At as signing ceremony timed to coincide with World Industrial Design Day, Cape Town unveiled its World Design Capital 2014 logo.
Mayor Patricia de Lille said: “Design is not about central planning. It is about networks that jointly make up an attitude, an approach and a direction. The product of those networks combined is what will transform this city … we sign for a new way of thinking, one that sees opportunities, not obstacles, challenges not dead-ends, and the roadway for other cities to follow in building a better future.”
Cape Town is the fourth city to be designated a World Design Capital, with 2014 marking the anniversary of 20 years of democracy in South Africa, a milestone moment.
In light of World Industrial Design Day, Visi magazine showcased three original South African designs identified by the Eco Design Initiative, whose CEO says, “Design is first and foremost about solving problems and improving lives… and that designers form the natural link between consumers and the production value chain and are key role players in job creation, adding market competitiveness and environmental development of natural resources as well as spaces for people to live, work, play and interact in.”
These designs have undoubtedly improved the lives of many and contributed to our design heritage:
The Hippo Water Roller designed by Pettie Petzer & Johan Jonker is a barrel-shaped container that can transport 90 litres of water with ease in areas where water is a hard-won commodity;
The Freeplay Fetal Heart Rate Monitor designed by Philip Goodwin, Stefan Zwahlen, and John Hutchinson, is a human powered device that monitors an unborn child’s heart rate during labour and can help healthcare;
The Arivi Paraffin Stove designed by Anastasios Calantzis and Frederick Kruger for low-income households, is a safe, efficient and clean-burning source of fuel that avoids shack fires and drastically reduces the dangers and respiratory ailments particularly among children.
For more on the Eco Design Initiative, a global community of young designers and creatives that care to make a difference by sharing skills, information and culture for sustainability, see www.nokak.com
‘’a beautifully South African way of expressing one’s intolerance to nonsense.’’