The Design Indaba features some of the best creative works from the local and international stage all under one roof.
Filled with exciting talent from a range of fields, the event runs from 27 Feb to 3 March 2013 hosted the at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
LIVE spoke to two UK designers who will be showcasing at the event this year.
Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
Optimistic, Pessimistic, Curious
Daisy is an artist, designer and writer, interrogating emerging technology and science, and the function and future of design.
What is design? What is art? What’s the difference between a designer and an artist?
That’s a big question! I think I’m a bit of both. Designers tend to work within a brief, and like the idea of being useful. Some of the artists I know like to reject both of these on purpose.
What I enjoy about good art is how it can change the way you see the world. I’d like to imagine that it might be possible to take from both approaches, making design work that is both critical as well as useful.
What is synthetic biology?
Synthetic biology is an emerging field of genetic engineering, where engineers (and biologists) are trying to transform biology into a material to make useful things, by programming it at DNA level, more like you might use computer code. It is seen as different to existing genetic engineering because the scientists and engineers are trying to make it standardized, like mechanical or computer parts today.
For example, a ‘regular’ genetic engineer might take an antifreeze gene from a fish and put it into a tomato to make it cold resistant, as a one-off design. Synthetic biologists instead want to be able to put that gene in lots of different organisms and know that it would behave in the same way, which is not how biology as we know it necessarily functions today.
That means redesigning biology in some way, which is what I find so interesting in terms of design.
What is synthetic aesthetics?
Synthetic Aesthetics is a research project that was funded by US and UK science funding bodies to get scientists and artists and designers to look together at what it means to ‘design biology,’ which I’ve been running with a team of bioengineers and social scientists since 2010. We had an architect, a product designer, a smell artist, a computer musician and fine artists working with scientists, in labs and studios around the world, investigating new ways to approach these important questions about engineering living things.
How important is the design/biology and design/engineering relationship?
I think that the difference between science, engineering and design is crucial in synthetic biology’s potential future; we all speak different languages and have different understanding of design.
Synthetic biologists talk about design all the time, but they mean something different to how I understand it, as a ‘designer.’
Engineering design typically focuses on solving defined problems based on necessity, like the structure of a bridge.
Science is more about studying life – or the world we live in
Design is about possibility, “experimenting with life as it could be.” Design projects into our future, creating new possibilities out of existing matter.
What are some of the challenges which young people entering the design field face?
The UK is very tough at the moment with so many funding cuts and lack of work. But what is exciting is seeing how resourceful people can be. If we can get projects off the ground in this economic climate, it can only get easier!
How do you see the world in 10 years time?
Somewhere heading towards a very messy, polluted, cramped planet, whilst we argue about how we solve problems without changing our ways. Otherwise, it’ll be great!
Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
Website: www.daisyginsberg.com
Twitter: @alexandradaisy
Oscar Diaz
Observer, Thinker, Tinker
Oscar is a product designer interested in understanding and exploring objects.
What is design? What is art? What’s the difference between a designer and an artist?
A designer works to identify and solve problems or needs. An artist expresses himself through a media. Their points of depart and their objectives are completely different.
What are some of the processes you follow as a product designer does? How do you go about identifying a problem and conceptualizing a solution?
The process starts by observing, then asking questions, finding the answers , proposing a few informed alternative ideas, selecting the one I find more interesting, prototype the proposal, test it and repeat as necessary until you are happy with the result.
What influences and inspires you?
Many things in the everyday inspire me, especially things that don’t work properly or break when using them.
Your products have often been described as “plain yet playful”. How do you maintain this?
I think objects created today need to work better that the ones they aim to replace. It is also important that the objects transmit emotion, as we humans are not just machines interested in efficiency.
Do you think that designers and the emerging design world is doing enough to understand and implement eco-friendly concepts?
The environmental issues is growing, and so the need for solutions. Unfortunately those solutions are fairly complex and designers by themselves cannot solve them without the help of everyone involved in the production-consumption chain.
What are some of the key things which you feel designers of today fail to consider or should start considering when conceptualizing designs?
The first thing to consider is if there is a real need for what you are designing. If the answer is “yes” then go ahead.
What are some of the challenges which young people entering the design field face?
As the profession becomes more recognised socially there is a huge number of designers coming out of schools. So finding what you are best at doing and built on it will be the best chance you have to stand out of the crowd.
How do you see the world in 10 years time?
I have no idea, just 6 years ago when I graduated many things that now play an important role in ours lives didn’t even exist. Social network applications and services, smartphones, wearable devices monitoring exercise… I don’t dare to guess what the world will be like in ten years because if I did, the only thing I am sure about is that the prediction will be wrong.
A message for young and emerging creatives?
Build and test your ideas as soon as you can.
Oscar Diaz
Website: www.oscar-diaz.net
Twitter: @OscarDiazStudio
