INTERDESIGN SOUTH AFRICA 2005
Sustainable rural transport
3-16 April 2005
Rustenburg (South Africa)
During 2002 the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) received a request from the North-West Provincial government to develop specifications to be used in a tender document for the building of a donkey cart for specific local uses. This request created the awareness of the problems involved with the structure and use of local animal drawn carts on a national level and the need for national standards and regulations. It also became clear that, to develop a project of this nature in a sustainable way, some lateral thinking would be very beneficial.
The SABS Design Institute became involved and it was decided that an international design workshop, called Interdesign, would be presented addressing the whole issue of rural transport in South Africa. The approach would be problem-driven and holistic, addressing all aspects of transport and rural communities.
Interdesign 2005 on Sustainable Rural Transport - Technology for Developing Countries took place from 3-16 April 2005. During the workshop the issue of rural transport was considered against the background of social and environmental issues, sustainability and cost.
3-16 April 2005
Rustenburg (South Africa)
During 2002 the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) received a request from the North-West Provincial government to develop specifications to be used in a tender document for the building of a donkey cart for specific local uses. This request created the awareness of the problems involved with the structure and use of local animal drawn carts on a national level and the need for national standards and regulations. It also became clear that, to develop a project of this nature in a sustainable way, some lateral thinking would be very beneficial.
The SABS Design Institute became involved and it was decided that an international design workshop, called Interdesign, would be presented addressing the whole issue of rural transport in South Africa. The approach would be problem-driven and holistic, addressing all aspects of transport and rural communities.
Interdesign 2005 on Sustainable Rural Transport - Technology for Developing Countries took place from 3-16 April 2005. During the workshop the issue of rural transport was considered against the background of social and environmental issues, sustainability and cost.
About the SABS Design Institute
The
SABS Design Institute has been in existence since 1965 with the mandate
to promote the design of industrial products in South Africa in all
possible ways. One of its focuses is the Design for Development
initiative with the aim to promote and create an awareness of the
important role that design can play in the industrial and economic
development of the southern African region. This includes the
sustainable economic growth and development of the continent in an
effort to alleviate poverty in Africa. Interdesigns forms part of this
initiative.
About the Interdesign
For the SABS Design
Institute, being a design promotion body, the main strategic goal of
Interdesign 2005 was to illustrate the huge potential of design
excellence to address problems facing developing communities. But the
conceptualising of viable and sustainable solutions that could be
developed into real products was stated as a critical success factor for
the workshop.
The National Department of Transport was approached for endorsement and collaboration. The facts contained in a National Travel Survey undertaken by the department in 2005, provided a clear understanding that the interdesign would be based on a real and urgent need to empower the dis-empowered and would address the challenges faced by developing communities. The survey indicated that sustainable alternative modes of transport for rural areas were vitally important considering that more than 60% of rural households in South Africa said that motorised public transport was not available to them or too far away to access. Of the almost 16 million learners who travelled to school every day, 76% (or 12 million) walked. About 550 000 children spent more than two hours a day walking to and from schools. In addition, the delivery of rural transport infrastructure and services could be a significant catalyst for sustainable economic development and improved social access and poverty alleviation in South Africa's rural areas.
The National Department of Transport was approached for endorsement and collaboration. The facts contained in a National Travel Survey undertaken by the department in 2005, provided a clear understanding that the interdesign would be based on a real and urgent need to empower the dis-empowered and would address the challenges faced by developing communities. The survey indicated that sustainable alternative modes of transport for rural areas were vitally important considering that more than 60% of rural households in South Africa said that motorised public transport was not available to them or too far away to access. Of the almost 16 million learners who travelled to school every day, 76% (or 12 million) walked. About 550 000 children spent more than two hours a day walking to and from schools. In addition, the delivery of rural transport infrastructure and services could be a significant catalyst for sustainable economic development and improved social access and poverty alleviation in South Africa's rural areas.
Theme
The theme of Interdesign 2005 was Sustainable Rural Transport - Technology for Developing Countries.
"Rural transport" as defined in the National Rural Transport Strategy document is:
"Rural transport" as defined in the National Rural Transport Strategy document is:
"...The
movement of persons and goods for any conceivable purpose [including
collection of water or firewood], by any conceivable means [including
walking and head loading] on various types of infrastructure [including
unproclaimed roads, tracks and footpaths. "
This implies that the mode of travel does not necessarily need to be motorised or conventional, but should be suitable, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Also a wide variety of mode choices and trip purposes has to be considered during rural transport planning and service delivery.
The main theme was divided into the following focus areas:
- Bicycles and Tricycles
- Animal drawn carts
- Alternative modes of Transport
- A
Communication Project to interact with the local communities on
transport issues. Designers forming part of this group were deployed
with the other groups and included local information designers able in
Tswana, the language spoken by the majority of people in the North-West
province.
These focus areas were approached keeping in mind
- Social aspects
- Transport management aspects
- Sustainability
- Environmental aspects
As a strategic goal, the Design Institute plans to make use of the outcomes of the Interdesign to illustrate that good design can address and solve problems facing developing communities.
Partners
Three
critical components of an Interdesign workshop are the designers, the
experts who provide information/guidance to the designers on a range of
topics related to the theme and the community who provide the designers
with information and needs, specific them.
Designers
The
Interdesign workshop included designers on all levels. Participants were
a mix of mid-career specialists and students, both local and
international, including local skills-based designers The designers
worked in groups focussing on animal-drawn carts, alternative modes of
transport, bicycles and tricycles, as well as communication with the
communities. All of the groups had a group leader at the helm and the
entire process was co-ordinated by design director, Bart Verveckken,
head of the department of Industrial Design at the Cape Peninsula
University of Technology.
Experts
Technical experts were sourced to interact with the design groups on social, gender, as well as technical topics and issues.
The National Department of Transport provided valuable research data and information on the issues involved with rural transport. They also facilitated contact with provincial and municipal structures.
Experts were drawn from the following institutions also:
The National Department of Transport provided valuable research data and information on the issues involved with rural transport. They also facilitated contact with provincial and municipal structures.
Experts were drawn from the following institutions also:
- CSIR: Manufacturing & Materials Technology (National Product Development Centre)
- CSIR: Roads & Transport Technology (Transportek)
- Hahn & Hahn Inc Intellectual Property Lawyers
- SABS Research and Development
- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (NSPCA)
- Donkey Power cc
- Valtyn Moshate - welding company
- Kingdom Tracks
- University of Pretoria: Department of Visual Arts, Information Design division
- Tracka Trekka Donkey Carts
- Cyc-ous Bicycles
- Bicycling Empowerment Network
- Sunset Cycling, Cycous, Tracka Trekka and Tortion Trailers made actual products available by for research purposes.
Communities
Through
the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality of the North-West Province
the villages of Mathopestat, Syferbult and Pitsedisulejang were
identified for the field research. These three villages were chosen for a
variety of reasons ranging from infrastructure (lack of nearby schools
and clinics) to transportation demographics in these communities. Other
factors such as the geographical characteristics and socio-economic
factors also played a role.
The Bojanala Platinum District Municipality played an extremely constructive role in identifying representatives from the communities to be involved in the Interdesign workshop. Gender, credibility, standing in the community and the ability to interpret during the field trips formed part of the criteria in selecting the community representatives. The community representatives accompanied the Interdesign participants on the field research trips and were called upon to interact with the designers during the workshop. They also participated in the presentations of the concept and final designs.
The Bojanala Platinum District Municipality played an extremely constructive role in identifying representatives from the communities to be involved in the Interdesign workshop. Gender, credibility, standing in the community and the ability to interpret during the field trips formed part of the criteria in selecting the community representatives. The community representatives accompanied the Interdesign participants on the field research trips and were called upon to interact with the designers during the workshop. They also participated in the presentations of the concept and final designs.
Groups
Each focus area was guided by a group
leader/tutor who is a senior designer. More than one group of designers
could address the same focus area by exploring different aspects.
Each group was made up of designers from different disciplines, including students as well as local skills-based designers. Bart Verveckken, Head of the Industrial Design Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, acted as design director and co-ordinated and directed the complete design process during the workshop
Groups and leaders :
Each group was made up of designers from different disciplines, including students as well as local skills-based designers. Bart Verveckken, Head of the Industrial Design Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, acted as design director and co-ordinated and directed the complete design process during the workshop
Groups and leaders :
- Animal Drawn Carts - Chris Bradnum, Lecturer at the Industrial Design School of the University of Johannesburg
- Bicycles and Tricycles - Roelf Mulder, MD of DDDXYZ, an industrial design company in Cape Town
- Alternative Modes of Transport - Prof M P Ranjan, Professor in industrial design at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, India
- Alternative Modes of Transport (Stuttgart Group) - Prof George Teodorescu, Professor at the Academy of Visual Arts and Design, Stuttgart, Germany
- Communication - Ria van Zyl, Lecturer at the Department of Visual Arts, Information Design division, University of Pretoria
Outcomes
On
the final day of Interdesign 2005, a meeting was held between the
Interdesign Steering Committee and the representatives from the National
Department of Transport. At this meeting the department indicated
preferred design concepts for prototype development. Funding for the
development of prototypes was made available by the national department
of Transport.
SABS was contracted to manage the development and testing of specific prototypes. It subcontracted various institutions to manufacture, field test and to do the mechanical testing of the prototypes. Rural communities originally involved in the design workshop tested these prototypes for functionality and social acceptability. Two of the North West Province communities involved during the Interdesign, were used for the field-testing. SABS Mechanical Laboratory was used to conduct the mechanical tests.
Prototypes include the bicycle for children (Children's Z Frame Bicycle); the North-West Bicycle; the combination bicycle or bicycle modules; the load-bearing tricycle; the refurbished donkey cart or Plain Jane; the single axle donkey cart or Tin Lizzy; the double axle donkey cart; the wheeled platform trolley and donkey harnesses.
The Industrial Design department of the University of Johannesburg produced layman's instructional manuals for the manufacturing of some of the prototypes as examples of the application of the Communication Model developed during the Interdesign.
On 21 August 2009, SABS handed over the completed prototypes of the non-motorised modes of transport to the National Department of Transport at a function at the University of Johannesburg.
The final involvement of the Industrial Design department of the University of Johannesburg will be to provide the appropriate construction material and equipment to the community to enable them to use the instructional manuals. The Industrial Design department will also be able to verify the quality of the products produced by means of the instructional manuals. This is seen as the final feasibility study of the technical potential necessary for sustaining a production unit within the village.
SABS was contracted to manage the development and testing of specific prototypes. It subcontracted various institutions to manufacture, field test and to do the mechanical testing of the prototypes. Rural communities originally involved in the design workshop tested these prototypes for functionality and social acceptability. Two of the North West Province communities involved during the Interdesign, were used for the field-testing. SABS Mechanical Laboratory was used to conduct the mechanical tests.
Prototypes include the bicycle for children (Children's Z Frame Bicycle); the North-West Bicycle; the combination bicycle or bicycle modules; the load-bearing tricycle; the refurbished donkey cart or Plain Jane; the single axle donkey cart or Tin Lizzy; the double axle donkey cart; the wheeled platform trolley and donkey harnesses.
The Industrial Design department of the University of Johannesburg produced layman's instructional manuals for the manufacturing of some of the prototypes as examples of the application of the Communication Model developed during the Interdesign.
On 21 August 2009, SABS handed over the completed prototypes of the non-motorised modes of transport to the National Department of Transport at a function at the University of Johannesburg.
The final involvement of the Industrial Design department of the University of Johannesburg will be to provide the appropriate construction material and equipment to the community to enable them to use the instructional manuals. The Industrial Design department will also be able to verify the quality of the products produced by means of the instructional manuals. This is seen as the final feasibility study of the technical potential necessary for sustaining a production unit within the village.
Future recommendations
Although
the commercialisation of the prototypes did not form part of the scope
of the project managed by the SABS, the following is recommended because
of the saving that occurred.
It is recommended that:
It is recommended that:
- The
Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) Focus Team of SERA (Southern
Education Research Alliance), a partnership between the CSIR (Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research) and University of Pretoria (UP),
become involved because of the necessary expertise and competence within
the team to establish rural enterprises.
- The
Industrial Design department of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) is
kept involved because of their technical abilities and the relationships
established with the communities.
- That I Brand
Strategic Marketing Solutions be contracted for project management
because of their involvement with the project since 2005 (preparation of
the Interdesign workshop and some of the field-testing of the
prototypes) as well as their involvement with projects within SERA SRD.
- That
a production unit for some of the prototypes be established within the
Pitsedisulejang area. The location of this unit should be decided in
consultation with the village leaders and the Industrial Design
Department of UJ.
- The kind of products to be produced
in the village should be decided in consultation with the village
leaders and the Industrial Design Department of UJ because of knowledge
gained during field-testing.
- That the available funds, saved by the SABS from the prototype building, be carried over to SERA SRD to afford the enterprise development project and/or subsidise the production unit.
Downloads
2009 Press Release "Non-motorised transport prototypes handed over" (PDF - 56KB)
2009 Handover Speech by Ms Geraldine Monareng (PDF - 56KB)
2009 Handover Speech by Ms Geraldine Monareng (PDF - 56KB)
Links
- Icsid Photo Archive
- The Interdeisgn 2005 website