Tshwane University of Technology

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) is truly an institution in service of the Southern African community. It also aims at making a significant contribution to creating sustainable economic growth that will impact on the standard of living of all of the region's people.TUT strives to be a leading institution, viewing the diversity of its staff, students and other stakeholders as a strength to be nurtured in service of the country and the African continent.

The education offered at TUT, with its entrepreneurial focus, opens up unlimited opportunities for students to become job creators and entrepreneurs by stimulating innovation and creative thinking.

Website

Non-maleficence as an ethical guideline to design

AuthorInstitution
de Lange, Rudi WTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Media & Communications Design
Non-maleficence as an ethical guideline to design

South Africa finds itself in the difficult position of not having a truly representative voice for design practice. Furthermore, we find ourselves without an advertising regulator with legislative support or legal force with a view on ensuring ethical and non-harmful design practice. The closest we come to such a body, is our advertising self-regulator, namely the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASASA).

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

Toward an entrepreneully orientated design model for the SA small business that provides custom-made apparel

AuthorInstitution
Tselepis, TheoTshwane University of Technology
Mastamet-Mason, AnneTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Fashion, Jewellery & Textile Design
oward an entrepreneully orientated design model for the SA small business

The South African government has invested in skills development ever since 1995 in an effort to facilitate more opportunities for small business and micro business (SMME) owners. Skills development programs offered in South Africa include the development of technical skills like apparel construction. At least 129 active apparel SMMEs were operating in the Pretoria region of Gauteng province during between 2001 and 2013. Most of these SMMEs provide custom‐made apparel for their individual customers and the owner‐designers of these businesses are involved in the design process of the custom‐made apparel, but also play an imperative role in the business functions that directly relate to the design process.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

The demise of design programmes within the public FET system in South Africa: a case for non-formal education

AuthorInstitution
Sidogi, PfunzoTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Design Education Research
The demise of design programmes within the public FET system in South Africa

This paper investigates the demise of design and related programmes within the public Further Education and Training (FET) system of South Africa.

Policy documents regulating the provision of these programmes were interrogated and the various changes which have occurred in the FET system, especially in terms of restructuring, will be highlighted. These changes have had adverse implications on design education, evidenced in the introduction of the National Curriculum Vocational (NCV) programmes and the unclear status of the ‘old’ Nated programmes. The paper concludes by advocating for non-­‐formal education as a possible antidote for the poor availability of design and related programmes within the 50 public FET colleges.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

The decision making process of visually impaired consumers in an apparel retail environment

AuthorInstitution
Ramatla, AubreyTshwane University of Technology
Mastamet-Mason, AnneTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Fashion, Jewellery & Textile Design
The decision making process of visually impaired consumers in an apparel retail environment

One of the most severe disabilities known to man is the loss of sight, as it deprives the individual of the primary sense used to acquire information and knowledge about their direct environment. Visual impairment limits effective decision making as it severs the individual’s essential involvement in society. Such individuals have restricted mobility and are mostly dependent on other people and as a result their ability to make decisions, and develop a sense of purchasing orientation is hampered. This research aimed at exploring the shopping experiences of visually impaired consumers in regards to clothing prices, colour choices, fibre content and the feel or hand of the fabric used for the garment.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

A customized size chart for the African pear shaped plus-sized South African women

AuthorInstitution
Ola-Afolayan, OlubunmiTshwane University of Technology
Mastamet-Mason, AnneTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Fashion, Jewellery & Textile Design
A customized size chart for the African pear shaped plus-sized South African women

During the past decade, all the surveys of women’s sizes and measurements show that a significant proportion of the population can be categorised as plus-­size. This is not necessarily something new but rather re-­confirms that there is a large market for the plus-­size garment of all types. Younger women are becoming plus-­size, particularly among “pear-­shaped” South African women of African origin.

These two factors, combined with the ever growing fashion awareness among the general public, make it necessary to develop a sizing chart for the pear-­shaped body characteristics and to re-­evaluate the existing sizing chart in relation to this particular body shape and size category.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

Idealisation as a design approach in enamelled contemporary jewellery

AuthorInstitution
Newman, NinaTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Fashion, Jewellery & Textile Design
Idealisation as a design approach in enamelled contemporary jewellery

The Platonic notion of idealism, specifically used in the botanical imagery represented inRenaissance paintings is investigated in this paper and compared to the botanical motifs used in Renaissance enamelled jewellery. The same process of idealisation used in Renaissance painting and enamel jewels is applied to South African botanical motifs, which creates a stylistic departure from the botanical images used during the Renaissance.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

A reflexive account of developing community health care material

AuthorInstitution
Modiba, TholoTshwane University of Technology
de Lange, Rudi WTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Media & Communications Design
A reflexive account of developing community health care material

Full Title: A reflexive account of developing community health care material through the use of pre-testing methods and visual persuasion techniques

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a congenital syndrome caused by excessive consumption of alcohol by a mother during pregnancy. It is characterized by retardation of mental development and physical growth, particularly of the skull and face of the infant. FAS is a growing problem in South Africa, with it being rife in the townships and rural areas. The lack of public information and intervention is one of the reasons why the syndrome persists in these communities and this was also the motivation for this study.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

Ethics in Design Research: a reflection on Intercultural Praxis in the Design Disciplines

AuthorInstitution
de Lange, Rudi WTshwane University of Technology
Munro, Allan JTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Design Education Research
Ethics in Design Research: a reflection on Intercultural Praxis in the Design Disciplines

Qualitative research techniques lend themselves to research activities in the design disciplines  due to their  strategies to extract data that contain intangibles such as emotions, aesthetics, perceptions,  embedded  cultural practices, artistic and creative activities. The engagement with subjects that hold this  data is guided by ethical codes of conduct and is governed by ethics committees that provide  approval for such research engagement within a university environment.

Nevertheless (and inevitably) design research in the creative disciplines has moved into ethnography where the  Eurocentric process of collecting data and the associated ethical guidelines and approval process  may no longer be relevant, fair and appropriate.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

Designing environments for a stressful and traumatic workplace culture: a case study in a mental institution

AuthorInstitution
Bussiahn, WaldemarTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Interior & Furniture Design
Designing environments for a stressful and traumatic workplace culture

The mental and physical working context in which mental health‐care providers spend  most of their day is an  extremely stressful environment, specifically with regards to mental and physical well‐being. This environment is shaped by a number of influences such as job demands, patient related stresses  and political and economic pressures. All of these factors may eventually result in high levels of  staff burnout, decreased work efficacy and increased overall stress.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

Understanding cultural identity and visual communication in the appropriation of iconic photojournal

AuthorInstitution
Saayman-Hattingh, HeidiTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Photography, Film & Multimedia
Understanding cultural identity and visual communication in the appropriation of iconic photojournal

Modern society experiences the world predominantly through their eyes and the recognition of vision‘s unique power has led to the development of many new forms of visual communication. Photojournalism is a relatively 'young' form of visual communication; however, photojournalists appreciate that a single iconic image may convey a common understanding of an entire event. It is the aim of the paper to review how the appropriation of an iconic image may suggest original associations, particularly within a South African context.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

Ethics and Design Research at South African Higher Education Institutions: a Prolegomenon:

AuthorInstitution
Munro, Allan JTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Design Education Research
Ethics and Design Research at South African Higher Education Institutions: a Prolegomenon:

South African Universities demand of their lecturers, amongst other things, a burgeoning research track record. Such research is inevitably subject to the requirements of research and included in these requirements is that the research is carried out within the bounds of acceptable research ethical practice. Therefore, any research that emanates from Design programmes has to meet the mandate of such research ethical practice.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

Pitches and Proposals: Linking Reseach and Commercial Strategies

AuthorInstitution
Botes, HermanTshwane University of Technology
Munro, Allan JTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Design Education Research
Pitches and Proposals: Linking Reseach and Commercial Strategies

One of the central obligations of a post-graduate programme at a university is research. Any research project starts with a research proposal. Therefore one of the central tasks in the training of researchers is mastering the strategies of persuading the overseers of research that the task that the researcher is undertaking is feasible, do-able and worthwhile. To do this act of persuasion the researcher has also to demonstrate that he or she is in all likelihood capable of doing research – this demonstration of competency is built into the proposal. The result of research will be a document like a dissertation.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

A hermeneutic approach in design education

AuthorInstitution
Kruger, RunetteTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Design Education Strategy
A hermeneutic approach in design education

Whilst the world is indeed in flux, the purpose of design – to address human needs – remains constant. The concept ‘Human needs’ is multifaceted, and needs clarification, This paper is concerned with the relationship between ‘human needs’ and design education.

Firstly, to be a good designer is to be an aware designer. Awareness improves the end product and feeds the process of concept generation. But awareness also engenders positive outcomes beyond the scope of objects. Design informed by awareness enriches the user, as well as the designer and maker.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

A framework for Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Technology Research

AuthorInstitution
Gauhar, RazaNational Institute for Science, India
du Plessis, HesterTshwane University of Technology

Keywords: 

Discipline: 

Design Education Research

A framework for Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Technology Research: A cross-cultural Indo-South African research project.

The craft sector is currently one of the fastest growing industries in South Africa. It involves commercial and industrial interest in the manufacturing, marketing and design aspects. Within this proposed project we will focus on the study and development of traditional and appropriate technologies in the manufacturing processes of crafts.

Modern techniques will be adapted, adopted and incorporated with traditional technology. Research done on ground level will help to identify rural development projects, problem areas and technological innovation possibilities.

Read Detail (right-click to open in new window)

Pages

Latest News & Events

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).