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1 6
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 3>

CONTENTS

11 > PREFACE

11 > Preface: Edge

13 > Editor’s foreword

14 > THOUGHT LEADERS

N O . 1 6

Cover illustration by Chenette Swanepoel.

14 > Mister Walker: Walking the edge

22 > Tales from the African Diaspora: Chaz

Mayivane-Davies

32 > C
 arin Smuts: Sustainable architecture
should improve the lives of people and
communities

40 > Cute-as-a-button pulls a mighty punch

46 > Barefoot & all

54 > How I learnt to stop worrying & love the box

4>

64 > COMMUNICATION DESIGN

64 > The President says it all 84 > Michelle Son: An independent creative

72 > Jim Chuchu: Stories & music that combine 90 > Pixeluxe
ideas for Africa’s future
94 > African fabrics weave the continent’s HIV/
AIDS story

157 > BUILT ENVIRONMENT

132 > Tales from the African Diaspora featuring 157 > “I am an archholic...”: The life and times of
Malene Barnett Andrew Maserow

143 > Cobra Watertech 175 > Stay Easy, Pietermaritzburg

152 > Illuminating the world 183 > King Shaka International Airport: KZN’s
economy set to take off

232 > FASHION 242 > DESIGN PROMOTION

232 > Stiaan Louw: A narrative genius 242 > A perfect example of design thinking:
World Design Capital 2010
240 > Condoms on the catwalk
 5>

110 > INTERIOR DESIGN

98 > Mapping August: An Inforgraphic challenge 110 > D

 IAD: Defining the ultimate hospitality
experience
103 > African Diaspora in LaLaLand
124 > S
 urprise is always on the cards in egg
Design’s product collection

210 > ART & CRAFT

210 > IMISO Ceramics: Setting high standards for 224 > The art of paintertainment
the day of tomorrow
226 > Mielie: A staple food for creativity
218 > Tempest van Schaik: Plush toys, a PhD,
bio-mimicry and the macabre

248 > INTILLECTUAL PROPERTY 252 > EDUCATION

248 > A
 void the red card: Legal do’s and don’s of 252 > C
 henette Swanepoel: An artworker
the 2010 FIFA World Cup operating in a multidisciplinary world

259 > Design awards and competitions calendar

6>

> ENDORSERS > MEDIA PARTNERS

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 9>

CREDITS
INFORMATION

PUBLISHER > SALES TEAM >

Cameron Bramley Geri Adolphe, Jason Bramley, Rachel Harper,
cameron@designmagazine.co.za Chenesai Madzvamuse and Anine Scholtz

EDITOR > PRODUCTION ASSISTANT >

Jacques Lange Charl Lamprecht
jacquesL@iafrica.com

ADMINISTRATION & ACCOUNTS >

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS >
Claudia Madurai & Michelle Swart
Jennie Fourie & Bev Hermanson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR >

CONTRIBUTORS >
Jacques Lange
Clint Abrahams, Dirk Durnez, Jan Erasmus,
Melanie Foxcroft, IrinPlus News, Zelda
DESIGN & LAYOUT >
Harrison, Julie Knatten, Travis Lyle, Adrian
Maserow, Lana Myburgh, Jacques Robbins, Bluprint Design
Miliswa Sitshwele, Suné Stassen, Anri
Theron, Kelly Thompson and Kelda van PUBLISHED BY >
Heerden and Hannerie Visser DESIGN> Information
Tel: +27(0) 82 882 8124
SALES MANAGER > Fax: +27 (0) 86 678 8448
Jeff Malan www.designmagazine.co.za

© 2009 DESIGN> Information.

DESIGN> magazine is produced by DESIGN> Information. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without the
express permission of the publisher. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited material. The publisher accepts no
liability of whatsoever nature arising out of or in connection with the contents of this publication. The publisher does not
give any warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of its contents. The views and opinions expressed in DESIGN>
magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, its endorsers, sponsors or contributors.

PREFACE: EDGE
I own a T-shirt which reads, “If you are not living on the
edge you are taking up too much space”. Whenever
I wear it, it renews my opinions of things and makes
me re-assess how much space I do take up. Having
owned it for at least 14 years, my ‘edge’ more than
ever has to change. Without ‘edge’ there is no fall, nor
flight. In these times, I am compelled to live, create,
design, market, produce and think on the edge. I believe
edge, education and environment is all we have left
to capture the hearts and minds of the consumer, and
ourselves, for that matter.
As much as I enjoy 4-wheel driving, magazines in my
reception areas, eating junk food and the other things
I have become used to, I am unable to carry on with a
good conscious.
I am wearing my T-shirt as I write this. It is too often in
the business I am in that I witness statements issued
by the ‘we are concerned about our environment and
customers’ companies. Ones that profess to carbon
savings with the paper they use, yet they fly their mag-
azines in from another country. Most companies on the
JSE, claim to practice these ethics, yet they print their
annual reports to impress their shareholders – share-
holders that won’t be around when the planet gives in.
And of course, it isn’t enough that companies and people
don’t walk their talk, they visually pollute our environ-
ments and give everyone the finger when we demand
better service or at least expect to see advertising that
really commits to the edge.
11 >
>
It is without doubt that I, as a consumer, am seldom
impressed with anything I see anymore, mostly be-
cause I have become educated on the environment and
its pain. I look at my children, being boxed into the
same thing I was boxed into – how does a 7 year old boy
understand the words ‘carbon footprint’, especially
if his sight is excited by all the colour he sees and all
the gadgets in the stores? How does one filter out the
truth from the lies? I question things like’ Vitamin
Vawter’, brought to you packaged in plastic and
taken from a glacier that may need the water more
than us. I ask, is that really the truth bestowed upon
the environment-conscious consumer?
Creatively, technology continues to provide many
more opportunities for us to live on the edge. Pro-
vided this is done with a conscience, not at the ex-
pense of the environment, we can celebrate this. The
movie, Avatar, is an excellent example of how chil-
dren can be encouraged to honour and respect their
environment – and, for that matter, relationships.
It’s no wonder Avatar won three Oscars. It was a
technologically advanced movie made with the edge
in mind. <
Cameron Bramley
DESIGN> Publisher
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Illustration
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EDITOR’S
FOREWORD
This is the 16th edition of DESIGN> magazine. In many
cultures, 16 marks the ‘coming of age’ and the rite of
passage where a person moves from youth to adult-
hood. It is also associated with the arrival of maturity
and acceptance of responsibility.
To celebrate our ‘coming of age’, DESIGN> 16 focuses
on the theme ‘EDGE’. Dictionaries offer many meanings
of this word. The ones that we liked and aimed to
reflect in this edition include: “the degree of sharpness
of a cutting blade; a penetrating and incisive quality;
keenness, zest and a desire for enjoyment; the point
at which something is likely to begin; an extremity; a
margin of superiority; a provocative or discomforting
quality stemming from audacity or innovativeness; a
margin of superiority; an advantage; and a state of
keen excitement to face danger or risk”.
We opted to interpret this ubiquitous theme from dif-
ferent angles and DESIGN> 16 features individuals
and companies that exemplify these diverse qualities
in their many guises.
The master raconteur of African communication design,
Garth Walker, shares insight into his new venture,
Mr Walker, where he takes a 90 degree turn to not just
focus on developing the contemporary vernacular visual
language, but also on sustainability. Carin Smuts ex-
plains why she has a passion for developmental archi-
tecture and heritage projects and how she goes about
turning low-budget projects into memorable legacies
in townships and rural communities.
13 >
We also explore the often ostracised ‘cute’ movement
in design and art. In interviews with multi-talented Crystal
Campbell and Tempest van Schaik, we explore collabo-
ration and the emergence of a new generation of meta-
disciplinary design thinkers who exemplify the ‘edge’.
Kelda van Heerden, an emerging creative, provides a
hard-hitting commentary on the designer’s role in popu-
lar culture and The President shares their radical ideas
on design, and so too does the Kenyan designer/photog-
rapher/musician/cinematographer, Jim Chuchu.
In a new addition to the DESIGN> scope of editorial
coverage, Zelda Harrison introduces a series of articles
focusing on the African design Diaspora in the USA,
in which we feature leading designers with African
heritage, starting off with Chaz Mayivane-Davies,
Malene B and Zelda herself.
Furthermore, we also feature exclusive interviews
with the dynamic Dry team who founded egg Design,
Stiaan Louw, the leading light in South African mens-
wear design and a retrospective of AMA Architects’
work and that of DIAD. Yet, this is just a small snapshot
of what this edition of DESIGN> covers.
On behalf of the editorial team, I wish you an exciting
and informative reading experience.
Jacques Lange
DESIGN> Group editor
14 >

ByTravisLyle
16 >
On arrival you’re greeted by a sign that reads
‘Mister Walker Design Salon – Rise Up African
Spirit’. That alone should confirm that you’ve just
walked into Garth Walker’s new design studio,
but if that’s not enough, consider what comes
next: an eight-foot semicircular pyramid of milk
crates that function as the library, a series of
weed eaters strung from the ceiling that work
surprisingly well as light fittings and a long
line of doors which zigzag across the industrial
space doing duty as a screen between studio
space and the boardroom area. Welcome to
Mister Walker.
In keeping with the unique design style his
name has become associated with over the past
couple of decades, Walker’s new studio is any-
thing but ordinary. Never one to toe the line in
design or, for that matter, in the interiors of his
workspace, Walker’s new company opened in
late 2008 and marks his departure from the Ogilvy
stable of which his well-known Orange Juice
design agency was part for just over a decade.
Starting out again as an independent after ten
years, Walker’s new venture isn’t about to stake
a claim as a 100% recycled, methane-powered
organic design hub. Well, not yet at least, but the
unique approach that produced i-Jusi magazine
and a string of award-winning campaigns and
design classics is alive and well at Mister Walker,
and is manifested in Walker’s vision of his new
studio as being ‘the world’s first totally recycled
office environment’. As Walker himself says
‘We’re not about to start powering our Macs with
methane from our toilets, but it’s high time the
design industry pulled its head out its ass and
took stock of what’s going on the wider world.’
As a starting point, the trappings of modern agen-
cies such as ostentatious interiors, ultra-modern
furniture and the other icons of conspicuous
consumption are entirely absent. In typical Walker
style, the studio reflects the DIY ethic that made
i-Jusi such a standout from the crowd and a
vibrant reminder of African self-sufficiency.
Everything from the studio desks to the library
shelves and on to the kitchen counter have been
created from reworked, second-hand and re-
claimed materials. In the process of moving
into the new premises, discarded materials
from the renovation of the building have been
snapped up and enlisted in the creation of this
unique workspace.
Mornings spent at the Sunday Morning Car Boot
Market at Greyville have yielded gems that now
perform necessary functions – three weed eaters
have been repurposed as light fittings, a folding
camp table with chairs (in itself a marvel of com-
pact design) becomes the coffee station and so
on. Is this an indication that Walker’s new studio
is a 100% organic, free-range endeavour to toe
the sustainability line? By the sound of it, you’d
be forgiven for thinking so, but the truth is – as
always – more complex. Always having been at
the forefront of design, Walker has been known
to be outspoken when it comes to trends. It’s
this take on modern design which is fuelling
both his approach to shaping his working envi-
ronment and some of the work undertaken by
the studio to date. Out on the edge would seem
to be where Walker is most comfortable.
Among the sustainability-minded projects in
which Mister Walker has been involved over the
past year-and-a-half are some that may not
immediately sound particularly juicy as far as
design goes, but therein lies the rub. To quote
the plaque which greeted visitors to Orange
Juice in the old days – and which still informs
the Mister Walker work ethic today – ‘There’s
 17 >

ABOVE: Second-hand and reclaimed materials were used for the interior of Mister Walker’s new studio.
BELOW: The Axum Stelae Field, Ethiopia. Working in conjunction with the World Bank and a team that
consists of distinguished architects and artists, Mister Walker is involved in developing marketing collateral to
promote the preservation of the built environment of a religious culture which stretches back 3 000 years.
18 >

no barrier to doing great work.’ With this in
mind, Mister Walker has produced work for a
variety of clients which shows that projects that
are strong on sustainability don’t necessarily
need to be dressed in hemp cloth or come loaded
with a prerequisite to look and feel like they were
designed by Greenpeace. If anything, these
are the projects that require the eye of a sharp
designer in order to make them appealing.
Take, for example, the recent work done by the
studio for the Environmental Management Depart-
ment of the eThekwini Municipality. Drawing
from a huge technical document on the biodiver-
sity of the region, prepared over a period of years
by numerous scientists, the brief for Mister
Walker was to create a graphically-driven doc-
ument that would render the admittedly pithy
and complicated source material accessible to a
wider audience. Through the use of eye-catching
images and snappy headlines, the subject matter
has been made interesting and thoroughly enjoy-
able, from intricately-illustrated cover to cover.
The result is Our BioDiverse City, which to the
untrained eye resembles a graphic novel more
than a document that clearly outlines the im-
portance of biodiversity to the metro region’s
citizens. The end result is a dense subject which
has been transformed into an easy-to-read and
engaging book that will undoubtedly open
many eyes to the importance of sustainable
practices in Durban and surrounds, all accom-
plished through sharp design.
In the same vein Mister Walker are currently
putting the finishing touches to a project which
would see the studio’s work literally cemented
Our BioDiverse City publication for the
Environmental Management Department of the
eThekwini Municipality.
19 >
into place and viewed by countless visitors to
Durban. Commissioned by the City Architects,
and taking a visual cue from the indigenous
species of coastal vegetation used in dune
rehabilitation along the city’s coastline, a series
of plants have been rendered in ceramic tiles cut
with ultra-high-pressure water jet. The end re-
sult will grace the tunnel that links the Moses
Mabhida Stadium to the new Marine Parade
Boulevard, and will serve to not only beautify
an otherwise utilitarian element of the city’s
beachfront revamp but also inform visitors and
locals alike on the botanical heritage of the
coast. Measuring roughly seven square metres
each, the plants are rendered in perfect detail
and, much like a botanical illustration, feature
their common names, botanical nomenclature
and isiZulu names, ensuring their relevance is
understood by both locals and visitors of all
stripes and kinds.
Apart from graphically-driven projects, Mister
Walker is also currently working on projects which
have a distinct sustainability bent: among these
is a project to showcase the cultural and histori-
cal value of the Inanda area of Durban. Framed
by the heritage of the area – notably the settle-
ments established by Mahatma Gandhi, John
Dube (the founding president of the ANC, founder
of the Zulu newspaper Ilanga and the Inanda
Seminary Institute for Girls) and the Shembe
citadel of eBuhleni – the brief to Mister Walker is
to design the brand and collateral for use through-
out the envisaged Inanda Heritage Precinct. The
precinct project seeks to combine the various
heritage elements to form a coherent whole,
which will function as a tourist attraction and
be instrumental in creating employment for the
previously disadvantaged and transferring
skills in order to create a sustainable economic
hub in the area.
20 >

Going much further a field, Garth Walker’s recent

trip to Ethiopia was in aid of familiarising him-
self with the situation in the ancient city of Axum,
famous as the purported resting place of the
Holy Grail and known worldwide amongst schol-
ars of religion and archaeology as the centre
of African Christianity. Working in conjunction
with the World Bank and a team that consists
of distinguished architects and the artist Andre
Botha, Walker has been involved in developing
marketing collateral to promote the preservation
of the built environment of a religious culture
which stretches back 3 000 years to the early
days of a dynasty which is most famously known
for being started by the legendary Queen of
Sheba.

If all of this sounds quite mind-boggling and far

removed from the mundane day-to-day work
done by other designers in advertising, bear in
mind that despite the unique nature of projects
on which Mister Walker as a studio works,
there are always the bread-and-butter jobs which
keep things ticking over in quiet times – from
packaging for a range of medication to bioassay
labels, corporate logos and annual reports.

The year may yet be young and Mister Walker as

a studio only relatively small, but work is stead-
ily keeping the team busy. It can’t all be i-Jusi
magazine and getting D&AD nominations (which
Walker scooped last year for his 2008 ‘Home
Affairs’ project), but rest assured – if it’s coming
out of the Mister Walker studio, it’s bound to
have an element of cutting edge. <

ABOVE LEFT: Designs for murals at the tunnel

that links the Moses Mabhida Stadium to the
new Marine Parade Boulevard in Durban.

LEFT: Concept inspiration and signage design

for Durban’s Twin Cities initiative.
 22 >

TALES FROM THE AFRICAN DIASPORA:

By Zelda Harrison CHAZ MAYIVANE-DAVIES

Not many designers leave their country of birth because
they have no other choice. This has, however, been the
case with Zimbabwe-born designer-in-exile, Chaz
Mayivane-Davies.
For more than three decades his work has taken on
issues of consumerism, health, nutrition, social respon-
sibility, the environment and human rights. Until
2000 he was the principal of The Maviyane-Project,
a design studio in Harare. A hostile political climate
turned a temporary leave from Zimbabwe into a nine-
year sojourn in the United States. “I felt compelled
to leave because of the social, humane and confron-
tational nature of my work...”
Currently professor of Design at the Massachusetts
College of Art in Boston, Mayivane-Davies has been
widely acknowledged for his efforts against human
rights abuses. In 2009 he was conferred an Honorary
Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University
of Massachusetts Lowell. He also gave the prestigious
Dwiggins lecture in November 2003, sponsored by
the Society of Printers and the Boston Public Library. He
is also the first recipient of the Anthon Beeke Inter-
national design award, Amsterdam, and recognised by
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with an award for out-
standing innovator in his commitment to the struggle to
transform society and create a just future. Simmons Col-
lege, Boston gave him an award for courage and integ-
rity in using art to stimulate activism for social change.
23 >
Numerous international magazines and newspapers
have published Mayivane-Davies’s work and his name
is found in the Who’s Who in Graphic Design, First
Choice: Leading International Designers, Rewriting
the Rules of Graphic Design, Graphic Agitation 1 & 2,
Graphic Design Timeline – A Century of Design Mile-
stones, World Graphic Design, History of Graphic
Design, Anatomy of Design, Design of Dissent, Area:
Showcasing 100 of the world’s most innovative emerg-
ing graphic designers. It was also included in the list ID
Forty, ID magazine’s first annual honours list profiling
leading-edge designers from around the world in 1998.
Mayivane-Davies has also worked in film. He wrote,
directed and produced the award-winning After the
Wax — personal view of nationality and identity (1991).
Mayivane-Davies shares some thoughts with DESIGN >
D > How did you end up becoming a designer?
M-D > I had an unorthodox beginning in design in that
I first started out as a trainee draughtsman for the local
telecommunications corporation in Harare. While I was
there I was asked to work on a few design projects
outside of the domain of my vocation, as they felt I
was the only one who could ‘draw’ the job. While I
knew I was more ‘artistic’ than technical, these experi-
ences made me aware that I was probably in the wrong
profession – even in pre-independent Zimbabwe,
24 >
where very few opportunities existed for me to pursue
anything outside the life that a racist government
had planned for me.
In 1974 I fled Zimbabwe and went to study in neigh-
bouring Zambia, where I did an art and design foun-
dation course before heading to London to study
graphic design.
I returned to a fledgling and upbeat Zimbabwe in 1982,
determined to participate in the growth of the region.
After a short period of re-acclimatisation as a free citizen
on my home soil, I realised that there were no design con-
sultancies, so I established the Maviyane-Project in
the midst of an advertising/design industry owned by
whites and still dominated by pre-independent values
and imagery. In the beginning the studio’s pro bono
and self-initiated projects were also supported by
commercial assignments.
Our work became more visible because we observed
what was going on around us, as we used our work to
express what we felt about it. While many found what
we did risky on several levels – most of all, going
against the grain of much of the conventional adver-
tising/political wisdom of the day – it also stood out and
attracted organisations needing work of this nature,
who eventually became our mainstay clients.
D > Have you noticed a significant change in direction
in your work since you took up residence in the United
States?
M-D > I do not think I will ever have an American idiom
but in many instances I do what any designer should
do when they want to communicate and that is to
‘employ the cultural shorthand’ (as Katherine McCoy
would say) of that audience.
D > Your work would indicate that you are an advo-
cate for Zimbabwe, a cultural ambassador of sorts:
Is this a fair notion?
M-D > While I am an advocate for Zimbabwe, I am
also an advocate for design. I have never seen myself
as a cultural ambassador. I do the best I can when I
get the chance and should people notice that and
associate it with the fact that I come from Zimbabwe,
then that is a good thing.
As you can see from my career profile above, the out-
side world has responded very favourably to my work.
My most fervent supporters are my fellow countrymen
and women with whom I have managed to have a visual
dialogue ever since I returned to Zimbabwe after my
studies. They know my message is one of courage and
determination in the face of adversity.
D > Do you think design is thriving in Africa, and in
Zimbabwe in particular? How would you advocate
promoting the role of design within Africa and inter-
nationally?
M-D > Ah! Africa, our huge continent, how can I speak
for all of it, when I know so little about so much of it?
I can talk about being an African in the world and
some of our challenges but I cannot subscribe to all
of us being lumped and generalised together as a
homogenous mass. We are way too big and too diverse
for that.
In a modern sense, I don’t believe that design is ‘thriving’
on the continent and it is not the designer’s fault
alone. There are pockets where design is appreciated
and embraced more than others.
Art and design can derive its energy and dynamism
from reflecting and commenting on our own predica-
ment, including resistance to consumerist culture
and the tyranny that abounds, thereby resonating it,
with an energised attitude and power. The imposing
nature of the systems we have to work with contrib-
utes enormously to the breakdown of truths, integrity
DISSENT IS A RIGHT. Human rights poster.
Client: Bienal Internacional del Cartel en
México. 2009. | CREATIVE DEFIANCE. Poster
for the Dwiggins lecture. Client: Society of
Printers. 2003.
QUESTION MARK (Fuel). An environmental
poster from a series of six asking us to
consider the things we take for granted.
Client: Self. 2004 – 2009. | CO2 (Consume).
From a series of two environmental posters
on carbon emissions and our lifestyle. Client:
University of Tennessee. 2007.
26 >
and spirit. No one can make truly creative decisions
without understanding this, and without a real partici-
pation in the constructive spirit of his/her time.
My destiny as African designer is bound up with the
necessity for profound social change. To explain/tell/
represent is to give of myself. So long as there is
misery, illiteracy and injustice through exploitation,
which fosters collective imbecility through the mass
media, graphic design must strive for full communi-
cation first and not be part of the driving mechanics
behind the greed, ignorance and selfishness that
debase us.
In terms of Zimbabwe, in September 1994, a few of us
got together to form the first graphic designers’ asso-
ciation in Zimbabwe – GRAZI (which means ‘window’
in the Shona language). Our aims were similar to most
professional design associations around the world,
but specifically to address the above ills and hope-
fully help in defining where we should be. By raising
the standard of design in Zimbabwe and confronting
and working with the establishment to recognise our
efforts, GRAZI hoped to promote design in our culture
for the betterment of all.
Things have not been smooth due to the political
upheavals we have witnessed that affected much
more important things than design along with many
professionals dissipating. Then again the struggle con-
tinues on all fronts, as design hopefully tries to find its
place again in our development and for democracy
and progress.
D > What, in your opinion, is the ultimate symbol and
icon of Zimbabwe? Do you see a distinct character-
istic in Zimbabwean/southern African design?
M-D > The Zimbabwe bird based on ancient stone
carvings, which stood on top of Great Zimbabwe city
– a national monument. It is on our flag and money.
Being immersed in a globalised world and trying to
establish any specific character in our work is easier
said than done, especially as we do not have the his-
torical precedence that gave birth to design as we
know it, like the industrial revolutions of the West.
The culture of graphic design as we know it – the com-
mercial derivative of art for communication – is a newer
phenomenon that indigenous Africans were exclud-
ed from until recently. Sadly outside of imitation, we
seem presently limited to appropriating and stylising
traditional iconography and ethnicity as a cosmetic
hard-sell without investing in the vibrancy and vitality
from whence it came, thereby subduing the cultural
and personal idiosyncrasies we are capable of con-
tributing.
While there are a few examples from people attempt-
ing to break away from that tendency, very little of it
resonates and emerges into clear bodies of work
that I honestly admire.
D > In a few words, what thought or inspiration
would you share with members of the African design
community and its supporters?
M-D > I basically believe that in our quest for progress,
we have relegated huge chunks of our culture into
recesses of our subconscious as opposed to using it
to define our role in the world we want to live in. This
is true of most developing countries.
Hopefully more distinct design languages will begin
to emerge that explore any icons or visual manifes-
tations of our traditions and past which are waylaid
and considered inferior and discarded as we readily
adopt the global (American) lifestyles and attitudes
that surround us.
I do not believe that we should live in the past, but we
must adapt and develop our traditions and values to

GLOBALISATION. Poster on the effects of
global homogenisation. Client: Self. 2005. |
MANY RIVERS TO CROSS. Poster for the
victims of Hurricane Katrina in the USA. Client:
Self/The Hurricane project. 2005.
27 >
suit us, thus, defining our truly independent future.
As a result we create a symbolism and visual language
that is meaningful not only to us, but enriching to a
world that has run out of ideas other than market
forces (the new world order).
D > As a full-time professor in a college with a diverse
student body, do you have thoughts about how cul-
ture and identity are impacting design education?
M-D > I can only speak from my personal scope of
the subject and how it is practiced in institutions that
I am aware of. I feel design education is failing to
truly address issues of cultural diversity amongst the
student populations it serves. Dominated by Euro-
centric ideas, it continues to reinforce generalisa-
tions that devalue the role of non-Western social,
cultural, aesthetic and other creative traditions that
shape our environments. Design education, like
everything else, evolves and needs to expand to be
more inclusive and develop a confidence that it fits
into a future that doesn’t regard it as a pedagogical
anachronism.
To quote Beth Tauke and Alex Bitterman from the
University at Buffalo: “As designers, if we imagine
the wide array of possible values, we can uncover an
equally wide array of possible design approaches
and solutions that might manifest and support other
ways of thinking and being. And that might be the
way design becomes a primary catalyst for social and
cultural change.”
“Making design choices that ensure both sensitivity
and the possibility for challenge and enrichment for
others and ourselves, involves a level of tolerance – a
willingness to explore ideas and ways of being that
we don’t necessarily believe in or admire. Developing
the ability to explore and understand issues in as
many contexts and from as many points of view as
possible, is a crucial part of this endeavour.”
DIVIDED CITIES. Poster for a conference on
cities in conflict. Client: John W. McCormack
Graduate School of Policy Studies at
University of Massachusetts Boston. 2009 |
LANGUAGES MATTER. Poster for
International Mother Language Day. Client:
Self. 2009. Collaboration: Marianne Schoucair.
END GENITAL MUTILATION. Poster against
the practice of genital mutilation in some parts
of Africa. Client: Self/50x70 – Italy. 2009. |
HUNGER. Poster for an exhibition on
eradicating world hunger. Client: Design Centre
of Rosario, Argentina. 2009.

STUBBORN HOPE. Poster for a peace
awards dinner. Client: War Resisters League.
2009. | 100% AFRICAN. Poster on identity,
dignity and solidarity. Client: Self. 2009.
29 >
D > What are the challenges currently facing design
educators?
M-D > Two of the largest challenges facing design
education are technology and technology. In the
first instance all the tools and software dumped at
design’s doorstep leave educators as the caretakers
of all the various new media and their occupations.
From websites to interactivity, video games to iPhones,
new knowledge requires more learning time for edu-
cators and students alike, as it scatters the discipline
into ever more diverse areas that we are yet to define.
The second is software-driven design. With the abun-
dance of clip-art and Google to Photoshop filters and
live trace, design students need to be very wary of how
they incorporate computer software with its ‘one-
click-tricks’ in their design process. The fact is every-
one has them, hence the homogenised blandness
we are seeing more of these days, regardless of which
corner of the globe they originate — it equates to
technological imperialism!
The design process is not an accidental indiscriminate
exercise. It is a fundamental process we hone through-
out our lives to imbue our expression with thought,
skill and emotion. It is the most vital component of
our toolbox.
Until we realise this, we will crawl in the desert of
mediocrity towards the pixelated mirage that com-
puters promise those not willing to understand the
ethos instilled in good communication and design.
D > Any advice for students and newly-minted
designers?
M-D > Believe in yourself, really believe in yourself,
research, work as hard as you can at the process
and not the ends, strive to realise your vision, feel
with your eyes and see with your soul.
30 >

Trust and believe the alluring power of the visual to

respond effectively and spiritually to challenges, so
those who cannot see through your eyes may hope-
fully be enriched by your vision.

D > Word on the street has it that you are working

on a book. Would you care to share more?

M-D > Yes, I am working on a book of my design phi-

losophy called ‘Creative Defiance’. Not an autobiog-
raphy, but a narrative of a young southern African,
hindered by prejudice, to discover the power of design
to defend my dignity and rights and celebrate our
diversity and humanity.

D > If your book were destined to a wider audience

outside the design community, what would be your
primary message?

M-D > My book will be aimed at a wider audience

in that it will not be about style but substance. Hope-
fully the message will reach and also touch cultural
workers, social and political historians, gender and
ethnic groups, social workers and anthropologists,
human rights and environmental activists, students
and most importantly, policy makers.

In short, anyone and everyone who may begin to

realise that for myself and for others, design can be
an effective weapon for social change, and the mind
can be a shield; to put a creative face on dissent.

D > What keeps you up at night? What gets you

through the day?

M-D > Consumerism, entitlement and the irreparable
harm we inflict on our planet and towards each other
every day.
GAZA. Poster on the violence afflicting the
Palestinian people. Client: Self. 2006. | 2008?
Poster for 2008 USA elections. Client: 30
Reasons.org 2008.

The challenge of trying to do something about it. <

WORLD AIDS DAY. Poster on AIDS
awareness. Client: Centre of Design of Rosario,
Argentina. 2007. | WARNING. Poster on
religion and politics. Client: Pegge Hopper
Gallery. 2006.
CIRCLE OF HELL. Poster for an exhibition on
human rights. Client: AIGA Boston Chapter.
Photography: Ian Murphy. 2002. | EJECT.
Poster for 2004 USA elections. Client: Various.
2004
32 >
CARIN SMUTS
Carin Smuts, architect extraordinaire and principal at
CS Studio Architects, believes that sustainable archi-
tecture involves way more than just using environmen-
tally friendly materials and construction techniques
and smart technology. For her, people are paramount
when it comes to sustainable architecture. She believes
that sustainability is an integrative and engaging proc-
ess that focuses on a simple concept: Local – local
material, local details, local people and local labour.
Commenting on the state of sustainable architecture
in South Africa, Smuts says, “It is sadly linked to five-
star ratings, which is a code developed in Australia.
We have totally different conditions. We believe sustain-
ability includes three aspects; environmental, social
>
and economical. These are interrelated to produce
holistic solutions.”
Smuts has embraced this as a mantra throughout
her professional career and in 2008 won the Global
Award for Sustainable Architecture. In the same
year she was invited to lecture at the Harvard Uni-
versity Graduate School of Design on Systems for
inclusion, as well as at the Venice Biennale. In 2009
she was invited to be keynote speaker at the 11th
Alvar Aalto Symposium themed Edge – Paracentric
Architecture, as well as to present at the Conference
Expo Habiter Ecoloqique – Cite de l’architecture et
du patrimoine. Yet, these are just a handful of her
recent accolades and since the early 90s, her practice’s

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
SHOULD IMPROVE THE LIVES
OF PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES
By Jacques Lange
work has been featured in more than 30 books and
professional journals.
Professional acclaim and media exposure do, however,
not drive Smuts’s career or that of her architecture
practice, which she founded in 1982. Her focus remains
on utilising architecture as a means of improving the
lives of people and communities and the portfolio of
over 100 completed projects is testament to that: low
cost housing, community centres, schools, prisons,
restoration of historical buildings and other renewal
projects, to mention just a few. These are surely not the
kind of projects that appeal to ambitious architects who
are intent on building grand names for themselves
because such projects mostly have small budgets and
33 >
are located in places with minor prominence such as
small towns or townships with no opportunity to design
traditional monumental structures. Yet, this is exactly
the domain where Carin Smuts thrives as a genius.
Working with small budgets, she creates sustainable
architectural magic in unusual places.
CS Studio Architects has a record of producing inno-
vative, cost-effective design solutions with a reputation
of moving beyond conventional architectural prac-
tices because of its unique approach, which involves
all stakeholders in the creative processes of plan-
ning, design and construction. The focus is on an
interactive participative process rather than solely
on an end product.
34 >
Dawid Klaaste Centre, Laingsburg.
Smuts mentions two quotes that summarise the es-
sence of what CS Studio Architects explore as an archi-
tectural practice. Juhani Pallasmaa writes: “The grad-
ually growing hegemony of the eye seems to be parallel
with the development of Western ego-consciousness
and increasing separation of the self from the world.”
Secondly, Kenyan, Wa Thiong’o Ngugi, states that:
“Culture is the product of a people’s history. But it also
reflects that history, and embodies a whole set of values
by which a people view themselves and their place
in time and space.”
“I am intrigued by the African interpretation of space as
opposed to the Western European one most archi-
tects are taught.” Smuts explains: “People traditionally
lived in settlements consisting of round huts, rondawels
or structures constructed of wattle and adobe. This
lifestyle is in harmony with nature. There are many
lessons we have learnt through observing these ver-
nacular solutions.” She highlights two of these that
have particularly influenced the practice’s work:
“Firstly, the placing of the buildings in relation to each
other and the fact that the spaces in between build-
ings are the important social spaces and secondly, the
sensitive manner of painting and decorating dwellings
to express cultural identity.”
“We believe that listening provides freedom from
dominance and allows us to share our understanding
of the three-dimensional world. We have come to the
conclusion that participation leads to empowerment,
which results in more sustainable environments.
Furthermore, we believe that the implementation of
local knowledge, resources and skills also reinforces
sustainable solutions.”
 35 >

Smuts talks about a few projects rich environment of the area, the devastating flood
of 25 January 1981, the windmill as a symbol of the
Dawid Klaaste Centre, Laingsburg, 2005 Karoo, the water scorpion and the train. Furthermore,
we had to incorporate locally trained people in met-
“The building of a multi-purpose centre was commis- alwork and electrical skills.
sioned by the Laingsburg Municipality. The brief was
to provide a space, which would stimulate economic A concrete ramp provides outdoor access to the first
opportunities and provide social services.
floor of the windmill structure. At the first floor of the
windmill, an old railway goods carriage has been placed
The site was chosen after a process of consultation with
on railway tracks. The train has been designed to be a
community, municipal and provincial representation. It
restaurant to serve visitors. The two shed-like buildings
was an old rugby field, which had two shed-like struc-
were taken apart. The roofs were extended to become
tures. We were tasked to transform these existing
structures into a dynamic environment, which will single, mono-pitched roofs with large overhangs that
attract travellers and local residence alike. create outdoor shaded areas at different times of the
day. The existing roofing material was re-used as vertical
The concept was developed over a series of design cladding to the spine of the building, as well as the
meetings and the following had to be considered: the newly created first floor office component.”
36 >
Helderstroom Prison: Mess recreation and
sports facilities, dry goods store and fuel
station, Caledon.
Helderstroom Prison, Caledon, 2008
“In 2000 the National Department of Public Works appoint-
ed CS Studio Architects in association with Sudhier Magan
Architects. It was agreed that CS Studio would do the over-
all planning and layout for the project and then take the
mess recreation and sports facilities, dry goods store and fuel
station through the five work stages and Sudhier Magan
Architects would do the 79 single family HB-type houses.
The prison is an existing maximum-security facility situ-
ated on the Helderstroom farm in the Caledon District.
Existing farm structures were used for most of the recrea-
tional and public facilities. As the need for accommodation
expanded, temporary housing was provided.
The large multi-purpose centre gently straddles a few con-
tours and with shallow ramps in the building, one is hardly
aware of the level changes. The single quarter buildings
that look like ships against the landscape were designed
with a ramp in the passage but each room is at a different
level. This kept large portions of the buildings sticking out
of the ground and the buildings rather hug the ground.
The architectural language of the buildings, the colours
and detailing were mostly derived from the surrounding
farm buildings.”
Wesbank Multi-purpose Centre, 2008
“During a participatory process with the residents of the
Wesbank Community, the need for a multi-purpose centre
was identified. At the time (2000) an extremely high crime
rate and a high rate of drug abuse were tearing the com-
munity apart.
The building is made up of three main components; the
main multi-purpose space, offices and a youth area. These
spaces are held together by a foyer which allows for the dis-
play of artefacts, crafts and more, and is also used for seating
and other interactive spaces. The building is small, but due
to splitting it up and juxtaposing the main elements, it ap-
pears much larger which also creates a better civic scale.

Wesbank Multi–purpose Centre.
Due to the budget constraints, maxi brick – developed
for low cost housing – was used with several positive
implications: it reduces maintenance in the long term;
it also allows for a larger cavity and as a result improves
the thermal qualities of these walls; and the one-and-
a-half-brick scale also contributes in the building
appearing larger.
There are decorative ceramic murals and some colour-
ful walls that offset against the red face brick, which
give life to the street and reflect the cultural identity
of the local community.”
37 >
Wesbank Primary School, Kuilsriver, 2001
“Wesbank is a RDP housing area created to alleviate
backyard shacks in communities all over Cape Town.
It is therefore a totally new community with people
from all walks of life.
The school, situated on a square piece of reclaimed dune,
has been designed in such a way that it provides public
infrastructure as well as a learning environment. Fur-
thermore, it is an environment which, from a scale point
of view, copes with over 1 200 learners at a time and
there is diversity in the spaces being provided.
38 >
38 >
The overall concept reminds one a bit of a medieval city
with a moat around it to keep out unfavourable elements
(the area is known for gangsterism). This was exactly
the idea, to pull the buildings away from the edges of
the site and to create a learning village with the double
storey classrooms for the higher primary learners and
for the smaller ones, single storey classrooms. These
classroom blocks are strung along a wavy walkway to
form an inner public play square with the horizontal
circulation and structure forming playful elements.

We also tried to provide at least five different outdoor activ-

ity spaces, namely the smaller courtyards, the larger en-
trance courts, the main central court with the split PT
slab, then the controlled play area at the north, with the
basketball and soccer fields and finally the general out-
door space around the buildings.”

Guga S’thebe Arts and Cultural Centre, Langa,

2000

“In 1996 the Langa Development Forum approached us to

work on an Arts and Cultural Centre in Langa township.
Firstly, household surveys were undertaken to determine
the needs of the local community. Workshops were then
held with various local organisations and the outcomes
were taken to large public meetings. A project committee
was then elected who worked with us on the development
of the design.

The older generation requested a large thatch rondawel

for the main multi-purpose space, while the youth insisted
on a contemporary solution which would represent their
‘BMW and mobile phone’ aspirations. As a solution we
designed the Golden Cone which made reference to the
traditional rondawel while also being a contemporary
solution for all ages.

This is clearly a post-apartheid building. In the first place

Wesbank Primary School, Kuilsriver.
it deals with the community’s needs as principle guide to
the design, and secondly the response is rooted on the site.
The architecture is unique but it is generically closer to the
fragmentation of a squatter camp rather that the monotony
of the apartheid township.”
 39 >

Past and future

Since 1982,CS Studio Architects has prac-
ticed in the poorest and most marginalised
communities. Their work during the apart-
heid era often required many years of fight-
ing to obtain land for clients even before any
building work could be considered.

In the 80s, during the state of emergency,

clients were often detained and the design
processes had to be put on hold. All the
projects worked on prior to 1994 entailed the
empowerment of communities, develop-
ment of business plans and raising the funds
for their building projects. “Strangely, this
is still the case as very little development is
happening in the poorest of the poor com-
munities and settlements of South Africa
today,” says Smuts.

When asked why she has such great pas-

sion for developmental architecture and
heritage restoration, Smuts replies: “De-
velopmental work is rewarding as people
participate and one learns from others to
produce better solutions. Restoration of
beautiful old buildings requires extensive
research to understand the history of the
building, which is something that we find
extremely stimulating.”

Reflecting on the present and future of the

architecture profession, Smuts says; “The
world today needs facilitators to restore a
balance; not only in nature but in the built
environment as well. I believe that by listen-
ing, architects can produce culturally appro- Guga S’thebe Arts, Culture and Heritage Village.

priate, humane and dignified solutions.” <

40 >
ByJennieFourie
As Hello Kitty’s bland little face stares at you from a pink backpack it’s difficult to imagine
that this Japanese icon could represent something more, something significant. But cute
is big and cute is most probably here to stay.
A group of five South African designers and fine artists,
all of them doing cute, are currently exhibiting at Salon
91 Contemporary Art Collection in Kloof Street, Cape
Town. The collaboration, titled The Cute Show, runs
until 26 March and represents the work of Francois
van Reenen (fine artist), Tracy Lynch (artist and decor
stylist), Geraldine Fenn (jewellery designer), Jaco
Haasbroek (artist and graphic designer), and Eric
Loubser (jewellery designer).
Fenn explains that the work on exhibit is varied and
interesting, since each artist has a different style and
a different approach to the theme of cute. The show
represents a range of media: painting, sculpture, prints,
jewellery and installation. “We all work in a language
that is inherently cute, but we use it to say different
things. I think the one thing we have in common, be-
sides the cute aesthetic, is a love for characters – our
work is very figurative and rich in personality; it’s at
the opposite end of the spectrum from abstract art.”
So what is cute all about? The best place to start is prob-
ably to look at the meaning of the word and see what
the dictionary says. The Oxford Complete Wordfinder
defines ‘cute’ as attractive or quaint, but also clever,
shrewd, crafty, ingenious or cunning. The word ‘cute’
is short for ‘acute’ – defined as keen or penetrating.
Could we conclude that there is more to cute than
meets the eye?
According to Fenn cute is generally seen as a kind of
creative approach that is all about surface and has no
depth, and is therefore not taken very seriously. “I
think it is a trend that’s growing – you can see it quite
clearly in graphic design and advertising, and it’s
strongly influenced by Japanese popular culture. Cute
is often just what it seems, but it can also have a very
dark edge, which can make it quite shocking. It is a
good vehicle for communicating violence or irony, be-
cause it is so unexpected. We have all been condi-
tioned (through animated TV programmes and movies)
to see cute characters simply as one-dimensional, col-
ourful and harmless. The work on the show in Cape
Town is distinctly cute, but also contains more com-
plexity than people might be used to.”
But cute is not everybody’s cup of tea. In an article in
Vanity Fair (December 2009), Jim Windolf laments the
fact that America has been flooded by a tsunami of
cute. “We’re drowning in puppies and kittens and
bunnies and cupcakes, transforming marketing, au-
tomobiles and movies.” Windolf continues: “Popular
culture never comes out of a vacuum. It reflects or
acts as a foil to the times. So why all the cuteness?
 41 >

Cute by Francois van Reenen.

Z-A Movie Characters by Jaco Haasbroek. Print.

42 >

All pieces by Eric Loubser

Above: Silver, CZ, Ring.
Above right: Classical piece, plastic and brass.
Right: Conceptual piece, silver, 9ct gold, glass,
pearl, agate.

Left: Tickle by Francois van Reenen. Acrylic on canvas.

Right: TEEHEE by Francois van Reenen. Acrylic on canvas.

And why now? Everybody would probably agree that
the aughts have been an ugly decade. But why should
it give rise to ‘kittehs’ and ‘puppehs’?”
The origins of cute
Cute started out as a Japanese phenomenon and has
entrenched itself in Japanese culture to become a
national identity. Pikachu, a character from Pokémon,
adorns the side of three All Nippon Airways passenger
jets; the Asahi Bank uses Miffy, a character from a Dutch
series of children’s picture books, on some of its ATM
and credit cards; Japan Post uses cute mascot char-
acters on stamps and, most revealingly, some police
forces in Japan have their own moe mascots, which
sometimes adorn the front of kōban (police boxes).
The Japanese term ‘kawaii’ translates to ‘cute’ or
‘adorable’, but has become more than just a word. It
has become a sub-culture. In the Vanity Fair article
Roland Kelts, author of the 2006 book Japanamerica:
How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US, is
quoted: “One theory, which has been proposed by a lot
of Japanese artists and academics, is that, after the
humiliation and emasculation of Japan in the post-
war [WW2] years, Japan developed a quasi-queer
position of ‘little brother’ or ‘little boy’. “ The comic
character, Astro Boy, first appearing on the Japanese
manga (comic book) scene in 1952, bears out this
theory. Astro Boy, with his huge eyes and eager-to-
please personality echoes Little Boy, the nuclear
bomb that devastated Hiroshima in WW2.
It was only in the 70s that kawaii seeped into main-
stream Japanese culture. In 1974, the Sanrio Company,
then a licensed distributor of Peanuts merchandise in
Japan, came up with its own competition for Snoopy:
the blank-faced, dot-eyed character known as Hello
Kitty. Since then, Hello Kitty has, quite simply, and
quite mysteriously, refused to die.
But cute is also found in other parts of the world. It
is said that Walt Disney kept a sign on his animators’
43 >
desks that read: ”Keep it cute!” Mickey Mouse, the
most adorably cute Disney character, wasn’t always
the cutie pie he is today. The original Mickey had small-
er eyes, thinner arms and legs and a more pointed
snout – a mean little bugger if ever there was one.
Through the years Mickey became more child-like,
with larger eyes and softer features.
The transformation of Mickey from meanie to cutie
can be explained by what Austrian behavioural sci-
entist Konrad Lorenz, in his Kindchenschema in the
early 1940s, extrapolated as features that cause an
emotional reaction in people.
According to Lorenz infantile features trigger nurturing
responses in adults. This is an evolutionary adapta-
tion that helps ensure that adults care for their children,
ultimately securing the survival of the species. As
evidence, Lorenz noted that humans react more
positively to animals that resemble infants – with
big eyes, big heads, shortened noses, and more –
than to animals that do not.
Lorenz identified features such as a head that is too
large for the body, huge eyes that are placed below
the midline of the face, short, stubby limbs with fat
little hands and feet, rounded cheeks and an inherent
clumsiness. In other words: Cute.
Since Lorenz, other scientists – leaning more to-
wards the natural than the behavioural sciences –
have picked up on this phenomenon. In an article
published in February in the New Scientist magazine,
the hormone oxytocin and its effects are described:
“Oxytocin is released from the pituitary gland in the
brain, on the command of specialised nerve cells. It
has long been known to help trigger childbirth as
well as the release of milk during breastfeeding. And
in the 1980s it transpired that, in American prairie
voles (rodents) at least, the hormone promotes pair-
bonding between mates.” Researchers has since
found that oxytocin plays a role in a range of human
social interactions, including strengthening the bond
44 >
between mother and child and fostering closeness
after sex. In a 2005 article in the esteemed journal
of science, Nature, scien tists described the effect of
oxytocin. Through the intranasal administration of
oxytocin, researchers saw a substantial increase in
trust among humans, thereby greatly increasing the
benefits from social interactions.
So blame it all on our hormones. At a time when the
world is beset by violence, terror, natural disasters
and our planet is threatened by global warming and
horror, we would like to look at creatures and things
that make us say – in true South African vernacular
– “Ag, shame.”
Cute in design and art
One of the foremost proponents of cute is certainly
the 47-year-old Japanese artist/designer Takashi
Murakami whose work has become some of the
most sought-after in the world (In May 2008 My
Lonesome Cowboy, a sculpture of a masturbating boy,
sold for US $15.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction). Often
billed as the next Andy Warhol, Murakami has been
able to blur the boundaries between high and low art,
creating anything from sculptures and paintings to
key rings and cell phone caddies.
One of Murakami’s most delightful creations is DOB,
a creature he described as follows: “DOB is a self-
portrait of the Japanese people – he is cute but has
no meaning and understands nothing of life, sex, or
reality.” The artist has also been responsible for creating
the post-modern art movement, superflat. Murakami
uses ‘superflat’ to refer to various flattened forms in
Japanese graphic art, animation, pop culture and fine
arts, as well as the “shallow emptiness of Japanese
consumer culture”.
According to Jeff Howe, in an article in Wired magazine,
Murakami is now president of Kaikai Kiki, an art-making
corporation that operates from a campus of build-
ings known as the Hiropon Factory, outside Tokyo,
as well as a studio in Brooklyn. “Murakami owes
much of his success to the highly efficient Hiropon
Factory. Hardly a reclusive artist toiling in his garret
studio, he employs 25 assistants to perform special-
ised tasks, and he uses technology in pragmatic,
labour-saving ways. Because his work features a
number of recurring motifs – eyeballs, mushrooms,
flowers – the factory maintains an immense electronic
archive of renderings that he can cut and paste into
the files he’s working on. Murakami may be the first
artist to make paintings from his own portfolio of
digital clip art. “
“Each creation begins as a sketch in one of numerous
pocket-sized notebooks. Full-size drawings are then
scanned into the computer. From there, Murakami
‘paints’ his works in Adobe Illustrator, tweaking the
composition and cycling through thousands of
colors until at last he hands the finished versions off
to his assistants. His staff then prints out the work
on paper, silk-screens the outline onto canvas, and
commences painting. Without this embrace of tech-
nology, Murakami says, “I could have never pro-
duced this many works this efficiently, and the work
wouldn’t be as intense’.”
View his work at: http://www.takashimurakami.com
Cute jewellery
Dutch-born jewellery designer, Felieke van der
Leest, builds her iconic jewellery on cute. Shift, the
Japan-based online magazine featuring creative cul-
ture, describes her design process as buying a toy
or animal from a catalogue, taking it apart and weld-
ing it into a new form, combining it with precious
metal and then dressing it in hand-knitted clothes.
Her characters each come with a story. There is a
panda mermaid called Pregnant Panda with an an-
gora sweater which pays homage to Coco Chanel, a
moody zebra, called Super Freak Zebra with Egyp-
tian wall painting and a super freak hairstyle, a pen-
guin with a short-man syndrome called Rocky the
 45 >

rock penguin, alias the Stork, that longs to extend its

wings like Presley. Van der Leest is currently exhibiting
her work in a group exhibition titled Schmuck, in
Munich, Germany.

And finally …
The last words should perhaps go to Takashi Murakami,
who, in an interview in Flash Art magazine had the
following to say about the allure of cute: “How do
babies survive? How do they convince their tired
mothers to get out of bed at 3 in the morning and let
them pull at their nipples? It’s because babies are
cute. Scientific studies have pointed out that large
heads and eyes, along with small noses and mouths,
are a commonly found pattern of babies across sev-
eral different species. I’m just appealing to the
parenting instinct in my audience.” <
Bracelets Boney & Plastic buttons
by Geraldine Fenn.

Selection of rings by Geraldine Fenn.

Brooches, sterling silver & found object by Geraldine Fenn.

46 >

Bokkie Shoes
Bokkie began a few years ago as a concept – essentially a challenge to myself to
find a definition for the ‘new’ South Africa. How were my peers defining themselves?
What cultural icons were they bringing with them into the future? Which were they
disregarding? What blends of cultural iconography were happening in place of what
had once been barriers? How was this rainbow nation growing up? This enquiring
narrative can be seen in the design, the shoes, the materials and the photography.
Designed in collaboration with Sarah Groves and Alistair Palmer.
 47 >

BAREFOOT & ALL

ByAnriTheron

She describes herself as a collector of memories, colours, thoughts

and smells; a curator of conversations and a researcher of everything
under the sun. Crystal Campbell’s poetic design is the culmination
of a life lived without boundaries, under the open sky, meticulously
taking in everything around her. Her design philosophy is about a
way of working hard but playfully, treating people like they matter,
researching by asking the right questions and about collaborations.
Crystal tells us where she comes from, where she currently is and
where she is going.

D > Can you tell us more about where Crystal comes from?

CC > I grew up in Zimbabwe. My father is South African and my mother Dutch,

which meant that I grew up with this ultra-liberal view of the world, only realising
in my teens that the reality was more along the lines of George Orwell’s “All
animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”. Growing up
in Africa taught me to appreciate simple things like feeling the earth under my
feet. I like to be barefoot; something I’ve found is quite rare in Europe –people
seem frightened to see their sockless feet.

D > Why did you choose to base yourself in Lisbon rather than in Africa?

CC > Easy answer: I fell in love. With a man, and then with his city. I like smaller
cities, with more trees, more birds, more time for conversation...One of the strongest
emotional links I carry with me are the Jacaranda-lined avenues of Harare. I
found them again in Durban where I settled for some time, intuitively searching
until I found them again in Lisbon.
48 >

D > Where and what did you study and why did you choose to do
your Masters at Central Saint Martins in London?

CC > I attended what was then the Cape Tech to pursue my Graphic
Design BA (Hons). My Masters came about after a two-week placement
at Fabrica [Italy], which was a creative-experience-adventure that
sparked a personal epiphany to consciously move beyond graphic
design and exploring areas of human interaction and spaces, using
(but not limited to) design. The head of the Environmental Studio
there suggested the Creative Practise for Narrative Environments
course at Central Saint Martins. I walked into the bathrooms on the
first day and saw the name of the school written across the mirror
and got shivers. I was so excited.

D > How have your African roots influenced your creative work?

CC > Wide open spaces, endless blue skies, sunny days, rivers to
swim in, outdoor kid games, campfires... There was this intense
interaction with nature that was part of the ordinary fabric of daily
life and helped form a great imaginative space for me. I can’t say
exactly how that translates into typeface decisions and Pantone
choices, but it does translate deep into the fabric of one’s judge-
ments. I like to think my design offers a less clichéd form of com-
munication. I call it poetic design, where the meaning of a product
or service is more open ended, the consumer being regarded as an
existential curator or co-producer or invited participant.

D > How did Bokkie Shoes come about?

CC > My first pair of school shoes were handmade by Mike White,

a graphic artist in Zimbabwe. Apparently I briefed him on exactly how
I would like them to look. I loved those shoes. Bokkie came about in
a culmination of mini-ideas going right back to the early Cape Tech
days where I put my energy into daydreaming shoes. In 2001 I came
across some shwe-shwe samples from the 1970s in my mother’s
vast fabric collection. I loved their graphic simplicity/complexity so
I stored them away for later. During my period in Durban working
for Neil Roake at Modern Museum, I noticed how shwe-shwe was
being used around me to define cultural origins, giving a sense of
self to the wearer and becoming a cross-cultural statement.

Our vision for Bokkie has several facets – from a conceptual fascina-
tion to define and capture what’s happening around us as we speak,

Masters Of Gesture, MA graduate project
for Central Saint Martins, London. Depic-
tion of five visual scenarios of intuitive
gestural technology designed in collabo-
ration with sleight of hand magicians and
set in the near future, using persona de-
velopment, with illustration and scenarios
written as journals for prototype testing.
Narratives designed in collaboration with
Matt Pike.
49 >
Tangible Connectivity by NearInteraction for Future Labs
Visual Experiences of the Future (Portuguese Communica-
tions Foundation). Functioning as the initiatory point of the
Portuguese Lisbon based exhibition, Tangible Connectivity
was a metaphorical team player game: Touch the wall and
you become part of a with an interconnection of similar
friends all jostling for attention. Exploring the multi-touch
gestural concepts of touch to activate, pinch to enlarge and
scroll to select within a multi-user environment, combined
with the interaction concepts of user identity, networks, and
behavioural lifespan.
50 >

Collateral material for ‘Eco Resorts of the Future’ Workshop 2008 for Arup London College Of Fashion Graduate
Foresight Innovation and Incubation (London/Tanzania). Exhibtion 2009 by NearInteraction.
Using persona development techniques from Narrative Ecology, a set of The 2009 Graduate Exhibition dis-
five characters was created living in a range of eco resort scenarios set played six centralised multi-touch
in the near future in Tanzania. The cards were designed to create inter- tables with integrated object recog-
nal narratives bringing coherence to the workshop research themes, nition to unveil the 570 student
making patterns and developing linkages. Written and designed in collabo- portfolios. Activating a portfolio once
ration with Nadia Troeman and Niharika Hariharan. The workshop was a card is placed on the table, visitors
headed by futurologist Chris Luebkeman. could use their hands to move, zoom
and rotate the portfolio work.
 51 >

to being able to translate this into each season’s new trends. We

aim to release a new limited edition line every 18 months that captures
the spirit of the moment. This year we have started looking into and
accepting proposals from individuals who are interested in creative
collaborations with Bokkie.

D > What is the magic element that makes these products unique?

CC > The Babydoll is a simple unpretentious closed shoe. The com-

bination of this traditional shoe shape with the shwe-shwe is a simple
idea. There is nothing particularly clever about the idea – simplicity
is good thing, it’s also a unique thing in this world of over designed.
People like it. Simplicity and South Africa.

We do our best to add value in terms of social and environmental issues.

The soles are made of recycled materials, while the cloth components
are made of 100% cotton shwe-shwe produced by Da Gama Textiles.
The shoes are assembled as part of an employment creation initiative.
We are small, but we like it that way. We can offer more personalised
services like custom-choosing shwe-shwe and now we are exploring
the possibility of designing onto the shoe canvas.

D > Has there been international interest in the Bokkie Shoes range?

CC > We frequently get international enquiries from various countries

covering all continents, for all sorts of ventures ranging from fairs
to boutique African-themed shops to designer collections.

D > You have used social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr
as the primary media channels for your marketing efforts. Why did
you choose these?

CC > Being part of the Flickr, Twitter, Facebook and Etsy communities
allows us to become our audience, to have conversations at the same
level, joining to share ideas if you will. As our level of consumer
understanding increases, so does the knowledge of how best to
reach them.

D > Can you tell us more about the new football-inspired range of
shoes, which is endorsed by several South African football clubs?

CC > This is our second range due to launch just before the World
Cup. South African football insignia and the colourful supporters’
52 >

gear inspire it. The range consists of four designs and a different local
football club involved for each. To have their support is fantastic; they
have been very receptive to our design ideas.

D > It’s 16 years since South Africa became a democratic country.

What does the new South Africa mean to you today and what role
can creative entrepreneurs play in its future development?

CC > South African design is very exciting; it’s dynamic constantly

defining, refining. It is important to take the positive things from the
past and develop them to meet the transforming society. We will
never lose our rich history and will continue to draw to on it as inspi-
ration, but I hope we will learn to use our design to begin to create
solutions of healing for our social situations. South Africa is a state
of mind and it’s up to you to choose where you would like to focus.

D > You recently embarked on developing a charity dimension for

Bokkie Shoes. Can you tell us more?

CC > Bokkie teamed up with a Central Saint Martins friend of mine

to create the Wandering Feet project. This emerged from Wandering
Geography, created by Niharika Hariharan to encourage people to
explore their cities based on their interests and intuition instead of
following routes and maps. So, the deal is, Bokkie donates 200 white
canvas boots and we are appealing to artists, illustrators, dreamers
and designers from all over the world to use these templates to explore
their city and record their wanderings through their footprints, using
the white canvas of the Bokkie Shoes boot. After creation, the shoes
are uploaded to Flickr and stored digitally until the project ends (once
200 shoes have been created), and then we will initiate an auctioning
party on eBay, where all proceeds are sent as a donation to a South
African charity of the artist’s choice.

D > Can you tell us more about The Earth is Not Flat initiative.

I Wish I Could Stop Wishing For

CC > The Earth is Not Flat is essentially a digital storage vault for projects Things for The Space (Durban,
using the Narrative Ecology methodology. Narrative Ecology states that South Africa). Taking inspiration
in order for meaningful dialogues to occur in design, the entities and from the humid tropical flowers,
interactions between the parts depend on a designer’s intimate knowl- spam, sunbirds...
edge of the environment that connects and surrounds us. It came about
as a personal desire to understand exactly what ‘Creative Practice for
Narrative Environments’ meant to me, what knowledge I was going
to take out of the course, how it would apply to my creative process.
 53 >

D > Why did you choose ‘Masters of Gesture’ as your MA project?

CC > I am interested in interfaces of both the physical and virtual

worlds, and how these have begun to overlap as technology progresses
and allow us to begin to influence, and effect, and be affected by,
the digital realm. For ‘Masters of Gesture’ I chose to combine three
areas of interest, technology and interaction design with scenario
forecasting and narrative research and testing techniques.

Working with interaction designers and media artists at Tinker.it!

(London), Eyebeam (New York) and NearInteraction (Lisbon), while
studying provided me with in-depth insight into the interaction indus-
try’s psyche at present. I perceived an intense desire for interaction with
computers without the constraints of tangible objects; an ability to com-
municate with our bodies, using our limbs, our gestures, our expressions.

D > Who and what inspire you?

CC > Both my parents have inspired me enormously. My inspirations

at the moment are really focused on ecological changes and employ-
ing narrative to create forecasting for scenarios that might make a dif-
ference. It’s time to integrate future-shaping with ecological, techno-
logical and people-based thinking and design, to break down boundaries
and to design – enticing people to embrace conceptual shifts.

D > When you’re feeling uninspired, how do you re-inspire yourself?

CC > I don’t push myself. If I’m not in the mood I simply don’t do it.
However, if you have a deadline for a really boring logo, green tea and
cookies work magic. Archbishop Desmond Tutu is always an inspi-
ration: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits
of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

D > What is in stall for Crystal in the near future? VJ Projects.

‘The End is Near’ was one of the
CC > I work alongside my partner Diogo Terroso at NearInteraction. many live VJ performances created
using mixed media visuals –
The work at NearInteraction is a good example of what I believe the
anything from paper cut out
essence of design should be; interacting with all our senses, what you figurines to chopped vegetables.
hear, and see, and touch, and feel, to add new levels of complexity Performed in collaboration with
to the experience. I hope to develop ‘Narrative Ecology’ further Anthony Buckland.
with a PhD. <
54 >

By Kelda van Heerden


Let me start off by saying that I
don’t do TV. And by that I mean I
haven’t owned, watched or plugged
one in, of my own volition, for nearly
four years. Our executive producer
has always found this somewhat at
odds with our business practice,
given that the pitch which I created
and of which I shared delivery nearly
16 months ago, secured the rights
to the holistic branding strategy and
information design of an entirely new
cross-media broadcast channel in
South Africa, now known as VUZU.
TV is dead. It was a sentiment to
which I subscribed because I felt
that the non-linearity and modularity
of the Internet has fundamentally
altered the landscape of media con-
sumption and distribution. It was
the sentiment I also happily shared
as part of my pitch to a boardroom
of goggle-eyed channel representa-
tives who somehow were still con-
vinced to sign us up after I said it.
Our departure point with the channel
design was to address a new genera-
tion of culturally mobile and tech-
engrossed Africans – the Stunner-
wearing, afro-bouffant sporting,
popsicle-coloured street renegades
– a movement which, as Bongani
Madondo recently wrote, “is no
movement at all, unbound by group
dynamics and external pressure…
[where] they don’t seem to share (or
55 >
need) a cultural stimulus”. With its
planned cross-continental expan-
sion, the cultural and technological
(which these days can be freely inter-
changed with social) potential of
the channel was highly significant.
Design and technology, or rather
technology-based communication
systems, are heavily inter-related.
Design is now employed, perhaps
in its most important guise yet, by
developers in the realm of personal
digital communication. The success
of an idea is often solely deter-
mined by the degree of adoption,
and more importantly, its continued
evolution by the users themselves.
Forum discussions, opinion polls
and other open-source collaborative
processes are largely influencing
the continual shaping of communi-
cation platforms such as Facebook
and the various Google offerings,
among others.
Here, open source design takes ef-
fect in not only the structural archi-
tecture of such online products, but
also in terms of administrative or
legislative concerns – privacy rights
and terms of use, more specifically.
The adoption of open-source Linux
systems by certain local govern-
mental entities seems to indicate, if
remotely, that traditional legisla-
ture might well, theoretically, go
the same way. It fits with my similar
56 >
argument that open model collab-
orative research projects such as
Wikipedia should be instated as a
credible form of referencing under
the premise that peer review and
the common knowledge base
amongst the common user should
act as ballast to traditional aca-
demic methods.
Design as an open-source practice
seems to indicate an alteration to,
and not necessarily the demise of,
authorship as it may have been
conceived of a decade ago. Google’s
Ji Lee seems to indicate as much in
a recent conference speech where
he discussed how the singular
author – the designer – has been
replaced by the collaborative unit
within design processes. The Inter-
net has irrevocably positioned de-
sign as an inherently open-model
activity regardless, given the satu-
ration of publicly accessible port-
folios, aggregate sites featuring
everything from best of breed
agencies to instances of equally
publicised lists of advertising
and branding failure. The playing
field is now so highly published
that the online medium really is
Zeitgeist made digital flesh.
Additionally, professional capacities
traditionally separate and attend-
ant to design practice seem to in-
creasingly overlap into the space
traditionally occupied by creatives.
Or perhaps the designer’s role is ex-
panding to include the scope tradi-
tionally occupied by these related
professions. Often in the design
processes tied to VUZU, contribu-
tions – from both client and inter-
nal agency perspectives – from
editorial staff, producers, publicity,
marketing, and especially new
media would become valid design
nodes to work around. Often my
role would resolve itself in assessing
design considerations put forward
by multiple players, and finding a
median point between it all.
Design, as defined (or undefined)
as it is within the realm of digital
media and communication, is thus
a contested and, as I have found,
often-alienating experience. A
large part of me still longs for the
tangibility (and the singularity of
being acknowledged in the credit
list) of the publication and indus-
trial design object. The same way
General branding elements.
I sometimes wish I still owned a
library card and a book bag instead
of consulting another 72dpi PDF
on an online resource.
The second part of my discussion
moves to the concept of media
convergence and, intersecting it
with my working experiences of a
media convergent product, ques-
tioning specifically whether Africa
can truly support such a develop-
ment at this stage
Media convergence in traditional
broadcast is fundamentally ham-
pered by the inability to reflect or
Design for bumpers transitioning
simulate in traditional television into programming.
the structure and user interaction
 57 >

of the Internet. Also, restrictive

broadcast legislation often makes
transposing television content into
the online environment impossible. I
say “traditional television”, because
media convergence is obviously far
more evident in the movement to-
wards pay-per-view or video on
demand, as well as return-path
initiatives – even though the ubiq-
uitous text-to-tv angle is about as
interactive as it sometimes gets
here. On the other hand, Twitter
also started as a seemingly equally
inane exercise in personal micro-
publicity, and today no self-respecting
brand can go without tweeting about
their latest marketing agenda.

In a mall in Nairobi, a shop owner

casually sold disked copies of
Desperate Housewives labelled in
permanent marker to twenty-
somethings hungry for pirated
American series but unable to
download them through their own
sluggish middle to upper class
home connections. Aside from
clearly pointing to the deficit in Afri-
ca’s digital playing field, this also
highlighted that all Gen Ys clearly
have the same sense of entitlement
to free or virtually free illegally
sourced media content, no matter
where in the world you go.

Given the potential for Africa to cope

with a technological generation leap
– as has been evidenced in the mas-
sive market penetration of cellular
technology on the continent, as spo-
ken about by Ray Kurzweil – one of
58 >

the saddest fallouts of unreliable

connectivity for the African youth
market is the lack of publication and
accessibility of information around
groundbreaking cultural output.
One finds it easy enough to consult
a Pitchforkmedia-type site about
the best Canadian albums of 2009,
but where can you access the really
killer stuff from Libreville, Abuja,
Dakar or Gaborone, which would
quite likely be far more original than
anything coming from the traditional
centres of popular culture.

The biggest potential I saw for VUZU

Logo installation used in shooting channel branders.
was the ability for it to function as a
platform for African creative output,
the exchanging of information and
critique, cross-continentally, about
fashion, music, design, art, content,
ideas. Even in its simplest iteration
of SMS interactivity, it could still
exploit the power and reach of
television, with the communica-
tive potential of mobile technology.
The project we developed on agency-
level to somewhat renegotiate this
gap was an initiative called Heard on
the Streets, a series of unmediated,
recorded sessions documenting
overheard dialogues around the
real, street-level issues concerning
this new African generation Y.

One of my principal interests in ‘Heard on the streets’ sessions.

structuring the communication
strategy behind VUZU, was the
building of niche marketing strands,
along the line of ARG instances. ARG
(Alternate Reality Game) refers to a
convergent media concept where

multiple participants interactively
author a narrative across multiple
media platforms, including the
real world – although most of the
narrative is formulated and played
out in the online environment. My
interest in ARG lies specifically in
its more recent application as a
niche marketing tool in the enter-
tainment sphere, as is evidenced
best in the work of Pasadena-
based 42 Entertainment, which
used ARG models to create intense-
ly complex viral marketing strands
for products such as Nine Inch Nails
Year Zero, The Dark Knight and
Halo 2.
The nature of ARG marketing initia-
tives is highly fluid and intuitive,
where the company engineering
the narrative will intentionally
conceal coded messaging in both
real-world and digital environ-
ments, under the premise that in
media-saturated landscapes,
niche markets will actively seek
out hidden messaging specific to
their lifestyles. There is usually a
potential failure factor inherent
in the strategy, especially where
the narrative is intentionally hand-
ed over to participants themselves
to further and determine the direc-
tion of the game.
I mention ARGs here, as the concept
possibly displays the highest and
most matured form of convergent
media practice – where multimedia,
real-world participation and, im-
portantly, a precedence on the open
59 >
source design model – meet to
create meaning for niche markets.
It takes the form of an ‘engineered
meme’, and its survival and success
resides in the hope that it will bear
relevance to its intended market
well enough to be authored by the
participants themselves.
My interest in ARGs in context of
my work on VUZU extends to ques-
tion how well the concept can fit
with the dynamics of the African
youth market. The potential for con-
vergent media to take hold and have
relevance within the African youth
context is seemingly massive, espe-
cially given the ready market pen-
etration of cellular technology
within the continent. And certainly,
Africa must contain ripe niche
communities within the youth
market, if the divergence of sub
cultural instances within South
Africa is anything to go by. And as
equally as ARG marketing employs
or exploits micro-communities to
spread its targeted messaging, it
also galvanizes and stimulates
those communities and their cul-
tural output by creating dialogue
points within them.
However, ARG models are frequent-
ly grounded in the premise that
they are seeded within environ-
ments of high broad-based media
density and saturation – the theory
being that youth markets in these
areas function under such high de-
grees of media sensitivity and
selectivity that hidden and coded
60 >
messaging is more readily sought
out by the market due to its rele-
vance. Within the African context,
South Africa may be exceptional
as a relatively isolated instance of
a highly urbanised and media-
dense locale, and therefore may be
unique in its potential to exploit
niche marketing exercises and
ARG narrative models.
VUZU seemed a highly powerful
brand to implement even low-level
ARG marketing strategies to access
and build niche communities with-
in South Africa, and potentially
other more urbanized areas within
the continent. However, the major
challenge with successful conver-
gent media marketing exercises
seems to lie in how consistently a
brand communication is dissemi-
nated through the various plat-
forms it seeks to employ. It requires
highly streamlined brand processes
and constancy, or rather, dovetail-
ing of messaging. Generation Y
seems to be a market that quite
readily engages in as many – or as
few – communication nodes as it
chooses, while simultaneously ex-
pecting highly relevant content at
any such point, however small, at
which it chooses to engage.
TV is dead. I still don’t own or ac-
tively choose to engage with tel-
evision. I still don’t own any sat-
ellite subscription and am still
not completely au fait with the
mechanics of PVR. The linearity of
television’s structure, and the often
broadly (and thickly) applied mar-
keting messages it contains feel as
strangely uncomfortable to me now
as they did several years ago. I expe-
rienced the same discomfort with
the medium for several months af-
ter securing the pitch to the chan-
nel information design, and to
some degree, perhaps still do.
Part of this discomfort stems, I
believe, from the knowledge that
the designerly urge towards indi-
vidual authorship is almost im-
mediately compromised by the
‘public domain’ nature of what
one outputs. It is disseminated,
consumed and so easily rendered
disposable, on such a large scale
and so publicly, that it can often
be quite a disturbing experience.
Intangibility and obsolescence
define the range and lifespan of
one’s physical work and one has
to take comfort that in some
strange, if indiscernible way, one Summer branding.
has somehow altered the visual
and conceptual landscape of many
people.
Retrospectively, however, I can
discern that many of my more hard-
line assumptions about the medium
were misplaced or skewed. Time Elements of analogue interference
incorporated into logo animations.
magazine showed a recent study
that indicated American teenagers
 61 >

still spend far more time engaged

with the medium than even cellular
or Internet usage. Which means that
while it’s nowhere near its deathbed
yet, television’s traditional allot-
ment of daily time-spend has been
eroded by products that function
on very different structural and
navigational levels.

TV isn’t dead, but it needs to accom-

modate itself rapidly to a changing
landscape of how we interface with
information most comfortably. True
media convergence, and allowing
viewers to become active partici-
pants in shaping where, how and of
what their experiences comprise,
through open source design models,
is a powerful idea. For Africa espe-
cially, it represents better individual
control over media, a means of ac-
cessing and sustaining niche youth
communities, and disseminating in-
formation about what young Afri-
cans are doing, to one another as
well as the world. I hope that VUZU
can fulfil these kinds of desperately
needed requirements.

About Kelda

Kelda van Heerden works as creative

director at Eject Media in Johannes-
burg, which engages with various
identity and communication strategy
projects, moreover in the digital
and broadcast design domains. <
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www.graphica.co.za
64 >
 65 >

Never one to hold back his opinions or creative expressions and

a visionary who often shuns conventions, Peet Pienaar has always
been a creative activist. He has been on the forefront of the South
African creative scene even before he opted to cross over from
fine arts to practice design full-time. He made his big debut onto
the local fine art scene in 2000 by documenting his circumcision
and presenting the appendage as a work of art in a Perspex box
accompanied by a three-monitor video installation showing the
medical procedure close-up. This surely proved his courage and
creative conviction. I.D. magazine said: “He used to work with his
body. Now he stands behind a body of work.”

ByJacquesLange In 2004 delegates attending the Design Indaba conference in Cape

Town arrived at Peet Pienaar’s talk and were promptly directed to a
glass atrium overlooking a gravel lot below that featured a mosaic
portrait of 17-year-old Zvidzai Mutarisi. Out of nowhere, a car appeared,
scattered the mosaic and disappeared swiftly, leaving the audience
staring at a dust cloud. I.D. magazine reported that “Back in the audi-
torium, his solid, sportsman-like frame tucked into a dark suit, Pienaar
introduced himself to the crowd. ‘Art’, he said, bored him – ‘design
offered far greater possibilities’.”

Pienaar proceeded with an explanation: “Every year some 200 children

go missing from Cape Town’s townships. Often their parents are too
poor to produce street posters with the children’s images.” So,
Pienaar designed a pro bono for Mutarisi, a teenage runaway. In fact,
it was Mutarisi’s disappearance into a distressing urban landscape
that had inspired Pienaar to represent him in the mosaic and stage the
stunt with the car. The installation had high emotional impact and
reflected Pienaar’s approach to get messages across in unusual ways.

He says: “I felt that art had became stale and you only reach a very
small group of people. The mass market was very attractive to me.
I also think that the design world is much more supportive and less
political than the art world. I really don’t see myself as a persona so
I don’t feel a need to cope with anything more than any other person.”

Since then, Pienaar has carved an impressive niche for himself as

one of Africa’s – and one of the world’s – most innovative designers
who utilises the power of communication design to affect change to
MK Bruce Lee magazine, Issue 3. old conventions and rumble the stale bones of conformity.
66 >

Pienaar was a founder of the acclaimed consultancy, Daddy buy me

a pony, which had garnered an armful of local and international
awards in just a few years. The company dissolved when Pienaar’s
business partner decided to relocate to New York and in April
2008, he established The President, with partner Hannerie Visser.

Visser says: “We looked at many different names, but ended up

liking ‘The President’ the most. Peet wanted a name that would go
with our company’s contemporary African style.”

The President’s client list now includes Comme des Garcon (Japan), 1.
DStv (SA), Virgin Wines (UK), Tribeca Coffee (SA), Afro Coffee (Division
of Red Bull, Austria), Hands on Wine (SA) and Médecins Sans Fron-
tiéres, amongst others.

Yet, it is in the publishing field where The President has thrived in

recent times. For The President, a magazine is not a structure that is
linear and perfectly bound. Rather, it is an interactive experience
that needs to be engaged with in a lateral manner and they tap deeply
into the unique talents, skills and experiences of their team.

Visser explains: “I’m from a magazine publishing background. I

was group publisher of a few mags at New Media Publishing. The
amazing creative team and the clients we work with drive me. It is
great working with clients who trust us and give us creative carte
blanche, but sometimes it is also good to work with restraints and
tight briefs. Peet designed one of our issues when I was at Visi
magazine. That issue was one of Visi’s best sellers ever and won a
lot of awards. Daddy Buy Me a Pony was also Visi’s ad agency
when I was the publisher and we worked together really well. I’ve
always admired Peet’s ability to push creative boundaries and his
African-inspired design.”

Highlights from the company’s publishing portfolio include MK

Bruce Lee magazine for MK, the popular DStv music channel that
appointed The President to develop an unconventional magazine
concept targeting the youth between 18–24. MK Bruce Lee is packaged
in a ‘lucky packet’ format and the first issue contained a 128-page
2.
handbook with A-Z guidelines on how to start your own band, plus
 67 >

3.

4.

1. MK Bruce Lee magazine for MK, Issue 3.

2. MK Bruce Lee magazine for MK, Issue 4.
3. MK Bruce Lee magazine for MK, Issue 2.
4. MK Bruce Lee magazine for MK, Issue 5.
68 >

Cover for Joe Issue 1 Poster of the featured artists in Joe Issue 1

Cover for Coco Issue 1 Poster of the featured artists in Coco Issue 1
 69 >

signed posters from top South Africa bands including Van Coke Kartel,
aKing and Jax Panik and postcards of South African music industry
heroes and fun stickers.

Hunter Kennedy, guitarist and lyricist for the revolutionary Afrikaans

rock band, Fokofpolisiekar, edits the magazine. Kennedy is widely
respected among peers and fans alike for his relevant and intelligent
lyrics, challenging and shifting Afrikaans mindsets.

Pienaar’s idea to segment the magazine for its diverse audience by

creating MK Bruce, a lucky packet specifically for guys and MK Lee, a
lucky packet for girls, gives MK the opportunity to create tailor-made
content for the different gender groups. This also gives advertisers the
opportunity to reach the individual market needs with differentiating
stickers, postcards, samples and vouchers included in the magazine.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response from the MK audience,”

says Haddad Viljoen, marketing and publicity manager for MK and kykNET.
“Over 1 000 members joined the MK Bruce Lee Group on Facebook with-
in two weeks after we launched the fan site. We are very excited about
Poster back.
this unique brand extension where there is clearly a gap for an innovative
Poster back. and unique magazine with a specific focus on music, the shared passion
of our target audience,” says Viljoen.

In May 2009 MK Bruce Lee scooped a silver CLIO statue at the 50th
Annual CLIO Awards in the Editorial Design category and it was also
nominated for a One Show Design Award in New York, where The President
received a Merit Award. Other accolades include a Gold Pendoring in
2008 for Best Communication Design. In addition, Pienaar also holds
the honour of being first South African to win a CLIO GRAND PRIX in
2006, awarded in the Editorial Design category for Afro Magazine and
in 2007 he won a GOLD Ozzie Award (New York) for the Best Magazine
cover design.

The President now also produces a quarterly magazine, Coco Joe, launched
in mid-2009 as a brand extension for Channel O, Africa’s premier music
channel on DStv. Similar to MK Bruce Lee, Coco Joe is segmented with
half the print run appealing to females (Coco) and the other half to
males (Joe) and packaged in a VIP ‘lucky packet-style’ format. The launch
issue featured posters of some of South Africa’s biggest names in the
entertainment industry including DJ Sbu, Pro, DJ Waxxy, Khanyi Mbau,
Lira and Kelly Khumalo.
70 >

In 2009 The President decided to spread its wings and opened an

office in Buenos Aires. Visser explains: “We were attracted by the
similarities between us and Argentina – both ex-colonial, developing
and southern hemisphere countries. People responded amazingly
to our design approach in Argentina. Sometimes people say we are
too cutting edge for mainstream clients in South Africa but in Argen-
tina mainstream clients really love us.”

Pienaar and Visser joined forces with Manuel Franzini, former market-
ing executive at MTV Latin America who is now managing director
of The President Latinámerica.

Six months after opening the office in Buenos Aires, they decided to
take their southern hemisphere collaboration to the next level by
hosting the first annual Toffie Popular Culture Festival in Cape
Town. The festival will be held in Cape Town at Rondebosch Boys
High School from 26 to 28 March 2010.

“The idea is to create a platform for skills exchange between two very
similar countries, both in the southern hemisphere, ex-colonial and
with developing economies. All of the speakers, exhibitors and
musicians will have very strong links with either Africa or South
America,” says Pienaar.

Speakers include Jorge Alderete, graphic designer from Mexico,

Seba Valdivia and Pablo Gonzalez Diaz (Argentina), co-owners of Joe Issue 2

Trimarchi, the biggest design conference in the world, Kim Jones, Poster for an exhibition in Argentina.

creative director for Alfred Dunhill in London, Wynand Myburgh

from local bands Fokofpolisiekar and Van Coke Kartel and Sean
Saylor, VP for Creative MTV Latin America.

The festival will open with an exhibition including work by Distur-

bance Studio, The Curators, Crank, The President and Brandt Bots.
The President is also hosting a party with performances by local
bands BLK JKS and Van Coke Kartel and Manta Ray from Argentina.

The Toffie popular culture festival is officially supported by the

cities of Cape Town and Buenos Aires, as well as the South African
embassy in Argentina. The ambassador for South Africa in Argentina,
Tony Leon, has also invited The President to host the festival in
Buenos Aires later in 2010 as part of the city of Buenos Aires’s bi-
centennial celebrations.
 71 >

Coco Issue 2 Shoe poster and shoe and watch made up.
Poster for a music festival in Argentina.

The President team draws inspiration from a vast pool of sources.

Pienaar and Visser say that they particularly admire the work of Job
van Bennekom “…he made designers editors of magazines and his
interviews in Butt and Fantastic Man are really inspiring.” They also
mention Richard de Jager – “… he is the best stylist in the world.”
Furthermore, they say that “food is hugely inspiring to us and so
too, non-conscious design like prison tattoos and doodles on
train seats.”

In describing their unique design philosophy, Pienaar and Visser

say: “Don’t copy, be inspired by things around us, and ‘maak
mooi’ [beautify].” They also say that they do not have a specific
mission that they want to accomplish. “… When we get one,
please stop us.” <
72 >

Just A Band. “It’s

always fun shooting
the band. I usually
shoot Bill and Daniel
one by one, then
shoot myself using
the self-timer to
complete the trio.”

JIM CHUCHU>
STORIES & MUSIC THAT
COMBINE IDEAS FOR AFRICA’S FUTURE
By Jacques Lange

Never one to be pinned down to practicing in just one
specialised creative field, Jim Chuchu’s oeuvre covers
IT, music, graphic and web design, photography, digital
art, art direction for commercials and music videos, and
most recently, directing short films. He is also an accom-
plished musician and member of the popular Kenyan
band, Just A Band. Chuchu shares his multidiscipli-
nary creative endeavours in an exclusive interview
with DESIGN>.
D > Tell us about your early years and how you ended
up working in so many creative domains.
JC > I was born in Nairobi. I don’t think I was a creative
child in the normal sense of the word. I spent a lot of time
reading books and listening to music. I was fascinated
73 >
by movies, and I enjoyed taking things apart and putting
them back together but I only began to seriously con-
sider dabbling in making these things when I was 14
or so.
I got a BSc in IT and immediately went to work as a
graphic designer at an ad agency called Red Sky – I’d
been dabbling with design since I first started working
with Photoshop in 2001, so I showed them my doodles
and they were impressed enough to employ me.
I worked there for all of six months. I hated it, the pay
sucked and the work sucked, so I left. I then decided
to become a freelance designer and did all kinds of
graphic design and web work (mostly for events and
album covers).
74 >

I’ve always wanted to make films, so I thought photography
would be a step in that direction. I took a loan from my brother
to buy a digital camera (I’ve never shot on film) and started
shooting friends.
Liz. (right) “The first person I ever shot profes-
sionally – Liz Ogumbo kick started my photo-
graphic career by passing around the resulting
photos to people who then hired me. I owe her
one.”

Little Girl in Mathare. (bottom left) “I visited

One of my web design clients is the model, Liz Ogumbo, so
when I got a camera I asked her if I could shoot her one day.
She was cool with that, and the photos turned out interesting
(NOW I think they’re quite silly). I slowly began getting more
photography work, so I ditched the design work (which paid
less and took much longer to finish).
Most of the photography work I got was from musicians. I
acquired a reputation for highly stylised photos (and too
much airbrushing, ha!), which then got the interest of the
ad agencies – so I started to get advertising work. Then
began a chain of events – from one job to another – that
somehow led me to where I am now.
D > Why did you opt to study BSc in IT?
Mathare – one of Nairobi’s informal settle-
ments – to photograph a nursery school that
needed some help. The teachers at the school
were worried when this little girl didn’t show
up that morning, so I accompanied them to
her home to find out if she was OK. It turned
out her granny had died that morning; the
body lay in a bed to the right of us because
the family didn’t have enough money to get a
vehicle to carry it to a morgue.”
Little Boy in Mathare. (bottom right) “I was
worried about this shoot because it required
me to leave all my lights at home and shoot with
natural light, away from a studio. I’ve never
thought of myself as being good with kids,
so I was pleasantly surprised that the kids
didn’t mind my presence in their classroom.”

JC > Around here, young people are encouraged to study

‘something’ when they finish high school, and that some-
thing cannot be something ‘un-serious’ like art or music or a
language; it has to be something like Economics, or Actuarial
Science or vague-sounding courses like Business, Commu-
nications and IT.

When I finished high school my parents let me muck about

in an art college of sorts, where I studied the basics of design
and learned about design software. Then it was time to ‘do
something serious’, so I chose the least boring course – IT
– because I was already familiar with computers and found that
I could somehow wrap my head around Java and PHP syntax.

I don’t regret studying IT. I’ve always approached technology

with a curiosity about how it could be used to make fun things
(I remember making sci-fi computer-terminal-like animations
in Powerpoint {! :-} when I was 16 or so), so that gave me a
broader sense of how technology and creative things can
collide.
75 >
76 >

Kate. “I first met

accountancy student
Kate about two years
ago, and she didn’t
understand why Kangai
Mwiti (an excellent
makeup artist) and I
wanted to photograph
her. She’s become a lot
more confident, and
has landed advertising
and music video roles
as a result of these
casual shoots.”

Acroyoga. “I still get

‘how did you do that?’
emails about this photo
of a young acrobat (who
was balancing on a
partner’s feet below him
– I simply cut them out).”

I first encountered Photoshop in a computer class.
We had a web design project and I was grappling
with trying to make a good-looking website using
only HTML elements. I first experimented with
Photoshop 5, and I really liked that it gave me the
power to create images. I don’t draw very well,
so Photoshop allowed me to do visual things
without having to face the fearsome blank page.
D > How and when did you become involved in
music?
JC > I first studied classical piano when I was 10
or so and after about two years I dropped it. Then
I met Bill (who’s one of the members of Just A
Band) in high school, and we would fool around
with the piano in the school chapel. We then went
to the same university where we met Daniel (the
other member of the band), and we decided to
form a band which would allow us to play around
with visuals and music.
D > Can you tell me more about the link between
the music and visuals that you and the band create?
JC > When we started out, there was more of a
distribution of roles – with Daniel and I being
very involved in the visuals. These days, Bill has
acquired a broader visual grammar (because of
being suddenly surrounded by all the weird stuff
we have in the house), so it’s much more collabo-
rative at the pre-production level. We work con-
currently on visuals and music, so music video
ideas are jotted down on the same page with the
lyrics as we record the music.
D > How did the band’s name come about?
JC > When we decided to form the band we wrote
down all the names that we could think of on a
piece of paper – then argued about them for
about two days, cancelling them out one by one,
77 >
until we had the very pretentious ‘Shifta’ and
‘Just A Band’. I later found out that the ‘Shifta’ were
a band of militia/bandits, so I’m glad we chose
‘Just A Band’.
D > I have listened to Just A Band’s music on
YouTube and I was quite surprised about how
international the band’s approach is. I firstly just
listened to the music without watching the visu-
als. My experience was that the music was truly
international. Yet, when I watched the videos
with the music my perceptions changed. Just A
Band crosses international styles and it has sur-
prise moments that are uniquely linked to Ken-
yan street culture. Can you comment on this?
JC > We’re always surprised when people tell us
we’re blending international and local flavours,
because it’s not something we do consciously.
I’d thus be the last person on this earth to com-
ment objectively on our music/visuals – since
I’m up to my nose in it. I once told someone that
I would like to make something futuristic and
clean, but the dirt is always creeping in to make
the visuals much more organic – so sometimes
we can’t help it.
Also, we have a DIY approach to creating every-
thing (we make EVERYTHING ourselves – I remem-
ber evenings trimming and folding the album
packaging for our first album) and that means
our personalities (and failings) are tightly woven
with everything that comes out of that house (we
live together, you know).
D > Far too often, people think that African music,
design, art, and more need to exude our traditional
heritage frameworks and they often forget that
Africa is developing rapidly and that young crea-
tives are shaping a new vision for the continent in
an new international context – which you and your
band do. What is your vision for the future of
Africa?
78 >
JC > I think there is a mild guilt that comes with being
a middle-class African with access to electricity and
Internet, and so – as much as we’re very much a part
of the global generation that grew up on Michael
Jackson – we feel like we should pretend to have
traditional roots and ooze local culture, even though
we’ve never really grown up like that. Traditional
heritage is great when it’s authentic, but most audi-
ences can tell fake traditionalism – and they disconnect
from it.
As much as there are many things that are pretty bad
in Africa, there’s also a new generation and a new vein
of creative work coming from Africa: stories and music
that combine our ideas of the future with that vague
sense of local heritage that you refer to. I find that vision
of the future to be more authentic than the sterile,
orderly one that the Western world reference in their
‘science fiction’.
It’s a vision that carries with it all the logical and actual
disorderliness that we’re so used to here. I think cultures
that have seen the worst sides of humanity always
have more interesting things to say about the future.
Just ask the Japanese.
D > Can you share some more of the band’s successes?
JC > Our biggest accomplishment is that people have
allowed us to be difficult to classify – which means we’re
free to jump between genres and blur the line between
disciplines and not obey all the rules (like having to
appear in our music videos – yuck!). We’re also very sur-
prised that people have accepted us locally and outside,
and that they see something original in our work.
We were recently number 3 on the We Are Hunted chart
with one of our new songs Usinibore!, which was very
exciting for us – who’d have thought?
D > In recent editions of DESIGN> we featured de-
signers who are also musicians or designers who
are heavily involved in the music industry. Why do
you think there is such a close link between the two
creative disciplines?
JC > I don’t know about the others, but I get most of my
visual ideas from listening to music, and sometimes
a lyric from a song can spur a whole story. I finally caved
in and bought an iPod the other day (I’m an Apple-
phobe), and I’ve been enjoying listening to music
while doing mundane things like shopping or taking
a walk, then everyone around me looks like they’re
acting in a music video that only I can see. Music and
visuals go very well together, they complement one
another – so it’s only natural that one would want to
fiddle around with both at the same time.
D > All of your video work seems to have a social or
political dimension. Where do you plan to take this in
future? Do you have political aspirations?
JC > I most certainly do not have political aspirations
– that’s almost an insult in these parts! Over the past
few months, I have become disillusioned with creat-
ing visuals that do not reference all the nasty things
that are going on in my country. Kenyans are experts
at pretending to be ‘OK’ despite the very real problems
that are festering in and outside the cities.
Working on Kuweni Serious (which means ‘get serious’)
has allowed me to hear stories and meet people who
are very much in touch with the realities of Kenyan/
African politics, and it has made me wonder if it is even
ethical to call yourself a ‘creative photographer’ in
countries where people still die of cholera.
This is not to say that there is no room for creativity, but
I’m now gravitating towards stories that are more in
touch with the reality that things don’t always work
 79 >

Kuweni Serious. (above) “A foray into documentary and

social commentary with like-minded friends – Kuweni
Serious allows me to indulge my concerned citizen leanings
by asking young people what they think about their country
and where we’re going.”

VIEW THIS VIDEO http://www.kuweniserious.org/2010/01/

bloodstains/ or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV9kVqJbBgI

Just A Band: Usinibore. (top left) “A surprise hit for the

band from our second album – 82. This was my first video
with a relatively large cast and my first time shooting with
the use of a dolly (fun!). An abstracted social commentary
on youth power.”

VIEW THIS VIDEO http://www.youtube.com

/watch?v=43XrFVp-fXY

Scratch To Reveal. (left) “Another ‘how did you do that?’

subject. I shot and composited this for Just A Band’s debut
album cover using a friend’s very lean arm and some
bunched-up cables.”
80 >

Joan. “A collaboration with

Kepha – an insanely talented
fashion designer. Joan, the
model, thought we were crazy.”

out fine, and that dreams don’t always come true.
Not for everyone, at least.
D > Do you have a specific creative philosophy?
JC > I don’t think I have a creative philosophy, I
see things in my head so I go out and shoot them,
then sometimes I hear things in my head, so I record
them. I’m really surprised at how all this is turning
out.
D > What has been your proudest professional
moments?
JC > I remember getting teary when I saw my first
photograph on a billboard. The idea that people
were involved in printing, transporting and putting
it up was overwhelming. I also got that feeling
(and still do) when I first saw our music video on
MTV, or seeing album covers that I designed
gleaming on the shelves of shops – such things
always make me smile.
D > What does the future hold for you, other than
your film aspirations?
JC > Hopefully I’ll amount to something, otherwise
it’d be an awful waste of energy.
D > Who and what inspires you?
JC > I like people who challenge themselves and
their audiences: people like Björk, Chris Cunning-
ham, David Lachapelle and Pedro Almodóvar. The
other day I stumbled upon Grace Jones’ Corporate
Cannibal – the most beautiful/scary thing I’ve
watched in a while – and Janelle Monáe. I also
like all of M Night Shyamalan’s work – I’m always
defending him when people say Lady in the Water
was silly – I thought it was magical. Gustavo San-
taolalla calms me down, and District 9 – Whoa!
81 >
D > How important is your African identity and
what do you aspire to achieve in this context
internationally?
JC > I don’t really see my work in the context of
African identity – perhaps because this idea of an
African identity is not something that’s easily
defined. I feel like we’re a lost people right now, in
between cultures, wondering what to keep and
what to discard. If that’s true, then I’d like to present
my own vision of what it is to be African. Fingers
crossed.
D > How would you describe the mindspace where
you are now?
JC > I feel like I’m in a place where I can now begin
to create my own work. Up to now I’ve created
things for other people and kept my own pet projects
simmering in my head. It takes a fair bit of self-
confidence to execute personal projects, and I
didn’t really have that till now. This year is bite-
the-bullet year.
Current projects are lots of music videos for Just
A Band and other artists like Dela, Muthoni – the
Drummer Queen, and Ma3, some social activism
with Kuweni Serious (http://www.kuweniserious.
org), a documentary for the Changamoto Arts Fund,
several remixes (as my audio alter ego, Makmende).
There’s also a series of about seven short films (I’m
biting the bullet this year) called In Praise of Broken
Humans – a collection of somewhat dark stories
about people wanting to commit suicide, argue
with God and have affairs with angels. You know.
I’m hoping to shoot the first one soon – it’s called
What Time is it in Paradise?. Fingers crossed. <
 84 >

MICHELLE SON
AN INDEPENDENT
CREATIVE

Michelle Son is a refreshing emerg-
ing creative who exemplifies the con-
cept of ‘working on the edge’. She
specialises in design and art direc-
tion, motion graphics, visual mer-
chandising and installation projects.
Son recently established a company
named &Son, based in Cape Town,
after spending some years at the
leading production and motion
graphics studios, Terraplane, Eject
Media and Tennant McKay.
Son says that she likes bold colours,
things that make her smile and crea-
tive projects that challenge her to
think in new ways. “For me, every-
thing is in the details. My design
philosophy is: Think before you
design.”
Putting emphasis on design-driven
creative storytelling, &Son aims to
combine strong design with anima-
tion and interactive experiences to
collaborate with clients, from con-
cept to delivery, to produce work that
is diverse, innovative and have some
&Son quirks.
Son selected the new company
name, &Son, because she liked the
idea of collaborating with other
designers and clients. “You could
be the next _ _ _&Son,” she says.
85 >
Son had this to say in an interview
with DESIGN>:
D > How did you become a designer?
MS > When I was little I made fridge
magnets of my family’s heads out
of salted dough. I had to first bake
them, then paint them, and I used
lots of black wool for the hair for all
five females in my family. Those were
the real beginnings of my design
career.
After high school I studied graphic
design at Vega School of Brand
Communication.
Moxieland plush toy inspired by a computer game character in
J&B_Start a Party. &Son created four animated movies that
turned mundane situations into playful parties.
Adidas & Vida Café Chair Project.
the book, Moxieland.
1. poster.
86 >

D > You are a very versatile de- MS > Having worked in motion in my sub-conscience. But the ex-
signer. How do you avoid having a graphics for so long, it feels good to ercise of creating these toys is what
distinguishable signature style? balance working in a digital realm sparked my love for sewing. And they
with working with my hands and are meant to be for anyone and every-
MS > I don’t avoid having a distin- on a tactile level. It’s important for one (who wants them, of course).
guishable style. My sensibility is me to be able to step away from my
what I think is the common thread to computer and engage with real and D > You won a Bronze Loerie for the
my design, regardless of the style. interesting materials and objects.
Nike installation at astore in 2009.
I’d like to think I can convey a slightly
What feedback did you receive from
‘quirky’ nature to my work (for lack D > How did the Mooncake Toy
the store and its customers?
of a better word!), whether it is an range come about and what do you
animation or installation. intend to communicate with them?
MS > I did indeed. People really re-
D > You work in diverse design dis- MS > Mooncake toys came about sponded well – many people want-
ciplines that require different skills with the conception of Sebasschin, ed to buy them afterwards. Nike, the
sets and approaches. Do you have the asschin, in my dreams. Let’s just agency and the astore guys were
a favourite discipline and how do say that I have issues that come in all very happy with the outcome and
you juggle the skills requirements? the form of characters like Sebbaschin the buzz that was created around
Ghost Whisperer promos for channel GO captures the channel’s
Nike & Astore window installation.
HTC Google Android animation.

tongue and cheek tone.


it. It’s one of the best things I have
ever done.
D > Can you tell us more about the
Miss Beautiful book which also
won a Bronze Loerie in 2009? Why
did you opt to keep it so simple?
MS > Miss Beautiful is a cultural
study of South Africans in the beauty
pageant world. It was a very special
project that I felt very close to as I
worked with the photographer, Stan
Engelbrecht during its production.
I got to go to some of the pageants
and meet some very interesting and
colourful people. We wanted the
book to be about the images and the
stories, which is why I kept the de-
sign very simple and clean.
D > How did you approach the
Adidas/VIDA Chairs project?
MS > I was given the task of creat-
ing some sort of in-store presence
for Adidas inside the Vida stores.
Vida had a bunch of discarded white
chairs that were replaced with new
red ones, and so I came up with the
idea of getting surplus shoelaces
from Adidas and weaving different
designs into each of the chairs. The
response has been fantastic and
87 >
they will be travelling around all
Vida stores nationwide.
D > What about the Moxyland toy
project?
MS > Moxyland is a sci-fi novel
written by Lauren Beukes. It is set
in the year 2018 in Cape Town and
deals with the evils of technology
and the media. The final cover was
designed by Dale Halvorsen and
&Son created a plush toy that had
to be inspired by a computer game
character from the book. The char-
acter had to appear cute and inno-
cent, but was actually quite men-
acing.
88 >

After I created the prototype, a group of under-

privileged women in Noordhoek, Cape Town,
started producing them as plush toys. This
accidentally resulted in an assortment of
different looking toys with individual ex-
pressions.

D > Do you have a specific mission in life that

you want to accomplish?

MS > To create a signature fashion label. <

Mooncake is a small range of plush handmade felt friends that

Miss Beautiful is a cultural study of South Africans in the

were born from characters from Michelle’s dreams.

beauty pageant world. 350 pages.

90 >
PIXELUXE
By Anri Theron
When asked why he is so passionate about designing
fonts, Jan Erasmus describes his life-long battle with
dyslexia and how this challenges him to find artistic
expressions of the alphabet. His most recent crea-
tion, Pixeluxe, is a testament to that. DESIGN > had
the pleasure of learning more about the evolution of
Pixeluxe from the designer himself.
Erasmus describes that the motivation behind Pixeluxe
was to publish a family of pixel-like fonts that went
into Deluxe mode, “Each pixel contains a vector art
symbol of between 36 – 87 nodes to replace the
square pixel in a glyph.” This, he says, gives you a
font with specific meaning imbedded which can either
be used for its obvious meaning or used in a decon-
structed context as he did in Pixeluxe’s campaign.
Erasmus explains that the concept for Pixeluxe has
been with him for quite some time now and once the
decision was made to move forward with the project
everything fell into place. The family consists of six
parts, Binary, Death, Eco, Love, Peace and Soccer.
He explains that the Binary member of the family
was designed first and served as the foundation
block and template for the other family members.
Once the Binary member was developed to absolute
perfection the theme fun started. Erasmus changed
each pixel with the chosen illustration thousands of
times over for the remaining five faces.
To decide on the remaining faces themes Erasmus
conducted a bit of an experiment. By using Google he
went in search of the most clichéd symbols graphic
designers use. His search resulted in a list which in-
cluded the heart, cross bones and skull, skyscrapers
and coats of arms and the dove as a peace symbol.
Erasmus used three of these and named the Love,
Death and Peace instead of Light, Regular and Bold.
The soccer ball came further down the Google
search result list but also because of the world cup
in South Africa. He explains the addition of Eco be-
cause he felt it had great significance in the times
we live in whether there is global warming or not.
Erasmus chose the water diagram as the Egyptians
used as the meaning for the Nile, which became the
symbol for water and the Incas drew the water ser-
pent on the last page of their calendar, 21.12.2012.
The current rising sea level fits the picture perfectly.
Manufacturing, testing and marketing took about
six weeks for this 6-font family, a short time in com-
parison to the font family, Chronicle Text from Hoefler
and Frere-Jone that took up to nine years to make.
It, however, did not come without some difficulty.
Erasmus explains that the sheer amount of nodes in
the faces caused problems when it came to output
the family in OpenType and Open Type TTF which
doubled up all the nodes on curves. Take for example
the drop cap A in the Death face which has 95 times
more data, a total of 1,080 nodes, than Helvetica cap
A. To solve this problem Erasmus went old tech and
created Pixeluxe in a Legacy PS1 format instead. This
worked perfectly with both Mac OS X and as a Win PS1.
The result is beautiful. Erasmus perceives the appli-
cations of Pixeluxe within display work, a space that
designers use the most varied fonts in. He can see it
being used as a drop cap or possibly for the numbering
of the Pirates soccer player jerseys, should they comply.
A customer in Perth used Pixeluxe to do Valentines
Day window dressing and show cards. Ultimately it
Introducing Pixeluxe, a brand new font family from CyberGraphics.
91 >
92 >

comes down to your creativity. Pixel fonts are on

the rise again having taken over course resolu-
tion situations like airport arrival and departure
boards, train stations and digital devices. You
may think this is just another trend that feeds
into those nostalgic memories of the 80s, the
birth of Apple, Gameboys and old tech, but there
is a far more practical reason for pixel fonts. “There
are two different species,” Erasmus explains
“those drawn either as a scalable bitmap fonts
such as the early Émigré fonts or Pixel fonts that
are made up of squares for each pixel that makes
up the Glyph. Obviously pixel fonts contain a lot
more data than a scalable bitmap but are more
nimble than a font that has one outline and a lot
of curves that needs eight times more memory
than nodes joined in straight lines.”

What does the future hold for Jan Erasmus? He will

soon be posting three new propriety families on
the Cyber Graphics site so be sure pop by and have
a look.

About Jan Erasmus &

CyberGraphics
CyberGraphics is a multi-disciplinary, full-serv-
ice design studio and digital type foundry com-
mercial available to all studios. Their design
philosophy states that effective design can
only be reflected through the basis of true col-
laboration with clients, and it is this principle
that leads to project solutions that are visually
distinct, a dynamic experience and enduringly
memorable. This, as well as an element of sur-
prise and insight, is some of the foundational
principles upon which CyberGraphics sets its
precedent. <
Left: Pixeluxe Eco. Left: Pixeluxe Death. Left: Pixeluxe Binary.
Right: Pixeluxe Soccer. Right: Pixeluxe Love. Right: Pixeluxe Peace.
93 >
 94 >

AFRICAN FABRICS WEAVE THE

CONTINENT’S HIV/AIDS STORY
By Miliswa Sitshwele

To honour people who have been lost to the
HIV/AIDS pandemic and to create a memorial
for them, the Centre for the Study of AIDS at
the University of Pretoria has produced a 2010
calendar themed Fabrications.
The Centre for the Study of AIDS (CSA) was es-
tablished in 1999 to understand the HIV/AIDS
epidemic and to find new and creative ways to
respond to it – going beyond tried-and-tested
formulas and contributing to building a society
that is equal, fair and tolerant.
Every year the CSA produces a calendar that
serves as an annual review for the centre, show-
casing the work it does and reflecting its view
of the epidemic. Each calendar has a theme the
CSA believes is topical and interesting and will
provoke debate and discussion. Speaking about
the theme, deputy director, Pierre Brouard, said
Fabrications allowed the CSA not only to create
attractive designs based on fabrics from around
the African continent, but also to reflect on mul-
tiple meanings of the word.
“A fabrication can be a story (whether true or
fictional), a myth, a social construction, a fantasy,
a hope, a dream. A fabrication is, in this sense,
both a physical construction of fabrics, but also
a psychological and social construction; the
story of a life,” he said.
“This calendar looks at different African fabrics,
each telling a story about its creators and its
country. The calendar offers ways to take these
designs to tell new stories and produce new ‘fab-
rications’,” said Brouard.
< The Centre for the Study of AIDS’ 2010 calendar
themed Fabrications.
95 >
Even though there are many ways to tell a story,
the CSA chose fabrics. “We like the idea of the
word ‘fabric’ because it has symbolic value and
multiple meanings. For example, it is sometimes
said that HIV/AIDS spreads because the ‘fab-
ric’ of society is disintegrating (for example,
through the breakdown of families, the rise in
crime and a failure to adhere to shared norms
and values) and so we also wanted to use this
play on words.”
“Fabrics were also used in the original AIDS
Quilt project many years ago to reflect on the
identities and stories of people who had died of
AIDS-related illnesses. Also, artists, designers
and crafts people from around the world have
used fabric to tell stories and many of these will
be reflections and musings on gender, sexuality,
class, power, beliefs – all of which have a bearing
on HIV and AIDS,” Brouard said.
For each month in the Fabrications calendar, a
textile from a different country or region in Africa
is used for the quilt designs. These are inspired
by the textiles’ origins and history and matched
with one of the CSA’s initiatives. Extensive re-
search was done on where these textiles come
from, the cultures that conceive them and the
technologies that are involved in their creation,
many of which have been passed on from gen-
eration to generation. For example, Akan Kente
is used for the month of June to represent the
CSA’s ARV Treatment rollout. The cloth is intricate,
luxurious and has a rich history that is interwoven
with the history of the Ashanti Empire in West
Africa. It is also a complex cloth, using weaving
techniques that require skill and knowledge of
96 >

Beyond Borders (2008/2009).

 Imagined Futures (2007/2008).

Paper Prayers (2005/2006).


the materials, mixing cotton and silk to form pat-
terns with layers of symbolic meaning. The
embroidered and appliqué Kuba cloths from
the Kasai River region in the Democratic Re-
public of Congo, with its layered style, repre-
sents the month of May and the CSA’s AIDS &
Human Rights Research Unit. Other fabrics in-
clude Francophone textiles which originate from
the French-speaking countries of West Africa,
Shwe-Shwe from South Africa, Bogolanfini mud
cloth from the Bamana people in Mali and the
colorful Chitenge, also know as kitenges and
kangas, which are worn in a variety of southern
and central African countries.
The 2010 calendar refers to myths: of virgin pro-
tection; HIV-infected blood injected into oranges;
worms in condoms; deliberate infection using
syringes; and many other myths that are part
of the fabric of dealing with HIV/AIDS. “The CSA
strives to challenge many of these fabrications,
to find ways to create new representations of
the epidemic, to tell new stories and, to decon-
struct and reconstruct society,” Brouard said.
The calendar is not a stand-alone project. The
CSA also tells the HIV/AIDS story through face-
to-face workshops, training and consultation to
construct and deconstruct the disease’s effects.
“There are many HIV/AIDS stories and ways of
telling them: we hope to keep finding new and
innovative ways of doing this,” Brouard said.
“Previous calendar themes include:
> Beyond Borders (2008/2009), which show-
cased wallpaper designs – wallpaper can be
within or beyond a border (a restriction if you
like), as can our work on HIV/AIDS. This also
highlighted our interest in work and perspec-
tives in other countries.
97 >
> Imagined Futures (2007/2008), which
asked us to imagine what the future of young
people, their families and the country could
look like if we tackled HIV/AIDS imaginatively
and without a ‘doom and gloom’ approach.
Could we emerge as a stronger and more com-
passionate society?
> Paper Prayers (2005/2006), which showcased
paper prayers from a previous Johannesburg
Art Gallery exhibition. A paper prayer is a
Japanese traditional offering of painted
strips of paper to bring health to the sick
and the exhibition had asked young people
to create paper prayers about HIV and
AIDS. With the calendar, we wished to in-
spire artists and others to be creative in
responding to the disease.”
“We need to tell people’s stories but we also
need to acknowledge that we use stories to
make sense of HIV/AIDS, to cope with it, to
fashion it into something bearable, to give it
meaning,” said Brouard.
The CSA calendars stem from a long-standing
creative partnership with Bluprint Design, a
Pretoria-based communication design consul-
tancy. “The calendars are some of those rare
projects that allow designers the luxury of ex-
tended deadlines. We work closely with the CSA
when conceptualising new themes and then
spend a lot of time – sometimes up to seven
months – researching and crafting the original
imagery,” said creative director, Jacques Lange.
These efforts have paid off since the calendars
have become sought after collectors’ pieces. <
This article is republished with the kind
permission of 46664.com (http://www.46664.
com/News/african-fabrics-weave-the-
continents-hivaids-story-id=7968.aspx)
98 >
MAPPING AUGUST >
AN INFOGRAPHIC
CHALLENGE
Design maestro, Massimo Vignelli, once said: “I see
graphic design as the organisation of information
that is semantically correct, syntactically consistent
and pragmatically understandable.” Vignelli’s
profound statement can also serve as a definition
for ‘information design’, which is arguably one of
the most complex disciplines in design.
From February to April 2010, CarréRotondes, Design
Friends and Gestalten (publishers) are celebrating
the information design discipline with an innovative
exhibition and catalogue titled Infographythm.
August 09 report of graphic design in Luxembourg.
The exhibition is part of the EXPO CarréRotondes,
which takes place in Luxemburg.
The curators invited designers to document their
personal activities during the month of August in
2009 – the traditional summer break for Europeans
– and present these through information graphics.
 99 >

Maxime Pintadu, Luxembourg.

100 >
Debora Manetti, Italy.
These documentaries range from the most banal
listing of easy-paced daily routines to the most ex-
travagant seasonal experiences, all translated into
statistics, diagrams, charts and other graphic schemas.
The organisers say that: “…information graphics (a task
which graphic designers practice rarely for anything
other then earning a living) have been reassigned in a
playful manner, while paying attention to a resolutely
Stephane Thomasset, Luxembourg.
aesthetic process, pushing to the fore the slightly
derisory and superfluous aspect of the numerous
activity reports which abound at the end of the year.
Infographythm unveils the ‘small’ personal activities of
each participant: August under graphical constraints,
the creators showing their zeal at the height of the
dead season!”
 101 >

Mik Muhlen, Luxembourg.

Of the around 40 projects received, 31 were selected Gestalten, will the second edition of Data Flow, a
by the jury made up of members of CarréRotondes, reference publication which gives an overview of re-
Design Friends and Gestalten. The selected works (15 cent developments in visual information processing
from Luxembourg, six from other European countries, in graphic design. <
eight from Asia, one from Chilli and one from New Zea-
land) is on show at the EXPO CarréRotondes, in Luxem-
burg. The catalogue will be published on 9 March, which
will coincide with the Simplexity – Start making sense
conference where Sven Ehmann, creative director of

AFRICAN DIASPORA
IN LALALAND
Californian-based designer, Zelda
Harrison, one of DESIGN>’s newest
contributors, thrives at what she
calls the epicentre of post-modern
cross-culture: Los Angeles. In this
and future editions, she explores the
African design Diaspora in the USA,
103 >
By Jacques Lange
starting with her own story, as wellher father studied architecture and
as that of Chaz Maviyane-Davies urban planning and her mother spe-
and Malene Barnett featured in cialised in maternity nursing, Zelda
this edition. Harrison has focussed her career on
developing a greater understanding
Born in Los Angeles to UCLA’s first of and emphasis on cross-cultural is-
graduate students from Ghana where sues in professional design practice.
104 >
Zelda boarded a plane for the first
time at the age of six, bound for
Ghana. She says that the flight at-
tendants made the experience
exceptionally pleasant and she
has loved travelling ever since.
She has crisscrossed Asia, Africa,
the Americas and Europe and lived
on three continents.
When asked what lessons she has
leant from her extensive travels
abroad, she responded: “It would
take a week to fully answer this
question, and that’s without tap-
ping into my subconscious. In a
nutshell, travelling outside my home
country and comfort zone, I have
come to appreciate different per-
spectives and points of view. I’ve
learnt to listen with my eyes, and
hear with my heart. I’ve developed a
taste for risk and the confidence
to calculate the value of the risk.”
Taking risks seems to be a re-occur-
ring theme in Zelda’s career devel-
opment. She studied International
Marketing at the Rouen Business
School (ESCRouen), France, and then
added a BFA in Visual Communica-
tions from California State Univer-
sity, Long Beach, culminating in a
career exclusively focussed on
marketing at Con- Agra, Nestlé and
Neutrogena.
She then opted to break the stereo-
typical options taken by many Afro-
Americans and repositioned her
career to focus on communication
design. Her expertise now includes
visual communications and design
management, earning her contracts
with public agencies, entertainment
networks, creative advertising agen-
cies, as well as real estate and legal
firms. She also provides marketing
support to community groups in Los
Angeles that serve disadvantaged
youth and under-funded commu-
nities.
Currently, Zelda is also devoting
time to supporting the AIGA – the
professional association for design
in the USA – by exploring the impact
of culture in visual communication.
She has served as president of
the AIGA Centre for Cross-Cultural
Design, an initiative designed as
a forum for US designers to reflect
upon design in a global economy
and the sensitivities of a diverse and
multi-cultural audience and land-
scape. She also initiated Business
Matters for AIGA-Los Angeles, a
best-practices workshop series
focussing on design management.
DESIGN > asked Zelda, as a trail-
blazer, to respond to a few ques-
tions intended to address the
coal-face of professional disparity
and future imperatives.
D> Why do you think there are so
few black designers in the world?
ZH> Naturally, this is a question
I’ve reflected upon quite a bit, and
the response is evolving with my
career – and sometimes my mood.
The short, obvious answer is that
design has evolved as a bona fide
career option mainly in the so-called
Western world, where black people
make up a rather small percentage
of the professional class.
Other things I’ve come to appreciate
is that design has its roots in the
mediaeval ‘guild/apprentice’ sys-
tem, which implies career choices
are made via strong relationships
with mentors, family and a closed
circle of friends. In the United States
there isn’t a strong tradition of men-
toring between ‘ethnic minorities’
(people of non-European descent)
and white males, who are the pre-
dominant group in the design com-
munity.
As professional group that promotes
design, AIGA has tried to address
this issue and a number of AIGA
chapters such as Boston (http://
boston.aiga.org/initiatives_1/
youth_design_boston), New York,
Cincinnati have created outreach and
mentoring programmes in lower
income neighbourhoods and
schools, where there is still a con-
centration of African Americans in
the United States. The Organisation
of Black Designers (OBD) in Chicago
also initiated Project Osmosis
(http://www.projectosmosis.org)
targeting secondary school and
university-bound youth.
These are investments that I hope
will bear fruit in the very near future.
Lately, many designers in the Unit-
ed State are also subscribing to
projects promoting social justice in
this area.
 105 >

TOP: Annual report for Los Angeles Downtown

Center Business Improvement District.

ABOVE & RIGHT: Outdoor graphics for the

Community Redevelopment Agency of Los
Angeles.
106 >
There is also the issue of aesthet-
ics in design: Whose visual iconog-
raphy do we use? Design found it
strongest voice in the Bauhaus and
Swiss Schools of design, which
were temporarily trumped in the
1990s with the computer revolu-
tion, but have always served as a
reference point. Does this mean tap-
ping into your Zulu, Thai or Maori
roots for your work excludes you
from communicating effectively? In
an international competition, will a
Nigerian designer’s work be evalu-
ated in the same way as that of a
Dutch designer? These are some
of questions that the AIGA Center
for Cross-Cultural Design (AIGA
XCD) was formed to address.
Perhaps the most visceral expla-
nation came to me a few years ago
when I was leading a design work-
shop for high school students in a
lower income neighbourhood in
Los Angeles. As an introduction, I
talked about my career as a design-
er and how fulfilling it is for me. At
the break session a student and her
mother – who were black – came
up to me: ‘What I really want to
know,” the mother said, “is whether
design is going to make my child
money.” “Well...” I started, “she
may not become a millionaire, but...”
my voice trailed off as the mother
grabbed her child by the arm and
walked off.
D > Why did you opt to first study
international marketing and then
move on to visual communication?
ZH > Perhaps it goes back to the
previous question “why are there so
few black designers in the world?”
At university, a career counsellor
casually suggested I take some
art classes. As a scholarship stu-
dent, the cost of art supplies felt
prohibitive to me. Moreover, I didn’t
feel particularly ‘talented’. My love
of travel and geopolitics naturally
made me gravitate to international
relations, which morphed into inter-
national marketing in business
school. After a few years of market-
ing research for multi-national
food brand companies, visual com-
munication as a vehicle for address-
ing markets and audiences began
to make more sense than constant
number crunching to me.
D > Can you tell us more about your
work with community groups?
ZH > Giving effective communi-
cation tools to non-profits is of
great interest to me. My participa-
tion has ranged from brand con-
sulting, workshops on design and
advertising, and career counselling
to youth, art classes and fundraising.
The non-profits I’ve worked with
most frequently include the Skirball
Cultural Centre, which has its foun-
dation in the Hebrew University and
promotes multi-cultural aware-
ness in Los Angeles, the Coalition
for Responsible Community Develop-
ment which seeks to provide job
training and shelter to youth aging
out of foster care, Beyond Shelter,
dedicated to providing transitional
housing for homeless families and
South Central Scholars, a mentor-
ship programme for college bound
youth in South Central, an eco-
nomically-depressed zone in Los
Angeles.
D > Can you expand on your work
with the AIGA and Cross-Cultural
Design since many international
readers are not be familiar with the
AIGA?
ZH > AIGA (originally known as the
American Institute of Graphic Art-
ists) is the largest professional
organisation for designers, specifi-
cally visual communicators. In line
with the American tradition of de-
centralisation, AIGA is a network
of local-based chapters – mostly in
large metropolitan areas – that
function independently and serve
their design communities.
AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural De-
sign (AIGA|XCD) is an AIGA National
Chapter established to foster greater
communication between design-
ers across cultures and ethnicity,
and explores the connection be-
tween design and culture. I was
elected president of the executive
board a couple of years ago, and it’s
been an incredible commitment in
organising and the administration
of travel tours, international com-
petitions, exhibition and writing
about the intersection of design and
culture.
Our website is www.xcd.aiga.org <
 107 >

Matisse promotional publication for Fox River. 9/11 Fundraiser.

In Motion. The African-American Migration Experience. Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles.

Collateral for BOISE.

110 >

DEFINING THE
ULTIMATE HOSPITALITY
EXPERIENCE
By Bev Hermanson

Circulating in the rarefied atmosphere of Givenchy, Six Sense, Chi and Amarita,
as well as the developers of prestigious and exclusive international projects, the
divas of the newly-created Darley Interior Architectural Design (DIAD) are carving
a name for themselves in the high end hospitality, leisure and residential markets.
In an exclusive interview with DESIGN> magazine, they shared some insights into
their design philosophy and their vision for the future.

The DIAD design team: Shiree Darley – Managing Director, Amanda Elliott – Design Director,
Sarah Forman – Creative Designer, Caroline Dann – Operations Director and Design Architect.
111 >
 112 >
Offshore restaurant – trendy cocktail destination set amidst the ocean with
It was only last year that Shiree Darley, Caroline Dann,
Amanda Elliott and Sarah-Jane Forman took the brave
step-away from the world renowned, US-owned hospi-
tality interiors giants, Wilson & Associates, to branch
out on their own and establish a wholly South African-
owned specialist interior architectural design service.
Given the world recession and ongoing economic tur-
moil, this took a leap of faith and an unshakable con-
fidence in their abilities, but the partners are upbeat
and raring to go.
Proclaiming that they ‘don’t do mediocrity’, these de-
sign divas consider pushing the boundaries to be
their norm. Passionate about every aspect of their
profession, they agree that starting DIAD has been the
ultimate high of all of their careers. It’s given them a
sense of freedom and the support and encourage-
ment that they have received from the industry has
been exhilarating.
undulating moods and sleek, contemporary finishes.
If you scan through the list of what they offer, you may
well ask what landscaping-, swimming pool- and special-
ist water feature design may have to do with interior
architecture? “When it comes to the hospitality industry,
the seamlessness of the guest experience is paramount,”
answers DIAD Managing Director, Shiree Darley. “The
effectiveness of the space begins at the Porte Cochère,
from where the arrival experience has to follow through
to the main reception lobby and the public spaces. For
resort and leisure properties, where people love to expe-
rience the outdoors, the terraces, gardens and pool
surrounds become part of the guest experience, so we
have to extend our designs to encompass these areas,
working hand-in-hand with the landscape architects.”
While some local hospitality groups may still consider
that interior architecture is secondary to the general
architecture of buildings, internationally, interior design
is seen as crucial to the success of a project and the

interior design architects are brought into the loop
from the concept stages. Considering the fact that
international groups are looking to expand further
into Africa via South Africa, this is especially exciting
for the partners at DIAD.
“Interior design architects can make an enormous
difference to the guest experience,” continues Shiree.
“While the guests don’t have any say over the way
the interiors have been designed, or over the choices of
colour schemes, fabrics and finishes that contribute
to the ambience, they respond to how the experience
feels. The décor and the functionality of the spaces,
just as much as the quality of service they receive,
determines whether a particular resort will be a
favoured destination in the future.”
Shiree adds: “The interior designer’s role has certainly
changed over the years. In the past, it was left up to
113 >
the architects to do all the construction design and
documentation. In the early stages, many interior design
practices didn’t even use CAD. We were regarded by
some as ‘pillow fluffers’ who added a few accessories
here and there. This has all changed. There are a lot
more layers to what we do, and from a technical and
architectural design standpoint, we provide valuable
input towards the end result - hence our need to be
involved right from the beginning.”
Design Director, Amanda Elliott’s penchant is for re-
searching location specific cultures to establish a
context and common thread for the individual proj-
ect. This leads the design. Drawing inspiration from
the traditions, topography, landscapes and views, the
identities and attitudes of the interior spaces are de-
vised and the ‘story’ is pieced together creating a
script for the professional team.
 114 >
Hotel lobby terrace opening up to ocean views with comfortable
“The story gives the building a sense of place. Once
we establish the vision, it’s easy to elaborate. The
background research gives you so much to work with.
Then you start to add the ‘atmosphere’ and decide what
aspects create an exciting guest journey throughout
the interiors,” Amanda explains.
“We also try to design so that the spaces are not dif-
ficult to understand and are easy to maintain,” adds,
Caroline Dann. Her skill is ensuring the functionality of
the spaces, which is critical when it comes to getting
hospitality establishments to operate smoothly.
Sporting a Bachelor of Architecture Degree and hav-
ing had more than 10 years’ experience working in
Europe, Caroline understands that the correct juxta-
position of spaces is vitally important to the success
of the operation, “... this extends to determining the
conversation areas expanding on Arabic traditions.
correct spatial volumes,” she elaborates. “The guest
may not be able to pinpoint what it is that makes a
particular space work, but we need to create the right
‘zone’ for them. We also have to ensure that the op-
erations management relates to the spaces and that
the design interpretation for the interiors will with-
stand management turnovers.
An important aspect of space planning for hotel
guestrooms concerns the relationship between the
bedroom and the bathroom. “Bathrooms a few years
back formed roughly a third of the en suite accom-
modation,” Caroline continues. “But these days it’s
pretty much 50:50. The top end hotel groups aim at
creating distinguishing signature features, unique
design elements including private view windows, out-
door bathrooms and integrated feature baths.”
 … W H E R E T H E S T Y L I S H , I N N O V AT I V E D E S I G N
IS BORN OUT OF THE CRAFTSMANSHIP
O F W H O L E G E N E R AT I O N S O F G L A S S M A K E R S

One & Only Cape Town | Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA

OUR HIGHLIGHTS
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116 >
 117 >

Yemen lobby: Elegant,

contemporary Middle
Eastern Hotel Lobby
with subtle Arabic
interpretation and
creative use of
architectural elements
to humanize the high,
narrow volume.
 118 >
The saying ‘it’s all in the details’ is often bandied
about when it comes to hospitality and here, Creative
Designer, Sarah-Jane Forman, comes into her own. The
detailing starts in the conceptual stage and Sarah
works extensively with the suppliers to achieve the
right moods, textures and finishes to suit each project.
“It can be an interior designer’s downfall – not follow-
ing through with the detail,” she says. “The identity of
the establishment does not only encompass logos on
stationery and the personality of the wayfinding sig-
nage, but extends as far as the nuances of tableware
design, the sizes and shapes of the glassware, the co-
lours used for the accessories, even the bathroom fit-
tings, the value-add brand name bathroom cosmetics
and the contents of the mini bar.”
Some of the intangibles that reflect on the image of
the establishment include the acoustics, the lighting
and the technology. “Hotels have to be very up-to-date
with technology, particularly if they are appealing to
A suite in a private residence Middle East.
business travellers. These days, there are even plasma
TVs in the bathrooms, so that the business traveller
can catch up on world news while bathing. Plasma
screens can be built into the mirrors, so that they are
discreetly part of the décor,” says Shiree. “Hairdryers,
plug points for cell phone chargers, iPod plug-ins and
wireless connectivity are also part of the offering of the
hi-tech hotel. But it’s very important that all of these
things are easy to understand and simple to operate
– they must be user-friendly, otherwise they become a
source of frustration to the guest.”
With the impending influx of more international resort
operators, another aspect of hospitality that has to be
taken very much to heart is the environmental con-
sciousness of the operation. In South Africa you can
still find yourself on a construction site where you are
almost overwhelmed by the fumes from solvents and
paints that, clearly, are not eco-friendly. Overseas, CE
and other quality standards subscribed to do not allow
120 >
 121 >

A French flavour was used for this

4000 m2 private residence in the
Middle East.
 122 >
the use of any materials or substances that have detri-
mental long term effects or could be harmful to the
people using or working with the facilities or materials.
These requirements are second nature to the partners at
DIAD, as they have all worked extensively in the inter-
national arena.
“In has become an international norm now that new
developments have to achieve a certain number of
points to achieve compliance with sustainable standards,
The use of grey water for irrigation, using heat from
air conditioners to heat water, the biodegradability of
laundry detergents and energy efficiency are all aspects
that have to be considered. It becomes part of the
professional consultants’ responsibility to ensure that
there are no toxins in the paints, that the adhesives do
not give off fumes and that the furniture and fabrics
are from environmentally compliant manufacturers.
It’s very rewarding that we, as designers, can make
that difference and play a role towards assisting our
clients achieve the suitable ‘green’ status grading. The
Spa treatment room with a peaceful serenity created
with the juxtaposition of texture and lighting,
maintaining the simplicity of design.
discerning guest is becoming more and more aware of
these issues and is definitely seeking out the estab-
lishments with the correct eco-ratings,” Shiree states.
“We are very conscious of these parameters and we
do everything that we can to ensure, wherever we
can, that sustainable products are specified in our
designs. It is wonderful that we can make a difference
at this level.”
Part of the DIAD equation is that the partners, with
their combined 37 years’ experience working on over
50 projects worldwide, have the ability to understand
local conditions, yet they are raising the bar to satisfy
the demands of the global fast track in hospitality and
leisure. “South Africans are highly respected over-
seas,” concludes Shiree. “In Africa, we often have to find
ten ways to do one thing, to circumvent the myriad of
challenges that we face. This has given us a reputa-
tion of being tenacious and for thinking ‘out of the
box’. These are just a small part of the qualities, skills
and talents that we have to offer.”<
ABOVE: Leather Swing
RIGHT: Bug Side Table & Rosette Sideboard.
124 >
 125 >

By Jacques Lange

Proteas, dung beetles, desert roses, rosettes, burlesque,

Johannesburg’s skyline, car tyre swings and humble
furniture like rockers, trestle tables and lockers are some
of the unusual thing that inspire Durban-based Greg and
Roché Dry, owners of egg Design. They say “This is our
home. It’s what’s around and in us. What we carry with us,
in our heads and hearts. It’s our environment and it’s a
place of intuition, emotion, drama, fancy and fun. To express
it, some make art. Others write books. We make furniture
that tells a story and engages the eye, imagination and
soul. We love what we do. We can’t help it.”
126 >
Rosette Pendant & Sungoddess Daybed.
Stool & Desert Rose Modular Shelf Unit.
CENTRE RIGHT: Sungoddess Daybed.
ABOVE LEFT: Little Miss Fat Chair &
ABOVE RIGHT: Ply Rocker and Foot
RIGHT: Ply Rocker and Foot Stool.
Trestle Table 2. ABOVE CENTRE:
FAR RIGHT: Trestle Table 2.
Greg and Roché Dry, who chose the word ‘egg’ as their
company name because it represents simple form and
its symbolic reference to the new, founded egg Design
in 1996. The Dry’s fuel their creativity by working across
design genres – traditional and modern, rustic and
industrial, the sublime, the witty and serious. They say:
“When taking on design projects, we apply a prag-
matic approach while still striving for excitement
and innovation as well as paying strict attention to
detail, while in our furniture range, we take a more
exploratory and provocative approach to hopefully
excite or agitate.”
Two characteristics of their innovative work are their
use of juxtapositioning and unique combinations of
seemingly unrelated materials and manufacturing
processes. “One of our great joys is imagineering a
thing that looks like another thing.” Selective examples
include an aluminium and teak lamp that looks like
the traditional African mortar and pestle, a stainless
steel and leather swing that is reminiscent of a chil-
dren’s swing made from a discarded car tyre, and a
slick daybed that looks like a sleigh made from steel
mesh usually used for shopping trolleys combined
with oiled African Rosewood. Surprise is always on the
cards in egg Design’s product collection.
Not surprisingly, egg Design provides a holistic design
approach to their long list of corporate and private clients.
Apart from producing a highly original collection of
furniture, the company’s broad based services also
include interior design and product development.

The company has received much media exposure,
locally and internationally, including features in Elle
Décor (South Africa, UK, Italy, Russia and France),
Metropolis, Surface, Interni, Ottagono, I.D, AD&D,
Icon and World of Interiors to name a few. Their list of
accolades includes receiving the Elle Décor (South
Africa) designer of the year award in 2004 and 2005,
as well as best seating in 2008. A highlight was in
2007 when egg’s iconic Yellow Desert Rose Locker
was auctioned at Christies’s prestigious 20th Century
Design Auction in New York.
Commenting on their impressive successes, Greg
says: “We believe that our company, at the environ-
mental level, delivers our clients with unique solu-
tions set by their briefs regardless of budgets, hence
127 >
our strong representation amongst value retail locally
– The Mr Price Group and Game – and internationally
– B&Q (UK), The Warehouse (New Zealand) and recently
Screwfix (UK). The challenge to design for value retail
is much bigger than designing for high-end retail or
luxury brands as the design constantly gets stripped
due to cost. The design work is more intense but
incredibly satisfying.”
“From the furniture side of our business, we would
like to think that our work is very unique and our style
is not of a certain time, period or genre. We believe
that in 20 years’ time, people won’t say that a piece
was so 90s or 2000s. Our work is diverse and we use
a lot of different materials, always exploring new tech-
niques and finishes as we stumble upon them. As a
RIGHT: Industrial Light Fitting. RIGHT: Burlesque Table.
FAR RIGHT: Black Jozi Shelf. BELOW RIGHT: Mortar and Pestle Lamp.
128 >

BELOW RIGHT: Leather Swing.


studio we are very prolific and our furniture design
extends past egg. We now also have egg Junior and we
hold shares in a company we formed with our Hong
Kong partners doing another range of kids furniture,”
says Greg.
egg Junior is a range of kids furniture and accessories
with an educational and fun angle, inspired by many
of egg Design’s iconic furniture designed for adults,
but with a twist of childlike quirks combined with
sophistication – yet another juxtaposition. Greg says
that: “We are constantly inspired by our children for
their never-ending energy and simplistic take on life’s
beauty.”
“The most recent work we have done is an industrial
light fitting for retail applications that saves up to
40% electrical consumption. This is highly industr-
ialised with aluminium extrusions and injection
moulded components.”
“We would like to believe that all of these diverse
interests make us a unique company to deal with
and the same with our furniture and products. When
clients engage with us we design almost everything
for the project. We don’t believe in specifying.”
129 >
In line with egg’s penchant for the unconventional,
the company published a book instead of a product
catalogue in late 2009. It is a stunningly designed
publication that goes beyond traditional conven-
tions in the furniture industry by not just showing off
products but, in typical African narrative style, tells
the stories behind the products. Greg explains: “We
needed to show our products in a manner that was
‘lifestyle’ but not in the way that brands globally do
it – which is far too often shot in minimalist homes
and sleek environments. We have a wide range of works
and we needed to convey how to use and live with
our furniture.”
“The concept started with wanting a book that we
could send to top designers and specifiers around
the world that immediately made them understand
that they were dealing with luxury from the cover
through to the end. Covered in cloth and embossed
in gold foil, one starts the journey there. As with our
furniture, we need the person receiving the book to
see value and keep the book safe, unlike catalogues
that end up on the shelf. The book is a journey and tells
the stories of the products, their reason to exist, and
why or where we got the idea from. There is a thread
in our work when viewed in the book as a collective
 130 >

body. We felt that we needed to show that we are

African, but not executed in the African curio chic
way. Our work is international and has a lot of soul,
this is important to us.”

“It was a great joy to work with other creative friends

that did the design and execution (Modern Museum)
and Sean Lourenz who did the stunning photog-
raphy. It was a celebration and one of the best
things we had ever done. We will do it again as our
body of work continues to grow,” says Greg. The
book was also an opportunity for the egg team to
revisit their work from the past decade and they
From the egg Junior range – TOP: Cowda Rocking Cow. CENTRE & BOTTOM: Fluffy Donkey Table and Chair.

took the opportunity to make some adjustments

and updates on some of their product collection.

So what does the future hold for the egg Design

team? Greg says that: “On a personal level, I want
to do more hands-on courses like timber turning,
ceramics and jewellery.

Roché’s personal passion at the moment is focused

on the art of chaurcutrie (meat preserving and
curing). For egg Design as a company, there so
much in stall, but it’s more important for us to focus
on the now. We are always working on new things
and the new work that will be done in 2010 will
hopefully reflect a strange sense of calm – work that
is slightly at odds with itself.” <
132 >

TALES FROM THE AFRICAN DIASPORA:

FEATURING MALENE BARNETT
By Zelda Harrison

Malene Barnett is a Brooklyn, New York-based carpet designer with a background in

textile arts, painting and illustration. For more than a decade Malene’s carpets, inspired
by international travel, has boldly interpreted her personal experience of cultural icons,
landscapes and rituals. Her passion for all things cultural stems from travels to places like
Dakar, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur, as well as her African-Caribbean heritage.

As part of the African Diaspora series, DESIGN > spoke
to Malene Barnett about her design philosophy, her
work and her travels.
D > Share with us your professional journey and
some of the highlights that inspired the creation of
malene b.
MB > I’m a carpet designer. I studied textile design at
FIT in New York City. After graduation, I worked as the
design director for Afritex, designing African print fab-
rics. Later, I worked for Nourison Rugs, one of the largest
importers of handmade rugs in the world, as their first
in-house designer. Initially, I designed their area rug
collections, but soon became design manager for
Inspired by a Mehndi ceremony in India, the carpet
is made with handtufted wool and silk.
133 >
the company’s very successful accent rug division.
At Nourison I was given the opportunity to develop
fashion-forward designs that changed how accent
rugs were viewed.
In about 2003 I began thinking of creating my own com-
pany. However, back then my focus was on creating
innovative bedding designs for the home furnishings
industry. In the summer of 2008 I decided to focus on
my passion, carpet design, and started formulating my
company, malene b custom handmade carpets. My
goal, as the principal of malene b, is to create carpets
that merge my artistic background and passion for
global travel. I wanted to create a company that not
only produces great carpet designs, but also inspires
134 >
others to experience the world through a unique art
form.
D > You describe your work as a “personal experience
of cultural icons, landscapes and rituals...”. Could you
share in more detail how your experiences drive the
creative process?
MB > It started because I was fortunate enough to
have friends from many different places worldwide.
I was invited to visit their homes and participated in
their celebrations and daily rituals. Experiencing
these things made the trips more endearing. I went
to the Gambia, Ghana and India in one summer and
was living in rural to luxurious conditions; taking
bucket showers. The transition was life changing. I
studied my hosts’ connection with family, observing
how everyone ate together, just certain cultural
things, saying, “Oh wow, we do that!” That’s when I
Moroccan architecture
inspired the design of the
Marrakech carpet.
became really curious and wanted to see more of the
world ... to learn how we’re all connected.
During my first backpacking trip to south-east Asia
the pattern titled Bangkok was inspired from ob-
serving Thailand’s floating markets. I was amazed
how people were doing business. I had experienced
typical street markets before, but in Thailand they
had a different rhythm. They were cooking and sell-
ing things on the river. It was a necessary way of life
and I thought a cool way of doing business.
My henna-painted hands are the model for the design
called Mehndi. While visiting Mumbai I participated
in a friend’s wedding ceremony. The experience was
unique and intrigued me, because the art is created
from memory. I interpreted this experience in a Tibetan
wool and silk carpet, so the details of the henna design
shimmers where light reflects the pattern. Each malene

b design expresses a narrative of my world travel expe-
riences and is reflected in patterns which are colourful,
textural and bold.
D > Share some highlights of your travels. How did you
deal with situations where you were clearly the outsider?
MB > Some travel highlights include participating in
a three-week cultural exchange programme in Ghana,
where I lived with a family, worked alongside wood-
carvers to create my own woodcarvings, learned kente
weaving and attended the historical 25th Jubilee Anni-
versary of the Ashantene (the crowning of an Ashanti
chief). I also met the world-renowned Senegalese singer,
Youssou N’dour, one of my favourite artists in Dakar,
who arranged for me to be seated front and centre at
one of his concerts. It was an amazing experience. As
for me ever feeling like an outsider, I’ve never felt like
that. I’ve always blended comfortably into my new
environment by immersing myself in native culture. I
135 >
study their art, seek out local restaurants, entertain-
ment venues and most importantly, I travel my des-
tinations like a local – not a tourist.
D > What is your design philosophy? There is pattern
in everything. One should not live without colour.
MB > Design should speak to one’s soul. Design should
inspire you to think differently, feel good and be func-
tional.
Malene B at work
D > What are some of the projects that you are currently
engaged in?
MB > I am working on the office renovation for design
group Carl Ross, public space flooring for a hotel project
in the UAE along with Kobi Karp Architecture, another
136 >
public space for a hotel project in Panama with HVS
Compass, designing rugs for a private residence in
New York City and creating a new collection that will
debut this Spring.
D > Who are your clients? Any interesting stories about
managing projects and client relations?
MB > My clients are interior designers and architects.
One of my biggest challenges has been getting clients
to think outside of my available collections and allow
me to create something expressly for them.
D > What is your creative process? What are some of
the challenges and breakthroughs you’ve experi-
enced in the production process of your creations?
MB > I always start with a sketch. Since I have a fine
arts/illustration background all of my motifs and
layouts are created from inspiration and my formal
ABOVE: Inspired by Aboriginal art, the Papunya carpet
is made from handtufted wool. Photo: Lionel Aurelien.
LEFT: Floating markets from Thailand inspired the
design of the Bangkok carpet which is made from
hand-knotted wool and silk.

training. One of the biggest challenges in the pro-
duction of my carpets is that I’m clueless about how
my designs are being interpreted.
Malene B on cultural identity
D > Does your work affirm your cultural identity?
MB > My work is an extension of who I am. I’m crea-
tive, a world traveller and aim to inspire others. I
137 >
want each design to take you on a journey to a far-
away place.
For example, I love Senegal, Morocco and South African
cultures because they all reflect a different part of
my African heritage. The diversity within each coun-
try constantly keeps my creative juices flowing…
there is so much to be inspired by! The art and archi-
tecture of Morocco always amazes me. And the bold
designs, fashions and the cropped hairstyles of the
ABOVE: West African culture inspired the design of
the Wolof carpet.
LEFT: The Adinkra design is inspired by traditional
West African block printing .
 138 >
Ndebele women inspired my personal style. Since I
am influenced by global cultures, I want to design
carpets that reflect my modern design sensibilities, as
well as my passion for world travel.
Malene B on social engagement
D > Would you consider yourself a cultural ambassador
for peoples of African heritage?
MB > I like the term ‘cultural ambassador’. I use my
talents to show the world that as an African-American
designer, we all have a story to tell and I share my
journey through my carpets.
D > Do you believe that the designer has a role in
social engagement? How has malene b addressed
social issues in the creative and production process?
Coins and shells inspired the design of the Cowrie carpet.
MB > We all have a responsibility to be socially aware.
Before sourcing my manufacturers, I joined Goodweave.
org to ensure that my carpets are child-labour free.
In addition, I support Aid to Artisans in their quest to
preserve handmade crafts in Africa, Asia, and South
America. And, most recently in response to the devas-
tation in Haiti, I am creating a carpet that showcases
the country’s rich culture. I want people to know that
Haiti has a long and storied history which has influ-
enced art, sculpture and music worldwide. This carpet
will be included in my Signature Collection and the pro-
ceeds will be presented to grassroots organisations
that have been working in Haiti long before the earth-
quake. As a member of the African Design Community,
I feel we need to continue to use the power of design
to tell our story. Dare to inspire! <
> To see more, visit http://www.maleneb.com
 We do all
Building alterations
Plumbing
Fire-claims
Replacement of ceilings
Painting
Burglary repairs

Tel: 012 664-1717 Fax: 012 664-7810 email: camjor@telkomsa.net

Address: 22 Botha Avenue, Lyttelton, Centurion
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 143 >

COBRA WATERTECH
By Bev Hermanson

‘Innovative’, ‘design conscious’ and ‘exceptional quality’ are the words that make
Cobra Watertech the successful brand that it is. Manufacturing stylish, top quality
taps since 1951, Cobra produces one of the most comprehensive ranges of plumbing
fittings and sanitaryware in the world, ensuring that there is an attractive product
suitable for every purpose.

Cobra in the kitchen
Cobra’s ongoing and accelerated programme of product
development has resulted in trend setting designs of
kitchen taps and mixers. Amongst its kitchen ranges, you
will find Damara, Callisto, Taryn, Gala and Flex Supreme.
Damara’s taps and sink mixers allow users to regu-
late the amount of hot water dispensed (ideal for
households with children, elderly or disabled occu-
pants), while its single range mixer comes complete
with a built-in water and energy-saving ceramic disc
cartridge.

Flex Supreme mixer.

144 >
Damara tap and sink mixer.
The Callisto designer sink mixer, with a swivel outlet,
offers a trendy contemporary design that creates a
complete modern character to any kitchen.
Bringing style and creativity into the kitchen envi-
ronment, the Taryn mixer, with a swivel outlet and a
retractable handspray, offers both standard and
minimalist handle styles.
The Cobra Gala mixer has a swivel outlet which uses
the standard Cobra anti-splash, anti-lime aerator
and a side mounted handle.
The Flex Supreme mixer has a standard swivel outlet
and a large decorative, chrome-plated, spring-mounted
handspray. This allows the user to pull the hand spray
to the desired position. After use, it springs out of the
way. It is ideal for washing down sinks and drying
areas or washing vegetables, concentrating the water
flow exactly where the user wants it – two mixer
types in one unit. This top-of-the-range mixer is particu-
larly in vogue in modern European kitchens.
There are a further two stainless steel mixers in the Cobra
range. One has modern quarter turn cross handles and
a swivel outlet, the other a single lever with a swivel
outlet. These have been superbly designed and are in
tune with the latest kitchen trends, blending perfectly
with modern stainless steel kitchen appliances.
Cobra in the bathroom
After doing extensive research, Cobra formed an alli-
ance with Bain d’Or, a supplier of top quality classic
and contemporary bathroom ware. Together they have
come up with a wide range of sanitary ware products
and bathroom accessories in line with customers’ tastes
and lifestyle needs.
Cobra can now confidently claim that, by adding the
Bain d’Or range to its already vast range of products,
it has become a one stop solution for a variety of
bathroom fittings and fixtures.
The Cobra Bain d’Or product range will fulfill any design
need, from Victorian style to the latest in modern
bathroom designs. The product range consists of:
> Cobra Bain d’Or Mona Lisa Suite
> Cobra Bain d’Or Epernay Suite
> Cobra Bain d’Or Liege Suite
> Cobra Bain d’Or Marseille Suite
The Cobra Bain d’Or products have distinctive quality
features and benefits including baths that are coated
 145 >

Cobra Bain d’Or Mona Lisa Suite (above) and Liege Suite (below).
146 >

Chromotherapy Shower. Taryn bath mixer.

Cobratron basin mixer. Cobratron pillar tap.

Cobratron wall spout. Cobratron pillar tap.


with Amazonite for added strength and rigidity, and
superior thermal insulation, which keeps water hotter
for longer periods. This feature comes with an excep-
tional 20 year warranty. A bath/shower combination
is available for confined spaces.
The Cobra Bain d’Or product range is available at
selected leading outlets. It comes with the standard
and comprehensive Cobra Watertech service back-up
and warranty.
There are also a host of popular styles of taps, mixers
and shower fittings all supplied by Cobra Watertech.
The Taryn range is especially designed for local con-
ditions and incorporates quality compression type
head parts.
147 >
The Taryn range features a 35mm temperature and
flow control cartridge, an anti-lime aerator and is
available with a standard or minimalist handle. In-
cluded in the range are three basin mixer options,
an underwall bath/shower diverter mixer and a sink
mixer, with a unique flexible swivel outlet.
Cobra’s Aurora and Vivanno Chromotherapy shower
roses transform a simple shower into a visual de-
light of light and colour. An infra red remote control
panel mounted on the shower wall allows you to
change the glow of the rain spray to nine colour ef-
fects – cool, relaxing hues that fade from one colour
to another – all of which help to energise or relax the
body.
Chromo Therapy is an ancient science – first used by
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and light to restore energy to the body, be it physical,
emotional, spiritual or mental. The colours influence
the equilibrium of charkas, the centres of energy
streams related to the major glands.
Cobra in public places
Since the spread of the deadly Swine Flu virus
across the world, Cobra Watertech has experienced
a growing demand for touch free sensor taps.
Touch free electronic smart taps – in the latest Co-
bratron range – are being installed in areas where
there is a particularly high volume of human traffic
such as schools, malls, airports, petrol station rest
rooms, hospitals and restaurants.
Not only is the modern design of the mixer aesthet-
ically pleasing, but it is also vandal resistant. Taps
and mixers in the Cobratron range have options that
can be programmed to supply cold water, heated
water or water set to a desired temperature.
Cobra – the obvious choice
> The Cobra brand is fast entrenching itself in many
countries around the globe from Sub-Saharan Africa,
Europe, South America and even the Middle East.
The fact that Cobra can tailor-make its products
for its clients’ specific needs is a major appeal for
them, making Cobra the product of choice in many
more countries around the world.
> Thousands of travellers passing through Hong
Kong’s busy international airport are sure to come
across South African quality design and manufac-
turing in the form of Cobra Watertech’s elbow action
taps, which have been fitted in all the public bath-
rooms.
> The Chinese are so confident of Cobra’s quality
products that they have insisted on using only
Cobra products in at least 34 McDonald’s outlets
throughout China, and several new hospitals.
> After supplying plumbing and sanitaryware for
the 2007 Cricket World Cup stadiums in the West
Indies, Cobra received a further order to fit out
the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
> Cobra has just completed a re-vamp of the luxurious
Sugar Beach Hotel in Mauritius and is currently
fitting out a five-star hotel on the Easter Islands in
the South Pacific, and has also dispatched a huge
order for a grand casino/hotel in Santiago, Chile.
> The Cobratron range has made its way into a number
of public buildings all over the world including the
likes of the Intercontinental Hotel UK, the Olympic
Stadium Greece, Turkey’s Samsun airport, shop-
ping malls in South Africa and Australia, German
post offices, Expo Guadalajara Mexico and the
New York Times building to mention a few.
Locally:
> The Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel chose Cobra’s
Leading Edge range for the public areas and the
Taryn range for the hotel’s 132 luxury bathrooms.
> The Damara range part of Cobra’s Style collection,
was inspired by a selection of taps and mixers
designed exclusively for Cape Town’s 7-star One
& Only Hotel in the V&A Waterfront.
> Cobra was the product of choice for Durban’s new
iconic landmark, the giant Moses Mabhida Stadium
150 >
that has recently been completed and the R6.8
billion King Shaka International Airport (north of
Durban), where contractors are working 24 hours
to complete work before the 2010 Soccer World
Cup.
> Also under construction, at Inanda, North of Durban,
is the multi-billion rand Bridge City shopping Centre
linked to a 4000-home housing unit and an under-
ground railway station. The R750-million shopping
complex chose Cobra plumbing and accessories
worth more than R1,5 million.
> Cobra Watertech has also secured the contract to
supply R1-million worth of taps, flush valves, geysers
and other bathroom accessories to the second
phase of the multi-billion rand Arbour Town develop-
ment, a mixed use project which consists of a mega
shopping centre in Amanzimtoti, just 15km South
of Durban. It opens to the public later this year.
> The contract to supply Blue Waters Hotel, Holiday
Inn Garden Court, North Beach, and Holiday Inn
Marine Parade is worth R1-million. The new Fairmont
Hotel in the prestigious Zimbali Estate on the North
Coast has also gone with Cobra, ordering an esti-
mated R2-million of its products, which includes
the exclusive Damara range, while the Oyster Box
Hotel at Umhlanga is using up to R700 000 worth
of Cobra products in its refurbishment projects
currently underway.
> As part of the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex refur-
bishment, R1-million’s worth of Cobra products
has been specified, including Cobra flush valves
and urinals, metering taps in public areas and the
classic range of Taryn mixers in VIP areas. In addi-
tion, the Cobra Carina range of basin mixers and
thermostatic showers will be fitted in the players’
and officials’ change rooms, while standard Carina
showers will be fitted for all stadium support staff.
Cobra wins an SABS Design
Excellence award
The SABS Design Institute award of excellence was
awarded to world renowned industrial designer,
Brian Steinhobel, for his design of Cobra Watertech’s
three top products, the innovative Callisto, Tapno
and Leading Edge range of taps and mixers.
The Callisto, Leading Edge and Tapno ranges boast
innovative features such as angle regulating valves with
exposed mixers; temperature and flow-controllable
cartridges for energy and water conservation. Tapno’s
stylish wedge design gracefully complements modern
architectural design trends. The mixers have a trendy
feature that shapes the flow from the taps into soft,
non-splash aerated water.
The Callisto’s vertical architectonic style has crisp
edges and no-fuss lines combined with intelligent
practicality and subtle sophistication. Steinhobel’s
design concept has achieved a classical, geometric
form that, although modern, will have timeless ele-
gance.
The award was confirmation that Cobra has been accept-
ed globally in the world of design and Cobra has
initiated a South African design concept that can
stand up with the best in the world. The company
has continually kept abreast with market trends and
is at the forefront of cutting edge research and tech-
nology.
All Cobra products are supplied with SABS certifica-
tion along with Cobra’s service back up and 10 year
guarantee on taps and mixers. <
 151 >

The Steinhobel range of taps and mixer which won an SABS Design Excellence Award in 2009.
152 >
ILLUMINATING THE WORLD
With the current state of the planet it’s no surprise that
almost every component of our daily life is now go-
ing green. Everything from the cars we drive, to the
packaging of our food has made a positive change to
become more environmentally sustainable. If we,
who care about the environment, want to make a change
for the sake of our planet, why shouldn’t our living and
entertainment spaces also reflect that?
One of the many companies addressing this in an inno-
vative manner is Kubik™, a company specialising in pro-
duct development for the themed entertainment and
architecture industries. The Kubik™ product range con-
figures contemporary luminaries into illuminated walls,
floors and ceilings, tailor-made to customer specifi-
cations. The separate luminaries are constructed
into different configurations by means of a patented
modular pre-engineered aluminium frame system. The
end result is a sleek, minimalist architectural feature
that can be incorporated into buildings, displays or
homes.
“Now going green in our decor doesn’t mean living in
a mud hut,” says Dirk Durnez, managing director and
founder. “Kubik™ has developed living solutions that
add a touch of sophistication and innovation. These
solutions add visual appeal to our surrounding spaces
without cost to our planet.”
The Kubik™ concept was developed by Durnez some
four years ago. He was involved in many projects
such as Disney Paris, Warner Bros Movieworld and
 153 >

Tradecorp lobby in Johannesburg, signage and counter From the iconic Kubik totems on the Plaza of the
both by Kubik™. Design: Paul Sayer. newly renovated Cape Town International Airport,
the entire roof is illuminated. Design: Urban Studio.
LEFT: The largest illuminated LED floor in the world Engineering: Kwezi V3.
was manufactured in Cape Town and installed in a Dubai
showroom in less than four days. The 45 000 computer
controlled LEDs use the same amount of power as one
medium-sized halogen spotlight. Architect: Darnton
EGS Ltd (UK).

specialised construction projects in the USA, Europe GREEN SOLUTIONS

and Asia. The company’s long line of ventures also
include almost the entire theming of Ratanga Junction, “For those who are still learning about the constituents
dockside and major themed construction elements of of a green product the three basic elements are Re-
Canal Walk, the Cape Grace Hotel and a huge involve- duce, Re-use and Recycle,” says Durnez. He explains
ment in casinos in South Africa. how Kubik™ incorporates these in their products
and processes:
When approached by the Volkswagen Group to design
and fit out their Autopavilion, development of a unique Reduce
modular construction system began, thus the birth
of Kubik™. > We only use low energy lamps such as fluorescents,
CFLS and LEDS.
In the short time Kubik™ has been around, it has re-
> Due to the use of quality electrical components,
ceived a sought-after SABS Design Excellence Award in
up to 80% of energy is saved.
2009 and the work done at the Autopavilion received
the IE magazine award for best showroom in 2008. > Kubik LEDs have a life expectancy of up to 10 years.
154 >

> Special marine-quality alloy and anodising make

Kubik’s products resistant and long-lasting.

Recycle
> Kubik extrusions contain 30% recycled material
and the acrylics contain 20% recycled material.

> The aluminium off-cuts and even the saw dust

is 100 % recycled.

> The glass panels, used inside the frames, are

100% recyclable.
ABB, a world leader in automation solutions
> Acrylics are also now 100% recyclable.
technology, used Kubik in combination with LED
backlit 3-Form alabaster to portray their quality
Re-use brand in their headquarters’ lobby and offices.
Design: Interiors for Change.
> Thanks to the unique modular system, frames
can be dismantled and reconstructed in a very
short time.

Durnez further explains why their solutions are

special: “Kubik’s solutions are based on three con-
stituents: modular, customisable and pre-engi-
neered. Modular entails that the design is made up
of different parts which compose or create a whole,
meaning that they are somewhat detachable. That
being said, this unique feature contributes to it being
customisable, allowing you to create your living
space to suite your style or your needs for that par-
ticular space. The fact that the solutions are pre-
Marcel’s Frozen Yoghurt is one of the many
engineered means that all components are fabri-
franchises that have embraced the advantages of
cated beforehand and are then assembled on site,
the Kubik systems. Design: Studio C architects.
resulting in no on-site construction and no need for
artisans. This allows for efficient, fast and dust-free
installation.”
A recent exhibition held at the CTICC, revealed a new
Kubik™ offers everything from illuminated walls, addition to the Kubik™ family, Eco Verdi. This concept,
floors and doors, furniture and display and exhibi- which combines their existing solutions with living
tion stands. Projects are pre-engineered, and CAD material like plants and water, are very appealing to the
and CAM services mean that projects are executed eye and also part of the go green revolution. These con-
100% according to design specifications. cepts give a fresh take on green decor. The colours and
 155 >

An entire Samsung shop was pre-manufactured in The new refurbished Eikestad Mall in Stellenbosch is
Cape Town, packed in 242 boxes, flown to Dar es entirely fitted out with Kubik ceilings. Architect: DHK.
Salaam and installed in less than two weeks by one
Kubik teamleader and five local workers. Design:
Samsung Korea.

The Green Home Exhibition, which was hosted by the This 60s roadhouse outside the Volkswagen factory
CTICC in February, showcased Eco Verdi, which is a evokes the good old days but is made in a 21st
infusion of Kubik solutions and living material. century methods. Design: Seipone Exhibits.

lines are refreshing and the shapes are structural within a space of four months, whereas a tree could take
and illuminated. The idea, which is referred to as ‘ver- years to grow back to its original size. These solutions
tical garden’, incorporates plants and light boxes to are also modular, customisable and pre-engineered. <
create a beautiful and revitalising ambiance. Still
staying true to their green roots, Eco Verdi uses
bamboo in their solutions as bamboo regenerates
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“I AM AN ARCHOHOLIC...”
LIFE AS AN ARCHITECT –
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ADRIAN MASEROW

“Architecture is a difficult profession but it offers a lifetime

of growth and inspiration. It is a physical expression of
the dreams and ambitions of mankind. As architects, we
reveal what we think about life and society and our design
responsibility is immense if we aim to leave a legacy of value.”
– Adrian Maserow
158 >
A review of AMA Architects over
the decades
“At AMA Architects, we never take for granted the priv-
ilege of designing buildings. The diversity of our work
under one roof is a sign that with each opportunity,
we gain new knowledge, always seeking refinement,
efficiency and presence.”
Adrian Maserow graduated from the University of
the Witwatersrand in 1981 with a Bachelors Degree in
Architecture. He then went on to study for his Masters
under the guidance of Professor Guedes and Professor
Dennis Radford, completing it in 1985.
Maserow’s thesis towards his BA in Architecture that
was published in 1981 and was titled: A strategy for an
urban pensioner community. It considered the human
life cycle as critical to the designer’s field of interest
and integrated a pensioner community housing project
Sandton Towers.
into an urban framework, much in the same way that
the now popular ‘New Urbanism’ has unfolded.
“My Masters thesis in architecture was an exploration
into design processes that really interested me. I use
these processes today as I think in the abstract in
order to embrace the holistic vision that holds function,
humanity, art and poetry in all design. The most signifi-
cant mentors and academics that influenced my aca-
demic life and later my ability to practice architecture,
were Pancho Guedes and Leon van Schaik.”
Pancho Guedes lives in Portugal and has been one of
the most passionate promoters of architecture as an art.
Leon van Schaik runs The Masters Programme at The
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.
After 9 years as a partner of Koseff Maserow van der
Walt, he went on to form Adrian Maserow Architects
when the former practice was disbanded in 1993. With
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a change of shareholdings and new partners on board
in 1999, the practice was renamed AMA Architects.
In 2001, AMA Architects reinvented the firm’s mis-
sion and expand its opportunities. In 2002, the inte-
rior design firm, D12 Interiors was added to the
group to complement the AMA service offering.
“I started AMA Architects a few short months before
South Africa’s first democratic elections,” says Maserow.
“These were remarkable times. Parts of the nation
feared the worst. Some people were stockpiling
tinned food to take them through an imagined period
of no basic services and food shortages.”
Maserow’s keen timing was fortunate. His ‘positioning’
equally so, as he joined forces with some of the
country’s most vibrant and dynamic developers in
the metro area of Johannesburg’s northern suburbs,
which in particular included Sandton.
Adrian Maserow has been a member of The Institute
of South African Architects and the South African
161 >
Council for Architects since 1983. He is further a
member of The Royal Institute of British Architects
and The South African Property Owners Association.
The practice is guided by a committed belief in the
contribution that good architectural design has to-
wards the life of the community. Maserow, together
with principals Gerald Pereira and Marco Fanucci,
are all deeply committed to an exuberant and evoc-
ative contemporary architecture which is appropriate
to the age in which we live.
“One of the most stimulating aspects of architecture
is that, in designing buildings for different functions,
we become familiar with the workings of those busi-
nesses and industries. I have designed motor show-
rooms, golf clubhouses and retirement villages. I
have spent valuable time with retailers anticipating
how their centres will be supported. Hoteliers have
given me insight into their functionality. Through
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 163 >

working with logistics engineers, I have gained

knowledge of the flows and requirements for large
distribution warehouses. I have designed head of-
fices for banks, advertising agencies, parastatals,
medical aid companies and leaders in the steel and
diamond industries. All of this is so exciting because
my staff and I invariably deal with the leaders of
those industries and work at a high level of human
endeavour and completion.”

Insight into life as an architect

“There is no training prior to going to architecture
school that gives you any indication that you may be
able to be an architect. What you perhaps have is a
sense that you embrace the ‘things’ of life a little dif-
ferently from others around you – a piece of wood that
was chiseled into a shape, a strip of leather that was
made into a belt, building models, paper sculptures, mud
houses, tree houses and the like. . . but do you know that
you want to be an architect?” comments Maserow.

“You have probably also enjoyed exploring a cave,

hiding in a dugout, climbing into a dormer roof or
creeping into a cellar. You have walked the streets
and alleys, climbed stairways at school, hidden un-
der storerooms and made your own cushion homes
in the lounge. You’ve had hobbies like sketching,
playing music, writing poetry and singing and dancing.
These are the experiences that I’ve had and found
that other architects have had, and that is why we
have become architects!”
22 Girton Road.

Architecture is different to those professions that only

have logical and knowledge-based analytical outcomes
to work with, because architecture is an art. It is one
of the few professions that demands poetic inter-
pretation in order to have a meaningful impact that
transcends function which results in delight.
Shelter, of course, is a necessity and the provision of
it is an imperative. But to build identifiable communities
that are adequately nurtured means that the entire
framework of habitation must embrace a holistic view
of man that satisfies body, emotion and spirit.
“The ego plays a strong role in surviving as an architect
in a consumer society because of the unrelenting com-
petitiveness that you face on a daily basis. This either
strengthens you or diminishes you as an architect.
 164 >

Much architecture has been a knee-jerk reaction to
the perceived market place conditions, resulting in a
kind of prescription architecture seen as a universal
pill that provides ‘cures’ for all situations. This is, of
course, extremely limiting and disappointing and it
negates all that we are able to achieve.”
“But beyond that, the design responsibility of the archi-
tect is immense if we aim to leave a legacy of value.
The poetic aspects of architecture inhabit the centre
stage of society. We must design with inspiration
and it is our responsibility to shape our architectural
world with spaces and places of iconic merit. Life is
celebrated through architecture and the bringing of
inspired function and beauty to the physical world is
the responsibility of the talented architect.”
“Nevertheless, so many aspects of this demanding
profession can trip you in your attempts to run ahead.
Our allies and friends are so important to our viability
in this profession. But the danger that we sell out is
always present. Our fragile egos could easily take us
away from our centre, our inner strength.”
Sketching abstracts into reality
As a student of architecture, Maserow explored the
tools of architecture and the ability to compose
buildings through drawing. The pen or pencil was
his preferred medium for this exploration.
“Sketches have been a strong part of my life as an
architect. The BIC pen allows for the explorations and
thinking processes that I use. Beauty is sought, ideas
are reconsidered and notions are revealed through
the workings and reworkings of lines on a page. This
is where design starts and always tells its truth. I

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believe that no beautiful design can be built without its

notion having been sketched on paper.”

Presentations
Conceptual perspectives.
“Our clients are vital to our endeavour and the most
promising relationships evolve where the level of re-
spect and our joint mission is powerfully focused.”

Presentations are important, as communicating a vi-

sion from the abstract is vital to the level of accept-
ance, buy-in and promotion of the architecture. The
communication ranges from sketches through to
polished 3D renderings and animations. For the last
six years, AMA’s in-house presentation facility has
been run by Lana Myburgh, who has taken presenta-
tions to a new world-class standard of presentation
and innovation. The Place, Morningside.
166 >

The need to be significant and hope and we understand our responsibility in

Architecture is an art and yet it has a direct function
and purpose for humanity that elevates it simulta-
neously into the realm of significance and presence.
“AMA Architects have excelled in the areas of archi-
tecture that include housing, office buildings, retail
centres, refurbishments, golf clubhouses, apartment
buildings and interior design,” says Maserow. “Our
clients include private business, banks, parastatals
and listed property companies. Our friends and col-
leagues are businesspeople, developers, agents,
engineers, quantity surveyors, landlords, bankers,
suppliers and contractors.”
Through its direct relationship with D12 Interiors, AMA
Architects has been able to provide the full service
design needs of its clients, delivering a full range of
design services right through to the procurement of
detailed assets like crockery, cutlery and artwork.
Sarene Lyon Nel heads up the D12 interior design
team, and brings a strong and professional leader-
ship to their offering.
uplifting its people through world-class design.” Under-
standing the responsibilities that they have towards
the world’s dwindling resources and energy sup-
plies, the partners at the practice make every effort
to adhere to the correct use of renewable energy.
These issues are always brought into focus with
their contemporary projects.
“For our design team, we are driven first by an inspi-
ration. We then find an order from which we distill
an idea worthy of design excellence. In order to be
inspired, we suspect that buildings have ‘hearts and
souls’. Whilst our projects must perform their mate-
rial functions first, the architecture must be imbued
with meaning through the buildings’ ability to ‘speak
to us’ – through a sustaining and encouraging vision.
Views of Paddock House.

The firm’s position in the marketplace has been

strengthened through a dogged determination to
always be relevant and at the cusp of need and vision.

“Most of the architecture commissioned is when

there is a trust that the architect will perform re-
sponsibly. We attempt to grow that trust through a
fresh approach towards the analysis of a project’s
needs and availability to consider and review many
options, with a worldly and a contemporary vision of
the architectural field is always an advantage.”

Taking the analysis to its broader context, Maserow

acknowledges that “South Africa is a land of promise
 167 >

We attempt to build environments that will exert a Sitting through the assessments of the chosen projects,
kind of ‘magic’ that lives well beyond the functional Maserow was reminded why he chose a career as a
experience and its obvious environment.” practising architect. From 730 entry submissions,
250 were singled out and presented to a esteemed
panel of adjudicators, representing the best of the
World Architectural Festival – best in the discipline.

Barcelona, October 2008

In October 2008, Maserow attended the first World
Architecture Festival (WAF) in Barcelona. Prior to this
gathering, the international nature of architecture
and the universal cultural aspirations that architecture
represents, had not been expressed in any global
event. The WAF reviewed the realised buildings of
the profession’s global achievement on the ground,
highlighting the extraordinary role of architecture in
the world’s economy and in society generally.
“Many of the entries came from the ‘starchitect’ firms,
who seem to operate wonderful ‘talent-seeking pro-
duction houses’. They work ‘out of the box’ in order to
make their unique moments in architecture and,
through this, they achieve prominence and recognition.
But, throughout the world, the highest proportion of
architects are still smaller firms which are often a col-
laboration, a group of inspired and passionate teams
that can transform the field of architecture. These groups
are adventurous and experimental with purpose and
I was grateful to see their works.”
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Views of House Bentel.

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“It is often strangely exciting to travel. Away from your
mother tongue, it is stimulating to be an alien in a foreign
city, far from the routine of regular day-to-day life. Barce-
lona is a really exciting, passionate and promising city
and it was a fantastic venue for this world forum. It is a
magnet for people that enjoy its drive and humanity. Its
architecture has been recognised as a strong proponent
of the contemporary and the modern. This dizzy combi-
nation of the World Architectural Festival and the City
of Barcelona was so outrageously appealing. I soaked
up the architectural genius and excitement of our age,
much like a student would at the foot of his masters.”
“As architects, we engage with each other with a know-
ing recognition of our similar fates. Make friends
with an architect and you will likely meet someone who
urges you to celebrate your day to day life. We also
often share the view that our age is far too formulaic,
too calculating, too careful and too inhibited perhaps
to recognize the magnificence in which we live.”
One of the most interesting discussions and debates
revolved around the question: Who is the client? It is
Concept for dry docks in China.
171 >
a simple question, but one that is problematic for
architects. Is the client the person who pays the fee, or
is the client the end user (often someone entirely dif-
ferent)? Is the client, perhaps, society itself? Or, in
respect of sustainability, is the client in fact the Earth?
The conclusion was that the ‘place’ was the client.
The expression of identity and
the aspect of significance
At this time in the planet’s history, it is the dominant
global economy that finds expression in the New
Modernism. Westernisation has had a profound in-
fluence on the expression of the built form, and it inevi-
tably changes the nature of ‘the place’. The current
modernity is dominated by the Northern Atlantic
cultures. It is symbolised in an outward looking,
modern ‘Coca Cola’ brand of architecture and much
as it may be loathed by traditionalists, as Jencks
once noted: “The cultured Parisians loathed Eiffel’s
grotesque iron tower, but it is now the emblem of
France!”
172 >
Architects have a ‘duty of care’ to take issue with. The
matter of identity, although only partly to do with
architecture, is very personal. It has to do with who you
are, your sameness and your differences. Architects
all come from communities. They have a ‘collective
memory’. The world metropolis absorbs the mix of
cultures. This is signified in the contemporary archi-
tecture which we subscribe to..
People are alive to a popular admiration of modern
architecture. Interestingly, technology goes side by
side with capitalism. It homogenises function and,
therefore, design. Architecture concentrates on what
is important to people, and thereby finds its signifi-
cance.
“In the end, I identify with Ken Yang’s philosophy that
states that ‘giving pleasure is one of the most impor-
tant aspects of architecture’. For me, it’s the sensibility
of the contemporary mind that seeks clarity of purpose
through form and art that most attracts me. I admire
incisive resolution and uphold architecture worked
from a continuous flow of refinement of the mo-
ment. Our greatest goal is a process that is simulta-
neously exhilarating and elusive, that moment of
recognition that holds the meaning of creation as its
Helen Road Offices.
greatest purpose which gives us identity,” Maserow
states.
“For AMA Architects, architecture of merit is the phys-
ical expression of the dreams and ambitions of our
society. We design buildings to attract people to them
– our cities must speak to us of community, technology,
materiality and the hope of its people and its spaces in
the African light. We design public spaces and private
spaces, some with largesse and some intimate. But
the ultimate responsibility of the architect is the Art of
Architecture, which must function at an optimal level.
We attempt to build environments that will exert a
kind of ‘magic’ that lives well beyond the functional
experience and its obvious environment. Through
this, we find meaning and memory in our architec-
ture. Our architecture talks to a greater purpose – it
provides an uplifting and human framework for our
cities,” Maserow concludes.
“We have learnt that the four pillars of our design work
are embedded in the concept of significance, pres-
ence, materiality and emptiness. Architecture has the
capacity to be inspiring, engaging and life-enhancing.
It is through this process of architectural exploration
that we find our purpose.” <
 Okirand Construction

COMPANY PROFILE

Okirand has been active in the

structural steel industry since it was
established in 1987.

The workshop is situated in Wadeville,

Germiston and has +/- 3000 m2 of
factory space under cover. The
workshop is specifically set up to meet
the requirements of structural steel
fabrication and painting of fabricated
steel.

Our services include for detailing of

workshop drawings, the supply of steel,
fabrication, prime painting, delivery,
erection and final painting of steel after
erection.

We have completed projects from as

small as 5 tons to as large as 1,350
tons and can offer positive references
as to our achievements.

Tel Admin: +27 11 465 8599 Postnet Suite 70

Fax Admin: +27 11 465 8077 Private Bag X153
E-mail Admin: rowan@okirand.co.za Bryanston
Contact: Rowan Forté 2021

Tel Works: +27 11 827 1318 144 Lamp Street

Fax Works: +27 11 827 7332 Wadeville
E-mail Works: workshop@okirand.co.za Germiston
Contact: Harry Simmons
SOUTHERN SUN AD

STAY EASY, PIETERMARITZBURG
CONTEMPORARY AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION IN THE MIDLANDS
Always pioneering better accommodation formulas for the growing hospitality industry,
Southern Sun has devised a new brand that is fashioned around practical accommodation
that delivers quality, yet without unnecessary frills.
Stay Easy by Southern Sun is a brand that speaks for
itself – it’s a collection of budget hotels that cater
specially for the business and leisure traveller in con-
venient locations that are vibrant, yet not necessarily
high profile areas, such as central Pretoria and Eastgate
in Gauteng, Rustenburg, Century City in the Western
Cape, Emnotweni in Nelspruit and Emalahleni (previ-
ously Witbank) in Mpumalanga and now Pietermaritz-
burg. With 128 en suite rooms, facilities for small con-
ferences, a guest swimming pool and ample parking,
the Stay Easy Pietermaritzburg, the latest addition
to the Stay Easy stable, has been constructed with
the environment in mind.
175 >
By Bev Hermanson
Designed by Bentel Associates International on behalf
of owners, the Liberty Group, the R40-million Stay Easy
Pietermaritzburg Hotel is situated at the gateway to the
central business district of the city, within the Liberty
Midlands Mall complex, which was also designed by
Bentel Associates International. This new addition con-
tributes to the Liberty Group’s strategy of providing
mixed use developments where retail facilities, enter-
tainment and accommodation exist side-by-side,
providing a total solution to the precinct.
As a result of the high visibility from the highway, there
was a greater emphasis on the need for the aesthetics
176 >

to blend with that of the shopping mall. “Part of the

design brief was to create a contemporary building
that responded to its context while satisfying the
Southern Sun Stay Easy design requirements,” com-
ments Luke Chandler, director at Bentel Associates
International. “The height restriction played a role
in layout. As a result, we conceptualised a T-shaped
building that could achieve a large enough footprint
to accommodate all the rooms while, at the same
time, ensuring that the walking distances from the lift
lobby to the furthest room was not more than 40m.”
xajhkva
In keeping with the contemporary image of the shop-
ping mall, the exterior features exposed steel and raw
stone elements. The facades have been ‘broken up’ into
a series of planes, some accentuated, some receding,
resulting in a three-dimensional building that holds
the interest, while still maintaining a human scale.
The colour palette is a collection of cool contemporary
tones with the occasional splash of bright colour to
create focal points.

Contributing to the drive to lower the group’s carbon

footprint, the building incorporates locally produced
bricks, solar power for water heating, room key
cards to control electricity consumption when the
rooms are vacant and the use of a grey water system
that collects storm water for re-distribution into the
irrigation network.

“As a brand, Stay Easy is establishing itself as an envi-

ronmentally friendly operation,” says Dhayalan
Naidoo, Director of Operations, Stay Easy by South-
ern Sun. “Intrinsic to the brand message is the knowl-
edge that the group is striving to better manage
operational activities so that they do not impinge on
the environment.”

In conjunction with the Heritage Environmental

Management Group, the Stay Easy operations man-
Finishing touches being applied to the Stay Easy agement determines each hotel’s carbon emissions,
before it opened for business. using the Heritage Carbon Calculator. Each month,
178 >
Views of the bar area and a twin bedroom.
electricity and water consumption is monitored, as well
as the amount of waste that is produced. Heritage
further audits every hotel twice a year and provides
valuable feedback relating to the group’s environ-
mental management. “There is definitely a growing
global movement towards what is known as ‘respon-
sible tourism’. This not only involves the obvious
methods of reducing carbon emissions, but also the
policies of buying locally and supporting local busi-
nesses and communities,” Naidoo adds.
Taking its community consciousness a step further,
Liberty Group, together with various sponsors, including
the professional team of the hotel and Southern
Sun, has built a Drop-in Community Centre for the chil-
dren of a nearby informal settlement, known as
France. Liberty Group has contributed R2,4 million
towards making the project a reality. The Reach Out
initiative was introduced through Liberty Midlands
Mall, that adopted the cause as part of an ongoing
community outreach program, through which initia-
tives are launched to uplift local underprivileged
communities.
France has numerous child-headed households as a
result of the AIDS pandemic. There is little running
water, hot meals are scarce and there is no one to help
the children with their homework. Partnering with a
number of sponsors, the Reach Out community group
will manage the Drop In Centre that will provide a haven
where children can feel safe and nurtured. There will
be a community room where children will have access
to meals and homework supervision. Toilet facilities,
a laundry, kitchen, clinic and a social worker’s office,
as well as an outside play area, will all contribute to-
wards a heightened sense of wellbeing amongst the
children of the community. To extend its efforts to
reduce its environmental impact, the management
of the Stay Easy Pietermaritzburg will further pro-
vide linen and obsolete equipment to the centre,
while the Liberty Midlands Mall maintenance team
will be on call to assist with any maintenance.
“Hospitality is a value,” says Naidoo. “It’s a value that
extends beyond the service to tourists and travel-
lers, to the communities where the establishment is
based. By contributing together with the main sponsor,
Liberty, and various other sponsors to the establish-
ment of the Drop-in Community Centre, we will not
only bring love and hope to these disadvantaged
families, we will uplift and empower the children to
make the most of their lives.” <
 RUDOLPH & VAN VUUREN
Tiling Contractors

Tel: (011) 618 1340 | Fax: (011) 618 1345 | E-mail: info@rvv.co.za
Rudolph & van Vuuren's track record, as tiling specialists, goes back 30 years. From
inception, our energies have been dedicated to projects, delivering quality
workmanship and providing expert professional and technical service. Our vast
knowledge of tile products, as well as tiling applications and installations is
indispensable in our endeavour to offer professional advice and service to our valued
clients. Our large portfolio of prestigious projects is positive proof of our integrity and
expertise in the tiling field, and we are justifiably proud of our association with the King
Shaka Airport contract in KwaZulu Natal
 AT THE CORE OF THIS FINE PROJECT
YOU WILL FIND RENNIKS
We Stand Tall

King Shaka
International Airport
>> Control Tower

P.O. Box 1341, NORTH RIDING, 2162

RENNIKS CONSTRUCTION (PTY) LTD Tel:+27 (0)11 708-4650
SPECIALIST SLIPFORMING CONTRACTORS Fax:+27 (0)11 708-7850
Email: renniks@global.co.za
 183 >

KZN’S ECONOMY
SET TO TAKE OFF
By Bev Hermanson

Located at La Mercy, approximately 35 kilometers north of Durban’s city centre,

King Shaka International Airport is a ground breaking co-operative project
agreement that was reached between the National Department of Transport,
the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal and Airports Company South
Africa (ACSA). It is also the first greenfields airport to be built in the past 50
years in South Africa and possibly the only one currently being built in the world.

Replacing the existing Durban International Airport,
which will eventually be decommissioned, King Shaka
International Airport is expected to open on 1 May 2010,
just over a month before the start of the 2010 FIFA World
Cup. The airport, which was designed by a consortium of
architects called the Ilembe Architectural Joint Venture,
consisting of Osmond Lange Architects and Planners,
Ruben Reddy Architects, Shabangu Architects, Mthulisi
Msimang Architects and NSM Designs, will cost over
R7-billion by the time it is completed. With a terminal
floor area of 103,000 m², runway and taxiways covering
400,000 m² and facilities to support the airport includ-
ing administration offices and transit accommodation
for tourists, an integrated agricultural export zone and
an IT platform, the airport is making a significantly
positive impact on the economy of the region.
185 >
Photo by Russell Cleaver
BACKGROUND
The prospect of building a brand new airport for Durban
was mooted during the 70s and in fact some initial infra-
structural work was completed between 1975 and 1982.
Due to the economic recession of the 80s, the entire
project was halted and it wasn’t until the 90s that the
notion of relocating the Durban International Airport was
revived. Extensive research, analysis and agonizing over
whether to relocate or upgrade the existing airport en-
sued, however in July 2006 it was finally concluded that
the existing airport, even when fully developed, would
not provide enough capacity for the region. It was de-
cided that ACSA would develop, manage and own the
airport while the Dube TradePort Company would de-
velop a cargo facility, trade and agri zone nearby.
186 >
DUBE TRADEPORT
The siting of the new airport complements the develop-
ment of the Dube TradePort, which is situated on
2060 ha of land that is perfectly accessible by the two
major ports of Durban and Richards Bay and the rail
and road links with Gauteng. Wholly funded by the
Kzn Department of Economic Development, the Dube
TradePort is intended to be a world class freight logis-
tics facility that will be geared to attract a wide range of
activities that will stimulate economic advancement in
the region.
The Dube TradePort platform is split into three sections
namely: Trade Zone, Agri Zone and Support Zone (joint
venture with ACSA). The Trade Zone, which includes the
cargo handling terminal at the airport, will stimulate
the import and export of high value goods by air to
and from KwaZulu Natal. The Support Zone has been
designed to cater to the corporate sector as well as
the suppliers of services and tourist accommodation
through the provision of offices, buildings, conference
and entertainment facilities, while the Agri Zone will
involve the cultivation of high value farming products
for export.
Anyone travelling by road between Johannesburg and
Durban will testify to the enormous volume of road
freight traffic that uses the route daily. When com-
pleted, the Dube TradePort and the King Shaka Inter-
national Airport will alleviate the pressure on this
route by facilitating that the more than 50 000 tons of
manufactured goods produced in the region will be air
freighted directly from the local airport in the future,
Photos by Russell Cleaver
 187 >

BAMBANANI INTERIOR
PROJECTS
A DIVISION OF ABBEYCON (PTY) LTD & CENTURION CEILINGS (PTY) LTD

ARE PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH OSMOND LANGE ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS

AND PART OF THE NEW KING SHAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT LA MERCY

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SYSTEMS & CUSTOM MADE METAL CEILINGS

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ELENA:

Email: elena@abbeycon.co.za
Tel: 011 – 823 2950 Fax: 011 – 823 2954
 188 >

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www.mutual.co.za

rather than having to undergo the arduous transporta-
tion to Gauteng for airfreighting from the Highveld air-
ports. The new cargo terminal at King Shaka, in fact, will
have the capacity to handle over 100 000 tons of cargo
per year, thereby allowing for considerable growth in
the future.
AWARDING THE CONSTRUCTION
TENDER
One of the bones of contention that delayed the start
of the airport construction phase was when it came
time to the awarding of the contract for the construc-
tion. Amongst the bidders for the tender were two
consortia – the 55% Black owned Ilembe Consortium
comprising Group Five, Mvelaphanda Holdings and
WBHO Construction, supported by construction and
189 >
Photo by Russell Cleaver
management construction consultants, Turner Townsend,
and Indiza, led by Grinaker and LTA. When the latter was
disqualified for failing to meet certain tender require-
ments, an appeal was lodged at the Pietermaritzburg
High Court, but was subsequently dismissed, leaving
the path clear for Ilembe to continue.
The construction began in late August 2007, giving
the main construction team and more than 2100 sub-
contractors just over 2 years to complete everything.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Prior to commencement of the construction, there
were a number of environmental aspects that needed to
be considered. For an undertaking of this size, a full
environmental impact study was essential. Clearly
190 >
noise pollution and increased traffic were important
considerations.
However, the assessments also revealed a possible
threat to the bird population in the vicinity, in particular
the 3 million barn swallows that migrate every year
from Europe to roost in an area close to the airport.
Known as the Mount Moreland Reedbed, this site is in
the flight path of aircraft that will be using the airport.
Concerns raised not only included the possible dis-
turbance of the bird colony on the ground, but also
the possible hazard of birds in flight putting aircraft
safety at risk.
Whilst the idea of bird strikes is alarming, this is a hazard
that is regularly encountered by all airports worldwide.
From the intensive research conducted by ACSA and
the Mt. Mooreland community, it was discovered that
the swallows rarely fly as high as the aircraft and
their main activities in the area are 30 minutes before
dusk and just before dawn. Two solutions were found
to allow the birds and the airport to co-exist. Firstly,
the flight schedulers will take these critical times into
account and plan around them, to avoid unnecessary
risk to the air carriers and secondly, a special bird
detection radar system has been instituted by ACSA
to monitor the movements of the birds. The added
bonus is that this system is able to detect the pres-
ence of bats at night, as well. This will be the first
time in the world that a system of this kind, which will
be integrated into the operational procedures of the
airport, will be utilised in South Africa.
The noise pollution and fuel transportation to the
new airport site were also issued with a positive re-
cord of decision.
Photos by Russell Cleaver
Hi-Tech Roofing
192 >

Manufacturers of Engineered Roof Trusses

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 193 >

DESIGN OF THE AIRPORT the co-ordination as well as the design of the passen-
ger terminal building and the retail facilities.
As with the building of the Gautrain and the 2010 stadia,
the architects and engineers travelled to many coun- “An airport in its entirety is a machine and all of the dif-
tries looking for lessons that needed to be learnt. For ferent parts are equally important to ensure that the
the King Shaka Airport, the opportunity to plan a airport functions efficiently,” says Utria of the split of
building that was to be built from scratch was most responsibilities. Certainly, as a mere passenger, it is dif-
welcome as the provision for expansion was an auto- ficult to understand everything that is involved in the
matic part of the initial plan. running of such a large facility. This is indeed why air-
ports take such a long time in the planning process.
“It’s in the expansion that most existing airports have “Durban Airport took 30 years to completion once the
suffered enormous growing pains,” comments Victor site was identified. Heathrow’s Terminal 5 took 40 years
Utria of Osmond Lange Architects. “No one predicted to completion. In that time, one hopes that air travel,
the extent of the future demand and how passenger as one knows it, hasn’t changed too dramatically.”
volumes would exert so much pressure on the facili-
ties. It was interesting to see that, although they all KING SHAKA INTERNATIONAL
have to perform exactly the same functions, no two
AIRPORT TIMELINES
airports are the same. With the planning of the King
Shaka International Airport, we had the luxury of be-
6 June 2007 R 7.2bn design & construc-
ing able to plan for expansion in an orderly fashion. tion contract awarded to
That being said, there is no way of knowing how the Ilembe Consortium
changes in technology will take airport design off
23 August 2007 Positive EIA (environmental
onto a different tangent in the future.” impact assessment) record
of decision (ROD) issued
Due to the sheer size of the project, the design respon-
30 September 2007 Ground breaking ceremony
sibilities were split amongst the five design firms in the
31 August 2007 Site work commenced
consortium. Durban-based NSM Designs were tasked
30 September 2008 Control Tower topped out
with the planning for the cargo terminal, while Ruben
Reddy Architects handled the passenger terminal airside 30 June 2009 Terminal Building topped
out
corridor, the cooling towers complex and the external
urban fabric that encompassed the roads, parking areas 30 October 2009 Runway will be completed
and pedestrian walkways. Mthulisi Msimang Architects First quarter 2010 Durban International
from Pietermaritzburg handled the multi-storey parkade Airport, will be decommis-
and office building, while Shabangu Architects from sioned. New International
Airport will be commis-
Johannesburg was responsible for the car rental facili-
sioned
ties, the control tower and most of the support build-
ings. Osmond Lange Architects & Planners handled 29 April 2010 Contractual completion
194 >

MATERIALS USED
Materials Quantity Equivalent to
Runway & taxiway pavements 400 000 m2 100 Soccer pitches
Terminal Building footprint 35 000 m 2
9 Soccer pitches
Terminal floor area 103 000 m2 27 Soccer pitches
Earth to be moved 5.8 Million m2 2,500 Olympic swimming pools
Concrete to be poured 100 000 m 2
50 Olympic swimming pools
Structural steel to be erected 4 700 tonnes ½ the Eiffel Tower
Asphalt 230 000 tonnes 35 km of 4 lane highway
Electrical cabling 700 km From Durban to East London

Photo by Nicolas Gonzalez

 tarice
T R A D I N G

Tarice Trading (Pty) Ltd, trading as Vusi Afrika, is a 100% female-owned Construction
Company founded in 1999 by MS Nonceba Duma to provide a holistic approach to the
construction of projects. The company provides state-of-the-art project management,
quantity surveying, civil and electrical engineering services to both private and public
sector. Tarice Trading’s competitive advantage results from effective teamwork, which
significantly enhances its ability to deliver good quality projects timeously and within
budget. The company is located in the heartland of Durban but is well positioned nationally
through its allies should the need arises to form such partnerships.

Tarice Trading engages the services of the local communities in line with the Government’s
Broad-Based Economic Empowerment strategies.

Gsm: 083 441 6818 Postal Address Physical Address

Tel: 078 470 2531 PO Box 243 1170 - 11th Street
Tel: 072 204 0924 Clemaville PO Clemaville
Fax: 086 538 4187 3602 3602

AIRPORT PRECINCT DIVISIONS
Landside
This area is outside the terminal building, in areas used
by people and vehicles. It includes the roads network,
with access to all areas of the airport precinct, car rental
facilities, public parkades, shaded parking areas, adminis-
trative buildings and various other services and facilities.
The area is freely accessible to all users of the airport.
Pedestrian and vehicle movements are guided and man-
aged by ACSA with the support of eThekweni Metro Police.
197 >
Photo by Russell Cleaver
Road Network
There is a system of roads feeding into the Airport and
Dube Trade Port’s road circulation networks, with
principle access off the main collector road that links
the N2 and the R102. The southbound carriageway to
the N2 will be tolled. ACSA is currently negotiating
concessions with South African National Roads Agency
(SANRAL) for the broader airport community.
Local access roads will allow for ingress and egress to
the staff parking, open parking, multi-storey parkade,
car rental, and drop-off and pick-up areas.
 198 >
Pick–up and Drop–off Areas
The pick-up areas are situated at grade, alongside the
piazza, with separate provision for private vehicles and
public transport. The drop-off area is situated on the
elevated roadway, outside the Departures Hall at the
terminal building.
Public Transport
Public transport facilities have been provided within the
precinct and cater for both bus and taxi demands.
Pedestrian Circulation
Pedestrian movement within the development area is
catered for through the provision of sidewalks where
significant numbers of pedestrians are anticipated.
Photo by Russell Cleaver
A conscious effort has been made to minimise conflict
between pedestrians, buildings and vehicles through
the development of a ‘pedestrian sensitive’ traffic
routing plan. Where conflicts are large and unavoidable,
grade separation of vehicle and pedestrian movements
has been provided.
Terminal
Immediate focus at the new International Airport is
inevitably the terminal building, with its impressive
150-metre roof span. Considering that the new air-
port is almost triple the size of the old airport, it is here
that the majority of the airport staff will spend their
time, and it is where all passengers and the people
who transport, meet and greet them, congregate.
The building incorporates the very latest design concepts
to make the working environment as effective as possible
200 >
and to make a passenger’s movement through the neces-
sary processes from arrival (either from land or air) to de-
parture (air or land) as smooth and pleasant as possible.
The terminal is clearly demarcated between those ar-
eas freely accessible to the general public, through to
security checkpoints. From there, either a boarding
pass or security permit is required for access.
Airside
This is the part of the airport that is completely ‘security
controlled’. It is bounded by the security checkpoints in
the terminal building and extends to the airfield itself.
It is only accessible by a passenger with a valid boarding
pass or airport staff with a relevant security permit.
This area includes the passenger holding lounges and
allows access to the apron area, where aircraft are parked
and serviced. Passengers with a valid boarding pass
are restricted to specific areas within the general ‘air-
side’.
People with a valid security permit are only allowed
access to those areas specified on their permit.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Construction sites
Six construction sites were set up for the earthworks
to prepare the runway, taxiways and aircraft parking
areas (the size of 100 soccer pitches).
Photos by Russell Cleaver
 D
D T S
S
DURBAN TILING SERVICES C.C.

Proud to be associated with the King Shaka Airport

Durban Tiling Servises C.C. Jason Carlson

P.O. Box 47394 - Greyville - 4023 Jason@durbantiling.co.za
Tel: (031) 312 2210 - Fax: (031) 312 1917 082 454 2042
 202 >
Personnel on site
In mid-2008, there were 2 100 contractors and sub-
contractors on site along with 200 earth-moving ma-
chines. In October 2009, 7 732 people worked on site.
Courier and parcel facility
There will be an international courier and parcel facility
designed to handle 1000 bags/parcels per hour in and
out, as well as a local parcel and courier facility designed
to handle 400 bags/parcels per hour in and out.
Photos by Nicolas Gonzalez (top left & right)
and Russell Cleaver (top left & right)
Capacity
The initial airport capacity will allow for 7.5 million
passengers a year with opportunities for significant
expansion, should it be required (figures are projected
at 45 million passengers by 2060).
Aircraft stands on the apron
The passenger terminal will initially have 18 Passenger
aircraft stands and by 2060, there will be parking space
on the apron for 96 aircraft.
 Operating Nationally - Factories in:
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are proud to be associated with...

International Airport

We would be happy to assist you with your signage requirements:

Contact details:
Jhb. Tel. No. (011) 830-1200
Email: signs@claudeneon.co.za • Website: www.claudeneon.co.za

Runway and taxiways
The runway is 3.7 km x 60 metres wide and will be
able to will accommodate the latest New Generation
Large Aircraft (NGLA) including the Airbus A380, with
space to expand to 4 km.
The runway and 10 taxiways cover 400, 000² and re-
quired 230,000t of asphalt to complete (the equivalent
of 35km of a four-lane highway).
Cargo building
Annually, between 50 000 and 90 000 tons of goods
from Durban’s harbour are trucked to JHB airport for
export. Most of this will now remain in Durban and will
be flown out directly from the new airport via the
state-of- the-art 160 000 m² cargo facilities (DIA cur-
rently has 39 000 m2 cargo facilities).
205 >
Photo by Russell Cleaver
Support Zone
This includes platforms for future development of
conference, hotel and entertainment facilities which
will be a joint venture between ACSA and DTP.
Fuel
The fuel farm is equipped with four fuel tanks. The fuel
will be brought by truck from the refinery located near
the existing airport.
Landscaped gardens
Large areas that surround the terminal building are
being landscaped to enhance the overall aesthetics
of the airport.

Parking
The multi-storey parkade caters for 1500 vehicles
while there is a total of 6500 vehicle parking pays at
the new airport.
Road infrastructure
The traffic, engineering and transport planning was
undertaken to maximise accessibility and flexibility
to and around the new airport. The plans provide
sufficient flexibility to ensure that all future (2060)
projected transportation modes and requirements
have been considered. The proposed N2 interchange
which forms part of the development, will be the pri-
mary access road to the airport. A link road between
the airport and the N2 has been constructed.
Job creation
It has been estimated that the airport could create
between 165 000 and 260 000 jobs over the next 20
years.
Capital cost of the project
Although the capital cost of the project was originally
estimated at R 6,8-billion, a negotiated acceleration
207 >
Photos by Russell Cleaver
programme amounting to R 400-million has increased
the capital cost to R 7,2-billion.
OPERATIONAL READINESS AND
TRANSFER PROGRAM
The Operational Readiness and Transfer Programme
commenced in November 2009 when the familiarisation
programme was initiated. This involved taking the
bulk of the 3400 work force from the current airport
over to the new site, to familiarise them with the new
airport. More than 2500 of the staff have already
been exposed to their new home. This has injected a
positive energy into the process, with most of the
staff belonging to the various organisations confirming
their commitment to continue fulfilling their roles at
the new airport.
On 15 December 2009 the South African Civil Aviation
Authority successfully conducted calibration tests on
the runway lighting and navigational aids. This involved
a collaborative effort of various stakeholders, includ-
ing the building contractor, Air Traffic Navigation Ser-
vices (ATNS), ACSA and the ORAT Team.
On 14th January 2010 the first Basic End User Trial
started, involving the participation of key stakeholders
such as some of the airlines, ground handlers and
Proudly South African mechanical services
contractors serving southern Africa

Suppliers of airconditioning to
King Shaka International Airport, La Mercy

Recent Projects
>> King Shaka International Airport
>> Nelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth
>> Ethekwini Hospital
>> Westville Prison Joint venture
>> Empangeni Hospital
>> Durban ICC
>> Pavilion Shopping Centre
>> Suncoast Casino Joint Venture
>> Pearls, Umhlanga

17 GLENPARK, HIGHDALE ROAD, GLEN ANIL 4051

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TEL: 27 31 569 2964 - FAX: 27 31 569 2966 - MOBILE: 083 775 8345
EMAIL: lionelr@tekweniair.co.za WEBSITE: www.tekweniair.co.za
 209 >

ACSA. This programme involved testing the various com- what the Durban International Airport was able to cope
ponents of airport operations including flight data, with and the new facilities.
passenger handling, check-in and boarding processes,
baggage screening and the like. Comparisons of Durban International Airport to
King Shaka International Airport
The daunting but exciting task of relocating the airport
‘overnight’ to the new site will be the final phase of the
Areas Durban KingShaka
operation. Behind the scenes, a team headed by Bongiwe
Pityi (AGM Airport Operations) for ACSA, is working along Runway 2.4 kms 3.7 kms
with a team of local and international consultants, to Terminal Area 30 000 m2 103 000 m2
make this a reality. Air Bridges None 12
Public Parking 2490 6500
Pityi explained, “The plan is that on 30 April the last
aircraft will land at DIA and, after the passengers have Retail Space 2900 m2 6500 m2
left the airport, those aircraft will be relocated to the Aircraft Parking
24 34
new airport. The equipment and resources will be re- Bays
located for most of that previous week, with the balance Lifts 11 25
moved overnight on 30 April into the early hours of 1 May.
Escalators None 12
Fortunately, with 1 May being a Saturday, it is rela-
tively quieter from an operational perspective. On Passenger
4.4 million pa 7.5 million pa
this day, the new airport will commence operations.” numbers
Check in
52 75
counters
DECOMMISSIONING THE OLD
AIRPORT Retail outlets 14 50
Car rentals 8 10
Once the new airport is fully operational, the current
airport will be decommissioned as an airport and all “Although air travel has an element of fantasy sur-
aviation business will then be relocated and conduct- rounding it, flying is generally stressful,” says Utria.
ed at the new airport. This basically means that all “One of the ways of reducing the stress is through
scheduled aircraft; domestic and international, will facilitating ease of access and efficient processes. A
be operating from the new airport from 1 May 2010. world class facility of this quality has been long over-
due in the region and the opening of the new airport
The current airport, once decommissioned as an airport, will have great benefits for Durban and KwaZulu Natal.”
will be disposed of according to a decision that will be
made by a task team consisting of ACSA, Dti, National/ Considering the vastly improved facilities, compared with
Provincial Government and eThekwini Municipality. the old airport, this can only bode well for the future. <

To emphasise the giant leaps taken in relocating the

airport, let’s take a look at a few comparisons between
210 >

SETTING
HIGH
STANDAR
FOR THE D
OF TOMOR
 211 >

IMISO Ceramics is a success story of pure passion; born from humble

beginnings, a sound business plan and a strong belief in their creative
talent. Imiso is the Xhosa word for ‘tomorrow’, and with its slogan - this
is the dawn of a new era – this company offers an inspirational example
for future artists and entrepreneurs.

DS
DAY
RROW
BySunéStassen
212 >

Having had to borrow money to pay a deposit on their rent,

exhibiting only product samples that they produced at a
friend’s studio at their first tradeshow, with no kiln and other
vital materials to their name that could signify the start of a
ceramic studio, IMISO was still able to produce a sell-out
performance that left them with a sufficient number of orders
to sustain their studio by buying their first kiln and other
equipment.

Suné Stassen chatted to Andile Dyalvane, Zizipho Poswa

and the rest of the IMISO Ceramics team.

D > How did you end up in the fascinating world of ceramics?

AD > I studied ceramics at Sivuyile Art College. After grad-

uating I continued my studies in ceramics at the Port Elizabeth
University of Technology. In 2000 I came to Cape Town and
Once off design.
worked for a ceramics studio for about eight years. As a child
Below & right: Scarrified range.
growing up in the rural areas I started making clay animals
while herding livestock. I have always enjoyed being creative
and continued being inspired by drawing and later decided
to further my studies in ceramics.

D > Your personal highlights before IMISO?

AD > In 2001 I was one of nine ceramic designers selected to

represent South Africa at a five-week ceramics exchange
programme in Denmark. That programme can definitely be
considered the beginning of my career as a designer.

D > Where do you find inspiration for the work you do?

AD > My inspiration comes from my surroundings that I trans-

late in a number of ways such as the designs done for ‘The
Scarified’ and ‘Africasso’ range. I find that clay is the most
forgiving material to use and create with. Subtly cutting
through the clay, using the purity of lines, creates a poetic
silence that speaks volumes. The ‘Africasso’ range creates
a contrast by introducing a loud yet simple abstraction of
both the human and animal form, owing great inspiration to
 213 >

Pablo Picasso. The ‘Scarified’ range is a translation of body

scarification done in the Xhosa and other African cultures.

D > Tell us more about the founding days of IMISO. What was
the original concept behind this business and where and how
did you find the rest of the team?

AD > We studied together in PE and as soon as we all moved

to Cape Town we connected as friends and started talking
business. IMISO was therefore formed by a group of creatives
who had one idea in mind, to become a design powerhouse.
As my primary passion is working with clay and mixing and
merging it with other materials, Zizi’s passion is textiles and
design overall. Lulama is all about business and exploring
business opportunities. Having put all this in one pot I can
safely say that we have grown from an ideal to the launch of our
first ceramics gallery at the Biscuit Mill to the most recent addi-
tion being the IMISO Lifestyle Gallery at the Cape Quarter in
Cape Town. So watch this space, as a lot more is in stall for you.

D > Over to you Zizipho – I know that you are first and foremost
a textile designer. How did you become part of the IMISO team?

ZP > From an early age I have always had a keen interest in

design. I studied textile design and technology in Port Elizabeth,
which validated my ever-growing interest in design. In Cape
Town I also worked as a textile designer for a design house who
sold my designs to various South African chain stores.

When IMISO Ceramics started we were designers from different

disciplines with a need to put our skills into one business. At the
time Andile had already been making headway in the ceramics
industry so it was collectively decided to first focus and explore
ceramics as our preferred creative application.

D > Are you still producing any textiles or do you only focus on
ceramics today?

ZP > Oh yes, I definitely still produce textiles. When we

launched the new IMISO Lifestyle Gallery at the Cape Quarter
214 >

two months ago, I launched my textile

range, which at the moment consists
of a 100% pure merino wool and mohair
blend made into cushion covers and
throws. The process of creating these
articles started from spinning the wool
to dyeing it into different vibrant colours
and then I played with different tech-
niques like knitting, crocheting and
felting. Soon I will also be launching a
range of prints for home furnishings.

D > IMISO certainly reflects a variety

of styles and products. Do you as a team
discuss future styles, colours and possi-
ble products and trends and then allow
for individual interpretations of these or
Pinch bowl range.
do you rather see IMISO as a studio
space within which different individuals
produce what they feel like producing?
Afrocasso range.

AD > Zizi and Andile are the designers

of IMISO, so we get to produce any-
thing our hearts desire. Out of those, the
group analyse, discuss and dissect the
individual products or concepts and
then decide which ideas or products
are in keeping with the original IMISO
concept and business motto.

D > Tell us more about the uniqueness

of IMISO as a business. What does each
member bring to the creative pot that
makes IMISO Ceramics so successful?

AD > Basically I have my own team and

Zizi has her own team but we do inter-
change the guys whenever necessary.
We encourage and teach the team how
to design and emphasise the importance
to explore colour, texture and form so
 215 >

that they can also discover their own design style.

They have also entered competitions and taken part in
our own exhibitions, showcasing their individual work
and have received a very positive response. Lulama
works with her own team, two ladies in administation
and the three staff members at the galleries. Here we
explore business and enjoy the continuous challeng-
es we face. We learn a lot on a daily basis.

D > Within the short lifespan of IMISO Ceramics you

have already been acknowledged for the quality products
that you produce. Name a few highlights of IMISO and
the impact that each had on your business.

AD > We were privileged to be invited to participate

in the launch of the SABC 3 new colours and with an
appearance on Top Billing. That was two years ago
and to this day we still get people who remember that.
Another highlight was winning the Decorex Gold Award,
which is awarded to the top ten best stands showcasing
at the Decorex Johanesburg show. Another highlight
was in 2009 when we were nominated for the Visi
Award. We managed to get into the top ten but unfor-
tunately did not receive the final award. Still it was
great to be amongst such a wonderful group of creatives
who have been in the industry for many years. This
nomination was a confirmation for us that we are
heading in the right direction.

D > Tell us more about your studio space at the Biscuit

Mill and about the new space that forms part of the
most exciting new shopping experience in Cape Town,
the newly build Cape Quarter.

The Biscuit Mill is a great space for us because this is

where we as a business refined IMISO – both as a brand
and as a business. It has been going for three years
now and we have established a stable market of both
local and international buyers. At this space the main
 focus is ceramics and furniture pieces. The new IMISO Life-
style Gallery at the Cape Quarter is a space where we
explore different design applications bringing in Zizi’s
textiles and soon more furniture pieces.

D > What is in stall for IMISO Ceramics in the near future

– what do you want to achieve?

We are looking at doing more international shows and

keep working at establishing IMISO as a brand.

ZP > It is my dream to design the finest floor rugs for one

Lifestyle Furniture range. of the high-end hotels anywhere in the world and for
former president Nelson Mandela’s house.

AD > I would like to design a house and decorate it with all

the work I have created, from wall installations to furni-
ture and accessories with almost every item including
touch of ceramics.

D > Who are your creative role models?

ZP > I get a lot of inspiration from Maija Isola, a Finnish tex-

tile designer who designed for Marimekko.

AD > My role model is Pablo Picasso, hence the ‘Africasso’

range.

D > A last few words of wisdom to young readers?

ZP&AD > Our successful ingredients are team work and

passion for what we do. Every year we grow the number of
people we employ. We believe we have created sustainable
jobs for our employees so that that they can go back home
and create the life they are seeking with confidence. <
217 >
218 >

PLUSH
TOYS, A PHD,
BIO-MIMICRY
AND THE
MACABRE
By Anri Theron

With a biomedical engineering degree, an

electrical engineering degree and a PhD
in progress one would never guess that
Tempest van Schaik has also participated
in numerous exhibitions and won several
awards in art and design. Tempest is a rare
anomaly in this universe and DESIGN>
went to investigate.

D > You have a very unique name. Dictionaries

describe ‘tempest’ as meaning: “1. A violent wind-
storm, frequently accompanied by rain, snow, or hail.
2. Furious agitation, commotion, or tumult; an up-
roar.” Does this describe your personality?

TvS > It’s not so much the meaning but the type of
name that reflects my personality. Tempest is an
unusual name meaning people misspell it; think I’m
a man or that I’ve just made it up. I seem to have a
knack for picking ‘the road not taken’ in all aspects
of my life and making things difficult for myself.
 219 >

Cameos and Genotypes

(2009) is an interactive
installation which releases
the shadows of the letters
people strike on a typewriter.
It is a collaboration with
artist Jenna Burchell, which
won Best New Media and
Multimedia at the 2009
Thami Mnyele Fine Arts
Awards.

Benign/Malignant (2009)
shows my love of craft
and reflects the theme of
my PhD research which
involves the spread of
cancer. This piece was a
finalist in Sasol New
Signatures 2009.

A pair of All Stars was

customised for SL
magazine’s Design Issue
(2007). Each designer was
given a pair of plain white
shoes, to which I added
tartan and painstakingly
hand stitched until my
fingers were raw.
220 >

To Have And To Hold (2007) was

the debut of Ellomennopee at the
And Then exhibition in the Lister
Building. I tried to push the limits
of what plush toys can be. The
blue man was tragically kidnapped
from the event. I hope he finds his
way home one day!

The Dirty Mind of Young Sally (2007)
was a winner of the Biblioteq Dotmatic
competition. The idea was to create a
design using circular stickers of only five
different sizes and colours.
Cloud Factory (2008) is my entry for
the Mingo Lamberti t-shirt design
competition. As a winner my design
was made into limited edition t-shirts
for their Far Far Away range, inspired
by the places we visit in our
imagination.

D > What is your day job or are you a
full-time student at Imperial College
in London?
TvS > Doing a PhD at Imperial College
London is definitely a full-time job. In
2007 I decided to commit to making
time for art and design by branding
my creative output ‘Ellomennopee’.
Since then I have steadily built up my
portfolio despite being a full-time
engineering student, which I will
continue doing.
D > How do you marry the worlds of
engineering with design and art? What
are the overlaps?
TvS > The two combine more subtly
in that both require creative problem
solving, whether mathematical or
visual. Engineering is more creative
than people might think: especially
when faced with financial and environ-
mental constraints. Because of the
incredible growth in technology, engi-
neering has entered the realm of imagi-
nation and science fiction, such as
research into tiny nano-robots that
swim in our veins or smart clothing
which makes us invisible. I think the
analytical engineering approach is
also practical in art and design espe-
cially where a brief is involved. Be-
fore I start an artwork I evaluate my
constraints, such as the limits of the
material I’m going to use and more.
221 >
D > You are only 24 years old but you
have already achieved a lot in life. How
do you see your future evolving?
TvS > After my doctorate I’ll be in the
unique position of having three engi-
neering degrees and a large art and
design portfolio. I’m sure I’ll be able to
put my distinctive skills to good use.
Increasingly people are recognising
the value of creativity in engineering
and fostering interesting collabora-
tions, such as Fabric of Life, which
teams Nobel Prize-winning scientists
with top textile designers.
D > Where is your range of Ellomen-
nopee plush toys sold and who is your
intended target audience? Where are
they manufactured and what vol-
umes are produced?
TvS > The last of my plush toys is being
sold at +27 Design Café in Pretoria,
though I’m likely to start a new range to
sell in London. My target audience is
people who want access to affordable
art and favour the handmade over the
mass produced. When I buy handmade
I feel a certain connection to the artist
because I own a product of their time
and imagination. I make everything
myself and produce maximum five of
each range, as that’s when I get bored.
Each toy has a piece of me in it, some-
times quite literally with a stray hair or
perhaps a drop of blood from a sewing
accident!
222 >

D > Do you have a specific design philosophy?

TvS> I’m interested in how my work communicates

with people. I aim to create a captivating experi-
ence for my audience who will have a sustained and
memorable interaction with my work. If somebody
rushing through a gallery or magazine engages with
my work for a few minutes of their life, then it has
communicated an abstract idea or emotion in my
absence.

D > Who and what inspires you?

TvS> I’m inspired by the macabre and grotesque,

and all things kitsch; the beautiful and functionally
efficient forms in nature that have been ‘designed’
through millions of years of evolution; the incred-
ible resourcefulness of South Africans and the
intensity of daylight in South Africa. In gloomy
London I’m finding inspiration in clandestine trips
to the Natural History Museum during lunch-breaks.
I also look to the collective sentiment of contem-
porary artists, illustrators, designers and crafters
who showcase their work on blogs and creative
networking sites such as Behance and Addictlab.
Established inspirations include Francis Bacon,
Pictoplasma and the Biomimicry Institute.

D > What is in store for Tempest in the near future?

TvS> In the near future I will be sussing out the

London art and design scene, putting together
some new work, getting involved in competitions
and exhibitions and finding my identity as an artist
in London. I have a lot less space, equipment and
resources at my disposal now so I’ll also have to
master frugal creativity. <
 223 >

The Littlewood Gang (2008)

was part of the Bigwood
exhibition which travelled from
Durban to Berlin, Germany.
With a playful take on the
exhibition name, I created a trio
of wood-based characters.

FAR LEFT: Transition (2008) is

acrylic on wood and was also
part of the Bigwood exhibition.

LEFT: Does Not Your House

Dream? And Dreaming Leave
City For Hilltop? (2009) was
created for the City Slickers
exhibition which travelled from
Pretoria to Durban and Cape
Town, and will go on to London,
Beijing and Amsterdam. One of
my few digital works; it contains
character sketches from previous
projects.
224 >

™
PAINTERTAINMENT
THE ART OF

Some people jam music, but at Artjamming™ you jam

art. You simply walk in and let your imagination take
hold of the paint brushes. Artjamming™ allows you to
create your very own unique full colour art piece by
fusing creativity and colour to a chill-out beat.

Whether it’s playing, painting, sponging or spraying,

it’s about putting on an apron to face a blank canvas
and unleashing your own individual creativity that
makes Artjamming™ the most fun you can have with
a paintbrush.

Artjammers are provided with a menu of 12 different
sized canvases, easels, a choice of non-toxic acrylic
paints on tap, brushes and tools to freely express
themselves.
Already a hugely successful worldwide phenomenon,
Artjamming™ was launched at the end of July 2008
in South Africa by local fashion and textile importers
and distributors, Ralph Israel and his daughter Leora
Israel. This amazing concept was discovered on one
of Leora’s trips to the Far East and after extensive
research she realised the need for this kind of activity,
amusement and distraction from everyday stress.
The Israels decided to bring Artjamming™ to Cape
Town first and have also acquired the sole rights for
South Africa. The first studio was opened at the
trendy Wembley Square Shopping Mall in Gardens and
since then it has become so popular that another
studio opened in November 2009 at the unique life-
style shopping centre, the Cape Quarter. The first
Gauteng studio opened on 1 February at the Bluebird
destination shopping centre in Birnam, Illovo.
Artjammers are not given instructions or classes, and
no drawing or painting skills are required, but for those
who would like a helping hand or some inspiration,
there are qualified artists at the studios to assist.
For young artists, art students and art enthusiasts
Artjamming™ is a great resource, not only for the
various art materials available for sale, but also be-
cause for as little as R95.00 you can create your own
art piece without having to carry the cost of buying
expensive materials needed for projects, exams or
portfolio examples.
Artjamming™ has been involved with many innovative
projects like hosting the first ArtFusion Experiment
(AFE) in South Africa in January 2009 as part of the
225 >
Southern Ink Xposure International Tattoo Convention,
the biggest tattoo event held on African soil and in
the Southern Hemisphere. The AFE is a collaborative
art demonstration where some of the world’s most
accomplished tattoo artists, including Paul Booth,
worked together on three extra-large canvasses. The
canvasses, donated by Artjamming™, was auctioned
off at the convention and proceeds were donated to
MaAfrika Tikkun, a non-governmental non-profit organ-
isation that works toward the transformation of South
African communities by caring for vulnerable children
and orphans in townships.
Another event they were involved with, in April 2009,
was the Urban Art Write on Africa Mural Fund campaign.
Six of South Africa’s top local urban artists, including
internationally recognised Faith47, Mak1one and
Senyol, created rare works of art which were offered
for auction to raise funds for Write on Africa, an or-
ganisation that aims to create inspiration in the form
of murals for the youth to encourage social uplift-
ment within underprivileged communities.
In July 2009 they facilitated a teambuilding session
for the BestCities Client Imbizo, hosted by the Cape
Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau (Cape Town
Routes Unlimited), an important platform that con-
verged significant association meetings representa-
tives, managers and sales officials from the BestCities
Global Alliance of convention bureaux with repre-
sentatives from cities including Copenhagen, Dubai,
Edinburgh, Melbourne, San Juan, Singapore and
Vancouver.
Artjamming™ also hosts birthday parties, team
building parties, corporate events, school holiday
programmes, tuition, exhibitions and more.
For more information, visit www.artjamming.co.za <
226 >

A STAPLE
FOOD FOR
CREATIVITY
By Suné stassen

Nestled amongst beautiful oaks at the Montebello
Design Centre in Newlands, Cape Town, you will
find the attic that is home to one of the Mielie
workshops. An abundance of bold colours, tex-
tures, shapes and sizes greet the visitor – a positive,
energetic and tactile environment that touches
every sense.
This creative and sustainable enterprise has grown
from a tiny idea in 2002 to a well-established and
viable business that currently employs about
50 people. It has always been Mielie’s mission to
produce innovative, export-quality handcrafted
products made from reclaimed materials. It is not
only about job creation and beautifully crafted
bold, tactile and fun products, but also about re-
storing and sustaining the dignity and financial
independence of others.
Mielie is a good example of an enterprise that
has its business sense and soul in the right place.
According to Adri Shultz, Mielie has three major
passions: “We are passionate about job creation,
our planet and about design. Our structure also
allows our crafters to work from home.”
In the current economic climate Shultz feels that
“it is the challenge of the designer to harness his
/her creativity to make the world a better place”.
“In South Africa, especially, we have our work
cut out for us. We need to find innovative solu-
tions to the housing crisis. We need to design
227 >
durable, functional goods that make the world
a better place.”
“As consumers we should also insist to know
the story behind every product that we buy.
Sometimes the materials used to produce some
of these products are dangerous to people or the
environment. Most of the time a lot of labourers
are slaving away in producing these products and
are most likely not compensated accordingly.
As consumers we should try and be informed
and make a definite stand against such products
by not buying them.”
According to Shultz she is totally unqualified to
do her job as she has a BA in languages (German,
English and French) and honours in Journalism.
She taught herself various graphic design pro-
grammes such as Illustrator, FreeHand and
PhotoShop and freelanced as a graphic designer.
“I had no prior experience in running a business.”
Suné Stassen, one of DESIGN>‘s contributing
editors, interviews Adri Shultz, founder of Mielie.
D > Tell us about choosing ‘Mielie’ as your brand
name – an Afrikaans name for a global retail
environment.
AS > Well, I am Afrikaans, and my mission is to
help people to put food on the table. In most
South African households, that food is a mielie
228 >
in one form or another. Our woven products
also have the texture of a mielie (corn), so the
name just seemed right.
It hasn’t really been a problem having an Afri-
kaans name to sell the products internationally,
because it makes for an interesting story and
these days more people are drawn to products
with an interesting background.
D > Explain the special weaving technique that
signifies the Mielie products.
AS > Even though Africa has a very strong weav-
ing tradition the hooked rug weaving tech-
nique does not originate in Africa. To be honest,
we taught each other and made up the visual
language as we went along. Often when we
came across challenges we had to do an attitude
somersault and turn the challenge into some-
thing desirable.
To give you an example, working with recycled
materials means that we are not in charge of
the colours that the world throws away. For this
reason we developed colour ways that give us
more flexibility. For instance a bag in “lagoon”
could contain greens, limes, turquoises, blues,
and more. Also, we don’t use templates – every
single crafter draws her own design – and every
crafter’s weaving texture is different, much
like knitting or handwriting. This means that we
can confidently say that every bag we make is
unique. (We also need to be strict about the
quality, though.)
D > Tell us about some ‘Mielie’ highlights and
how you measure the success of your business.
AS > We participated in an international textile
exhibition in Finland earlier this year. I was
lucky enough to attend the exhibition with
Zanele Sinuka, one of Mielie’s most talented
weavers. We have also done a couple of big
commissions for large corporates, including a
wall hanging for BP’s headquarters at the Wa-
terfront in Cape Town. Yett, I get the biggest thrill
from receiving emails from customers who
love their Mielie bag, and also from watching
our crafters grow and play a meaningful roll in
their own communities.
I heard last month that I have been selected
as an “accelerator entrepreneur” by Endeavor,
an international organisation that “identifies
and supports high impact entrepreneurs in
developing countries.” This is a great honour,
and it’s going to be wonderful for us to benefit
from their support.
I measure Mielie’s success in the number of
jobs created, and also growing each one of those
people to their full potential. Several crafters
that first started as weavers now work in our
shop or in our office and as managers of other
crafters.
D > Who is the ‘Mielie’ consumer?
AS > Our customers are mostly women. A confi-
dent dresser and home decorator, she cares
about the story behind the products she buys.
She is prepared to pay a premium for products
that have been produced according to envi-
ronmentally and socially sound principles.
She believes that it is possible for one person
to change the world. She is well educated and
informed and knows how to use technology to
inform others.
D > How do you get in touch with the needs of
your consumers?
AS > Having a shop is great because we get
instant feedback. We also have a good relation-
ship with our distributors and welcome ideas and
229 >
 231 >

feedback from them. I also get a lot of email through

my blog, http://fa.mielie.com - which is great and really
hands-on.

D > The retail market is hugely influenced by seasonal

trends. Do trends play a role in the development of
new Mielie products?

AS > I read magazines and design websites, but find

most of my inspiration locally. I love the humour, enthu-
siasm and exquisite nature on my own doorstep. Every
seasonal collection I do tells a new story.

D > What is the impact of Mielie on the lives and social

development of the women who participate?

AS > We started an organic food garden in Khayelitsha

and we also support a couple of nursery schools in
the area. The concept of the food garden is very excit-
ing because we aim to feed the local community and
eventually make the project sustainable by supplying
some top restaurants in Cape Town. We also sell the
produce at the organic market outside our shop at
Montebello Design Centre.

D > What is the driving force behind this project and

what do you still want to achieve with Mielie?

AS > I have the attention span of a flea so with Mielie

I can have a million good ideas and they can ALL turn
into products. I would also like to grow Mielie to be-
come a global lifestyle brand.

I love working with other designers and also explor-

ing different media. We have many very talented lo-
cal designers. Besides the creativity injection, it’s
also always great to see HOW people work. I love to
see their studios and how they do things. <
232 >

A NARRATIVE GENIUS
By Jacques Lange

Stiaan Louw thrives on the energy resulting from collaborating with

other creatives and he taps his inspiration from the sheer beauty of
his home city, Cape Town, its subcultures and the embracing attitude
towards gender ambiguity.

“Minimalist” is the one-word response that Louw gave when DESIGN>

asked him to describe his design philosophy. This is an anomaly because
the overall style of his designs might be minimalist, but the complex
pattern construction and subtexts that exude from his ensembles and
runway shows are layered with multiple meanings.

On the catwalks Louw is never timid at showing his creative persona

and design genius, but in person, he is often elusive and shy. DESIGN>
secured an exclusive interview with this shining light of the African
fashion industry.
 233 >

Images from the A/W 10 lookbook

featuring Stiaan Louw’a latest collection.
Photographer: Brett Rubin
Make-up and hair: Eloïse Dreyer
Model: Stephen Manion
Fashion asstistant: Camila Gillman
234 >
Stiaan Louw grew up in Durbanville,
Cape Town. After leaving school, he
opted to study film and photogra-
phy. This didn’t last longer than a
year before he realised that he
needed to pursue his real dream
of becoming a fashion designer. He
says: “I knew since high school that
I wanted to pursue a career in fash-
ion, but it was difficult breaking the
news to my Afrikaans parents who
had no understanding of it at the
time.” Louw eventually convinced
them and he says that his parents
have subsequently become in-
credibly supportive of his passion-
focused career choice.
Louw went on to pursued his studies
in fashion at the Haute Couture
School in Cape Town from where he
graduated in 2001. He says that:
“The course was very intensive in
terms of garment construction and
pattern cutting which has had a
strong influence on my work ever
since. It instilled my belief that a
good fit is the foundation of beau-
tiful clothes.”
Louw claims that he got his ‘big
break’ into the mainstream fashion
industry when he met leading South
African fashion designer, Maya
Prass, who has subsequently be-
come one of his closest friends with
whom he now also shares a studio
space. Prass recommended Louw
to Jan Malan, one of Africa’s most
influential fashion show directors,
who asked for recommendations for
new blood that could be featured
at the Cape Town Fashion Week in
2004. Malan was so impressed by
Prass’s protégé that he opted to
include Louw in the 2004 Cape
Town Fashion Week line-up. The
response from fashionistas and
media were overwhelming and since
then Louw’s career and his signature
label bloomed.
In 2008 Louw took the bold step of
redirecting his focus from design-
ing women’s wear to menswear.
This was a radical step for an emerg-
ing fashion designer. He says:
“Initially everyone warned me that
it would be an incredibly difficult
market to enter into, which has
proven to be true. At the same time,
I did believe that there was a grow-
ing need amongst men in South
Africa for clothes that are designed
with consideration for an ever-
changing society that required a new
approach to high-end menswear.
Although it is an incredibly difficult
market to be designing for, I enjoy
the challenges.”
Louw’s gamble paid off. In 2009, he
was nominated for the prestigious
Mercedes Benz Art Award for Fash-
Design Indaba Fashion 2010. Photos by Simon Deiner.
ion Design where he competed with
the likes of big local names in the
industry such as his friend Mia Prass,
Abigail Betz, Black Coffee, Themba
Mngomezulu for Darkie Clothing,
Palesa Mokubung for Mantsho,
Craig Native and David Tlale. Black
Coffee ended up receiving the top
honours but it also meant that the
Stiaan Louw brand received inter-
national media exposure.
Louw’s collections are often de-
scribed as focusing on the metro-
sexual aesthetic. He explains: “I
suppose that my work has been
Design Indaba Fashion 2009. Photos by Simon Deiner.
235 >

branded as metrosexual since I
initially started off designing clothes
that also appealed to women. My
experience as a women’s wear de-
signer definitely had an influence
on my current work for men. At the
time of launching my menswear
label, the ‘androgyny trend’ was
also surfacing. The latest collec-
tion is definitely more masculine,
while retaining some of the ambi-
guity. I have always liked contrasts,
masculine versus feminine, classic
versus experimental.”
In the recent past, fashion reporters
also noted that Louw’s collections
had strong undertones of fetish and
specifically bondage. Louw says:
“It has definitely been a theme of
interest in the past few years, espe-
cially because I believe that within
a menswear fashion context, it com-
mented on the development of male
sexuality and the shift of what is
considered ‘masculine’ or ‘dominant’
in how men dress. I think that since
the rise of the metrosexual trend,
there has also been a shift towards
Cape Town Fashion Week 2008. Photos by Simon Deiner.
‘same sexuality’ in men’s fashion in
the past few years. Men are able
to be more submissive in modern
culture without being considered
weak. At the time I was exploring
social and sexual subcultures and
their relevance to fashion as the
recession hit globally.” The latter
obviously became an added theme
to Louw’s collections.
When asked if his African roots in-
fluence his creative work, Louw re-
sponds: “I think it is inevitable that
your heritage, your surroundings
and the social and economic envi-
ronment of the country you live in
237 >
will have an influence on your work,
even if it is subconsciously. I don’t
reference Africa in any obvious
way.” Yet, when one reviews his
work closely, Louw’s African roots
filter through as a subtext which
is most prominent in his pattern
construction.
Louw is quite an elusive character
when it comes to publishing im-
ages of himself and not many are
published online or in print. Quite
often, at the end of his fashion
shows, he appears only for brief
moments and mostly in dimly lit
corners of the catwalks where his
models have just boldly strutted
his designs. In reality, Louw is ac-
tually a uniquely handsome man
– a smooth and pale-faced curly-
haired man with a distinctive ap-
peal. When we asked why he is so
elusive when it comes to publish-
ing images of himself when he is
actually the ideal model for his
own collections. His response: “It
has never been particularly im-
portant for me to be known as an
individual. Instead, I would rather
like my brand to become recognised.
The focus should stay on the clothes
and for them to become desirable.
I also don’t want personal recog-
nition and familiarity to influence
my design aesthetic.” He continues:
“I have felt some pressure since the
launch of my menswear collection,
but I believe in surrounding myself
by people I can trust and rely on.
I am also somewhat of a recluse
and it keeps me focused on what
is really important to me.”
Louw has a core team that works
and collaborates with him. However,
 238 >

Winter 2008. Stiaan Louw’s first complete menswaear collection.


The Next Generation campaign photographed by Brett Rubin.
he says: “I believe in forming col-
laborative relationships with other
creatives. The people I work with
from one collection to the next may
often change, or stay the same
depending on the direction of my
work. I think this approach will
give me work longevity.”
The Stiaan Louw collections are
mainly sold at exclusive outlets in
Cape Town and Johannesburg but
he also has a large client base with
whom he communicates via email
and who visits his studio regularly.
He says: “I think my target audience
has become quite diverse and I
am interested to see how this will
influence my design approach in
the future. All the clothes are pro-
duced in-house. I am still keeping
it quite contained and focused, as
I believe in growing slowly and
understanding the market you
are dealing with properly.”
Likewise, Louw personally over-
sees the creative direction of the
Stiaan Louw marketing campaigns.
He says: “I did my first campaign
early last year with photographer
Brett Rubin. It was titled ‘Next
Generation’ and featured three
models who I believed to epitomise
my direction at that particular point
in time. I like to work with a handful
of models – whether professional
or not – and develop each collection
around them. I have been fortunate
to develop images for projects since
then. Some with more success than
others, but in the long run, I see it as
an opportunity to explore the pos-
sibilities of the brand and shift
perception.”
Louw also opts to use online social
media such as Facebook, Twitter,
Issuu and Flickr as the primary media
channels for marketing his label
rather than traditional media chan-
nels. He says: “I find that my target
market is online daily, whether it
is through their profession – as most
of them have careers in creative
fields – and they use these social
utilities for research or social pur-
poses. It made sense for me to go
to them directly and with instant
effect as opposed to following tra-
ditional media, which takes longer
to reach a target audience.” Louw
also says that he uses online social
media to do research related to cus-
tomer profiling: ‘It definitely makes
the brand more accessible and we
239 >
have built up a strong email data-
base in the process.”
Louw launched his latest collection
in February at the Design Indaba
2010. He says: “I didn’t want to
work with a particular theme other
than focusing on the garment con-
struction and colour palette for this
collection. It is stripped down, clean
and much ‘softer’ in approach to
my previous collections. Although
I still focus on a monochromatic
design approach, I have started
mixing more colours together and
moved away from using the amount
of black I have in previous collec-
tions.”
Stiaan Louw is a gentle character
with a wildly curly hairstyle and
massive smile whose friends know
his boisterous peals of laughter,
yet in the fashion industry he is
often shy and somewhat reclusive.
Yet, for those who know him, and
those he trusts, he is an articulate
and intelligent thinker who believes
that his work should speak for itself
and that the designer behind it is
not the brand... What a refreshing
thought in an ego-driven industry. <
240 >
CONDOMS ON THE CATWALK
Latex was the fabric of choice at a
fashion show in the Ethiopian capital
Addis Ababa recently, where all the
garments on the catwalk were craft-
ed from 10 000 male and female
condoms of all colours and sizes.
Held in January and organised by
social marketing group DKT with
the Zalef Fine Art and Fashion De-
sign Institute, the Condom Clothes
Fashion Show put ten spectacular
condom-crafted dresses on display
in an attempt to lessen the stigma
attached to condoms in the East
African country.
“In Ethiopia, condoms have a bad
image; people are afraid when they
want to buy condoms at the super-
market – they even try to hide the
condoms quickly after they have
bought them,” said Emebet Alemu,
designer of the dresses and or-
ganiser of the show. “We wanted
to change that by using an art event.
The show will open people’s minds
a little ... maybe it will make them
seem more normal for people.”
The latex garments were later mod-
elled at four additional shows, held
under the ABC theme of Abstain,
Be faithful and use Condoms, at
the Addis Hilton Hotel. Organisers
plan to also take the show to the
major regional city of Adama.
A 2008 study published in the
Ethiopian Journal of Health Develop-
ment and conducted in the town of
Adwa, about 1 000 kilometres north
of Addis Ababa, found that 46%
of respondents believed that people
who used condoms were promis-
cuous.
Emebet Abu, DKT Ethiopia’s head of
communications, said the condom
fashion campaign was tailored to
the youth, with a view to highlight-
ing condoms as an additional option
and not a replacement for absti-
nence or fidelity as methods of
HIV prevention. “The idea of the
show was to target young people
who like fashion and design,” he
said. “We also teach abstinence and
to be faithful, but some young peo-
ple will not abstain or be faithful;
they may have more than one part-
ner already so they must use con-
doms.”
The fashion initiative is the latest
move by DKT to try to break the
stigma associated with condom
use in Ethiopia. In 2009, it ran a two-
month campaign to distribute con-
doms and kerosene to house help-
ers in the capital and it set up a
condom café in Addis.
 241 >

Far left: Hayat Ahmed former Miss Ethiopia and

spokesperson for Sensation condoms. Image:
Tesfalem Woldes-IRIN.

Centre: Sensation condoms are provided with every

bill at Addis Ababa’s Bellissima Café. Image:
Tesfalem Woldes-IRIN.

Left: A model wearing an outfit made entirely from

condoms during the Condom Clothes Fashion Show
in Addis Ababa. Image: DKT.

In the café, which is owned by
former Miss Ethiopia Hayat Ahmed,
each order of coffee comes with a
packet of Sensation condoms,
served in Sensation cups by staff
wearing Sensation T-shirts. “I
wanted to link business with a mes-
sage for sexually active people,”
said Ahmed. “I am the brand am-
bassador for Sensation condoms
in Ethiopia, and I want to spread the
message that condoms can pro-
tect you from HIV/AIDS.” Her face
adorns billboards and she regu-
larly promotes condom use on
Ethiopia’s only television station.
“When I walk down the road even
children recognise me,” she said.
“But they do not call me Hayat;
they call me Sensation.”
Coffee is widely thought to have
originated in Ethiopia, where it is
extremely popular. Ahmed’s café,
modelled on condom bars in Asia,
managed to hand out almost 900
condoms within two days of
opening its doors. Reaction to the
free condoms has been mixed, with
older patrons tending to disapprove,
and younger ones sometimes en-
thusiastically asking for a second
packet.
“We have had young people come
in and ask if it’s true that we actu-
ally give free condoms,” said one
waiter. “When we say, ‘Yes’, their
faces brighten up and they quickly
order. But we have also had people
who are shocked when we bring
the bill with a condom, some saying
we are promoting immorality.”
Ahmed intends to open more cafés
in the capital and other towns,
and continue promoting various
anti-HIV strategies, including ab-
stinence and faithfulness. She
plans expand the condom bars con-
cept to other African countries. “A lot
of people in Ethiopia are ashamed
of talking about or using condoms,”
she said. “Yet some companies put
condoms in their toilets and when
you go to look, each day, the boxes
are empty. I don’t care if the con-
doms are used behind closed doors
or in public – as long as many people
use them.”
Ethiopia’s HIV prevalence is estimat-
ed at 2% among sexually active
people aged 15 to 49. According
to a report by the Federal HIV/AIDS
Prevention and Control Office, be-
tween 2000 and 2005 condom use
among males increased from 30.3%
to 51.9%, and among females
from 13.4% to 23.6%. According
to Ethiopian government data,
50% of public sector institutions
and 20% of private businesses
have mainstreamed HIV/AIDS
prevention in their operational
policies. <
Republished courtesy of IrinPlus
News & MediaClubSouthAfrica.com
242 >

Seoul’s WDC 2010 programmes are geared to encourage citizen participation among all age groups.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF
DESIGN THINKING: WORLD
DESIGN CAPITAL 2010

“Seoul’s approach to design and their designation as
the World Design Capital 2010 constitutes a perfect
example of design thinking.” This was the impression
of Adrienne Viljoen, manager of the SABS Design
Institute on her return Seoul, South Korea in February.
Viljoen visited the city in her capacity as member of the
International Advisory Committee of the 2010 Seoul
World Design Capital (WDC) of the International Council
of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid).
According to Viljoen Seoul has been able to marry the
old with the new and move it into the future when it
comes to design. “Nothing in Seoul’s approach to its
Design Capital status happens in isolation – it all
forms part of a greater whole,” says Viljoen.
243 >
Seoul was named World Design Capital 2010 two years
ago. This biannual designation, run by Icsid on behalf
of the International Design Alliance (IDA), started off
with Torino, Italy being the WDC in 2008. Helsinki
has already won the bid for WDC in 2012. The aim is
to identify and recognise cities that have effectively
used design to revive the city and improve the quality
of life of its citizens. The WDC designation promotes
the importance of good design in strengthening and
empowering cities to use the totality of design disci-
plines to position their competitive advantages from
a social, cultural and economic point of view.
Major projects currently in development for WDC Seoul
2010 include the Seoul World City Design Summit, de-
sign fairs; construction of the Dongdaemun Design
244 >

The official identity for the WDC 2010. Cover of the WDC 2010 Guide Book.

Custom designed Seoul fonts.

Plaza & Park, U-Design International Competition, the
city’s participation in the IDA World Design Report, a
Youth Design Creative Camp, as well as initiatives
to encourage citizen participation in WDC projects.
Yet these are just a few examples of the jam-packed
programme that Seoul plans to host in 2010. Visit the
official website at http://wdc2010.seoul.go.kr/eng/
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, in his acceptance speech de-
clared, “Design is a growth driver of the Seoul economy.

Seoul Design Assets Exhibition website.
Symbols of Seoul.
We have surprised the world with the ‘Miracle of the
Han River’ and advancements in the IT sector. Now we
would like to bring global attention to Seoul with
strong design.” Oh expressed high hopes for the city’s
future and added: “With Seoul’s designation as World
245 >
Dongdaemun History & Culture Park.
A selection of Seoul’s Design Assets.
Design Capital 2010, the city will be able to breathe
creative energy into the design industry and reinvent
itself into a globally recognised city of design. It will
also be able to collaborate with other cities in the
world to communicate through design. Seoul will send
246 >
Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park designed by
Zaha Hadid.
Zaha Hadid and Mayor Oh Se-hoon at the ground
breaking ceremony of the Dongdaemun Design
Plaza & Park on 28 April 2009.
out the message that design has the power to change
the world for the better.”
Africa makes a debut
Africa was represented by two countries at the World
Design Cities Summit in Seoul in February. The summit
featured mayors from over 20 global cities discussing
how cities can advance and grow through focussed
design intervention.
The SABS Design Institute hosted an Icsid board meet-
ing in Cape Town in early 2009 and this gave Viljoen
the opportunity to approach Cape Town to bid for the
WDC 2014. This led to a Cape Town delegation attend-
ing the Cities Summit. Viljoen also suggested that the
Icsid board approach other African cities to participate.
The result was that the mayor of Nairobi, Kenya also
participated in the Seoul event. Both cities made pres-
entations at the summit and signed a Cities Design
Declaration.
Targeting the youth
One of the aspects of Seoul’s approach that Viljoen
found most impressive was the emphasis on the
youth – with programmes specifically aimed at the
15 to 25 age group. Through a rich combination of
rediscovery of the old and a view towards the new,
the Seoul Design Assets Exhibition at the Seoul His-
tory Museum presented 600 years’ of design history
as it combines with advanced IT technologies such as
3D holograms, multimedia, and audiovisual presenta-
tions. The exhibition enabled viewers to re-evaluate the
traditions and values of Seoul design and offered an
opportunity to promote the identity and superiority
of Seoul design going forward.
Additionally, July will see an interdesign workshop for
domestic and internationally emerging designers. On

Seoul has been able to marry the old with the new and move it into the future when it comes to design.
Children’s Day (May 5, 2010), the children’s design
creativity camp will allow children to experience design
and have fun, while, throughout 2010, competitions and
events will be held via the Internet promoting the WDC.
More than just a title
According to Mayor Oh, this city constitutes 40% of
South Korea’s population and that there are definite
objectives involved with the WDC title in 2010 that
would benefit the whole of South Korea. He envis-
ages that the various programmes and events will
improve the city’s image and will enable Seoul to
anchor its foundation to compete with internationally
T: +27 (0) 12 428 6326
F: +27 (0) 12 428 6546
E: design@sabs.co.za
W: www.sabs.co.za
247 >
advanced cities. The WDC title will also strengthen
the brand value of Seoul while further boosting the
Republic of Korea’s national standing.
Oh sees that the efficacy of design is not limited to
making a city pleasant, convenient and safe but is an
essential tool to a city’s survival in the 21st century.
Throughout 2010, the Seoul Metropolitan Govern-
ment is planning to create jobs, cultivate the design
industry, strengthen the competitiveness of the City
of Seoul, and further improve the happiness index
of people’s lives through design. <
All images courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan
Government.
40 YEARS
OF DESIGN
EXCELLENCE
 AVOID THE
RED CARD:
LEGAL DO’S
& DON’TS OF
THE 2010 FIFA
WORLD CUP
ByKellyThompson

You would have to have been walking around with

your ears and eyes covered for the past few years not
to be aware of the fact that South Africa will be hosting
the FIFA WORLD CUP soccer tournament this year. The
numerals “2010” have been on everybody’s lips for the
last four years and the mere mention of this event
evokes Dollar signs in the eyes of street vendors and
CEOs alike. But whilst advertisers and marketers might
be rubbing their hands together in glee at the market-
ing opportunities which this event will present, it will
in reality be all too easy for them to step on the rather
sensitive toes of FIFA and its commercial affiliates.

In fact, the benefits associated with the high marketing

value of the FIFA WORLD CUP event are accessible only
to an exclusive club consisting of those who have paid
their dues to FIFA. This is because FIFA’s “Official Part-
ners” (sponsors), together with the official suppliers,
licensees and official broadcasters, are the only com-
mercial entities which are allowed to claim any direct
association with the FIFA WORLD CUP as well as use
FIFA’s trade marks in advertising and on products for
promotions, advertising and marketing.

An attempt by a trader to connect itself with the FIFA
WORLD CUP event without paying sponsorship fees
may be considered “ambush marketing” and South
Africa has strict anti-ambush marketing laws in place
to protect sponsors’ rights. The need to protect these
rights is of paramount importance. Sponsors pay mil-
lions of dollars for the exclusive marketing rights afford-
ed by their sponsorship deals and this provides fund-
ing for the event. It follows that failure to protect these
rights could jeopardise the event itself.
When a trader or advertiser either directly or indirectly
creates the impression that it is associated with an
event, or is an official sponsor of the event, this is
termed ambush marketing “by association”. When a
trader or advertiser simply attempts unfairly to benefit
from the publicity surrounding an event and to gain
exposure for its own brand at the expense of the event,
this is termed ambush marketing “by intrusion”. Both
forms of ambush marketing are prohibited under South
African law.
The first relevant provision is to be found in the Trade
Practices Act which, in essence, prohibits unauthorised
third parties from publishing or displaying statements
249 >
Example of ambush marketing.
and communications which represent, imply or sug-
gest a contractual or other connection or association
between that person and the event, or the person spon-
soring the event. It virtually goes without saying that
misrepresenting that you are something which you
are not (such as a sponsor) or that there is some con-
tractual connection between you and another when
there is not, is wrong. There is, therefore, nothing unu-
sual about this section of the Trade Practices Act.
However, the Merchandise Marks Act of 1941 (as
amended) takes matters a little further and prohibits
persons from using their own trade marks in a certain
manner in relation to a “protected event”. The Minister
of Trade and Industry has designated the 2010 FIFA
WORLD CUP event as such a protected event. Essen-
tially, the relevant provision prohibits a third party
from using its own trade mark, without authority from
the organiser of the event, in a manner calculated to
achieve publicity for the trade mark and thereby to
derive special promotional benefit from the event. This
includes any visual or audible use of the trade mark
which in any way, directly or indirectly, is intended to
be brought into association with or to allude to any
event. This is fairly widely worded and is intended to
250 >
Example of ambush marketing.
bring to book those parties who commit ambush
marketing “by intrusion”. Contravention of this provi-
sion is a criminal offence.
The effect of this section of the Merchandise Marks
Act has been confirmed by the High Court. In October
2009, judgement was handed down in the Pretoria
High Court against Metcash Trading Africa (Pty) Lim-
ited which had been selling lollipops branded “2010
pops”. The packaging of the product bore soccer balls
and partial depictions of the South African flag. Al-
though there was no direct reference to the 2010 Soccer
World Cup event, the court held that Metcash had
intended for its lollipops to be associated with the
event and had also intended to derive special pro-
motional benefit from the event. The court held that
such conduct is unlawful and falls foul of the relevant
section of the Merchandise Marks Act. Metcash was
accordingly restrained from competing unlawfully with
FIFA by contravening the Merchandise Marks Act. It was
also ordered to pay FIFA’s legal costs.
Earlier in the year, Eastwood Tavern in Pretoria (oppo-
site Loftus Stadium) was ordered by a court to remove
signage from its premises in terms of which it had styled
itself a “World Cup Entertainment Lounge”.
Both the Trade Practices Act and Merchandise Marks
Act have criminalised ambush marketing. Advertisers,
printers, graphic designers, copywriters and, basically,
anyone involved in the production of an advertisement,
packaging or labelling, should be aware of these pro-
visions, for fear of being accused of, at the very least,
aiding and abetting the commission of a criminal of-
fence.
In addition to the two pieces of legislation already
mentioned, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
has a Sponsorship Code which further protects spon-
sors’ rights. It contains a host of provisions aimed at the
fair treatment of sponsors and, among other things,
prevents third parties from creating the impression of
having some association with the event when they do
not and also prohibits the use of endorsement of
athletes in advertising to create such an impression,
event-related sales promotions (such as ticket give-
aways), offering corporate hospitality at events and
the abuse of event airspace. Complaints may be laid
with the ASA against parties who do not adhere to the
provisions of the Sponsorship Code and the ASA can
order withdrawal of the advertising concerned and can
impose additional sanctions in the case of repeat
offenders.
The most basic and common type of ambush market-
ing is the misappropriation of an event organiser’s
trade marks, images or logos in advertising. In the case
of FIFA, this would include the use of the trade marks
FIFA, WORLD CUP and the WORLD CUP TROPHY device
in advertisements. This conduct can be stopped in
terms of the provisions mentioned above and also
in terms of the Trade Marks Act and additional provi-
sions of the Merchandise Marks Act, in terms of which
the Minister of Trade and Industry has declared certain
marks associated with the event to be “prohibited
marks”.
 251 >

More insidious forms of ambush marketing involve, for

example, handing out samples, products or free branded
items at events. At the European Soccer Championship
in 2000, thousands of fans were given free hats bearing HOW TO
the AMSTEL Beer logo as they entered the stadium.
The result was free advertising for this product at the
event as the camera panned over the crowd. And if
STAY OUT OF
TROUBLE
you can’t get your product into the stadium, then why
not try above it? Ambush marketers frequently take
advantage of the airspace above an event, such as
PEPSI flying a branded hot air balloon over Wembley
Stadium on the day of the COCA-COLA CUP final. > No use of FIFA’s registered trade
Sometimes, traders seek to benefit from the public- marks or prohibited marks.
ity surrounding an event by giving away tickets to the
event or running other promotional competitions in > Steer clear of use of combinations
connection with the event. This also constitutes am- of 2010 or soccer balls or other
bush marketing. In the case of the 2010 FIFA WORLD soccer images and “South Africa”
CUP event, it will also constitute a breach of the ticket- or names of the host cities.
ing terms and conditions.
> Steer clear of obvious (even if not
In short, South Africa’s anti-ambush marketing pro- direct) allusions to the event in
visions are clear and have been confirmed by the High advertisements or other
Court. It is also apparent that FIFA has taken, and will
promotional competitions.
continue to take, vigorous steps to protect its spon-
sors’ rights. The withdrawal of advertising and pack-
> No ticket give-aways or other
aging can cost millions of Rands but following a few
promotional competitions unless
simple rules will help keep you out of trouble.
with authority.
One final word of advice would be: don’t forget to
protect your own brand! In the flurry to be ready for > No placing of advertisements on
2010 and while trying not to step on anyone’s toes, the outskirts of stadiums.
many businesses have neglected their own intellec-
tual property and have, for example, not registered > No branded items in/around
their trade marks. This could leave your own brand stadiums.
vulnerable and exposed way beyond 2010. <
> Advertisements containing general
soccer wording or imagery only
Kelly Thompson is a partner at Adams & Adams, one
(with no other references to 2010 or
of the firms which have been appointed by FIFA to
assist with its Rights Protection Programme. the event), will generally be
acceptable.
 252 >

AN ARTWORKER
OPERATING IN A
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Chenette Swanepoel is a multi-talented creative
professional who comfortably traverses the worlds of
fine art, design, education and business. A fine arts
WORLD
graduate from the University of Pretoria in 1992,
specialising in painting, Chenette has since immersed
herself in a multi-disciplinary world where she has
been working as an artist participating in group
exhibitions, contributing to private and corporate
collections and executing commissioned works, while
also pursuing a parallel career in design.
 253 >

Chenette Swanepoel is a prolific freelance graphic designer and

illustrator serving the publishing, corporate and cultural sectors,
an interior designer specialising in the retail and leisure. She is
also a visual communications consultant to the banking sec-
tor specialising in sensory experiences, colour and wayfinding
iconography. Over and above, she is an art agent and curator
for the Rooke Gallery, as well as a lecturer in illustration and
animation.

Some examples of her design work include illustrations for

the Klein Karoo Kunstefees, Cities of the World Travel Guide
published by Conde Nast, Epic magazine, Via Africa/Collegium,
Maskew Miller Longman Pearson Education, Standard Bank,
Small Business Corporation, Dstv, instructional imagery for the
Centre for the Study of Aids’ home-based care kit, official SA
stamps for the 2000 Olympic games and commemorative stamps
for Worker’s Day and Family Day. Clients for communication
design include Old Mutual, Nampak, Ernst & Young, Multichoice,
Absa and Randpark Golf Club. Interior design projects include the
dome for Gerani in Village Walk (Sandton), a 6m x 8m mural for
Casablanca Restaurant (Pretoria), murals for the foyer of Hunt
Lascaris, interior renovation projects for Fabric Library and
Castelano Beltrame showrooms and the interiors of Randpark
Golf Club, to name a few.

Chenette shared some of her personal insights regarding design

education in an interview with DESIGN>.

D > You studied fine arts. How did you end up practicing design
as your primary profession?

CS > Issues around relevancy and involvement in cultural

activity became a consideration for me. Designers have more
influence in society and are (or at least can be) significant
agents for change.

D > What unique skills have your fine arts training brought you
as a practicing designer?

CS > The explorative and experimental approach of fine arts

training broadened the scope of my problem solving skills.
254 >

Developing a visual language to express personal beliefs requires a

conviction in your own viewpoints. Issues around authenticity and
accountability are not restricted to the domain of the fine artist alone.

D > Your work spans several design disciplines. Can you tell us more
about how you integrate your multidisciplinary practices?

CS > My core skill is a mode of thinking and not a craft. When I engage
with a problem, be it designing a chair, constructing spatial narratives
or producing corporate identities, the creative approach remains the
same. Although I consider my thinking as specialised, the application
is diverse.

D > How does your design career impact on your profile as a fine
artist and how do you juggle the roles? Are there ever conflicts?

CS > Although the motivation and objective of my art pursuits differ

from my design work, I approach it with a similar aesthetic and con-
ceptual sensibility. The boundaries between art and design are
shifting and it has become possible to cross the floor between what
were traditionally separate arenas.

D > Do you have a specific design philosophy?

CS > I believe designers have the responsibility to function as

agents for change. Their work should reflect an honest and innovative
approach to the problem, whatever the brief requires.

D > Would you call yourself a creative entrepreneur?

CS > Yes. A lot of my work is the result of interrogating the brief and
redefining the problem which in turn increases opportunities for
my creative involvement.

D > You have been teaching design for many years. Do you have
a unique teaching methodology and what pedagogical focus areas
are most important to you?
Babette’s feast exhibition, 2009, Artspace, Johannesburg.

Herman van den Berg CD cover and poster.

255 >
 256 >

Paris, New York and London. Illustrations for Conde Nast travel supplement.
 257 >

CS > I focus on process rather than end result. Students should be

The Travels of Bad exhibition by Zander Blom, 2009, Rooke Gallery.

encouraged to explore boldly without the fear of making mistakes.

To see their comfort zones crumbling yields surprising results that
builds confidence.

D > You are known to be quite a strict and demanding lecturer. Why
is discipline important to you?

CS > John Rohn said it best: “Affirmation without discipline is the be-
ginning of delusion.”

D > What areas are lacking in tertiary design training and what are
the future opportunities and challenges that we need to address?

CS > Although issues around cultural diversity are being addressed,

many students remain cocooned in their own cultural enclave. It will
be beneficial to expose them to radically opposing worldviews to en-
hance their understanding of the world.

D > Why is it important for you as a practicing designer and artist to

be involved in design education?
Before and after views of the identity and interior of the Randpark Club.

CS > Design education is a stimulating and rewarding pursuit.

D > Does teaching benefit your professional practice as a designer

and artist?

CS > Yes, the academic realm imparts a certain critical sensibility but
it is constant exposure to new emerging trends and subcultures that
stimulates creativity.

D > What is in stall for Chenette in the near future?

CS > The near future involves going back in time since my next project
involves African dinosaurs from the Mesozoic era. I will be designing
all the visual material for an exhibition at Transvaal Museum titled
Mesozoic Monsters. <
 259 >

ENTRY DEADLINES FOR

AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS

DISCIPLINE APRIL 2010

02 > A IA LA’s Restaurant Design Awards 2010 (Regional)

12 > C oncrete Geometries: Spatial Form in Social and Aesthetic Processes
(International)
Architecture, 12 > D &AD student awards: Environmental design (International)
Interior Design & 15 > S EAMLab 2010 Scholarship Competition (International)
Built Environment 15 > 2 010 Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award (UK)
15 > 1 0Up: YAF Atlanta Design-Build Challenge (US)
21 > M iami Civic Center: Urban Competition (International)
30 > S chindler Award 2010: Access for All (International)

10 > F est Anca International Animation Festival & Competition (International)

15 > G olden Bee: Moscow International Biennial of Graphic Design (International)
Communication 15 > W orld Industrial Design Day 2010: Student Poster Competition (International)
Design, Advertising, 23 > N orthern Design Competition 2010 (Regional)
Animation & New 26 > T he Aniboom Awards 4: Sesame Street Contest (International)
Media 30 > V LAFF 2010 Poster Contest (Canada)
30 > iF Communication Design Awards (International)
30 > 1 9th Australian Catalogue Awards 2010 (Australia)

Fashion & Jewellery

07 > P DP Award: Andrea Pininfarina (International)

09 > D &AD student awards: Product design (International)
Industrial Design
12 > BIO Awards: 22nd Biennial of Industrial Design (International)
23 >  AGOYA DESIGN DO! 2010 (International)
N

09 > A ustralasian Student Design Awards 2010 (Regional)

Multidisciplinary 16 > S ABS Design Institute Design Achievers Awards 2010 (South Africa)
30 > E xterior Lighting Grant 2010: Street Furniture Light (International)

Research & 01 > S IGRADI Conference 2010: Call for Abstracts (International)
Journalism 15 > IIDEX/NEOCON CANADA 2010 (International)

Sustainability 01 > International E-waste Design Competition 2010 (International)

260 >

DISCIPLINE MAY 2010

Architecture, Interior
03 > 2 010 Chicago Prize Competition: Mine the Gap (International)
Design & Built
12 > A IAS Livable Communities (International)
Environment

01 > F oam Magazine Talent Call (International)

06 > 2 010 Poster design competition (South Africa)
11 > G ame Changers: Design 21 is Looking for the Next Game Changer (International)
Communication Design,
14 > C ommunication Arts Design competition (International)
Advertising, Animation
21 > P entawards 2010 [Package Design] (International)
& New Media
25 > IDEO+DESIGN 21: Living Climate Change Challenge (International)
30 > International Triennial Of Stage Poster Sofia 2010 (International)
31 > 2 010 Loerie Awards (Africa and Middle East)

Fashion & Jewellery 01 > Fashion Illustration Contest by Marie Claire & IED Barcelona (International)

01 > E lectrolux Design Lab 2010: The Second Space Age (International)
07 > S ABS Design Institute Design Excellence Awards 2010 (South Africa)
Industrial Design 11 > M INI Product Design Competition for the Centre Rail in the New MINI Countryman
(International)
18 > N okia’s Calling All Innovators contest (International)

Multidisciplinary 01 > O
 ne Good Chair 2010 Design Competition: Minimum/Maximum (International)

Research & Journalism 07 > R

 IBA President’s Awards for Research 2010: Call for Entries (UK)

17 > O pen Source House: Hundreds of Young Architects Worldwide Join Forces
Sustainability (International)
25 > T he Living Climate Change Video Challenge (International)
JUNE 2010 JULY 2010

07 > K
 aohsiung Maritime Cultural & Popular 01 > B ali 2010: Marine Research Center
Music Center International Competition (International)
(International) 15 > ICARCH: A House for Anton Chekhov (USA)
15 > B
 ali 2010: Marine Research Center (Intl)

04 > 4 th International Poster Exhibition – YAKU

01 > J ames Dyson Award 2010 (International)
(International)

15 > 2 010 Hokonui Fashion Design Awards

(International)

01 > P layable 2010 Design competition: opens for

submissions (International)

04 > 2010 Adobe Design Achievement Awards

01 > Good Design 2010 (International)
(International)
13 > Seoul International Design competition 2010
15 > Food Design Competition 6 (Intl)
(International)
30 > Wide Open Ideas Competition for Tiananmen
15 > iF Design Awards China (Regional)
Square (International)

01 > W
 interhouse Awards for Design Writing & 30 > C
 all for papers & proposals: Impact 7
Criticism (Regional) Intersections & Counterpoints (International)

30 > C
 aesarstone Design Award: Icon to Earth’s
Wellbeing (International)
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