Making the Difference through Design

Making the Difference through Design is an annual resource guide that was introduced in January 2006, when the new Further Education and Training (FET) Design course launched in Western Cape schools, for Grade 10 learners and their teachers.

The project is spearheaded by Woolworths and the Education Department and developed in collaboration with Design Indaba, leading South African designers and creative professionals. South African-based paper giant Sappi is sponsoring the paper and a school competition, as well as providing case studies for the guide. 

Woolworths, of course, is one of the major sponsors of Design Indaba, and design along with education, is a core focus for the retailer. As Woolworths' Head of Marketing Charmaine Huet explained, it was largely Woolworths' sponsorship of Design Indaba, as well as their ongoing involvement in education through the MySchool initiative, that prompted the Western Cape Education Department to approach them with the project. 

"Woolworths believes passionately that the best way to build a better future for South Africa is to empower its future leaders by recognising and developing the potential within each child," Huet said. "This is why we are part of the MySchool programme, and involved in school-based educational and skills development initiatives like Making the Difference Through Design, which is currently helping young learners in hundreds of schools throughout South Africa understand more about various aspects of health and nutrition. Making the Difference through Design is a logical extension of our existing involvement."

Design Resource Volume 2

Woolworths' "Design Resource Vol. 2" looks to the business context of design to create a better South African economy. 

The Woolworths Design Resource Volume Two publication alongside Design Indaba reveals how creativity can be beneficial to business and improve the South African economy. The publication uses the work of various international and internationally recognised South African designers in a case study format to highlight the business context of design.

Recognising the core of design in business practices allows for the shaping of a social, cultural and physical environment that will give testimony to a benefiting nation.

The case studies represent four design principles along with an in-depth look into each design root. The four principles are:

• Visual Communication Design. This area includes all forms of visual design such as advertising design, film and video, graphic design, illustration and photography to name a few.
• Surface Design/ Two Dimensional craft design. This discipline gathers all areas of design that is craft based such as textile design, stained glass design, wallpaper design and many more two dimensional design practices.
• Product Design/ Three Dimensional Craft Design. This sector includes all design practices that are three dimensional and craft based. This gathers fashion, ceramic design, jewellery design, wood design and even industrial design.
• Environmental Design. This principle includes architecture, landscape design and interior design that will prove to be sustainable when implemented and integrated into areas of need.

Woolworths plays a vital role in adding value to people’s lives and the South African economy both formally and informally. Along with Design indaba, Woolworths is developing learning and teaching support materials, offering workshops to teachers and making the Design Indaba philosophy of a better world through creativity accessible to both teachers and learners.

Designers in this publication:

• Massimo Vignelli
• Vince Frost
• Peet Pienaar & Hannerie Visser
• Kiran Bir Sethi
• Michael Bierut
• Shy the Sun
• Roger Horrocks
• Marc Shillum
• Faith47
• Troika
• Handspring Puppet
• INK
• Francis Kéré