INSPIRE / News & Articles

Gorgeously delicate and textured, Adoba gives a new context to tableware, jewellery and accessories, using original forms.

Cape Town Simulcast: Now open to all

The Young Designers Simulcast in Cape Town is now open to delegates of all ages.

Ideas for fixing the world

Join us for a night of fun and social change when the party to fix the world comes to Cape Town on Wednesday 29 February 2012.

DI2012 Simulcast tickets available

Book now for the Young Designers Simulcast in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

A Taste of Sónar at Design Indaba

Sónar, Europe’s foremost electronic music festival, will be presenting “A Taste of Sónar” in Cape Town during Design Indaba.

Filmfest 2012 opening: You're invited

Join us for the official opening of Design Indaba Filmfest on Monday 20 February 2012 and enjoy a free screening of Stocktown x South Africa.

The song to be sung

Catch the film about the lasting legacy of entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte in a special advanced screening at Design Indaba Filmfest.

Trippin'

Classic accessories with a retro or vintage edge: Trip Handbags & Accessories have it all.

Mirror Carousel. Photo: Attilio Marazano.

The design of art

Two legends from the world of art, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Carsten Höller, will be speaking at Design Indaba Conference 2012.

The making of place

Landscape designer Dan Pearson makes places that aim to be both functional and emotionally uplifting.

Final feasts

Photographer Melanie Dunea was curious about the last meal the world's top chefs would want to have. She documented it in a collection of visual delight.

Questioning the question

As the director of Design-Led Innovation at Philips Design, Clive van Heerden is working to bring designers into the process of technological development.

Why Designer John Bielenberg Thinks Wrong

John Bielenberg thinks wrong. And he's changing the world, one design project at a time. Design Indaba chats to this mastermind about his creative progeny.

Design as a verb

When it comes to his job starchitect Thomas Heatherwick doesn’t think about titles, he thinks about verbs.

Urban acupuncture

Alfredo Brillembourg of interdisciplinary design practice Urban-Think Tank will be speaking at Design Indaba 2012. Here he offers insight into his work.

Specialised generalist

With a form follows materials approach, Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek creates distinctive designer furniture from scraps of wood.

Shades of green at COP17

The look of the South African Climate Change Response Expo running alongside COP17 in Durban was conceptualised by designworkshop : sa.

Story of an African farm

The untapped natural resources of the African continent are not easily assimilated into global food security issues.

Biting bytes

“Every day 1.5 billion cups of tea are enjoyed throughout the world” and other things that you didn’t know about your food.

Pop supping

Besides gearing up for World Design Capital 2012, Helsinki is undergoing a food revolution enabled by the temporary, experimental nature of pop-up restaurants.

Last Chance for Social Entrepreneurs to Pitch to Win R200k ($25 000)

“COMMON Pitch: South Africa” sees the "Party to Fix the World" come to Cape Town, and submissions are rolling in to meet the 29 January 2012 deadline.

Knock knock

A South Korean artist used 1000 recycled doors to create a "construction shield" that doubled up as an interesting visual point in an urban centre.

Your Street Challenge now in KZN

How would you use R50 000 and lots of creativity to transform an urban experience on the streets of KwaZulu-Natal?

Return to real with trend forecaster Li Edelkoort

Trend forecaster Li Edelkoort presents a two-part trend seminar focusing on textiles and a new spirituality in Cape Town and Johannesburg in March.

Why Designer John Bielenberg Thinks Wrong

John Bielenberg thinks wrong. And he's changing the world, one design project at a time. Design Indaba chats to this mastermind about his creative progeny.

Take home the best of SA creativity at Design Indaba Expo 2012

The countdown has begun! Expect the best of South African design and creativity at Design Indaba Expo from 2 to 4 March 2012.

Design as a verb

When it comes to his job starchitect Thomas Heatherwick doesn’t think about titles, he thinks about verbs.

Shiny & red

Thomas Heatherwick designed sleek new hybrid double-decker buses for London, and they're 15% more fuel-efficient than existing hybrids.

Most Beautiful Object in SA 2012 finalists

This year’s MBOISA finalists are an exciting mix from street art to solar Consol jar to Suzaan Heyns dress.

Super snug

Warm, colourful and fun. The "Thuggie" is the most comfortable must-have piece of clothing we've seen in a while.

DI2012 Expo Desirables

Take home the best of South African creativity at Design Indaba Expo from 2 to 4 March 2012.

Food fight

Design Indaba riled up some designers, artists, chefs, thinkers and food experts with some provocative questions about eating and the food industry.

Brain food

A vegetarian butchery, cheese made from human breast milk, a 3D food printer and a machine that turns food into faeces, food design is fascinating.

Bam boom

Designers are waking up to the possibilities of bamboo as a highly versatile material with countless applications.

Building bricks

Colourful, modular, versatile, educational and lots of fun. It's almost no wonder that so many designers love experimenting with Lego.

Made

Functional, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing. Here's a look at the creations of some of SA's hottest young furniture designers.

Table Manners

As objects with an every day use, table ware must be functional but users also demand that it be stylish.

DI2011 Expo lusthave

Gear up for a new decade of local design distinction, starting at the Design Indaba Expo from 25 to 27 February 2011.

Two wheel revolution

Bicycles are big again. They're eco and urban friendly, provide a great form of exercise and now have the most interesting designs.

Good vibes

Pleasure comes in many, multiple forms in this overview of sex-related creative produce, compiled by Maciek Dubla.

20Q: Jens Martin Skibsted

Bicycles, electric cars and airships for fat cats are some of the things Jens Martin Skibsted would still like to do. Or live in a kitsch sci-fi poster.

20Q: Stefan G Bucher

Hummingbirds, spaceships and numbers are just some of the things that Stefan G Bucher really enjoys.

20Q: Danielle Ehrlich

LIV is Danielle Ehrlich's design company. She is passionate about design that is environmentally, culturally and socially sensitive.

20Q: Thingking

Marc Nicolson and Lyall Sprong of Thingking would like to contribute towards ideas and objects that have a meaningful impact on people.

20Q: Pedersen + Lennard

James Lennard and Luke Pedersen use a combination of handmade and machine-made techniqies to make functional and beautiful designs.

20Q: John Edwards

Architect by day, designer by night. John Edwards is currently working on a new modular furniture range for small spaces.

20Q: Katie Thompson

Using discarded junk, each item of Katie Thompson's Recreate range of furniture, lighting and interiors is infused with character.

20Q: Aram Lello

Italian architect and designer Aram Lello won the Western Cape Furniture Design Competition at the 2011 Design Indaba Expo.

20Q: Ian Kelynack

Ian Kelynack of Isle of Trees made his Design Indaba Expo debut this year. His sustainable work won him the Most Creative Stand Award.

20Q: Daniel Ting Chong

Cape Town creative Daniel Ting-Chong is excited about the local design industry and would fancy having lunch with Megatron. Yes. Really.

Design Helsinki

20+12 Design Stories from Helsinki is a journey through the 2012 World Design Capital, looking at what design can do in a city.

Food for freedom

Hunger for Freedom is more than a book with recipes, it captures Nelson Mandela's life journey through the perspective of food.

Must-read food books

There's more than a little food for thought in these six must-read food books.

A type of story

Ever wondered who decided that Comic Sans is a no-go kind of type, or why Helvetica wins the popular vote every time? Just My Type is an exploration of type.

Khoi-Khoin culture celebrated

"Kukumakrranka" is an exploration of the age-old culinary traditions, culture and lifestyle of the Khoi-Khoin people.

Bright ideas

Coffee, tea, copper, iron, Feminism, Marxism, arable farming, banking and more. Here's a look at 50 ideas that changed humanity.

Endlessly urban

Living in the Endless City is a comprehensive look at the challenges facing the city of the 21st century.

Ode to ice

Paul D Miller's The Book of Ice is a treasure trove of information, graphics, interviews and QR codes about a place at the end of the world, Antarctica.

Carvings of white

The book Claudette Schreuders is an insightful look into the work of this artist from the past 17 years.

The city burns

The book Fire Walker explores the meaning of the iconic sculpture of the same name by William Kentridge and Gerhard Marx, in Jozi.

Magazines

Design:digest

Guest edited by eating designer Marije Vogelzang, the "Design:Digest" edition looks at food through a creative and social perspective.

Pop supping

Besides gearing up for World Design Capital 2012, Helsinki is undergoing a food revolution enabled by the temporary, experimental nature of pop-up restaurants.

Story of an African farm

The untapped natural resources of the African continent are not easily assimilated into global food security issues.

Smart art of eating

Control freaks will be reluctant to hear Brian Wansink explaining how we think we’re a lot smarter than we are when it comes to food.