Quarter 03 / 2005

etc... etc... amen. Amen? On the contrary, etceteras are just the beginning.

They are a call to fill in the gaps, to create, to replace their blank, unspecified nothingness. An etcetera should be every designer's wet dream: the chance to take that creative fantasy into the realm of messy reality. Etceteras are not a lazy way to avoid the details - they're the ultimate challenge. And these pages reveal how the world's best designers meet that call to arms.

Spekaing of beginnings, we're enjoying challenges of our own here at Design Indaba, as we prepare the powerful line-up at the nextinternational Design Indaba Conference - our ninth - and the third all-South African Design Indaba Expo, to be held, collectively, from 22-26 February 2006.

I have an etcetera of my own, too, as I eagerly step into the role of editing this award-winning publication. Expect to witness the sweetest fruits of SA's design indutry exported accross the globe (without the almost pre-requisite complaint that we never see it "back home"). Expect to understand how the force of design can drive a new economy in this country.

Expect to see greatness. Expect... Etc. - Lauren Shantall