Design Indaba ready to spotlight Emerging Creatives

23 Feb 2012

At the Design Indaba Expo, 2-4 March 2012, 39 distinctive designers will eagerly await the outcome of the Emerging Creative programme, sponsored by the Department of Arts and Culture. These are students from jewellery design programmes, industrial design, photography, music, furniture and lighting.

Design Indaba ready to spotlight Emerging Creatives

Each year, the Emerging Creatives programme invites designers to apply for a spot on the Expo floor, alongside some of the biggest names in South African design. Applications are open to students in a creative faculty at a tertiary institution in South Africa and young designers in the process of establishing a design service or business.

"Design Indaba has an incredible reputation among the design fraternity in South Africa, both in South Africa and worldwide. It is therefore of importance for an IP law firm such as ours, involved in the protection of creativity, ranging from brands to music to advertising concepts to design, to be present at such a prominent forum," says Mariette du Plessis, a senior partner at Adams & Adams, associated sponsor of Design Indaba.

morphosis design studio chair

Protecting IP

Du Plessis has strong feelings about the importance of creatives and their right to protect their designs and their financial potential.

"If you consider the creative effort that goes into a new design, it is important to make every effort to protect it.

"Often in the all-consuming process of crafting an ingenious work, the financial or business aspect may be the furthest thing from a creative mind. However, it should be intrinsic to the process - without sacrificing creative integrity. It should help to build security and financial stability to continue with inspired work.

morphosis design studio chair

"We see the expo as an opportunity to educate young creatives about related areas, such as the commercial agreements with the licensing of their creations, understanding that royalties can create a revenue stream, protecting their brands and offering a holistic platform for them to learn about the business aspects. Our hope is to empower young creatives in order for them to avoid the pitfalls of the business world."

Selected design team move to protect work

"New aesthetic designs can be protected and registered, which means the creations of the three Emerging Creatives nominees from morphosis design studio, whose beautifully crafted furniture, landscape architecture and graphic designs contain elements, which may be registered as designs and trademarks or could enjoy copyright protection," continues du Plessis.

Werner Venter, Warno Rude and Walter Language created the morphosis design studio just a year ago.

Says Venter, "It's a great honour to be selected. We see this as a step to greater opportunities and exposure to numerous clients. The Design Indaba gives us, as emerging creatives, the design platform and opportunity to showcase our work on an international stage and a base for expression of creativity.

morphosis design studio ottoman

"morphosis is a partnership between long-time friends and our love for furniture and landscape design. We are a multidisciplinary design company focusing on South African inspired design and we are striving to become the most sought after niche design company in the country.

"Our objective when creating or designing is to seek out innovative concepts, examining the symbiotic relationship between materials and combining then into a design that is unique, robust and timeless."

"Fundamental part of our business plan"

Currently the partnership is establishing a relationship with a manufacturer and hopes that this will be the first step into achieving a goal of being profitable creative endeavour.

"We're well aware of the importance of protecting our work and this constitutes a fundamental part of our business plan," concludes Venter.

"The team is producing striking work which is of international standards. It is important for them to protect their creative work as they grow their profile and step out into the global design arena," adds du Plessis.