DESIGNING A BETTER SOUTH AFRICA…

Design… A word that is often used and not really seen in a broad way. We see and understand design as ‘a plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment or other objects before it is made’, as stated in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Another problem that we are facing is, that we do not think of ourselves as designers, but as Gavin Mageni said design and creativity is intrinsic to all.

Intrinsic to design is the need to do good, the need to look at human nature and to make it a better place. In order for us to design a better South Africa we have to have thinking like designers.

South Africa is in war within its own borders..

What do you think will happen if we all start thinking like designers? Apply the thinking in whatever we do? This is where South Africa will become a better country.

Looking at the state of our socioeconomic area, South Africa is facing a few socioeconomic issues which are:

1. Poverty and inequality
2. Lack of education
3. Unemployment
4. Corruption

Wonder why these socioeconomic even exists? Due to the chasm in the country, whereby officials are given funding for service delivery but the community never receives some of the services. The problem is communication and the fact that knowledge is not shared, hence why South Africa needs to be redesigned. Co-creation is needed, designers are listeners and they deliver value. The golden key is through shared knowledge.

All of these issues can be eradicated if the use of Mr Litha Soyizwapi’s three lessons that he has learned a long his journey is put into good use

1. Start by learning the basic things and get a solid foundation  
2. Learn by doing and not just do things for the sake of doing, whilst in the process of doing one also has to learn
3. To each and everything one does, knowledge should be applied

Gavin Mageni said if research and development were to be taken and converted into intelligence that can be translated into a tangible product that can serve a particular need, that can serve economical value, then we’ll start seeing change.

Start looking at research for development not research and development.

We are all designer !