We hosted the first Design Dialogue on 23 April at the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika. Thanks again to our speakers: Maurisa Moloto, Tiego Monareng, Mugendi Kanampiu M'RITHAA, George Kembel and Nailah Conrad.
Design thinking is an approach and mindset to creative problem-solving that’s gaining traction, especially in addressing complex societal issues. The work of the d-school Afrika is a local example of this practice. Through a range of diverse programmes over the past 8 years, the d-school’s work has been highly regarded, earning praise from many programme participants and partners alike.
However, in parallel with the development of the practice, there are increasing calls to consider our work more critically, to re-frame and even to re-imagine it. Much of the criticism stems from the fact that many of the techniques and models used in design thinking come from contexts in the global North, . This has prompted us to ‘open up the practice’, enabling us to re-think and adapt our approach.
This is where the d-school Afrika’s Design Dialogues come into the picture. This is one way to respond to these calls for a critical examination of the work. Envisaged as ‘deep dives’ into the practice of design thinking, the d-school Afrika is planning four dialogues for 2024 offering a space for engagement and reflection with a wide range of stakeholders.
Our first session featured a conversation between leading design thinkers from Kenya, the USA, and South Africa, offering diverse perspectives and insights.