2017-2019 | Adaptable Glasses

"My face isn't designed for glasses!" - Project Participant This project explored a socio-technical systems approach to designing eyewear for South Africans. Marcha Naudé began the project as a student in a BA Industrial Design in 2017 and then expanded it into a MA Design (offered in Industrial Design) from 2018-2020. I was her superviser for this project for both qualifications. Overview: In South Africa, there is a scarcity of prescription glasses manufacturers and the majority of locally available eyewear frames are imported. The bulk of this imported eyewear comes from a singular umbrella organisation, which designs eyewear from a predominantly Eurocentric perspective. For example, there are currently only two types of eyewear fit, the “regular” fit, based on European facial data, and the “Asian” or “global” fit, which was developed in reaction to the inappropriateness of the “regular” fit. In South Africa, a country with a significantly diverse population, ... Read More

2017-2019 | Nula Reusable Menstrual Pad

Nula is a reusable menstrual pad that was designed for South African women. Pia Findlay began the design research project as a BA Industrial Design student in 2017 and then extended the project into an MA Design (in Industrial Design) from 2018-2020. During both these projects I was her main supervisor, and during the Master's Despina Christofordiou, from Lund University  (Sweden), joined as the co-supervisor bringing with her expertise in behavioural design. Overview: The aim of this design research project was to develop a method of encouraging the acceptance of Nula, a new reusable menstrual pad in South Africa. The project initially explored the complexity of trying to introduce a radical innovation and taboo product into the South African market. What makes radical innovations problematic is that they fall outside the frame of reference of potential product users, and therefore often do not reach their full potential when initially introduced. ... Read More

2017-2019 | RAUM – Researching Architecture as Urban Method

RAUM - Researching Architecture as Urban Method was a collaborative project investigating spatial design education in relation to global urban development challenges, and was interested in expanding knowledge about teaching in this field. It ran from 1 August 2016 – 31 July 2018 during which time I was a co-researcher on the project. Overview: RAUM was an initiative by Beatrice de Carli, Florian Kossak and Tatjana Schneider at the School of Architecture, University of Sheffield (UK) and was in partnership with the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) (Ahmedabad, India); School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University (China); and the University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, Design Society Development DESIS Lab (South Africa). The project began in 2016 and ran until August 2018, made possible through European Commission Erasmus+ funding focused on academic staff and PhD student mobility. The focus of the mobility with all partners was on jointly rethinking the capacities, qualities, methodologies and tools ... Read More

2017-2018 | A Design Process Model for Paediatric Medical Devices

This research-on-design orientated Master's in Design by Ashton Moseley was focused on exploring the complexity of getting medical devices to market, particular consideration was made for paediatric medical device design in the South African context. Ashton graduated Cum Laude and received the Chancellors Medal for Most Merritorious Postgraduate Student in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture in 2019. I was the supervisor for the project. Overview: There is a global need for improved, appropriate medical devices (MDs) particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The medical device industry is one of the fastest growing and most vital and dynamic sectors of the global economy, yet South Africa’s medical device industry is relatively underdeveloped, constituted mostly by multinational subsidiaries, importers and distributors with very little local design and manufacture of MDs. The lack of medical device development (MDD) in South Africa is attributed to the complexities of designing for healthcare, ... Read More

2015-2017 | Beegin Beehive

This project by Ivan Brown focused on the design of an improved beehive to support local urban agriculture and was the final project of Ivan's BTech (BA Hons) in Industrial Design in 2015. From 2016-2017, the project expanded into an MTech (Master's) in Industrial Design where Ivan expanded the hive into an appropriate technology system for emergent beekeepers. The resultant beekeeping system was refined through field-testing and development towards its implementation and led to Ivan graduating his Masters' degree Cum Laude.  I supervised both projects, with Dr Naudé Malan from the UJ Department of Development Studies co-supervising the Masters. The successful commercialisation of Beegin has become a model for the UJ Department of Industrial Design to help other students see the value of design research to scale ideas developed in their Hons year, into a Master’s, and then into an enterprise. Overview: The importance of socially responsible design and participatory ... Read More

2017 | Precious Plastic SA

This project was led by Tim Slabolepszy and supported by myself in my role as the Head of the Department of Industrial Design at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in 2017. It was a project that extended out of Tim's BA in Industrial Design in 2016. Overview: Precious Plastic is a global, open source movement aimed at enabling people anywhere to recycle plastic waste. The project was started by Dave Hakkens in the Netherlands and as a result, all components and machine parts were designed using components available there. Tim's goal was to build these same machines using locally available standard components that were readily available in South Africa. South Africa has an extensive recycling culture, and by sharing tools that could transform plastic "waste" into new products, people could turn trash into cash. During 2017 Tim was appointed as a workshop technical assistant at UJ and during the year ... Read More