VISION

For Cape Town, design is the enabler through which we can reimagine our city, solve its problems and improve the lives of its citizens. World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 is an opportunity to understand how integral design is in our everyday lives. The focus will be on projects that bridge historic divides, reconnect the city in structure and in spirit, rebuild social and economic inclusion, and reposition Cape Town for a sustainable future. We are building a dynamic year-long programme of projects, activities and events that will bring into the public eye the range of innovative and creative services, processes, products and objects, that have been developed through design to make all of our lives better. For us 2014 is just the beginning of a better city by design.

WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014

WHAT IS WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL?

World Design Capital is about design in its broadest sense, and about designing better cities for people.

Cape Town was designated World Design Capital 2014 at the International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress in October 2011 in Taipei. This prestigious designation is bestowed biennially by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). World Design Capitals recognise the value of design thinking, and are dedicated to using design as tool for social, cultural and economic development. Previous winners have been Helsinki, Seoul and Turin, and Cape Town won the 2014 bid against erce competition from rival shortlisted cities, Bilbao and Dublin.

Cape Towns bid was not about the city claiming that it is already an established design capital, but instead it was a bid to acknowledge that we are using design thinking as a tool for transformation. The World Design Capital 2014 bid concept Live Design. Transform Life focused strongly on socially responsive design. Our bid recognised and mobilised Cape Towns considerable design resources towards addressing the legacies of our citys apartheid past and was aimed specically at dealing with the vast imbalances that exist in our society.

CAPE TOWN IN 2014

Cape Town will use World Design Capital 2014 to highlight the creativity of its city, country and continent through a year-long programme of design-focussed events, exhibitions, projects and initiatives.
While designers, innovators and producers will most certainly benet from the exposure, Cape Town has a bigger design message for the world. In Africa, where basic survival challenges and societal problems are an every-day reality, designs problem-solving capabilities have the potential to improve life which is why Cape Towns World Design Capital 2014 bid promise is Live Design. Transform Life. Mobilising the design community to this promise will have powerful results. For Cape Town, 2014 is just the beginning of a better city by design.

WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014

CAPE TOWN A CITY OF DESIGN THINKERS

World Design Capital 2014 will take the citys design resources to a broader public so that all its citizens benet from design-led thinking. Cape Town is a key design centre in both South Africa and the wider African continent. Its not only home to leading design practitioners but its four universities, top international convention centre, popular creative events and technology start-up sector also attract some of the worlds best creative minds. The University of Cape Town (UCT), the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and Stellenbosch University all boast top design departments. Award-winning architect Jo Noero, who won Best Building of the Year in the 2012 Icon Magazine Awards, is a professor in the UCT Architecture Department, while industrial designer Mugendi K. MRithaa, one of the worlds leading thinkers in participatory design, is a professor at CPUT. UCT is also home to the African Centre for Cities, directed by top urban thinker Professor Edgar Pieterse, which works to identify systemic responses to unsustainable urbanisation processes in Africa. The Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) is another major intellectual draw card to the city. It hosts the world-renowned Design

Home to four universities, many design schools, a leading convention centre that hosts an international design event, established creative festivals and an innovative start-up sector, Cape Town is already a recognised design hub.

Indaba as well as numerous other international events. One of the 2014 legacy projects will see the CTICC double in capacity and link with the Artscape Theatre Centre, also to undergo a major revamp, to create a Foreshore Precinct that will become a hub for cultural and events activities. Cutting-edge annual events also attract both local and international thinkers and audiences to the Mother City. These include Design Indaba, the International Jazz Festival, the Infecting The City public arts festival, the Out The Box Puppetry and Visual Performance Festival, the Cape Town Electronic Music Festival and Creative Week Cape Town. The city has a strong technology start-up sector too and local companies have been responsible for innovations such as Thawte internet security, the Mxit instant messaging service and Jembi public telephony. Ofcial initiatives, such as The Shuttleworth Foundation and The Fringe Innovation District, seek to attract and incubate more Cape Town start-ups. One of the primary goals of World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 will be to nd ways to share Cape Towns intellectual resources throughout the city and upskill the broader workforce with design-enabled methodology.

ONE OF THE PRIMARY GOALS OF WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014 will be to nd ways to share Cape Towns intellectual resources throughout the city and upskill the broader workforce with designenabled methodology.

WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014

CAPE TOWN A CITY OF DESIGN THINKING

World Design Capital 2014 is just the beginning of Cape Towns Live Design. Transform Life. vision. The citys executive mayor believes in design as a tool for transformation, and has appointed an industrial designer to embed design-led problem-solving into the citys administration.

Cape Town is the fourth city to be recognised as World Design Capital, but it is the rst to appoint an industrial designer to help internalise design thinking within its administration taking the concept of Live Design. Transform Life. way beyond simply a year-long festival. In 2014 South Africa celebrates 20 years of democracy but many of the divisions of the apartheid era are still evident within the Mother City. The advantaged enjoy the citys cosmopolitan sophistication; for the disadvantaged, poverty and urban degradation are an everyday reality. Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Patricia de Lille considers design as a tool for transformation. Design, she believes, enables us to look at the citys problems through a different lens, and fosters new, innovative solutions. As a result, the City of Cape Town has appointed designer Richard Perez to head up its World Design Capital programme. A partner in the internationally recognised industrial design consultancy XYZ, Perez is tasked not only with directing Cape Towns World Design Capital projects, but also with integrating

design-led thinking into the city administrations modus operandi. Perez leads a department of designtrained project managers whose task it is to work with other city departments to re-evaluate problems and suggest design interventions that can incrementally change results over time. So while World Design Capital 2014 will shine the spotlight on Cape Towns creativity, it is only the beginning of a long-term project that will see design go beyond tangible artefacts and become embedded in the citys very systems and services. From the layout of ratepayerss bills and the call centres and databases that support their accounts, to the delivery of water and sanitation, design will work to deliver a better city to all Cape Towns citizens. Its a mindset that goes beyond the connes of just City Hall. Citizendriven design-thinking projects are becoming more widespread, ranging from workshops and hackathons to incubators in which diverse groups of designers, thinkers and community members collaborate to affect localised change to specic situations.

World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 is only the beginning of a longterm project that will see design go beyond tangible artefacts and become embedded in the citys very systems and services.

WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014

WHAT WILL WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL MEAN FOR CAPE TOWN?

Cape Town will use World Design Capital 2014 to identify, nurture and promote projects that offer tangible evidence of how design can improve lives.

The focus will be on projects that bridge historic divides, reconnect the city in structure and in spirit, rebuild social and economic inclusion, and reposition Cape Town for a sustainable future. Mobilising the design community and incentivising it to the big vision of World Design Capital 2014 from the bottom up will have powerful, life-changing results. From fashion and furniture through architecture and technology to urban and environmental planning, the city and its citizens can design to improve life.

Meanwhile, from a top-down perspective, the City of Cape Town is embedding design thinking into its very organisational structure as it looks for planning solutions for a future of radical urbanisation. Beyond the programme of events that the World Design Capital celebrations comprise, there are a number of legacy projects that will continue beyond the year 2014.

Designs problemsolving capabilities have tangible human impact. It has the potential to improve lives.

THE 2014 PROGRAMME

World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 is an opportunity to understand how integral design is in our everyday lives and how we can use it as a tool to support the changes we would like to see in our homes, schools, neighbourhoods, city and country.

We aim to build a dynamic programme of projects, activities and events that will bring into the public eye the range of innovative and creative services, processes, products and objects that have been developed through design to make all of our lives better. A multi-disciplinary panel of 39 curators have been appointed to help identify projects that offer tangible evidence of how design can improve lives, and they will play a signicant role in the selection and curatorship of public submissions and proposals that will form part of the programme.

2013

2014

2015

Programme Launch:
1 December 2013

Design Policy Conference:

26 - 28 November 2014

Design Week Forum:

30 November 2013

Design Gala:
26 February 2014

Design House Exhibition:

21 - 29 November 2014

Convocation Ceremony:
30 November 2014

6 Signature Events as per the Host City Agreement The rst and second call for public submissions

The content of our year-long programme will be informed by:

A dynamic curation process Value-adding efforts to existing events, programmes and activities Partner-developed programmes The City of Cape Towns Ward Projects Other signicant initiatives/proposals

WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014

THEMES

Under the overarching theme Live Design. Transform Life., four themes have been created to illustrate how local creativity can transform the city, reconcile its communities and provide it with a sustainable, productive and vibrant future.

AFRICAN INNOVATION. GLOBAL COVERSATION

01 02
TODAY FOR TOMORROW

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

BEAUTIFUL SPACES. BEAUTIFUL THINGS

04 03

01
AFRICAN INNOVATION. GLOBAL COVERSATION African ideas that speak to the world
Africa has typically lagged behind the West in terms of innovation, but now relevant ideas are creating unique solutions to the continents unique problems. Many of these have global relevance and are being exported beyond its borders. One of the most prominent examples is Mxit (www.mxit.com), an instant messaging application for any phone, and the largest social network in Africa with almost 10 million active users, most of them under 25. It allows Africas youth to communicate with each other at minimal cost, and gives them free access to a vast range of community and education services. Equally outstanding is Design Indaba (www.designindaba.com), a multiplatform, multidisciplinary project that celebrates and promotes the creative industries. Founded by Ravi Naidoo in 1995 as a conference to facilitate local skills transfer, it now includes an expo that markets the countrys creative talent as well as lm and music festivals, training workshops and publications. Some of its lowcost housing and city improvement projects are inspiring similar initiatives around the world. Another example is to be found in Cape Towns eastern precinct. Long on the neglected fringe of the Central Business District, it has been given a new lease on life as The Fringe (www.thefringe.org.za), an ofcial Design and Innovation District that aims to incubate and support young creative businesses and provide a laboratory in which to test design solutions to urban challenges.

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02
BRIDGING THE DIVIDE Design that reconnects our city and reconciles our communities

South Africas history is one of division between town and township, advantaged and disadvantaged. But creative projects are working to change that.

Infecting The City (www. infectingthecity.com) is committed to bringing art to all with a free programme of thought-provoking music, dance and performance presented in the streets of central Cape Town every March. Hosted by the Africa Centre, the festival creates a platform for African voices, in Africa, and explores contemporary African artistic practice as a catalyst for social change.

Through its mixture of new, commissioned and invited works, it challenges its audiences to take a fresh look at Cape Town and its citizens, and to reconnect through the use of the citys public spaces. Launched in May 2011, Cape Towns MyCiti rapid bus system (www.myciti.org.za) has brought a radically different form of public transport to the Mother City. Buses travel in dedicated lanes, with closed stations and prioritised signalling at intersections. Theres been a large uptake of its convenient, safe service and its leading the way internationally on universal access. Its ultimate aim is to provide a bus station within 500 metres of most Cape Town homes.

Built on the edge of an informal settlement, Inkwenkwezi Secondary School (www.facebook. com/inkwera) stands as a beacon that highlights the importance of education. Its innovative design facilitates teaching and learning and has seen pass rates double. It was designed by awardwinning architect Heinrich Wolff, who believes architecture can be a catalyst for social change.

03
TODAY FOR TOMORROW Sustainable solutions for people and planet
The challenge for modern cities is how to grow prosperity without using up the planets nite resources, and thats where innovative design is key. In the new Green Point Urban Park, springs on Table Mountain have been rechannelled to feed irrigation dams and generate electricity creating a recreational facility thats green in both senses of the word. An interactive Biodiversity Show Garden that demonstrates responsible gardening practices adds to the eco-credentials of this world-class recreational facility. Informal settlements of corrugated iron shacks are a fact of life in Cape Towns poorer areas. While residents wait for government houses, Stephen Lamb (www. touchingtheearthlightly.com) has developed the Green Shack, a simple, low-tech design that provides a safe, dignied home. Clever innovations protect it from common re and ooding hazards and provide gardens that allow residents to grow their own food. Cape Town-born social enterprise Greenpop (www.greenpop.org) gets communities, individuals and companies involved in tree-planting and eco-education projects. Through fun initiatives, it not only addresses the problem of deforestation, but also works to uplift communities and educate them on sound environmental practices.

The challenge for modern cities is how to grow prosperity without using up the planets nite resources. And thats where innovative design is key.

BEAUTIFUL SPACES. BEAUTIFUL THINGS Inspiring architecture, interiors, food, fashion, jewellery, craft, art and creativity
Beauty restores the soul and replenishes the human spirit. And while Cape Towns natural beauty attracts visitors from around the globe, the city also provides inspiring and original architecture, interiors, landscaping, food, furniture, fashion, jewellery, craft, art, lm, photography and publications. An abundance of creative beauty is on show in Woodstock, a suburb that has seen an organic inux of designers in recent years. It was kickstarted when an old biscuit factory was converted into studios and shops, and began drawing crowds to a weekly artisanal food market. Now a growing number of work-cum-shop spaces have amassed in an unofcial design district (www.woodstockdesigndistrict.co.za). The Cape Craft and Design Institute has since 2001 become a go-to hotspot for the distinctive creative wares that the city has come to be known for. Independent artisans, crafters, makers and designers all benet from the marketing, business development, product development and international awareness that the institute offers. The results are beautiful, desirable craft objects that also create jobs and build communities. Similarly, the Cape Fashion Council provides these services to our world-class fashion designers and manufacturers. Cape Town is also home to internationally recognised creatives including Cannes award-winning lmmaker Oliver Hermanus, Rolex Protg artist Nicholas Hlobo, Ordos 100 architect Mokena Makeka, Youtube music sensations Die Antwoord, legendary music producer Warrick Sony, the world famous Handspring Puppet Company, controversial political cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro), underground grafti heroine Faith47, infamous animation group the Blackheart Gang, legendary TV advert director Keith Rose, and genre redening choreographer and curator Jay Pather.

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WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014

2014 IS A MILESTONE YEAR FOR SOUTH AFRICA

It marks two decades of democracy: 20 years since the end of a social engineering system that was designed to divide; 20 years spent learning to reconnect.
2014 will see Capetonians and South Africans take stock of the challenges and gains of our transformation and celebrate the achievements of the past two decades, both as a city and as a country.

IMAGES COURTESY OF:

Am I Collective Guto Bussab, Muti One Dog Chicken Jonx Pillemar Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town Christo Maritz Jana McMaster-Wepener Dave Southwood Laurie Wiid van Heerden, Wiid Design Southern Guild Ed Suter Design Indaba Astrid Cordier Jan Ras IDESO Melissa Sherwin Greenpop

International Council of Societies of Industrial Design A Partner of the International Design Alliance
PUBLISHED BY: Cape Town Design NPC - Implementation Company of World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 info@wdccapetown2014.com www.wdccapetown2014.com Facebook.com/WDC2014 Twitter.com/WDC2014 DESIGN BY INFESTATION | www.infestation.co.za