Design Indaba Conference 2015

The annual Design Indaba Conference in Cape Town features the best of global creativity on one stage. It is also simulcast live to cities around South Africa.

Every year the programme features a sterling lineup of international speakers from all corners of the world, coming together on the Design Indaba stage to present an up-to-the-minute survey on design and innovation from across the creative sectors. Surprise elements of dialogue, performance and music intersperse the speaker programme for an inimitable experience that makes Design Indaba what has been said by many to be the best creative conference in the world.

Browse through the menu at the top of the page or go to designindaba.com/conference for more information, to view past speakers or to view videos from the last conference.

For event updates and speaker announcements sign up to our newsletter or download our festival app.

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    Brought to you by

    • Woolworths
    • Sunday Times
    • Chivas Regal
    • Nedbank
    Event Information

    Event Information

    • Wednesday, 25 February, 2015 -
      08:45 to 17:00
    • Thursday, 26 February, 2015 -
      08:45 to 17:00
    • Friday, 27 February, 2015 -
      08:45 to 17:00
     Venue: Auditorium 1
    Ticket Information

    What does Conference accreditation include?

    Your Conference pass (not applicable to Design Indaba Simulcast) includes breakfast, lunch and tea each day, a delegate bag, access to Design Indabar each day of the conference, one ticket to the main music event/party and a guest pass to the Expo. Your Conference accreditation gets you into the Expo on Thursday (at the sneak preview over the extended lunchbreak) and Friday, so please reserve your Expo guest pass for Saturday or Sunday.

    Go to FAQs and Ts & Cs for more frequently asked questions.

Programme Click > to expand

Registration

Registration is at the CTICC on Tuesday 24 February, from 14:00 to 19:00, and on Wednesday 25 February from 07:00. The Conference will commence each day at 09:00 sharp so please arrive early to be registered and seated on time.

During the Conference, late registration will be open on Wednesday until 18:00; Thursday from 07:00 to 17:00; and Friday from 07:00 to 10:00.

Registration times for the Cape Town Simulcast is the same as the above, and from 06:45 for 07:00 on Wednesday to Friday for other cities.
Delegates Clubhouse

Conference and simulcast delegates are invited to join us at our alfresco delegates clubhouse Design Indabar, over lunch and after each day of the conference. Come and enjoy a post-conference drink with the flavours of Cape Town Food Trucks and live comedy and music, while mingling with other delegates and speakers. Design Indabar 2015 is presented by Grolsch.

  • Design Indabar
    Design Indabar
    Campaigns
    Part bar, part art installation, the Design Indabar is a mobile celebration of the spirit of creativity.>
Day One

Registation opens at 07:00. Please be seated by 08:50 as the conference will commence at 09:00 sharp
Joe Public
Hella Jongerius
  • Hella Jongerius for Maharam.
    A contemporary craftswoman
    Festival News • 12 Dec 14
    Hella Jongerius, who will speak at Design Indaba Conference 2015, creates a flora- and fauna-inspired paradise of new textile designs for Maharam. >
The Workers: Ross Cairns and Tommaso Lanza
  • The Workers' After Dark project saw four robots explore the Tate in the middle of the night.
    Working after hours
    Q&A • 27 Jan 15
    London-based duo The Workers, creators of four robots that enabled the public to explore Tate Britain at night, will speak at Design Indaba Conference. >
Stanley Hainsworth
  • Stanley Hainsworth.
    Teller of a thousand tales
    Q&A • 16 Jan 15
    Stanley Hainsworth talks to us about performing in the workplace, his ability to help brands communicate, being independent, and his hair. >
Studio Propolis
  • The wood whisperers
    Lookbook • 23 Jan 15
    The duo behind Studio Propolis, who present at Design Indaba Conference 2015, are single-minded about making by hand and using resources sparingly. >
Global design graduates
Larry Harvey
  • Larry Harvey.
    Larry Harvey
    Art Director • USA
    Larry Harvey is the founding board member and chief philosophic officer of Burning Man, an annual festival of arts in the Nevada desert. >
  • Burning Man is a week-long festival of interactive art in the Nevada desert.
    Beyond Black Rock City
    Design Frontiers • 9 Feb 15
    Larry Harvey, founding member of Burning Man, puts the idea down to a whim one afternoon. Now Burning Man-style interactive art is appearing worldwide. >
Michael Bierut
  • Michael Bierut - photo by Jake Chessum
    Michael Bierut
    Graphic Designer • Writer • USA
    Pentagram partner Michael Bierut is the winner of hundreds of design awards and has work in permanent collections including MOMA and the Met in New York City. >
  • One of Wired magazines “27 of the Most Inspiring Designs From 2014”: Michael Bierut’s overhaul of the MIT media lab logo.
    A special relationship
    Profiling • 17 Feb 15
    Lauded New York City-based graphic designer Michael Bierut returns to emcee the Design Indaba Conference for the sixth time. This year, he’ll present as well. >
Day Two

Registation opens at 07:00. Please be seated by 08:50 as the conference will commence at 09:00 sharp
Robbie Brozin
  • Robbie Brozin
    Robbie Brozin
    Entrepreneur • South Africa
    Robbie Brozin is a co-founder of chicken fast food chain Nando’s and ran the company for almost 25 years. Now he’s focussing on philanthropic projects. >
Selly Raby Kane
  • Senegal's fashion futurist
    Design Frontiers • 3 Feb 15
    Selly Raby Kane, a central figure in Dakar's new creative wave, will bring her avant-garde fashion sensibility to the stage at Design Indaba Conference 2015. >
Omar Victor Diop
Santiago Cirugeda
  • Santiago Cirugeda
    Santiago Cirugeda
    Architect • Spain
    Santiago Cirugeda is a subversive architect from Seville, Spain, whose work focusses on reclaiming urban spaces for public use. >
  • Arachnid at La Carpa, by Santiago Cirugeda.
    Recipes for urban subversion
    Lookbook • 4 Feb 15
    Santiago Cirugeda is not the kind of architect to sit around and wait for commissions. Is this the future of architecture in austerity-hit Europe? >
Shubhankar Ray
  • G-Star Raw.
    21st-century brand builder
    Focus On • 14 Jan 15
    Former scientist and current creator of a "cultural universe" of fashion brands, Shubhankar Ray returns to speak at Design Indaba after an 11-year hiatus. >
Dominic Wilcox
Roy Choi
  • Roy Choi
    Roy Choi
    Chef • USA
    As a creator of LA's celebrated gourmet food truck culture, this chef did more than sling marinated Korean barbecue tacos. He brought Los Angelenos together. >
  • Los Angeles food truck chef and restaurateur Roy Choi chats to actor/writer/director Jon Favreau on the set of "Chef" in which he plays a Los Angeles food truck chef and restaurateur.
    Keep on truckin'
    Profiling • 5 Feb 15
    The "godfather" of the Californian food truck movement is coming to Cape Town. It’s a good thing we’ll have 14 food trucks on tap. >
Stefano Giovannoni
  • Bombo Stool for Magis by Stefano Giovannoni.
    The multiplier effect
    Design News • 15 Feb 15
    Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni is the man behind what is undoubtedly the most instantly recognisable bar stool in the world. >
Rosita Missoni
  • Missoni Home.
    Mmmmama Missoni!
    Lookbook • 2 Feb 15
    Rosita Missoni, who co-founded the Missoni empire with her husband 62 years ago, will talk about her creative longevity at Design Indaba Conference 2015. >
Day Three

Registation opens at 07:00. Please be seated by 08:50 as the conference will commence at 09:00 sharp
Studio Formafantasma
  • Studio Formafantasma.
    Material maestros
    Lookbook • 3 Dec 14
    Studio Formafantasma explores the intersection between material and culture. Here are four of our favourite projects by the inventive duo. >
Casey Neistat
  • Casey Neistat
    Casey Neistat
    Filmmaker • USA
    Casey Neistat is a maverick American filmmaker whose wildly popular YouTube videos are redefining the industry. >
Ng'endo Mukii
  • Ng'endo Mukii
    Filmmaker • Kenya
    Ng’endo Mukii is the Kenyan artist and animator behind the critically acclaimed short film "Yellow Fever". >
  • Kenyan animator/filmmaker Ng'endo Mukii. Image: Alex MacNaughton.
    Nairobi dispatch
    Q&A • 2 Dec 13
    Award-winning filmmaker, animator and director Ng'endo Mukii gives Design Indaba the lowdown on the experience of returning to Kenya after eight years abroad. >
Sindiso Khumalo
  • The pattern collector
    Design News • 28 Jan 15
    Africa's faded modernist buildings are a source of graphic inspiration for fashion designer Sindiso Khumalo, who will speak at Design Indaba Conference 2015. >
Yoni Bloch
  • Interlude's interactive music video version of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone”.
    Storytelling that moves people
    Q&A • 30 Jan 15
    Yoni Bloch is a triple threat for the technological age: a modern storyteller, a hit-making rock star/producer and a pretty funny interview. >
Emily Oberman
  • The entertainment designer
    Lookbook • 29 Jan 15
    Multidisciplinary designer Emily Oberman has a formidable portfolio of work. We have a look at some of the campaigns she championed. >
Dan Wieden
William Kentridge
Please note that the programme and speaker listings are subject to change without prior notice. Download Design Indaba's Festival App for real-time updates.

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