Christiaans, Henry

Developing products & services for the Base of the Pyramid (BoP)

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Discipline: 

Product & Industrial Design

Recent work is re-conceptualizing global poverty as an attractive growth opportunity for firms that can simultaneously alleviate the problem of poverty. The so-called ‘Base of the economic Pyramid (BoP)’, exists of 4 billion people that live on an income of less than $3 a day. Tapping into these overlooked markets will require companies and designers to reconfigure their business and product innovation models.

Designing Breakthrough Bamboo Products from Africa

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Discipline: 

Product & Industrial Design

Southern African countries are blessed with abundance of rich non-wood species including bamboo.

Countries like Botswana, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania have most resource-rich ecosystems in the continent. Previous studies have shown that, in these countries, non-wood products are among the diversity of resources that have contributed to the well being of local communities, particularly at household level where resources are used for subsistence and income generation.

DEFSA conferences

DEFSA promotes relevant research with the focus on design + education through its biennial conferences, to promote professionalism, accountability and ethics in the education of young designers. Our next conference is a hybrid event. See above for details.

Critical skills endorsement

Professional Members in good standing can receive a certificate of membership, but DEFSA cannot provide confirmation or endorsement of skills whatsoever. DEFSA only confirm membership of DEFSA which is a NPO for Design Education in South Africa (https://www.defsa.org.za/imagine).