops

whichformedpartofthe2010SABSDesign

Achieversscheme.

LynettesaysthatbecausetheUniversityofNa-

mibiadoesn’thavebigroomswherestudentscan

learnhowtoweavetheirownfabrics,theycanonly

learnthebasicsofsurfacedecoration,together

withlearningfeltingandweavingonaverysmall

scale.“Iwanttolearnalltheaspectsandproc-

essesofthetextileandfashionbusinesssothatI

canbeequippedandskillednomatterthedirec-

tionmybusinesswilleventuallytake.Itisimpor-

tantformetoalsounderstandalltheprocessesso

thatIcanonedaydoqualitycontrolandknow

whatisneededtoproducetopqualityproducts.

Wealldependonskilledpeoplefromavarietyof

sectorstoensureasuccessfulproductionline.”

AsinanumberofotherAfricancountries,many

qualifiedpeopleleaveNamibiatopursuetheircareer

somewhereelse.AccordingtoLynette,someof

themdoreturntoNamibiabuttheykeepaverylow

profile.“ThemostimportantdesignerinNamibia,

thatIamawareof,ismylecturer,MelanieHarte-

veldwhostudiedinSAbutcamebacktoNamibia.

Sheisdoingfantasticworkwithherstudentsand

she is trulysupportingus. In recentyearsshe

startedthePambiliAssociationwiththevisionto

haveastrongimpactonfuturedesigntraining,

mentoringandresearchinNamibiathroughnet-

working,exchangeopportunitiesandmuchmore.

Forheritisallabouteducatingandempowering

youngdesigners,craftersandyoungprofessionals

tobecomeaware,involvedandactiveinsocialde-

signissues.Ifindthismentorshipprogrammeex-

tremelyvaluable,”saysLynette.

Sofromauniversityangle,creativityseemstohave

averystronggroundingbutfortherestofNamibia,

welllet’sjustsaytheyhavealottowakeupto!

LynetteexplainsthatduringtherecentMissNamibia

contestitwasevidentthatNamibiadoesnothave

confidenceintheirlocaltalentastheysourced

SouthAfricandesignersforthisevent,certainlya

lesscosteffectiveexercise.Localdesignersstood

indisbelieveknowingthattheywouldhavealso

deliveredaqualityevent.

“Asadesigneritisreallyfrustratingwhenthereis

alackofconfidence,combinedwithalackofsup-

port,soforme,itwasawonderfulopportunityto

beinvitedtoparticipateinthe2010DesignAchievers

scheme.Thiswasachanceforustoseethatthere

arepeoplewhoreallycareandthatwanttosup-

portandhelpusinourcareers,withouthidden

agendas.Ilovelearningandwantedtomeetas

manypeopleaspossibleinmyfieldsothatIcan

gainasmuchknowledgefromthemasIcould.It

wasanamazingexperienceespeciallybecause

therewerepeoplefromalloverAfrica. Itreally

cameasasurpriseandIdidnotexpectallofusto

beonasimilarwavelengthespeciallybecausewe

allcamefromdifferenteconomies,socialstruc-

turesandpolitics,butwealljelledextremelywell

andthiswasaveryinspirationalexperience.”

Whenaskingherwhatvitalskillsshehasdeveloped

thatwillstandheringoodsteadinherprivateand

professionalworkethics,Lynette responds:“I

havewantedtobeafashiondesignerforavery

longtime.IknewthatIalsohadtotakebusiness

managementandaccounting.Eventhroughoutmy

yearsatuniversityandthroughmychoiceofwork-

shops,ImadesurethatIdevelopedmyknowledge

inmarketingandbusinessmanagement,together

withmycreativeskillswhichIhavealwaysfeltismy

strongsuite.Somepeoplehavealreadycomment-

edpositivelyonmybusinessproposals,soIde-

cidedtosetupmyownbusinessasIfeelcomfort-

ableandconfidentthatIcanreallygiveitago.”

176 >

LynetteDiergaardt’s

collectionofgowns

inspiredbythe

Renaissanceeraand

contemporaryNamibian

weddinggowns.

177 >

EDUCATION

ZimbabweanCollinNgoni

Medawithafewexamples

ofhiswork.

178 >

CollinNgoniMedaisasecondyearstudentat

theZimbabweInstituteofVigitalArts(ZIVA),

establishedin1999byacclaimeddesignerSaki

Mafundikwa.Today,againstallodds,ZIVAis

celebratingadecadeofdesignexcellence.

WhenspeakingtoCollin,itseemedthatthe

situationinZimbabwedidnotdifferfrommany

otherAfricancountries.Inhisopinion,thecre-

ativeindustryinZimisabit‘allovertheplace’.

Mostpeopleleavethecountryimmediatelyaf-

tertheygraduateandthechancesareslimthat

theywilleverreturn.Whentheydoreturnafter

manyyears it isevident that theyarecom-

pletelyoutoftouchwiththeirheritageandwill

tryandenforceastylethatisnottypicallyZim-

babwean.“Whichiswhywedon’tevenhavea

Zimbabwean‘lookorstyle’,”explainsCollin.

“Andevenifgraduatesdowanttostayafter

graduation,thepeopleinZimbabwehaveno

understandingabouttheimportanceofbrand

developmentandthecontributionthatdesign

canmakeforamoreprosperouscountry,hence

thereasonthatemployersdon’tseetheuseof

payingyouforwhatyouareworth.Thisinitself

forces young designers to pursue a career

elsewhere.”

Todevelopandgrowacreativeindustry,Collin

feelsthattheydohavesomesystemsinplace

butZimbabweseriouslyneeds toupgrade.

“Forinstance,Idon’tknowfromwhatcentury

ourcurrentprintingmethodsarefrom.Sowe

tendtoeitherdoourprinting inSAorout-

sourceittoothercountries.Peoplewilltake

advantageofourcurrentsituationandcharge

usastronomicamountsinUS$.So,whenyou

haveaclientthatneeds1000letterheadswe

areputintoareallytightspot–nottooutprice

ourselvesbutstilldelivertopqualityworkata

reasonableprice.And,weknowthatwearenot

goingtoearnmuchforourdesignbecausethe

peoplehavenoinsightintotheneedofabal-

ancingactbetweenourdesigncostsandtheir

printingcosts.Thereisalsonoappreciationfor

theresearchandeffortyouputintoajoband

thereforenoneedtoaddvalueintheeyesofthe

client.Theydon’tthinkthathavetopayforit.”

Nowit’saquestionof‘howcanthisambitious

youngtalenttakeonthisenormoustaskto

growanappreciationforthecreativeindustry

and,atthesametime,changeanation’sper-

ception?’Throughsmallbabysteps.“Ihave

starteda‘freebranding’project,throughwhich

Ihopewillbeabletoeducatetheclients.As

thesayinggoes:Startinyourownbackyard

firstandgrowitfromthere.Iintendtowork

throughthestreetofbusinesseswhereourde-

signschoolissituatedandofferthebusiness-

esafreebrandingproposition.Thisinitiative

couldprovideavehicletoeducatebusinesses

aboutthepowerofbrandingandItrulybelieve

thatoncetheyseethebenefitswewouldhave

plantedaverypowerfulseed.”

But,asweallknow,thereisaveryfineline

betweenthrowingyourweightbehindagood

courseandputtingavalueontheexpertise

youbringandthetimeyouspendbringingit.

Sometimesithasalottodowiththeabilityto

survivewithaverybasickit,“becauseevery-

thingissometimessodestitutethatweare

almostforcedtojustjumpinandthinkbasics

beforepay,”explainsCollin.

Thisyoungmanisseeingthe‘freebranding’

projectashisCSIprojectandawaytogive

backtohiscommunity.Healready,longbefore

hisstudies,registeredhisowncompanywhich

EDUCATION

179 >

180 >

dealtwithcomputers,untilhewantedtofocuson

graphicdesign.Uponre-establishinghiscompany

withafriend,herealisedhowlittleinterestandknowl-

edgetheZimbabweanpeoplehadfordesign.“Be-

causeofmyownappreciationfordesign,thissitu-

ationmotivatedthe‘freebranding’project,which

isreallysomethingIdooutsidethecompany.Soyes,

wedohavepayingclients.Asabrandingcompany

wewanttoshowappreciationanddevelopmentof

brands.Iguessinmyprivilegedpositionincom-

parisontoothers–Igetfood,Ihaveaplaceto

sleep–thismakesitaloteasierformetodowork

forfree.Isortofhavemorefavoursthantheneed

formoney,”explainsCollin.“SakiMafundikwahas

alsotaughtustolookafterourselves,tobecome

ajackofalltradesandtonotbeafraidtoexperi-

mentandtryoutotherdesignareas.”

OTHERAFRICANPERSPECTIVES

EmmanuelTwagirimana,fromRwanda,explains

howthe1994Genocideinhiscountrynegatively

impactedandaffectedtheexistingmanpowershort-

ageinallfieldsofexpertise.Rwandanowhasto

rebuildanewworkforceandisforcedtocallon

othercountriestosupplyexperts,especiallyinthe

fieldsofengineeringanddesignsectors.Theyare

strivingtodevelopaknowledge-basedeconomy

and have even sent students abroad to study

fieldslikeengineeringandsciencesothatthey

canbringtheskillsbacktotheircountry.

Inthemeantime,theKigaliInstituteofScienceand

Technology(KIST)isalsoseriouslyaddressingthis

issuethroughofferingavarietyofengineeringand

industrialrelatedcourseslikearchitecturaland

civilengineering,aswellasArtandHumanitystudies

thatincludedesign,jewelleryandmore.Withmostof

theirlecturerscomingfromneigbouringcountries,

likeKenyaandUganda,theyhavedecidedtoteach

indoublemediumsaddingEnglishastheirsecond

medium.“Ifyouworkacrossbordersandwithforward

thinkingcountriesthenyoucantakeyourskills

thereandcreateawinningteam,”commentedBongani

Ntombela,apastDesignAchiever.

AllenCharlisMuziki fromUgandaremindedus

throughhisownworkthatthepowerofcreativity

isstillusedforsocialcommentaryandawareness

campaignsandthatillustrationsandsketchescan

becomethevoiceofordinarypeople,amerepow-

erfulvehicletoeducateanation.

InKenya,MichaelKitutoMuiyatoldusthatitis

customtoplaceaqualifieddesignerinaleadership

positionlikeaprojectmanager,whichisprettyin-

terestingasmostpeopleconsiderdesignerstobe

nothingelsebut‘artyfarty’.ThelatestcrazeinKenya

isthenewlydevelopedanimationindustry,whichis

alreadyexperiencingaboom,especiallyafterthe

launchofTingaTingaTalesintheUK,soontobe

launchedinKenya.ProducedonlocationinKenyaby

TigerAspectProductionsinconjunctionwithHome-

boyzEntertainment,TingaTingaisaperfectexample

ofhowcreativitycanbeusedtopreservecultural

traditionsandstorytellingofrealAfricanstories.

ZophiaKukuaPalmer,ayoungstudentfromGha-

na,toldusthathercountryisworkingmoreand

moretowardsapplyingartanddesigntoeffect

changeandwillalsobelaunchingawardschemes

todrivethis.Inconclusionsheleftuswithherfa-

ther’swordsofwisdom:“Thinkingisyourcapital,

innovation isyourenterpriseandhardwork is

yoursuccess.”ThishasbeenZophia’spersonal

missionstatementeversince.

OtherdelegatesincludedRaymondAkorahfrom

NigeriaandSegametsiPortiaKapelefromBotswana.<

EDUCATION

17905_BG_Forethought_A4_v1.indd 1 27/05/2010 12:14

To recognise outstanding achievements in any area

of brand communication, advertising, communica-

tion design and experiential design, The Loeries

launched the Young Creatives Award initiative in

2007. To be considered a talented young individu-

al at the beginning of your career, you have to be

under the age of 27 and submit a portfolio of your

work. Two of the 2009 recipients awarded as the

best new emerging talents in SA, were announced

at the Loeries Awards in Cape Town. Both recipients

received a Gold Loerie plus an all expenses paid trip

to the international One Show in New York City.

Sanjiv Mistry, a copywriter from Ogilvy in Cape Town

and Jo van der Linde, art director from Net#work

BBDO, were the well deserving recipients. Shortly

after their return from NYC in May of this year, ED>

met up with these two jetsetters.

Not really knowing at the time that she could be

a future talent, Jo van der Linde only took Art as a

school subject because her teacher advised her

to. Needless to say, Jo received distinctions and

eventually decided to study at the AAA School of

Advertising.

When asked what exactly an art director at Net#work

BBDO does and what the day to day schedule on a

new project is, Jo explains: “As soon as I receive a

new brief it is my responsibility to conceptualise

an original idea for the advert, whether it be for TV

or print media. This process should ideally develop

in collaboration with a copywriter, followed by a

creative director’s review, before it is approved and

the final concept presented to the client. At the

moment I don’t have a copywriter, which prevents

me from working on bigger projects where team-

work is required.”

But, working for such a well-respected agency

will definitely stand her in good stead and having

already worked on big accounts like Nedbank,

Chicken Licken and Mercedes Benz can only pre-

dict an even greater future for this young talent

(View Jo’s portfolio here). “The best piece of work

I had the most fun working on was the Chicken

YOUNG CREATIVES

EMERGINGKEEP

182 >

By Suné Stassen

Licken campaign for 2009,” says Jo. “Even though the

brief was quite open, we still needed to communicate

to the public, that when ordering any of Chicken Licken

meals you have a choice between ‘Hot or Not’” (View

the ad here).

Sanjiv Mistry started off by gaining a BA Degree

from the University of Natal before he completed his

LLB through UNISA, whilst also working towards a

Copywriting Diploma at the AAA School of Advertis-

ing in Cape Town. Straight after college he began

working at The Jupiter Drawing Room as a junior

copywriter.

“Currently, I’m a copywriter at Ogilvy (Cape Town).

Together with my art director, Prabashan, I concep-

tualise ads and other communication campaigns for

our clients, helping them to engage with their target

audiences in meaningful, memorable ways. Prabashan

and I are just one of about 12 creative teams in the

agency. Our responsibilities include selling the ideas

to clients, as well as seeing the ideas through the

various stages of production,” says Sanjiv.

He explains that one of the great things about work-

ing at Ogilvy is the stature and range of clients they

have. He has personally worked on projects for huge

international brands like Volkswagen, Castrol and

Coca-Cola, as well as well-known local brands like

Old Mutual and The Sunday Times. “Clients are, I

suppose, the biggest difference between the real

working world and the student world. Sometimes, no

matter how right, how perfect or how revolutionary

you feel an idea may be, when the client doesn’t agree

with you you’re forced to shelve that thought and

come up with something else. You really need to have

a thick skin and learn to not take the rejection of an

idea personally.”

Last year they shot a commercial for the Volkswagen

Golf 6. It told the story of a cheetah who had to have

its leg amputated, but who still got to feel the thrill-

ing rush of being a cheetah by riding in Volkswagen

Golf (View the ad here). “The entire experience of

making that ad, from the brainstorming process to

the pre-production and selection of a director, to the

post-production and reception that the commercial

Jo v

an d

er L

inde

(lef

t) a

nd S

anjiv

Mis

try

(rig

ht).

EDUCATION

received,wassomethingthatI’llalwaystreasure.

Becauseeveryone,attheagencyandtheclient,

wereallonthesamepage,everythingseemed

tojustfallinplacewithlittlefuss.Iwishthat

happenedmoreoften,”saysSanjiv.

THEONESHOWINNYC

Whenaskedwhathisexpectationswereforthe

triptoNewYork,Sanjivsays:“Iwasextremely

excitedaboutgoingtotheOneShow.Relatively

speaking,veryfewawardsareactuallyhanded

out,sothestandardisexceptionallyhigh.Iwas

lookingforwardtoimmersingmyselfinthe

brilliantideasthatcityhadtooffer,together

withtheanything-is-possiblecultureofNew

York.”Hecontinues,“…morethananything,I’ve

learnedthatdigitalcommunicationistheepi-

centerofeverything.Sure,youcanstilldothe

occasionalamazingposter,billboardorradio

advert,butthewaythingsworkoverseasis

thatdigitalmedia(whetheronlineormobile)

formstheheartofthecampaignandevery-

thingelserevolvesaroundit.”

Josays:“…itcanbecomeextremelyover-

whelmingwithsomuchtoseeanddo.New

Yorkworksaroundtheclockandtrulynever

sleeps!Winningamoneyprizecannot

replaceexperiencinganothercountry–it

ispriceless!”

Shesaysthatapartfromseeinggreatwork

attheOneShow,herfavouriteexperiences

hadlittletodowithadvertising–theywere

tobefoundattheMuseumofModernArt

(MOMA).“WilliamKentridgehadanexhibi-

tionMoMA.Itwassoamazingtosee,that

Ihadgoosebumpswalkingthrough.Also,

184 >

CastrolOiljourneybillboard(toprow),copybySanjiv

Mistry.VWGolf6Cheetahad(centrefarleft).Biker

GangprintadforthenewGolf6(centre),copyby

SanjivMistryandPrabashanG.Pather.MusicaRock

R&Bposter.(above),copybySanjivMistry.Design

IndabaInteractiveTravelBrochure(left),copyby

SanjivMistryandLivioTronchin.

EDUCATION

185 >

MIGRATE Magazine (top). Chicken Licken Hot or Not campaign

(above). Art direction on both projects by Jo.

186 >

at MoMA was an exhibition by performance

artist Marina Abramović called The artist is

present (View the exhibition here). Before

this I never really knew what performance art

was about but Abramović made it quite clear

with her ‘oh so patient’ work.”

For Sanjiv this has been, without a doubt, one

of the most memorable experiences of his life

and career. “I would highly recommend enter-

ing The Young Creatives Awards. The prize of a

trip not only gives you the opportunity to see

and learn from incredible work, but affords

you the chance to explore the world as well. It

broadens your horizons and acts as motiva-

tion to strive for better and better ideas.”

When asked to comment on local advertising

schools, both Jo and Sanjiv agreed that insti-

tutions should prepare students better for the

workplace. They should be stricter and more

realistic with their deadlines. Giving far too

much time for one project is unrealistic be-

cause it creates unreal perceptions of what is

actually happening in the workplace. “The

graduates are not being prepared enough to

handle hectic deadlines and heavy work-

loads,” says Jo.

“Advertising schools need to be more strin-

gent in their assessment of ideas and their

students. Far to often, you see stale ideas lit-

tering student portfolios. Advertising stu-

dents also need to study advertising history,

because the only way to do something fresh

and new is to know what has already been

done,” concludes Sanjiv. <

2008 Loerie Award Annual (centre top).

Art Direction by Jo. Lenticular poster for

Ghost Pops designed by Jo (left). Cell C

Eco Diary designed by Jo (above).

187 >

EDUCATION

AR

OA

DT

RIP

TON

EIG

HB

OU

R

STA

RD

OM

RobertoMillan,TuksInformationDesign

graduateandcurrentlyamaster’sstudent

attheUniversityofStellenbosch,recently

wonaccoladesforhisseriesofautobio-

graphicalcomicstrips,HelloNeighbour.Robertoshareshistrainofconsciousness

whenitcomestocomics–fromnarration

toproductionandthetheorythatunder-

scoresthisartform.

AroadtripdowntotheEastCoastfromPretoria

neverseemedhalfasbadasthecommutewayward

totheWesternCape.Familiarlongbarrenstretches

ofearthextendingfromhorizontohorizon.Anar-

row,grey-gravelledcruxwherenaturemeetsthe

roadandanimalmeetsitsmaker(moreoftenthan

notinstiffenedreposeandbloodyprofiles).“Thank

GodI’vegotsomethingtoread,”Isaidtomyself,

thoughreadingwouldneverbethesameagain.Not

withmydad.AtleastnotinAfrikaansanyway.It

wasonlyaweekearlierthatSuzetteSnyman,an

illustrationlecturerinmyundergraduatestudiesat

Tuks,hadlentmeanunpublishedmanuscriptofMyMawas‘nMooiVrou.Themanuscriptwasanun-

editedversionofpreviousmaster’sstudent,Karlien

deVilliers’swork.Thebookencompassedanauto-

biographicalcomicofherlifegrowingupinwhite

apartheidSouthAfrica,theemphasisbeingonher

life,andnotapartheid.

MyinterestingraphicliteraturegoesasfarbackasWinniethePooh,DrSeuss,RoaldDahlandQuentin

Blake.Nottomentionthoseincrediblydetailed

Marvelcardstheyusedtosellinsexy,goldalumin-

iumpackagingatCNAcountersacrossthecountry.

Irememberthebiographiesofcharactersonthe

backofeachcardwithdetaileddescriptionsofthe

character’slifehistory,methodofincarnationand

powerspecs.OnelearntmoreabouttheX-Menthroughmerchandisingandthecartoonseriesthan

throughthecomicsfromwhichtheyoriginated.

188 >

By

Robe

rto

Mill

an

HelloNeighbourbyRobertoMillan.

EDUCATION

189 >

Penc

illed

layo

uts

oftw

ofr

ames

from

Hel

loN

eigh

bour

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Rob

erto

Mill

an.

190 >

Moreimportantly,theseproductsonlyperpetuated

thestereotypethatcomicsweremeantforkidsand

thattheadultmarketonlyconsistedof‘fan-boys’

livingvicariouslythroughsuper-heroversionsof

themselves.

Onecouldarguethatthegraphicnovelwaseventu-

allyable to legitimise itselfasa literarygenre,

championedbyseminalgraphicnovelistssuchas

WillEisnerandArtSpiegelmanthroughoutthe60s

and70s.Thequestionremainswhatexactlywould

begetamoreadult-orientatedpieceofworkwithin

thefieldofgraphicnovels?Couldsuchapieceof

literatureconstitutealegitimateliterarywork?I

darenotmentiondetectivecomics,vomics(horror

comics)orimagesofhalf-cladAmazoniansrunning

violentlytowardsthereaderwithsharpenedspears

andatemperamenttomatch.Althoughthesecom-

icscanbeconsideredmoreadult,theystillfalluna-

bashedlywithinthetargetmarketofthepost-pu-

bescentfan-boy.

Myinterestincomicscertainlydoesn’tuseitsdis-

positioninthepasttoplayonpreviouslystereo-

typedconceptionsofhowcomicsaremeantfor

kids.ControversialcomicsartistssuchasRobert

CrumbandtheBitterkomixcrewalreadymadetheir

pointwhentoy-toyingwithshock-valuestereotypes

regardingsexandraceintheirrunforthemoney.I

believetheascentofthegraphicnovelintothefield

ofliterarylegitimacyliesfirmlywithinthegenreof

non-fictionandautobiography.

Itisthroughautobiographicalrepresentationthat

ArtSpiegelmanwontheexaltedPulitzerPrizein

1992forhisHolocaustnarrativeMaus(Volume1).

BothvolumesofMaustelltheremarkablestoryof

Spiegelman’sparents’survivaloftheNaziregime

andbecamefamousforitsportrayalofJewsasmice

andNazisascats.Theworkislargelybiographical

astheartistanchorsthenarrativethroughaseries

ofone-on-oneinterviewswithhisfatherVladek.

Whatmakestheworkevenmoreinterestingisthe

mannerinwhichSpiegelmanbringsthenarrative

full-circlebyillustratingtheconversationsbetween

him and his dad. It’s important to realise that

Spiegelmanistellinghisfather’sstorythroughhis

owneyes.Maususesautobiographicalstorytelling

bywayofcomicstotellwhathasbeenclassifiedas

oneofthesinglemostimportantgraphicnarratives

nexttoJoeSacco’sPalestine.TheSchindler’sListof

comicsonecouldsay.

MyHelloNeighbourformspartofaseriesofauto-

biographicalcomicstripsthatreflectonmylifeasa

child,thedomesticissuesthatcamewithitandmy

Mediterraneanheritage(myname–RobertoMillan

–saysitall).Itwasanordinarilybalmysummeraf-

ternoonbymanystandardsandwe’djustarrived

backfromlunchoutwiththefamily.Rufus,thenext-

doorneighbour’sfriskydachshund,wascaughtred-

handeddoingthenastywithHoney,thefamilyLab-

rador. It was through the same crack in the

neighbour’swallthatIrene(oneofmysister’sclos-

est friendsat thetime)wouldoccasionallyslip

through,stopandaskforpasta.

HelloNeighbourismadeupoftenframes,each

carefullyplannedinthreeseparatestagesofpro-

duction.Ihaddocumentedthememoryinmyjour-

nalyearsback,andfinallyfoundtheopportunityto

startillustratingitnearthebeginningof2009.The

frameshadfirstbeenconstructedasawrittenscript

wheresequencesweredeterminedbyafixeddia-

logueandnarrative.

Onceascripthadbeenproduceditwaspossibleto

moveontothesecondstageoftheprocesswhere

basiclayoutsofeachframecouldbeplannedand

roughlyillustratedfrommemory.Ihadaveryclear

senseofwhere,whenandwhatwashappeningat

thetimeoftheexperienceandonlyneededtorun

throughtwoorthreecompositionalpencillayouts

beforeillustratingthefinalpencilrenderingindetail.

EDUCATION

191 >

Referenceimageswereusedforcertainobjects

suchascertaintypesofplantsinourgardenatthe

time,ortheinsideofmyfather’scar.

Thefinalstageinvolvedtheinkingofthework.Iwas

fortunateenoughtogetmyhandsonsomesquare-

tippedcalligraphicpens.What’sgreataboutthose

pensisthattheyprovideforadynamicbrushstroke.

Youcan’tfakeagoodbrushstrokebycolouringitin,

soitmadesensetouseapenthatwouldmakeink-

ingtheworkjustasfunaspencillingit.

PierrevandenHeuvesalignshisdefinitionofthe

reader-authorcontractwiththenotionthattheau-

thor,throughthecreationofanautobiographical

text,setsouttomakehimselftheprotagonistofa

narrative,ifnotcombininghisrolesasanarrator

andmaincharacter.Communicationthatusually

occursbetweencharacters inanarrative isad-

dresseddirectlytothereaderasaresultandit’sthe

ambiguitybetweennarratorandprotagonistthat

encouragesadialoguebetweenthereaderandan

autobiographicaltext.

Researchalsosuggeststhatthereadingofcomics

requiresactiveparticipationontheviewers’part.

Whereanimationandfilmonlyrequireareader,

comicsdemandadifferentsortofreaderinvolve-

ment.Thissuggeststhatcomicsextendsitselfbe-

yondtheboundariesofviewingandmarksanac-

tiveshifttowardsreadingandinterpretation.The

resultisthattherelationshipbetweentheaudience

andthecreatorisaffected,aswellastherateat

whichinformationisacquired.Autobiographical

representationwithincomicsholdsauniquedispo-

sitionintermsofitspotentialasademocraticnar-

rativeartformwhereparticipationandviewerin-

volvementallowforalevelofintimacythatisn’t

presentinalternateliterarymodes.

I’dalwaysstruggledwiththetaal[language]and

regrettednotbringingalonganEnglish-Afrikaans

dictionary. A cheeky play of “What does this

mean?”and“Itmeansthat”.Iwasn’tusedtoread-

inginthiswayandneitherwasmydad.“Readthe

sentenceagain,”he’dsay.“I’mnotsureRob.Sayit

again?”Coincidentally,Mymawas‘nmooivroulargelydealtwiththeestrangedrelationshipbe-

tweentheauthorandherfather.I’dhopedmyfa-

therwouldn’tpickuponit,butifmyAfrikaanswas

anythingtogoby,he’dfiguredoutboththeauthor’s

storyandmine.

ABOUTROBERTOMILLAN

RobertograduatedwithaBAInformationDesign

degreefromtheUniversityofPretoriaandiscur-

rentlycompletinghisfinalyearofMPhilinVisualArts

(Illustration)attheUniversityofStellenbosch.He

alsoworkspart-timefortheCCIBA(CentreforComic,

IllustrativeandBookArts–www.cciba.sun.ac.za)as

projectassistantandwebsitemanager.

ABOUTCCIBA

Foundedin2009,theCCIBAisaninterdisciplinary

research,teachingandserviceinstitutebasedin

theDepartmentofVisualArtsattheUniversityof

Stellenbosch.TheCentreisinvolvedinthedevelop-

ment,promotionandteachingofthevariousdi-

mensionsofcomicart,illustrationandbookart.

TheCentrealsoaimstoextendandconsolidatethe

workundertakenbyanumberofparallelandre-

latedinitiativesthathavetakenplaceoverthelast

fiveyears:TheComicsBrewFestivalofInternational

ComicArt;theTransAtlant-inkexhibitionandthe

YoungCartoonistProject;theStellenboschUniversity

DepartmentofVisualArtsprogrammeandMPhilin

VisualArts(Illustration);theestablishmentatthe

UniversityofStellenboschLibraryofaSpecialCol-

lectionofComicArt;theDurbanCartoonProject;

andtheIgubuComicsProjectinCapeTown.<

192 >

EDUCATION

www.nac.org.za

194 >

195 >

EDUCATION

KATEMOROSS’GUIDETOFREELANCINGBySarahStewart

KateMorossisadesignerandartdirectorwho

wasinitiatedintothedesignworldduringherBA

GraphicDesignstudiesatCamberwell,University

oftheArtsinLondon.Itwasduringheruniversity

yearswhenshewasdesigningbandpostersfor

clubsthatshelandedherfirstmajorclient–a

Cadbury’sbillboardcampaignusedacrossBritain.

ThiswasthestartofgreatthingsforKate.Shewas

eagertofinishherstudiesandhavemoretimeto

dedicatetotheworkthatwasflowingin.Shehas

sincedesignedcampaignsandadvertorialsfor

Nike,Vogue,VirginMobile,PepsiandDiesel.

Kateisinvolvedinmanymultidisciplinaryprojects.

SheistheowneranddirectorofISOMORPHRecords

whosignbandsandreleaselimitededitionvinyl

records,shehasasignatureclothingrangeatTop-

shop,hasasignatureKateMorossrangeofproducts,

hasopenedatemporarypop-upshopwithother

youngdesigners,regularlydesignsmusicvideos

forthemusiciansonherlabelandisnowrunning

herowndesignfirmWEAREISO.Andsheisonly

23yearsold!

InaninterviewwithED>,wunderkindKateshared

somepracticaladviceonworkethics,business

196 >

practiceandlegalissuesforstudentsand

youngdesignerswhoplantoworkasfree-

lancers.

PHILOSOPHY

Kate’sphilosophyiscentredontheidea

thatdesignshouldbeinclusive,notex-

clusiveandshearguesthatasaconsumer

herself,shelikescommercialproductsto

bewelldesigned.Whenitcomestochoos-

ingyourclients,Kate’sadviceistonot

imposeyourideasontoaprojectbutin-

steadselectworkthatyoubelievein.

PRACTICALADVICE

Takeresponsibilityforyoureducationbe-

foreandafteryourtertiaryyears.Univer-

sityprovidesaplatformforlearningwhere

youwillnotbespoon-fed.Takeeveryoppor-

tunitytoaddtoyourbodyofknowledge

anddevelopyourskills.Useyourtimeat

universitytogrowyourportfolioandex-

perimentwithideas,typefaces,colour

palettesandmore.

Ifyouhavealreadybeguntotakeonfree-

lanceworkwhilestudying,continueafter

youhavefinishedyourstudies.However,

itiswisetoworkforacorporatecompany

foraperiodoftimetolearnhowthebusi-

nessworks.Whileworkingforacompany,

paycloseattentiontohowbusinessisrun

sothatyoucandevelopasoundunder-

standing.Onceyoufeelconfidentwith

workoperations,minimiseyourworkhours

toapart-timebasisandstarttakingon

freelancework.

Interningatafewcompanieswillmost

likelytellyouwhatyoudonotwanttodo

andthisisgoodtoknow.Tryeverythingyou

thinkmayfulfilyouanddothiswhileyou

areyoung.Stayhungrytolearn.

Onceyouhavestartedfreelancing,re-

searchaprojectandbethoroughlypre-

paredoneveryaspectofit.Activelysearch

forexperiencedpeopleinindustryandask

theiradvice.Askthemspecificquestions

asthesearemucheasiertoanswerand

willbemorebeneficialtoyou.

Behonestwheninformingaclientofthe

servicesyouoffer.Specifywhatyoucan

doandneversayyoucandosomething

ifyouarenotconfidentaboutdoingit.

Beopen-mindedandread!KatesitesKeith

Haring,JohannesItten,JosefAlbers,Sol

Lewitt,StevenPinker,MalcolmGladwell,

RolandBarthesandSusanSontagas

thescientists,thinkersandwriterswho

inspireherthemost.

WORKETHICS

Beingpunctualanddevelopingagood

workethicarethetwomostimportant

characteristicsafreelancercandevelop.

Theydonotcomenaturallyandhavetobe

workedon.Bediligentandworkhard.

Eventhoughyoumaybeaone-manshow,

yourclientswillexpectyoutohavethe

necessarysoftware,toanswerthephone,

tohaveworkdoneontime,toreturnemails

andtoalwaysbeabletomakemeetings.

197 >

EDUCATION

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198 >

Whenacceptingaprojectproposal,talk

totheclient,understandfullywhathis/her

expectationsare,probethemwithques-

tions,thentalktoexperts,thinkabout

theproposal,writeitdown,understandit

fullyandthenbegintodraw.

BUSINESSPRACTICE

HavingaInternetpresenceisnecessary,

butseeingthateveryonehasawebsite

today,onehastoworkalotharderto

securework.Katesaysthatthemajority

ofherworkcomesfrommeetingpeople

andword-of-mouth.Oneneedstobecome

awareofnetworking.Donotbecomeabra-

zen,overbearingpromoterofyourselfbut

confidentlysharewhoyouareandwhat

youdo.Theboundariesbetweenfriends

andclientscanoftenbecomeblurred.

Katerepresentsanewbreedofprofession-

alswhoselifeisworkandwhoseworkis

life.Individualslikehersharethephiloso-

phythatlifeistooshorttospendsomuch

timeworkinginajobyoudonotenjoy.

The negative aspects of working for

yourselfareunreliableincome,stress,

mania,paceandthefactthatyoudonot

haveanyguaranteesorsupportstruc-

ture.Therefore,itisagoodideatocre-

ateachannelforaccessinghelpandas-

sistance when needed. Never be too

proudtoaskforhelp.

Thepositiveaspectsofworkingforyourself

includethepossibilityofmoney,excitement,

travel,flexibletimeandtheluxuryofbe-

ingyourownboss.

Katehasfoundthattheonlydifference

betweenworkingforabigorasmallcom-

panyisthattheirattitudesdiffer.The

processthatshefollowswhentacklinga

projectdoesnotdiffer.

COSTING

Askclientswhattheirbudgetis.Therewill

beoccasionswhentheywillnotwantto

disclosethisinformation.Iftheydo,how-

ever,youneedtoadvisethemwhetherthe

amountistoohighortoolow.Behonest.

Whenyoustartfreelancing,chargealow

priceandinsomecases,whentheexpe-

riencewillbebeneficialtoyouoryourport-

foliooryouareservingaphilanthropic

organisation,workforfree.Slowlybuild

upyourfeesasthedemandforyourwork

increases.Increasingyourrateshouldbe

proportionaltothedemandforyourwork.

Whenworkingoutyourfeeyouneedto

consideralldisbursementcostsaddi-

tionaltoyourlabourcost.Disbursement

istheexpenseofrunningyourofficeand

wouldincludeyourmaterials,printing,

electricity,cleaningstaffandmore.Factor

inthelocationwhereyouwork–whether

itispartofyourhomeoraseparateoffice.

Therearevariouswaysthatyoucancharge

foraproject.Anhourlyfeeiswhenthe

designerchargesasetrateforthetime

199 >

EDUCATION

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201 >

EDUCATION

actuallyspentworkingontheproject.Afixed

flatorstipulatedfeeiswhenthedesignerand

clientagreeonthedesignerdoingworkfora

specifiedamountofmoney.Fixedfeeissetto

fixedeventsandcoversyouforchangesthat

mightbemadetothefinishedwork.Thede-

signermustaccuratelyestimatethenecessary

timeandoverheadsexpectedfortheproject.

Thiscanbedifficultifthescopeofworkisnot

clearlydefined.Defineclearlywhattheproject

entailsi.e.whatyouthedesignerisresponsible

for.Youwillfindthattherewillbesomejobs

that you work a lot harder on for the same

amountofmoneyasaneasierjob.Kateadvises

thatgraphicdesignersaskfor50%upfrontand

50%ondeliveryofwork.Knowwhatyouneed

toearneachmonthandworkhardtodoubleit.

LEGALISSUES

Registerasself-employedandemployanac-

countanttofileyourannualtaxreturn.

Katebeganworkingwithoutpre-agreedcon-

tractsandsaysthatwhile90%ofherclients

havebeentrustworthy,shedidhaveabadex-

perience,whichlefthertolearnthehardway.

Acontractisasafetymeasureforboththede-

signerandtheclient,asneitherpartywantsto

betakenadvantageof.Whenanindividualor

companyacceptsyourproposalyouneedto

sendthema letterofappointment thatwill

statewhoyouareasthedesignerandwhothe

individualorcompanyisthatisemployingyou.

Theletterisaddressedtotheindividualwho

willberesponsibleforpayingyourfee.Thelet-

terwilldefinewhatthescopeofwork,bywhat

dateitwillbecompleted,howmuchthework

willcostandhowmuchandonwhatbasisthe

designerwillbepaid.Theletterwillbeaccom-

paniedbyaseparatedocumentthatdictates

the conditions of engagement or terms of

agreement.Bothpartiesandawitnessmust

signthese.

Conditionsofengagementwillincludeaclause

thatreferstocopyrightandwouldstatethatall

designworkremainspropertyofthedesigner

unlesstheclientbuysthecopyright.Theclient

hastherighttotheuseofandbenefitfromau-

thorisedcopiesofthework.Asecondaryclause

willstatethatthepaymentofthefeesmustbe

made30daysonreceiptofinvoice.Primeinter-

estrateswillbechargedforanyoverdueac-

counts.

KateMorossfindsfulfilmentincreatingvisual

designthathasaconceptualfoundationanda

consideredaestheticthattogethersuccessfully

communicateanarrative.Doyoulovewhatyou

doenoughtowakeupeverymorningandwork

foryourself?<

AllimagescourtesyofKateMoross.

CANARTY-FARTYDRIVEAMASERATI?Youareyoung,passionateandfearless.Youhavejustcompletedyourstudiesandyoudreamofbeingaworldfamousdesigner.Butnevermindyourdreamjob,findinganyjobishardenoughasitisandtheaddedpressurefromyourfamilytostartearningalivingdoesnothelp.Sowhataboutthetrendofcombiningcreativitywithsoundbusinessskills?

202 >

CANARTY-FARTYDRIVEAMASERATI?Youareyoung,passionateandfearless.Youhavejustcompletedyourstudiesandyoudreamofbeingaworldfamousdesigner.Butnevermindyourdreamjob,findinganyjobishardenoughasitisandtheaddedpressurefromyourfamilytostartearningalivingdoesnothelp.Sowhataboutthetrendofcombiningcreativitywithsoundbusinessskills?

ByWeyersMarais.

EDUCATION

203 >

204 >

AccordingtoBruceNussbaum,aformereditorat

BusinessWeekanddesignthinkingadvocate,crea-

tivityisTHEcorecompetencytoday.Hesaysthat

designcanbethebottomlineforbusiness.Nuss-

baumisnottheonlyexpertwhoholdstheviewthatthe

designskillsyouhavelearntatvarsityareinfacta

primecommoditytoday.

WhilestillinvarsityIdecidednottogoandlookfora

jobbutrathertoestablishmyowndesignbusiness.

Ihadtofindamentorwhocouldhelpmedevelop

differentlifeskillsfromthoseIdevelopedatvarsity.

DuringmyfirstconsultationwithMurryKilgour,my

businesscoach,heaskedmewhatmystrengths

were.AfterextensiveresearchonMarcusBuckingham

andDonaldO.CliftonwhowrotethebookNow,Dis-

coverYourStrengths,concludedthateveryperson

possessesacollectionofstrengthsstrungtogether

withuniquenuances.Throughoutthebooktheyem-

phasisethattheworld’sparadigmofworkingwith

strengthsandweaknesses isbackto front:The

worldsaysthatyoushouldrecogniseyourweak-

nessesanddoyourbesttoimprovethem.Theauthors

say,though,thatweshould,infact,ratherfocus90%

ofourtimestrengtheningourstrengthsandaslittle

aspossibletimeonourweaknesses.Justoutsource

them.Theyalsosaythatyourstrengthsarealigned

withyourpassionand,therefore,workingwithin

yourstrengthsiswhereyouwillbehappiest.You

canjustlookatwhatyouarepassionateaboutto

knowwhatyoushouldbefocussingon.Myfirstses-

sionwiththecoachtaughtmethatthisisafunda-

mentalpointofentrythatcanmakethedifference

betweenchasingasalaryandchasingapassion.

Discoveringyourstrengthsisincrediblyempower-

ingandoffersrevelationsaboutyourselfandyour

potential,butthisisonlythebeginningifyouwant

tobea‘lifelonglearner’(anindustrytermwhichhas

becomemainstreamduringthepastdecadeorso).

Aftervarsitylifespeedsupdrasticallysoyouhaveto

beopentolearnandatthesametimestayontrack

withthedemandsoftheindustry.Nextupisthe

designmap.Nope,notthejobmarket,thedesignmap.

Nussbaumalsomadethestatementthat“designis

all-encompassing”.Thissuggeststhatthedesign

industryislargeandfindingyouridealspotinit

couldbeagreatchallenge.Ihavefoundagreattool

tonarrowthissearch.

Forthepurposeofestablishingdesignrecognition,

theEuropeanDesignTrainingIncubator(edti)has

drawnupacomprehensivemapofthedesignin-

dustry–allonasingleA4.Whileoriginallydesigned

torepresentthefullscopeofdesignanditsvalueto

thebusinesssector,thismapcanalsobehelpfulto

designers.Oncewebecomemorefamiliarwithour

strengthswecanusethemaptofindwherewe

couldpossiblyfitintoandplayaroleinthedesign

industry.Themapisdividedintothreeparts:do-

main,specialitiesanddeliverables.Nowitbecomes

clearwhywehavetoknowourstrengthsbeforewe

jobhunt,becausejustasthemapillustrates,you

don’tgostraightfromdomainintodeliverableun-

less you know what your specialities are. New

knowledgeaboutyourstrengthsandpassioncan

helpyounavigatethemaptoaplacewhereyou

couldbehappiestandmostproductive.WiththisI

don’tsuggestitisanyeasiertofindyourplace,but

the map from edti certainly eliminates a lot of

guessingandunnecessarybranchingoutonthe

waytodoingwhatyouarepassionateabout.

Bynowyouareprobablysaying,“enoughwithall

thepreparation,Ithoughtit’stimetomakesome

money”!Well,thetoughestlessonI learntafter

startingmybusinessisthatifyoudonotunder-

standthevaluethatyouaddyouwillsellyourwork

205 >

EDUCATION

andservicesatthewrongprice.Suchaventurecan-

notbecost-effectiveorsustainable.Whendiscuss-

ingthevalueofdesign,Nussbaumreferstoitas“the

newbottomlineofbusiness”.Inotherwords,where

themainfocusofbusinesshastraditionallybeen

profit,Nussbaumsuggeststhatdesigncanbeofso

muchvaluetoyourbusinessthatitshouldbecon-

sideredasyourbusiness’sbottomline.

Inaspecialreportregardingthevalueofdesign,

HelenWaltersquotesafewprominentdesigners

anddesignbusinesspeopleontheirviewsabout

thevalueofdesignforbusinessastheyhaveexpe-

riencedit.IDEOpartnerDiegoRodriquez’sviewis

that“goodbusinessarisesfromadesign-centric

processthatincorporatesmarketing,researchand

ideas”.ThispointsupportswhatNussbaumsays

aboutdesignasabottomline.

RKSDesign’sRaviSawhneyandDeepaPrahalad

mentionfourareaswheredesigncancreatevaluefor

business:“Understandingtheconsumer,mitigating

risk,boostingmarketingandbranding,aswellas

drivingsustainablebusinesspractices.”Ifyouput

SawhneyandPrahalad’swordsintodesignlanguage

youmightunderstanditbetter:Inthedesignproc-

essweconsidertheenduser(marketingandunder-

standingtheconsumer),wedoresearchonmateri-

als,processes,costandthesocialandenvironmental

AselectionofWeyersMarais’Lampswhichhave

becomethesignaturepiecesforhisdesignbusiness.

206 >

Therearemanydesignmanagementblogsavailable

ontheInternetandtheyareallinagreementthat

designhasanincrediblyvaluableroletoplayin

business.Ifbusinessesperformbecauseofvalue

added through design, then there is potential

growthfortheeconomyatlarge.Theedtiwases-

tablishedasaplatformforsharingresourcesand

ameetingplaceforpartnersinEuropetobench-

marklearningindifferentareasofdesign.Theedti

understandsthatdesignhasthepotentialtoboost

theeconomyandisthereforeinvestinginthede-

velopmentofdesigneducationthatwillproduce

futuredesignerswhocanaddvaluetobusiness.

Theyalsounderstandthatforthistohappen,de-

signersneedtobeabletocommunicatewiththe

businesssectorandunderstandbusinessprac-

tice.

Thisbringsmetomynextandfinalpoint:Howde-

signersrelatetobusiness.

Thepotentialvalueofdesigninbusinessisusu-

allyunderestimated.Itistimeforusasdesigners

tojointhebusinessworld.IknowthatBusiness

Studiesisusuallynotourfavouritesubject,butit

isperhapsthemost important thanyouthink.

Giveitachance,youmightjustfinditfascinating!

Developingtheskillstosuccessfullyreadyourtar-

getmarket,producingtopqualityproductsand

servicesandstrategisingyourbusinessaccord-

inglyshouldbeanenergeticandpassionateven-

ture.Shortlyafterstartingmyowndesignbusi-

nessjust11monthsagoIlearntthatIcan’tjust

wingitwithmycreativityandpeopleskills.“Crea-

tive,technicalandbusinessskillsarethevitalin-

gredientsweneedforasuccessfulstudio.Yes,we

dodifferfromotherbusinessesbecauseofourpri-

maryskill;creativity.Talentisnotalwaysenough

impactofourdesign(researchandsustainable

practice),andwegenerateamultitudeofoptions

fordesignsolutionsthroughacreativeprocess

(ideasandopportunities).

Theoneareatheymentionandwhichisperhapsmost

familiartocommunicationdesigners,isbranding.

Brandingfocusesonthecorporateidentityand

entrenchmentofthevaluesystemsofabusiness

ofwhichjustonedimensionistheorganisation’s

logo.Let’stakethebrandvalueofawell-knownSA

brandlikeWoolworths.

WoolworthsrecentlyappointedVinceFrost,aworld-

renownedAustraliandesignerastheirnewcreative

director.Frostwasappointedspecificallywiththe

taskofevolvingandoverseeingtheimplementa-

tionofthenewWoolworthsbrand.Whencomparing

theoldandthenewWoolworth’slogos,itisimmedi-

atelyevidentthatsimplechangestoalogohavethe

powertorepositionabrandintheconsumermarket.

Itisfairtosaythataseeminglysimplecreativeappli-

cationcanhaveadisastrousorprofitableeffectona

business.ComparingtheoldandnewWoolworths

logoswecanrecognisetheoldidentityassophis-

ticatedandclassic.Inkeepingwithchangingtimes

ithasevolvedintoamoremodernbrandthatre-

mainssophisticated.Otherwell-knownbrandslike

Puma,AdidasandLevi’scanberecognisedinan

instant.Removingtheiruniqueidentitywouldbe

adisastertothesebrandsandbusinesswould

certainlysuffer.

Creativityanddesignarealotmorepowerfulthan

usuallyrecognised.Wearetalkingaboutthebot-

tomlineofbusiness;asuccessfullogoandbrand

identitywillincreasetheprofitmarginsbecause

theirconnectionwiththeirtargetmarketisspot-on.

207 >

EDUCATION

toensuresuccess.Ifyoureallydon’thaveaninter-

estinbusinessthenitwouldbeverywisetomake

surethatyousurroundyourselfwithpeoplewho

canaddfurthervaluetothebusiness.Weneed

technologytoexecuteourcreativityandweneed

businessskillstomakea livingandtohelpus

manage the creative/technical process,” says

GregBranson,presidentoftheDesignBusiness

CouncilinAustralia.Thismeansthatalthoughitis

allgoodandwelltoknowthedesignprocessand

beabletoapplycriticalthinking,wewillonlyever

chasesalariesorlivefromjobtojobunlesswecan

supplementtheseskillswithbasicbusinessskills.

InashortarticleonacreativebusinessBranson

elaboratesonwhatheseesastherequiredbasic

businessskillsfordesigners.Hesaysthatweneed

tobeabletodistinguishbetweenclientsandfind

thosewhoarebestsuitedtoourcreativeandtech-

nicalskills.Weneedtomarketourselvestothose

clientsinauniquewaytocreateademandforour

services.Partofthisisbeingabletocommunicate

thevalueofourdesigntoclients.Asanextension

toourcommunicationskills,weneedtolearnto

establishasoliddesignbriefwiththeclienttoen-

surethatthedirectionisclear–bothtousandto

theclient.Thenwemusthavetheskillstomatch

thatbriefwithanestimatethatvaluesourcreative

andtechnicalskills,aswellasensuringaprofit.

Whetherwestartourownbusinessorgoandwork

foradesignfirm,ourskillsetsneedtodevelopin

abusinesscontext.We,asyoungdesignersshould

realise,asthepeoplequotedinthisarticledid,

thatbusinessisapartofdesignanddesignisa

vitalpartofbusiness.<

WoolworthsrecentlyappointedVinceFrostastheir

newcreativedirector.Frostwasappointedspecifically

withthetaskofevolvingandoverseeingthe

implementationofthenewWoolworthsbrand.

Well-knownbrandslikePuma,AdidasandLevi’scan

berecognisedinaninstant.Removingtheirunique

identitywouldbeadisastertothesebrandsand

businesswouldcertainlysuffer.

DearConfusedCreative

Iamwritingthislettertoyouwithmyrulingpensopleasereadcarefully.Inyourfirstyearaftergraduatingfromtheinstitutionofyourchoice, you need to have a New Year’sresolution. For starters, I would suggest300dpi.Thingswillappearmuchclearerthatway.

Okay,onamoreseriousnote,inorderforyou to better prepare for an entry-levelposition within the design industry,irrespectiveofyourdesigndiscipline,thereareanumberofskillsandcompetencieswhichyouneedtoconsider.AccordingtoJoaninaPastoll,creativedirectoratCrossColours, the entry-level expectations ofdesigngraduatesinSouthAfrica“isactuallyquitehigh”...

Thefollowinginformation,whichiscompiledfromresponsesbyprofessionalsinthedesignindustry,providessomeinsightandadvicetoassistyouinmeetingthedemandsofthehighlycompetitiveindustry.

AREYOUCOMPETENT?

ASK‘DRTRUTH’DearDrTruth

Ohgouache.Beinganentry-leveldesigngraduatemakesmefeellikeI’minfirstyearalloveragain.ThestresshassetinandIdon’tknowwhattodo.IhaveHunt-ed.IhaveforcedmyselftoNet#work.IevenwentasfarasvisitingJupiterandotherplacesthatMather.Ihaven’thadanysuccessingettingajobinthedesignindustryandallIwantisforsomeonetohireme.Iamsoconfused.Pleasehelp.

ByFatimaCassim

208 >

209 >

EDUCATION

DESIGNSKILLSEntry-leveldesigngraduatesneedtopossesstech-

nicalandconceptualdesignskillsrelatingtothe

designdisciplinewhichtheyhavebeentrainedin.

Technicaldesignskillscompriseofknowledgeof

thebasicelementsandprinciplesofdesign,under-

standingofmediaandmaterials,andagoodgrasp

ofdiscipline-relatedterminology.Graduatesalso

needtobeproficientintherelevantsoftware.

Equallyimportanttohavingthenecessarytechnical

skills,designgraduatesshouldhavegoodproblem

solvingabilities.Youshouldhavetheabilitytothink

criticallyandconceptually.Althoughdesignskills

formthebasisofbuildingacareerindesign,most

designprofessionalsbelievethatsuccessinthis

industryisnotjustaboutcreativetalent.

Entry-levelgraduatesinparticularneedtobeproac-

tiveandshowsomeinitiative,andintheend,suc-

cessdependslargelyonyourattitudeandwilling-

nesstoworkhard.

COMMUNICATIONSKILLSTheabilitytocommunicateeffectively,bothvisually

andverbally,isanextremelyvaluableskillforgrad-

uates.Intheindustry,designersdonotworkalone

andyouarerequiredtocommunicateyourideas

withtherestoftheircreativeteam,andmostimpor-

tantly,withclients.

Incontextofthecreativeteam,thereisastrongem-

phasisonvisualcommunication.Forexample,draw-

ing,sketching,modellingandmakingaresomeof

thetoolswhichdesignersusetoexternaliseand

sharetheirideas.Incontrast,clientstendtofavour

amoreverbalformofcommunicationandtherefore

beingarticulateandhavinggood interpersonal

skillsisakeycompetency.Ifyoucancommunicate

effectively,youaremorelikelytogaintrustfromthe

otherdesignersandclients.Ultimately,building

trustisimportanttogainsupportandtosecure

morework.

PRESENTATIONSKILLSLikecommunicationskills,presentationskillscan

alsobedividedintotworelatedcategories,namely

personalpresentationandportfoliopresentation.

Personalpresentationreferstothewayyoucon-

ductyourselfwhenapplyingforajobandinpar-

ticular,withinaninterviewsituation.Duringanin-

terview you will be asked questions by the

prospectiveemployertodeterminewhetheryouare

asuitablecandidateforthejob.Youwillalsobe

expectedtodiscussanddemonstrateyourlevelof

conceptualandtechnicaldesignskills.Theseskills

aregenerallyassessedthroughaportfolioofyour

work.JohanvanWyk,CreativeDirectoratHKLM,

maintainsthata“Portfolioshouldbeabletobe

consumedintenminutesbyaprospectiveemploy-

eranditmustspeakforitself,asoftenitisviewed

priortoaninterview.Actually,thedigitalportfolio

oftensecuresaninterview.”

Your portfolio therefore acts as your personal

brandingandpromotionaltoolandhence,thepres-

entationofyourportfolioisextremelyimportant.

Thinkofyourportfolioasapersonalnarrativethat

showsyourskillsthatyouhaveacquiredaspartof

youreducation,aswellasyourpersonalstyleand

approach.Inlightofthis,thereareanumberof

practicalconsiderations.

Firstly,beselectiveinyourchoiceofworkthatyou

includeinyourportfolio.Theworkselectedmustbe

210 >

EDUCATION

fairlyrecentandshoulddemonstrateyourexpertise

inyourspecificdesigndiscipline.Itisalsoadvisa-

bletochooseoneortwoprojectsthatshowversa-

tilityandprovideabroaderviewofyourabilities

andinterest.Secondly, it isessentialforyouto

knowyourstrengthsandtobeabletodiscussthe

projectsinyourportfolio.AccordingtoJoaninaPas-

toll,youmustbeabletodiscussyourconceptsina

clearandsuccinctmanner.JohanvanWykshares

thissentimentwhenhesaysthat“someonewhois

bright,keenwithdiverseinterests,andwhocan

communicatewhotheyareintenminutes,stands

thebestchance.”Thisviewclearlysubstantiates

theemphasisonbothpresentationskillsandcom-

municationskills.

WORKEXPERIENCEAlthoughmostgraduateswouldhavelittle,ifnot

any,formalworkexperience,internshipsareinvalu-

ableasameansofgainingsomehands-onexperi-

enceinanactualworkenvironment.Wherepossi-

ble,youshouldtryandsecureaninternshipinan

establisheddesigncompanywhileyouarestudy-

ing.Thechoiceofcompanywhereyouinternisim-

portantandshouldbeselectedbaseduponyour

goalsandpersonalinterestintermsofdesign.The

amountofresponsibilityandworkthataninternis

assigneddependslargelyontheindividualcom-

pany.Inaddition,althoughmostcompanieshire

interns,thecompaniesarebusyandcan’tgiveyou

ahugeamountofmentoringtime.ThereforeJoani-

narecommendsthatyoushouldratherspenda

relativelylongtimeatacompany(likeafewweeks

duringtheholidays).Thisway,studentscanbuilda

goodrelationshipwiththeemployeesatthecom-

panyandalsoprovethemselvesintheworkwhich

theyhavebeentaskedwith.

Beinganinternisnotnecessarilyaneasyjoband

althoughyoumaynotberemunerated,thebenefits

arenumerous.Inkeepingwiththegeneralviewin

favourofinternships,JohanvanWykreiteratesthat

doingan“internshipissupervaluable.Notsomuch

asinaCVrequirement,butinthewayitimpactson

theproductionstandardofyourportfolioandthe

contactsyoumakewhiledoingyourinternship.”

Makingcontactsandnetworkingarevaluablein

thattheycanhelpyouwithreferralsandrecom-

mendationswhenyouarelookingforajob.

PROFESSIONALCONDUCTProfessionalconductisabroadareathatcomprises

anumberofkeyskillsincludingteamwork,organi-

sationandtimemanagement.Workingintheindus-

tryisdifferenttobeingastudentbecausegradu-

ateswillbeexpectedtoworkincreativeteams

ratherthanbythemselves.Theprofessionalenvi-

ronmentdictatesthatyouputyourselfasideand

adoptacollaborativementality.Agoodstarting

pointistounderstandthevisionandmissionofthe

companyinamatureandmeaningfulway.

Goodorganisationandtimemanagementareother

competenciesthatwillstandyouingoodsteadas

anentryleveldesigner.Aspreviouslymentioned,

creativeskillsarenottheonlyrequirementsneeded

inordertobesuccessfulinthedesignindustry.You

alsoneedtoexerciseyourleftbrainthinkingskills

aswell.Youwillberequiredtoorganiseandman-

ageyourworkload, liaisewithclientsandmeet

deadlines,tonamebutafew.It’sallaboutbeing

professionalandhavingagoodworkethic.

Goodluck,andalwaysremember:designinggreat

meansbeingtruetoyourabilitiesandalwayspush-

ingboundaries.<

DearDrTruth

Ohgouache.Beinganentry-leveldesigngraduatemakesmefeel likeI’minfirstyearalloveragain.ThestresshassetinandIdon’tknowwhattodo.IhaveHunt-ed. Ihave forcedmyself toNet#work. Ievenwentas farasvisiting JupiterandotherplacesthatMather.Ihaven’thadanysuccessingettingajobinthedesignin-dustryandallIwantisforsomeonetohireme.Iamsoconfused.Pleasehelp.

DearConfusedCreative

Iamwritingthislettertoyouwithmyrul-ingpensopleasereadcarefully.Inyourfirstyearaftergraduatingfromtheinstitu-tionofyourchoice,youneedtohaveaNewYear’sresolution.Forstarters,Iwouldsuggest300dpi.Thingswillappearmuchclearerthatway.

Okay,onamoreseriousnote,inorderforyoutobetterprepareforanentry-levelpo-sitionwithinthedesignindustry,irrespec-tiveofyourdesigndiscipline,thereareanumberofskillsandcompetencieswhichyouneedtoconsider.AccordingtoJoaninaPastoll,creativedirectoratCrossColours,the entry-level expectations of designgraduatesinSouthAfrica“isactuallyquitehigh.”Thefollowinginformation,whichiscompiledfromresponsesbyprofessionalsinthedesignindustry,providessomein-sightandadvicetoassistyouinmeetingthedemandsofthehighlycompetitivein-dustry.

Designskills

Entry-level design graduates need to possess

technicalandconceptualdesignskillsrelatingto

thedesigndisciplinewhichtheyhavebeentrained

in.Technicaldesignskillscompriseofknowledge

ofthebasicelementsandprinciplesofdesign,un-

derstandingofmediaandmaterials,andagood

graspofdiscipline-relatedterminology.Graduates

alsoneedtobeproficientintherelevantsoftware.

Equallyimportanttohavingthenecessarytechni-

cal skills,designgraduatesshouldhavegood

problemsolvingabilities.Youshouldhavethe

ability to think critically and conceptually. Al-

thoughdesignskillsformthebasisofbuildinga

careerindesign,mostdesignprofessionalsbe-

lievethatsuccessinthisindustryisnotjustabout

creativetalent.

Entry-level graduates in particular need to be

proactiveandshowsomeinitiative,and inthe

end,successdependslargelyonyourattitudeand

willingnesstoworkhard.

Communicationskills

Theabilitytocommunicateeffectively,bothvisu-

allyandverbally,isanextremelyvaluableskillfor

graduates.Intheindustry,designersdonotwork

aloneandyouarerequiredtocommunicateyour

ideaswiththerestoftheircreativeteam,andmost

importantly,withclients.

Incontextofthecreativeteam,thereisastrong

emphasisonvisualcommunication.Forexample,

drawing,sketching,modellingandmakingare

someofthetoolswhichdesignersusetoexternal-

iseandsharetheirideas.Incontrast,clientstend

tofavouramoreverbalformofcommunication

andthereforebeingarticulateandhavinggood

interpersonalskillsisakeycompetency.Ifyoucan

communicateeffectively,youaremorelikelyto

There’s a new place for creative minds.

With our database of thousands of professionals and positions from architecture to web design, you’ll discover just the job to inspire you or the ideal bright spark for your company. Upload your CV or search today and find all your creative resources in one place. How’s that for an idea? Visit pnet.co.za

EURO

RSC

G 48

47/E

DES

IGN

ING

TH

EFU

TUR

ECandesigncontributetosocialdevelopmentand

createawarenessamongstcommunitiesaround

socialissues?Presently,thisisaquestionofgreat

concerninSouthAfricabecauseoftheimbalances

brought about by the apartheid system, which

weakenedoursocietyfordecades.

AfterSouthAfrica’sfirstdemocraticelectionsin

1994,thenationhasseenmanyprogressivechanges

asitslowlyovercomessocialissuessuchasover-

crowdedinformalsettlements,highunemploy-

mentrates,alackofeducationandhighcrime

rates.Theseissues–amongstothers–oftenfuel

designers’andartists’interpretationsoftheworld

aroundthem.

ManySouthAfricandesignersusetheircreative

skillstocommunicatesuchsocialissues,aswell

aspromotingdesigninlocalcommunities,whilst

simultaneouslyaddressingtheissueofunemployment.

212 >

Statisticsshowthatover25%ofSouthAfrican’s

areunemployed,moresointheinformalsettlements.

Byintegratingthesecommunitiesintotheecono-

my,peoplecansupportthemselvesandpromote

theirownsocio-economicdevelopment.

Aprojectaddressingthisissuedirectlythrough

designisMonkeybiz.MartineJacksonexplainsthat

thewomenwhoworkforMonkeyBizfocusontheir

economicdevelopmentandempowermentthrough

thecreationofbeadworkderivedfromAfricantradi-

tionspasseddowntothemovergenerations.These

womenhaveestablishedacommunityofover450

beadartistswhoconceptualise,designandproduce

theirbeadworkproducts,whicharesoldlocallyand

abroad.Theiremploymentmodelworks;something

otherscoulddefinitelylearnfrom.Thecraftswomen

workingforMonkeybizaregivenartisticfreedomto

produceworkbyusingtheirowndesignsandcreat-

inganotionofcollaboration,whichinturndirectly

promotetheartistsbehindthework.Unfortunately

itoftenhappensthathigh-enddesignersexploit

thesesamecommunitiesandcraftswomenbyusing

theirskillsandtalentand‘proudly’takingallthe

creditforthehardworkdone.Thisscenarioleaves

verylittleroomforthepromotionofthepeople

behindeachworkofart.Ifpeoplearepromoted,as

inthecasewithMonkeybiz,socialdevelopmentwill

happenmoreeffortlesslyandotherswillinspire

otherstoreplicatetheirsuccessintheirowncom-

munitiesandlives.

Ayoungdesignertacklingtheissueofunemploy-

mentinSouthAfricaisChadPetersen,astudent

currentlystudyingindustrialdesignattheCape

PeninsulaUniversityofTechnology.Petersenhas

developedRawCreative;abusinessconceptthat

promotesasustainablewayofempoweringand

employingpeoplethroughdesign.Whatisunique

aboutthisprojectisthattheworkshopsarebased

inthecommunity,thuseliminatingtheexpenseof

travellingbyitsemployees.Eachemployeeistaught

valuableskillsandgiventheopportunitytobe

partofothertrainingworkshopstodeveloptheirown

businessskillsandacumen.Byeducatingpeople,

oneallowscommunitiestogrowinasustainable

way.Mostpeopledonotknowwhattheyarecapable

ofachievingbecausetheyareunawareoftheop-

portunitiesavailabletothemsimplybecauseofthe

natureoftheirupbringing.Designersanddesign

skillshavemuchtoofferunderprivilegedcommu-

nitiesbutbeforeanyactioncanbetakenextensive

researchneedstobedoneintheareainwhich

projectsareintendedtothrive.Asanexample,Pe-

tersenspenttimeinHangberg,aninformalsettle-

mentinHoutBay.Spendingtimewiththelocals

taughthimhowtounderstandtheirspecificsocial

andgeographicissues,whichgavehimvaluable

first-handknowledge,whichhecouldlaterusein

BeadworkbyMonkeybiz.

EDUCATION

213 >

creatingasustainabledesignsolutionthatcould

bebeneficialtoallpartiesinvolved.

“Therevolutionthatisneededinvolvesthecon-

sumer,clientandgovernmentrealisingthatsus-

tainabledevelopmentisnotonlyviablebutneces-

saryforthefutureofSouthAfrica,”comments

MokenaMakeka,architectandprincipalandfounder

ofMakekaDesignLab.Sustainabilityindesign

playsamajorroleincontributingtosocialdevelop-

mentthroughtheimplementationofthreeprinci-

ples:Theeconomic,thesocialandtheecological

dimensionsofdesign.Foradesigntobesuccessful

allthreeaspectshavetobeconsidered;somein

moredetailthanothersdependingontherelevance

tothedesigner’sagenda.However,allthreeprin-

ciplesarecompletelyinterrelatedandcanoften

createproblemswherethereareseeminglynone.

Whatisevidentisthattheresponsibilityofadesign-

ertobeawareofalltheseprinciplesandtheirre-

sultingrelationshipsisofparamountimportance.

Onesuchdesignerwhoistacklingthecomplexi-

tiesofdesignprinciplesheadonisCapeTown-

basedHaldaneMartin,oneofSouthAfrica’smost

successfulfurnituredesigners.WhenMartinworks

onanewdesign,hefirstconsidersasocialissue

hewishestotackle,overcomeorportrayandinte-gratesthisconsiderationintohisdesign.Thisallowsthatimportantsocialmessagetohaveavoice–sotospeak–bringingitsmessageacrossinaninspir-ingmanner.“Thisaffectsthecommercialmarket,whichinturninfluencesthebiggermanufacturerstobecomemoresustainable,”addsMartin.Insodoing,asmallnicheproductcanhaveagreatin-fluenceonthecommercialmarketandthefactthatitcarriesamessageofasocialnaturehelpsagreatdealincreatinganawarenessofsocialissues.“Istartedmycareeratthesametimeasthebirthofournewdemocracy.Muchofmydesignworkhasbeenanexplorationandexpressionofournewemergingculturalidentity.Forexample,theZuluMamacaféchair,whichwaswoveninKhayelitshaaspartofmyjobcreationproject,theRiempiecouch,theFielafeatherlightsandSongololosofawerealldesignedandcreatedasadirectresponsetooursociety’sneedtofindanewidentityforitselfatthispivotalmomentinhistory.”MartinhasalsolaunchedtheNewSlantshelvingsystem,whichwasdesignedbydisabledcraftsmenforNPOCarecraft,“Thereisagreatneedtoemploythedisabledinthiscountry,whichisusuallyoverlookedbymost,”concludesMartin.

Itisevidentthatdesigncontributesinasubstan-

tialwaytosocialdevelopmentthroughtheefforts

214 >

ofwillingindividuals,organisationsandretailers

thathavethepassion,determinationandcourage

neededtopromotetheawarenessofsocialissues

throughthemediumofdesign.

AnothersuchinitiativeistheMakingtheDifferenceThroughDesign(MTDTD)educationprogramme–one

ofthewaysinwhichWoolworthscontributestoup-

liftingeducationinSouthAfrica.Theprogramme’s

goalistoenrichtheeducationalexperienceand

bringthevisualartanddesigncurriculumstolife

forGrades10,11and12learnersandteachers.

MTDTD,acorporatesocialinvestmentinitiative,was

launchedin2006,inassociationwiththeWestern

CapeEducationDepartment,DesignIndabaandSappi.

Theinitiativecomprisesa600-pagedesignresource

manualwhichservesasavaluableandmuchneeded

teachingtooltosupporteducatorstoteachdesign

onadailybasis.Themanualismadeupof23modules

dividedintofourbroadcategoriesnamely:Com-

municationDesign,SurfaceDesign,ProductDesign

andEnvironmentalDesign.Thesecategoriescover

subjectsasdiverseasadvertising,textiles,industrial

design,animation,jewelleryandceramics,architec-

tureandtheatricaldesign.Otheraspectsincludean

annualcompetition,whichisopentoGrade10,11

and12highschoollearnerswhoattendschoolsthat

participateintheMTDTDprogramme,aswellas

exposureandopportunitiesforparticipatinglearners

intheprofessionalandcorporatearenas.Adjudi-

catorsoftheannualnationaldesigncompetition

havenotedthatyearonyearcompetitionsubmissions

havebecomeamirrorofthesocialissuesSouthAfri-

cansarefacedwithonadailybasisadesiretorectify

theimbalancesthecountryfaces.

TheMTDTDeducationprogrammesitsfirmlyasa

pillarwithinWoolworths’Goodbusinessjourney,a

comprehensivefive-yearplan(launchedin2007).

Theplanincorporatesaseriesofchallengingtar-

getsandcommitmentscentredonfourkeypriori-

ties:acceleratingtransformation,drivingsocial

development,enhancingWoolworths’environ-

mentalfocusandaddressingclimatechange.

Thereisnodoubtthattheeffortsofalltheseded-

icatedroleplayersinthedesignarenagreatlyin-

fluencesocietyasawholeaswellasvariouscul-

turalspheres.Throughperseveranceandhard

worktheycreateamoreinformed,inspiredand

innovativecountry,allowingforpositivegrowth

andasustainablefuturethroughdesign.<

LTR:ZuluMamacaféchair,New

SlantshelvingsystemandFiela

featherlightbyHaldaneMartin.

EDUCATION

215 >

216 >

PICSMADEFROMBASICTOOLS:

PHOTOGRAMSANDPINHOLEPHOTOGRAPHY

ByIngaForde

217 >

EDUCATION

Photogramsandpinholephotography

aretwowaysofproducingaphotographic

imagewithouttheuseofacamera.Al-

thoughbothmethodsdorequireadark-

room,photographicchemicals,photo-

graphicpaperandanenlarger,themethods

areeasytoexecuteandonecanexpect

beautifulresults.

Aphotogramisanegativeimagemade

byplacingobjectsontolightsensitive

photographicpaperandthenexposing

thepapertothelightfromtheenlarger.

Dependingonthetransparencyofthe

objectsused,onecanachievedifferent

results.Essentiallywherethepaperis

exposedtofulllightitturnsblackonce

developed;wherethelightisheldback

completely the paper remains white

oncedevelopedandwhereobjectsof

variabletransparencyhavebeenused,

varioustonesofgreyareseen.

Thesetonalvariationsareachievedby

turningtheapertureoftheenlargerto

thesmallestfstop,f5.6orf4.5andex-

posingthepaperforapproximatelytwo

tosixseconds.Mixphotographicchemi-

calsaccordingtotheinstructionsonthe

bottles.Whendevelopingyourprintin

thechemicalbaths,itisimportanttofol-

lowthecorrectdevelopmenttimes:The

exposedprintmustbedevelopedinthe

developerforoneminute,thenoneminute

inthestopandfourminutesinthefixa-

tive.Oncetheprinthasbeenfixed,itmust

berinsedfortenminutesinrunningwater

andthenhungupwithaplasticpeguntil

dry.

Objectsthatcanbeusedincludeold

photographsor imagescopiedonto

transparency paper in the negative

(black&whitereverse);oldx-rays;food

itemssuchas,rice,pastashapes,hun-

dredsandthousands;jewellery,glass

beads,silverchains,silverstars;glass

bottles;string,thread,ribbons,lace...

basically anythingthathasaninteresting

shapeandiseitheropaqueorslightly

transparent.

Pinhole photography follows similar

principlestoregularphotography;the

onlydifferenceisthatyourcameraisa

tinwithatinypinholeforthelensanda

blobofPrestik®(Blu-Tack®)asyourshut-

ter.Anysizetincanbeusedtoconstruct

apinholecamera–pinholecamerashave

evenbeenmadeoutofshippingcontain-

ers!Youneedthefollowingtomakeyour

pinholecamera:Atinwithametal lid

(plasticlidsarenogood),matteblack

spraypaint,ahammer,anail,silvertape,

apinandPrestik®.

Onceyouhavesourcedagoodtin,spray

theinteriorofthetinandlidwiththe

blackspraypaint,allowtodry.Hammer

asmallholeintothesideofthetinusinga

nail,cutastripofsilvertapeandcover

theholecarefully.Asyousmooththetape

inpositionyouwillseeanindentation

PICSMADEFROMBASICTOOLS:

PHOTOGRAMSANDPINHOLEPHOTOGRAPHY

Topleft:PhotogrambyCeilReyneke.

Topright:PhotogrambyGinavdPloeg.

Bottomleft:PhotogrambyKelly

Mouton.Bottomright:Photogramby

LaraFrench.

218 >

wherethehammerholeispositioned,

pierceatinypinholeinthemiddleof

theindentation.Covertheholewitha

blobofPrestik®–nowyouhaveyour

‘lens’and‘shutter’.

Onceyourpinholecameraiscomplete

youarereadytostarttakingphoto-

graphs.Youneedtoloadyourcamera

(tin)inthedarkroom.Thismeanscut-

tingapieceoflightsensitivephoto-

graphicpaperslightlysmaller than

halfthecircumferenceofthetinand

placing thepaperopposite thepin

holeonthe insideof thetin.Make

surethattheshinysideofthepaper

facesthepinhole.Youarethenready

tostart.Rememberwhenchoosing

yoursubjectmattergetclosetoyour

subjectasthepinholeusuallycreates

a wide angle. Remove the Prestik®

thatwascoveringthepinholeandtry

and‘shoot’withthesunbehindyou

andpositionthe‘camera’onavery

stablesurface.Dependingonthelight

yourexposuretimeswillvaryconsid-

erably.Bepreparedtofirsttestforthe

besttimeforyourcamera.Generally

speakingwithasmalltomediumsized

tin,inbrightsunlight,yourexposure

timeshouldbebetween10–30sec-

onds.Onanovercastdayorinavery

shadyareayourexposuretimecould

varyfrom1minuteto5minutes.You

couldalsoshootindoors,butbepre-

paredforlongerexposuretimes.

Ifyouhavetestedforthecorrecttime

andkeptyourtincompletelystill,you

should expect a negative image of

goodquality.Onceyouhavedeveloped

yourimageinthephotographicchem-

icals(sameasdiscussedforphoto-

grams), your image should appear

crisp,youshouldachievewhite,black

and grey areas and the grey areas

shouldshowagoodtonalvariety.Ifthe

imageistoolightyouneedtoexpose

foralongerperiodoftime,iftheimage

istoodarkyouneedtoexposeforless

time.Remember thatyourpinhole

photograph is a negative, so your

lightareaswillappeardarkandyour

darkareaswillappear lightonthe

print.This negative can be turned

intoapositiveusingthecontactprint

process.

Photogramsandpinholephotography

arefabulousteachingtoolstodemon-

stratebasicphotographicprinciples,

suchas,availablelightandshutter

speed(orexposuretimes),aswellas

demonstratinghowacameraworks–

albeit at a very basic level.These

methodscanbeusedto introduce

photographytolearnersfromGrade

7toGrade10,asafurthermoretech-

nicalstudyofphotographyissuitable

tolearnersinGrades11and12.<

Inga Forde teachesVisual Art and

PhotographyforGrades10-12atthe

FrankJoubertArtCentreinNewlands,

CapeTown.

219 >

EDUCATION

Top: Pinhole photograph (negative and negative) by Catherine Muller.

Centre: Pinhole photograph (negative and positive) by Kelly Mouton.

Above: Pinhole photograph (negative and positive) by Kelly Mouton.

220 >

ANIMATIONACADEMYOPENSNEWDOORSFORYOUNGCREATIVES

Onlytenyearsago,theideaof

animationasacareerpathfora

youngSouthAfricanwasabout

asfantasticalasthisimaginative

visualartformisinitself.But,

withaboominanimationblock-

bustersfromcompaniessuchas

PixarandDreamworks,andthe

likes of Aardman Animations’

OscarwinningWallaceandGromit,

thepopularityofanimationinall

it’sformshasgrownconsiderably,

withagreatdemandforskilled

animatorstoentertheworkplace.

AndwithSouthAfricagaining

groundasatopfilmdestination,

ithasnowalsostartinggaining

groundasacompetitiveanima-

tionindustrythatislookingto

tacklebiginternationalprojects.

TheWesternCapehasdeveloped

aworld-classanimationindustry

overthepastdecadeandlocal

studiosandanimatorsaresought

afteracrosstheworld.Thewin-

ningformulaisthatSouthAfrica

producesgeneralists–animators

whohaveabroadunderstanding

ofthetechnicalandcreativere-

quirementswithinthisnewand

excitingvisualenvironment.Local

animationstudiosofapproximate-

ly30to50peopleareproducing

workofthesamequalityasstudios

of1500peopleinLosAngeles.The

localindustryisalsoeffectiveand

highlyproductive.Already,this

home-grownindustryhasanumber

offeaturelength,uniquelySouth

African,projectssettohitboth

localandinternationalcircuits

withinthenextyearortwo,some

alreadyhavingbeenplannedfor

stereoscopic(or3D)theatrical

release.

Oneofthebiggestchallenges

facingtheindustry,however,is

capacity. Capacity to contend

withtheinternationalprojects

thatemployanythingfrom100

tosometimes400animatorsper

projectishardtoachieve,simply

becausetherearenotenough

skilledanimatorsoutthere.Linton

Rensburg,mediaofficeroftheCape

FilmCommissionreiteratesthat:

“Weneedtogrowourhumanand

skillscapacitytobeabletotake

ontheworkthatwearebeing

awarded.”

Itwasforthisveryreasonthat

the Cape Film Commission, in

public-privatepartnershipwith

theServiceSETAandtheFalseBay

College,launchedtheAnimation

Academy at the Good Hope

CampusinKhayelitsha.

OfficiallylaunchedinMarch2010,

theAnimationAcademygrewout

oftheAnimationIndustryDevel-

opmentInitiative(AIDI)whichwas

launchedin2009.Thefirstphase

of recruitment started with a

numberofworkshopsintroducing

221 >

potentialcandidatestocareerpaths

inanimation,aswellasallowing

studentstosubmittheirpersonal

workforassessment.TheAcad-

emyisthefirstinstitutionofits

kindspecificallylocatedtoallow

accesstopreviouslydisadvantaged

communitiesinSouthAfrica.All

courseworkand learningout-

comeshavebeendevelopedin

collaborationwithleadingedu-

cationandanimationexpertsin

accordance with world-class

standards.

TheAcademyhasalreadycaught

the attention of international

players.DavidSproxton,CEOof

AardmanAnimationsintheUK,

officiallyopenedtheAcademyin

Kayelitsha,beinghumbledbythe

highstandardofworkalready

shownbysomeofthecandidates

andofthelocalindustryingen-

eral.AardmanAnimationsisrec-

ognisedasoneof the leading

animationstudiosintheworld,

receivingeightOscar®nomina-

tionsandwinningfour.

Forover30years,Sproxtonhas

overseenthedevelopmentofthe

companyfromatwo-manpart-

nershiptooneofthepre-eminent

animationhousesintheindustry.

SproxtonandfellowfounderPeter

LordwereawardedCBE’s(Com-

manderoftheBritishEmpire,a

titlerankinghigherthanknight-

hood!)in2006intheQueenEliz-

abeth’sBirthdayHonours.

AswellasfeaturefilmsandTV

productions,Aardmanproduces

approximately 75 television

commercialseachyear,usinga

widevarietyofanimationstyles,

fromstopframe,productionsin

CGI,Flashandmixedmedia.

Aardmanhasalwaysbeenkeen

toprovidesupportandtraining

toyoungpeoplewantingtowork

intheanimationindustry.Hesays:

“WhenIwasbriefedabouttheCape

FilmCommission’splansforanAni-

mationAcademyinKhayelitsha,

itinterestedmeenormously.I’m

verykeentoseewherewecan

helpandhopefullythisisthebe-

ginningofalongtermrelationship

withSouthAfricaandtheCape

FilmCommission.”

TheAcademycurrentlyaccepts

80learnersperyear.Anyonein-

terestedinenrollingcancontact

theAnimationAcademy’sHead,

GaryKaggelhoffer,attheFalse

BayCollege’sGoodHopeCampus

directly,forenrollmentcriteria

on0213613430.<

ANIMATIONACADEMYOPENSNEWDOORSFORYOUNGCREATIVES

EDUCATION

ImagefromWallace&Gromit

GrandAdventures.©Aardman

AnimationsLtd.

222 >

Ifit’smedicine,it’sscience.Ifit’sbusiness,thenit’s

accounting.Andwhatifit’sdesign?

Jumpingfromhighschooltoanyfirstyearstudyis

tough,especiallywhenyouaredoingacoursethat,

untilnow,hasneverbeenacompletefocus–in

matricyouaretakingsixothersubjects,excluding

design.Studyingadesign-relateddisciplineattertiary

levelopensdoorstocareerssuchasinterior,commu-

nication,fashion,textile,jewellery,theatre,indus-

trialdesignandevenengineeringandarchitecture.

Itisagrowingcareerchoiceand,assuch,hasmeant

changesandenhancementsintheSouthAfrican

curriculum.

Thequestionofwhetherornotwhatyoulearntat

schoolandwhatisexpectedfromyouatfirstyear

tertiarydesignlevelisonpar,stillstands.Design

meansanewsetofskillsanddifferentdimensions

ofstudythatyoumaynothaveexperiencedbefore

orlearntatschool.

Highschoolsthatdoofferdesignasasubjectchoice

aredoingwhattheycantoprepareyouforfuture

studiesinthedesignfield.Althoughcurriculumap-

provalsandmethodsofteachingmaybedifferent

dependingonforinstancewhetheryouarebased

inGautengortheWesternCape,whatisexpected

offirstyearstudentsinvariousdesignfieldsispret-

tystraightforward.Groupwork,eventhoughitmay

feellikethebaneofyourexistence,isconsidereda

vitalpartofdesigneducation.Astudentstudyingat

theOpenWindowdescribeditas‘thebuddysys-

tem’andwithoutitastudentwillreallystruggle.

Criticalthinking,youmaythink,meanstothinkout-sidetheboxbutwhathappenswhentertiaryde-

signinstitutionswanttoseenoboxatall?Taking

onaheavyworkloadshouldbeprettyaveragefor

anyartanddesignhighschoolstudent.Thishelps

preparestudentstohandlethehugeexpectations,

hecticworkloadandtimemanagementrequiredof

themattertiarylevel.BeingabletocommunicateWA

NT

TOS

TUD

Y

DES

IGN

?

ByChevawnBlum

withpeople,notonlyverballybutvisuallyaswell,

isacommonexpectationattertiarylevelandthere

isnohighschoolsubjectthatfocusespredominantly

onthisskillalone.However,unbeknownsttothe

student,heorshegainsmanyvariedskillsfrombe-

ingathighschoolevenif,atthetime,itfeelslikea

wasteoftime.

Notonlydothedesigncurriculumandtheexpecta-

tionssetatschoolneedtobestandardisedacross

thecountry,butteachingbasicdesignprinciples

alsoneedstobecompulsory.Asolidsetofskills

liketechnicalandobservationaldrawingskills,an

understandingandabilitytoworkcomfortablywith

avarietyofmediaina2Dand3Dformat,asolid

understandingofcolour,texture,shapeandline

andtheabilitytostrategise,solveproblemsand

developconceptualskillsarejustafewnecessities

thatshouldautomaticallydevelopwhiletakingde-

signasaschoolsubject.However,atthemoment,

italldependsonthevaryingexpertisethatateach-

erprovidesandtheresourcesavailableatschools.

Tertiaryinstitutionsdonotexpectanadvancedor

specialiseddesignstudenttowalkthroughtheir

doorsbuttheydoexpectastudenttohavemas-

teredthebasics,sothatheorshemayproceedto

ahigherlevelofeducationwithconfidence.

Designbasicsareapartofthefoundationyearin

anydesigncourseandtheunderstandingandexe-

cutionthereofcannotbeemphasisedenough.Al-

thoughtertiarystillhastheenormoustaskoflev-

elingtheplayingfieldsamongstfirstyearstudents,

thebasicsofdesigneducationhavenotyetbeen

standardisedatschoolsandthestudent’slevelof

knowledge largely depends on the expertise,

knowledgeandtheteacher’sabilitytointerpretthe

designcurriculum.Thisreflectsagreatdealonhow

astudentapproachesdesignskills.Forthatrea-

son,highschoolsandsometertiaryinstitutions

workverycloselytogethertoknowwhattheyex-

pectfromeachother.

Itisalsoadvisedthatanystudentdoestheirown

researchintoapossiblecareerchoicesbeforemak-

inganydecisions.Notonlyisthereisavarietyof

informationavailablebutstudentscanalsovisit

manyoftheopendaysattertiarydesigninstitution

tofindoutmoreaboutthedifferentdesigndisci-

plines.Opendaysarethebesttimestoaskques-

tionstotherelevantlecturersaswellasthestu-

dents,whowillgiveyouthebestperspectiveonthe

currentcoursetheyarestudying.

Alltheskillsandpracticesyoulearninhighschool

willberefinedandnurturedinyourfirstyear,where

youwillgainthinkingandcopingtoolsthatwillcer-

tainlybenefityouinthelongrun.

Acceptanceintomosttertiarydesigninstitutionsis

basedonasectionofstudent’sportfolioadmis-

sionsandtheirabilitytodisplaycreativeproblem

solvingskills,amongothers,thatcanbehonedand

harnessedintostrengthswithinadesigncareer.

Someinstitutionswillevenrequireanentrancetest

andaninterviewtomakesureacandidateisable

tomeetcertainskilllevels.

Goodgeneralknowledgeisaqualitythatwillstand

inyourfavour,alongwithperseverance,dedication,

andofcoursethecritical‘P’word–passion.

Ifit’smedicine,it’sscience.Ifit’sbusiness,thenit’s

accounting.Ifit’sdesign,thenitskills–andthere’s

nolimittowhatcanbelearntandwhatskillscanbe

gained.<

Formoreinformationondesigncareersandinstitu-

tionsthatofferdesigncoursesvisit:

>www.designmagazine.co.za

>SABSDesignInstitute

>MakingtheDifferenceThroughDesign

EDUCATION

223 >