Presented by Design Week South Africa, Mpho Vackier, founder of TheUrbanative, will join Eloise Thompson, Creative Director of Studiolandt, for a conversation exploring what The Shape of Us means to them. Drawing on their respective practices, the session will reflect on our diverse cultural heritage and how these perspectives inform the way we design for the future. Moderated by […]
Morning Sessions: The Shape of Us Read More »
From grants to investment and innovative methodologies, experts will guide participants on accessing sustainable growth opportunities in the craft and design sectors. The session will examine ways to protect and future-proof businesses through insurance and risk management, while encouraging new approaches to funding and self-sufficiency. Attendees will be invited to explore alternative pathways to build
Funding the Future: Grants, Investment, and Sustainable Pathways Read More »
A forward-looking discussion on how material choices and design processes respond to the ecological realities of our time and shape planetary futures. As climate pressures and resource constraints reshape how we make and produce, designers are rethinking sourcing, production, and value. This session explores regenerative and circular approaches, ethical supply networks, and the opportunities of
The Impact Era: Designing for a Changing Planet Read More »
Discover how businesses can scale across markets by leveraging international partnerships and collaborations. Topics covered will include pricing strategies, customer segmentation, and export readiness, alongside insights on growing brands globally, reaching new audiences, and navigating cross-border opportunities to expand sustainably.
Market Routes and Momentum: Growing Your Business Locally & Globally Read More »
On the pulse of today’s digital landscape, young entrepreneurs share how they’re leveraging online platforms, social media, and digital communities to grow their brands, expand their global reach, drive sales, and build lasting connections. This session highlights their experiences and strategies, from content creation and SEO to marketplace engagement and community-building, showing how to turn
On the Pulse: Young Entrepreneurs Online Read More »
With insights from leading business and marketing experts, this session invites creative entrepreneurs to strengthen their brand, market presence, and impact. Speakers will explore how to craft compelling brand stories, refine business models, and apply creative tools and principles to confidently shape and communicate a distinctive brand point of view.
The Brand Playbook: Story, Strategy & Market Read More »
This session explores how indigenous and locally sourced materials, ranging from hemp and wool fibers to recycled resources, can become less extractive through innovative practices and sustainable design applications. Through discussions of ethics, responsible sourcing, circularity, and material responsibility, it highlights how designers and communities are collaborating to transform material use and production while developing
Material Matters: From Source to Innovation Read More »
Where new technologies—AI, robotics, biofabrication, XR, and digital fabrication—intersect with craft and design, this session highlights how these innovations are expanding the possibilities of creative practice. From reimagining materiality and production techniques to pushing the boundaries of making, panellists will showcase forward-thinking approaches, experimental methods, and the exciting opportunities and challenges of integrating cutting-edge technology
Carving Out a New Frontier: Where Design Meets Technology Read More »
How are trends shaped, and what possibilities exist outside of them? This conversation explores how brands and makers can move beyond short-lived trends to better understand consumer behaviour and develop intentional, lasting design strategies. The discussion will examine what it means to defy trends, how practitioners are carving out new methods of working, and how
Against Trends: Consumer Behaviour & Designing Beyond the Cycle Read More »
How can craft traditions remain relevant, preserving cultural memory while inspiring the future of design? This session invites dialogue on sustaining both tangible and intangible heritage in a fast-moving economy. Heritage practitioners, artists, cultural custodians, and designers will explore how tradition and contemporary design intersect in their practice, serving as a vehicle for ethically reviving
Custodians of Craft: Preserving Culture in Fast-Moving Design Economies Read More »
