Taking to the stage at Design Indaba’s anniversary, British-born, graphic artist Patrick Thomas delivered an inspiring talk centred of design activism. Known for his politically engaged visual design, Thomas explored how graphic design can function as commentary as well as a participatory tool for social action in an era shaped by protest movements, misinformation and rapidly shifting political realities.
Thomas shared his belief that design should be accessible and democratic, that was central to the design of his influential ‘Protest Stencil Toolkit’ , a collection of reusable protest graphics created for activists, demonstrators and citizens seeking visual ways to express their point of view. The project captured the urgency and visual energy of contemporary protest culture, while questioning who gets to participate in political communication.
Thomas introduced audiences to Open Collab 2.0, an online platform enabling creatives across disciplines and geographies to collaborate in real time. Rolled out with South African design students ahead of the conference, the project experimented with collective authorship and crowd-sourced visual mapping. In doing so, Thomas proposed a more open and networked future for creative practice.
Watch the full Design Indaba talk here.
