Designing policies for a developing country
Registration is now open for the
‘Make a Plan’ World Design Capital
Cape Town 2014 (WDC 2014)
Design Policy Conference, taking
place on 17 and 18 October at the
Cape Town Stadium. The two-day
conference, which aims to develop
a policy that guides and encourages
design, not only in South Africa but
on the entire African continent, is a
must for municipal, provincial and
national government policymakers
from all departments, university
students and lecturers and business
leaders.
The conference would also
welcome designers who have an
interest in creating and driving the
design policy agenda. WDC 2014
Programme Director, Nicky Swartz
says: “The Conference theme
of ‘Make a Plan’ stems from the
overarching idea behind the
WDC 2014 programme and
projects, which is to celebrate
the inherent resourcefulness and
resilience of people who find
solutions to problems by making
use of what they have within their
immediate environment. This is the
essence of the South Africanism, ‘n
boer maak ‘n plan (a farmer makes
a plan).”
She continues; “As a developing
country and continent, our design
journey does not have to replicate
what has been done by other more
developed countries. We will make
a plan with the context, skills and
resources that we have. Thus,
we need a design policy that is
uniquely South African and which is
informed by the learnings of other
developing countries.”
A host of speakers from various
developing countries will present
‘best practice’ examples of how
design has played a vital role in the
development of their economies,
societies and cultures. They will
include Gisele Raulik-Murphy, who
is widely regarded as the “guru of
design policy”; Srini Srinivasan,
CEO of award winning creative
design company LUMIUM in
India and a member of the WDC
2014 International Advisory
Council; Executive Director of
the ObjetoBrasil Association,
Joice Joppert Leal from Brazil;
Finland’s Mikko Kalhama who is
the CEO of Design Forum Finland;
and Manager of the Metropolitan
Design Center Buenos Aires,
Anabella Rondina from Argentina.
Discussions on challenges and
ABOUT WDC CAPE TOWN 2014
Cape Town was designated World Design Capital
2014 at the International Design Alliance (IDA)
Congress in October 2011 in Taipei. This prestigious
designation is bestowed biennially by the
International Council of Societies of Industrial Design
(Icsid). World Design Capitals recognise the value of
design thinking, and are dedicated to using design as
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opportunities around Policy in a
developing context will also be
held. The two-day conference
costs R2 000 and includes entry
to the Welcome Reception on
Thursday, 16 October 2014, which
will showcase Cape Town’s unique
food culture and fine wines. It also
includes the lunches, tea and coffee
to be served on both days.
About the WDC ‘Make a Plan’
Design Policy Conference
The WDC Design Policy Conference
is the fourth in a series of six
Signature Events that are part of the
year-long WDC 2014 programme
to celebrate and recognise sociallyinclusive design in the city. The
two-day global exchange on design
strategy is the first of its kind in
South Africa and has ‘Make a Plan’
as its theme. It will feature leading
local and international experts on
design policy and strategy who will
highlight the importance of having
a design policy at local and national
government levels. AD
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tool for social, cultural and economic development.
Past cities to hold the World Design Capital title
include Helsinki (2012), Seoul (2010), Turin (2008),
and most recently Taipei for 2016. The City of Cape
Town is the primary funder of World Design Capital.
It fully supports World Design Capital Cape Town
2014 as it believes in the role that design can play in
economic and social transformation.