The Headspace exhibition brought together the work of students of Photography, Fashion, Graphic Design, Surface Design and Industrial Design in an explosion of colours, textures and shapes.

The exhibition, which was spread across three floors of the Design Building on the Cape Town Campus and two floors of the adjacent Student Centre, opened on 18 November 2008.

The title ‘Headspace’ alludes to the idea that, regardless of the discipline in which a student works, the creative process starts in the same place – the mind.

Dean of Informatics and Design Prof Johannes Cronjé opened the exhibition with a reminder that for the local design industry to flourish, South Africans should make a concerted effort to purchase the work local students. “It is part of our mission not just to be doers of jobs but to be creators of jobs,” he said.

The Industrial Design display exemplified the importance of students being able to both express their creativity and produce work that is functional and marketable. Vikki du Preez, who teaches History of Design, referred to two third-year projects – a prototype of an alarm clock and a model of a gaming console – to illustrate this point.

For the console, students were encouraged to come up with the most unusual concept they could imagine, and did not need to fit the device with working parts. For the clock, however, they had to work within the constraints of actual technology, and bring creative energy to a fully functioning object.

At the Graphic Design exhibition, artwork was not only on display but also being created. Third year student Kyle “Van Eck” Pase, whose interest lies in finding connections between graphic design and graffiti, was at the opening to paint his interpretation of the Headspace concept. Fellow third year Justin Poulter, who designed the poster used to promote the exhibition, created a dynamic accompanying mural on the opposite wall.

One of the primary features of the Fashion exhibition was the focus on providing a sound theoretical underpinning to commercially viable work. BTech student Nadia Lemmer created a sensuous range of garments for the fuller figure, influenced by the writings of Naomi Wolf. Also responding to the needs of contemporary women was Saara Jappie. Her vibrant Eastern summer clothes were conceptualised so that young Muslim women could wear stylish designs without compromising their values.

The Surface Design exhibition demonstrated the path that a student takes to developing a personal style. The first and second year displays saw students exploring the basic elements of design such as contrast and movement. The third year work brought the focus back to the designer as an individual. Students placed drawings of birds in an environment that represented the space in which saw themselves, and printed the results onto fabric. The material was stretched over three-dimensional frames resembling Herero figures. The overall effect was that of an African Village of surface designs.

The Photography exhibition also presented the results of individual creative journeys. In many cases, students travelled to remote locations in the country to capture the atmosphere of a place or a sense of the people who live there. The displays covered a variety of genres, including documentary, portrait and fine art photography.

“Each student has a body of work that speaks of personal development,” said Photography Lecturer Colin Adonis.

Jewellery Design opened its exhibition on 17 November 2008, prior to the Headspace launch.

Many of the students who exhibited at Headspace are in their final year of study and will enter the industry in upcoming months. The exhibition provided a taste of the exciting work that can be expected from this new generation of young designers.

By Ilana Abratt

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A group of third year Surface Design students are getting hands on experience in the world of opera and set design.

The 12 students are currently hard at work building three sets which will be used in the Cape Town Opera production of The Barber of Seville which starts later this month.

The collaboration is part of a Service Learning project and the five week long endeavour saw students conceptualise, design and ultimately build the sets.

Working under the guidance of resident designer for Cape Town Opera, Michael Mitchell, the sets are slowly taking shape in a workshop in Epping.

Mitchell, who is himself a former graduate of our institute, says the students brought vitality and a youthful slant to the build.

“They also are more adept at using technology, most of which we don’t even use in industry yet,” he says.

“Hopefully from us they have learnt how to work timeously towards a brief for a client and we have opened up the idea of set design as a career choice to them.”

Lecturer Penny George says the experience has broadened the student’s horizons in terms of their design style.

“We are used to working in very fine design but the sets forced us to think on a grander scale because we needed that visual impact,” she says.

The sets, which are all made from second hand parts, will go on display to a select group of audience members after opening night.

Written by Lauren Kansley

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Jade Walters, a fourth year student in Surface Design, was judged overall winner in the most recent House and Leisure/Designers at Mr Price Home Competition. She topped students from around the country and her winning duvet design was featured in House and Leisure magazine.

Ms Walters chose to study Surface Design in 2005 as she was, and still is, passionate about the subject and feels it is an important aspect of everyday life. It concerns the clothes people cover themselves with and what people surround themselves with in their living spaces. Her aim is to create designs that are special, timeless, and ensure consumer satisfaction.

During her years of study, she has learnt a tremendous deal about design concepts, techniques and skills. Her work was exhibited at the Design Indaba in February with other ten delegates. Her lecturer, Elna Lubbe, introduced her to the competition.

As the winner, Ms Walters received high quality computer equipment worth R30 000.00.

By Amelia Smith, Faculty of Design and Informatics

Photograph: Jade Walters’s award-winning duvet design

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Staff and students returning to the Cape Town campus today will be welcomed by an unusual art installation.

A corner of the Student Centre now features an interesting origami wall thanks to first-year Surface Design students.

Informatics and Design students work has traditionally been displayed within their department but an initiative is underway to ensure many more common spaces around campus get an image makeover.

Surface Design lecturer Julia Brewis says her first-year students worked for hours installing the paper piece which features horns and is based on the concept of water.

“The folding piece starts from the ceiling and cascades down the wall onto the floor space covering the entire pillar. Sharp spiked cone elements also protrude from the pillar,” says Brewis.

She says she hopes many more faculties and not only FID students will take up the challenge of beautifying their common areas.

“We want to personalize the space and encourage creativity and dialogue because our campus lacks creative involvement,” she says.

“We are all very excited and hope that other disciplines will be inspired to do something.”

Her colleague Elna Lubbe says the installation will be moved to the Council Chambers soon to enable staff at the Bellville campus to view the work.

A second round of installations including wool hangings by second year Surface Design students will be displayed shortly.

By LAUREN KANSLEY

Written by CPUT News
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Thousands of heads across the country will be adorned with the creation of CPUT Surface Design student Melinda Van Der Merwe soon.

Each year the Sunflower Fund runs a competition with design schools across the country to create the design for National Bandana Day.

This year CPUT won first and third place in the hotly contested competition. Melinda scored the top spot with her vivid green and yellow creation while Suzanne Swanepoel scored third place.

Surface Design lecturer Micah Chisholm says the key to both designs was simplicity.

“This time round the second-year students only had a week to complete their designs which means they worked instinctively and didn’t complicate it,” he says.

Melinda says her design was inspired by the strength that comes from unity.

“Around every cancer patient there is a support network and my design symbolises this,” she says.

Melinda’s bandana will go into production for the 2015 National Bandana Day on October 12.

The Sunflower Fund does critical work recruiting bone marrow donors for diseases like leukaemia and other blood disorders. A bone marrow test costs R2000 and National Bandanna Day is a key fundraising initiative for the organisation.

Apart from the pride of seeing her design go into production Melinda won a R5000 Pick n Pay voucher and Suzanne won one worth R2000.

Written by Lauren Kansley
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CPUT Design students have turned their talents to alleviating the scourge of shack fires.

Students from Industrial, Graphic and Surface Design were tasked with creating customised packaging for an imported fire prevention tool called the Fireball.

The FireFighter is exported from China where it is used successfully in factories and small apartments.

The circular ball is tossed or rolled into the fire then explodes when its sensors detect the heat.

Students were divided into multidisciplinary groups of six and had four days to redesign the Chinese packaging of the FireFighter to suit a local audience.

They then presented their work to a panel and a winner was chosen.

One of the winning students Sebastian Bosman, who studies Industrial Design, says each discipline brought its own specialty to the project.

“I think our product is a good reflection of the huge amount of work we put in, the brief was also very specific and the lecturers were very hands on during the process,” he says.

“Everything from the colours to how the packaging could have a dual purpose was carefully considered.”

Industrial Design students focused on the actual packaging and wall mounting, Graphic Design students concentrated on reinterpreting the instructions while the Surface Design students concentrated on the materials used.

The FireFighter is a community outreach project of local company Ritcom who envisage distributing it in vulnerable areas soon. 

Written by Lauren Kansley
Tel: +27 21 953 8646
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

A project, which was initiated by a CPUT lecturer and focuses on the 50th commemoration of District Six being declared a whites-only area, continues to gain exposure.

Surface Design lecturer Penny George initiated a partnership with the District Six Museum, which saw 50 local and international artists participating in the compilation of a print exchange portfolio under the theme: Remembering 60 000 Forced Goodbyes.

Last year marked 50 years since the apartheid government declared District Six a white area under the Group Areas Act on 11 February 1966.

“I had previously done a print exchange and wanted to do one again. My colleague Micah Chisholm does a lot of community work with the District Six Homecoming Centre and we explained what the portfolio was about and we partnered with them on the project.”

George said support for the project was received from Sanlam, CPUT and a range of other sponsors.

The portfolio of 50 prints was exhibited at the District Six Museum Homecoming Centre in November and December 2016.

The portfolio was also exhibited during the recent Woordfees in Stellenbosch.

“One major outcome of doing a print exchange is that all the participating artists and all the supporting organisations each get a box of portfolios, containing all of the participating artists’ work. This means that each of the artists received all 50 prints.”

George said plans for more exhibitions of the portfolio were in the pipeline, including at international venues.

“The portfolio box is easy to send off and to exhibit at any gallery. There are many possibilities for this collection.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Surface Design students are giving the doors in their department a nature-themed makeover as part of a project inspired by Cape Town’s water crisis.

Lecturer Penny George says the project draws attention to the effects of the drought on nature while at the same time helping to brighten up the Design Building.

Sections of the building suffered fire damage last year.

She said students were required to visit a forested area and draw inspiration from the impact the drought had on different plants, with some plants battling to survive while others continue to thrive.

“The students had to make use of these elements of life and death that they had found and photographed in nature as well draw on their own senses and they have created beautiful designs,” says George.

Third-year student Jaycee Charles said the project was intense and helped to raise awareness among students about the impact of the drought.

“It is also nice to know that even when we are done studying people in the department will still be able to look at our work,” says Charles.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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