Subject: SABS Design Institute designed to fly at SA Innovation Summit

According to the Design Institute's newly appointed group manager, Gavin Mageni, participation in the Summit will focus on the mutually advantageous relationship or inter-dependence between innovation and design. "Innovation needs design because an invention can only be successful when it becomes available in the market as a sought-after commercialised entity," Mageni said. He added that this is where design comes in: "Design input makes an innovation desirable, safe and cost-effective because design is essentially user-centred."

Participation in the Summit will also offer the Design Institute an opportunity to communicate what it stands for and what it intends to do for the country in future.

Says Mageni: "Design can be seen as a problem-solving process or an improvement process - this could apply to business, to civil society or to government. Harnessing design in the broadest sense of the word holds a social benefit, as well as adding economic value. The role of the Design Institute is to help all users and executors of design in all spheres of society to improve their ability to produce socio-economic value for the country."

Gavin Mageni, the Design Institute’s newly appointed group manager.

The Design Institute's participation in the Summit will include a 30-minute workshop on design on day 2 (29 August) of the Summit conference. The theme of the workshop, presented by Tasos Calantzis of the design company Terrestrial, is 'Designing a competitive South Africa'.

The Design Institute will also be actively involved in the SparkLab, a fun space where the public will be able interact with showcased innovation. The Institute will participate by displaying a number of products that can be considered a choice of South African life-style design. Furthermore, working designers in a variety of disciplines will be on the Design Institute stand to show learners and the general public what design is all about.

The Design Institute will be part of the judging panels of the Inventor's Garage, a competition aimed at any kind of invention or creative product, sponsored by the City of Tshwane, as well as the Sasol Pitching Den, where entrepreneurs, inventors, incubators and innovators across all industries have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. The aim of this competition is to provide access to financial, technical and commercialisation support. To this end, the Design Institute offers to facilitate design intervention by design experts to successful pitchers.

The CEO of the SABS, Dr Boni Mehlomakulu, will also participate in the Innovation Summit's CEO Spotlight panel. Facilitated by Peter Bruce of the Business Day, the CEO panel will air their views on innovation.

For more information on the Design Institute, visit www.design.sabs.co.za.
For more information on the Summit, visit www.innovationsummit.co.za.