In collaboration with the Design Hub in Kampala (Uganda) the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) wants to create a design method based on different international cultural (design) values. Participants in this breakout hosted by HvA were asked to co-develop this toolkit.
By Femke van Gemert and Sinette Hesselink
Students of HvA got the minds of the participants working in this What Design Can Do for Africa breakout, raising good discussions and at times some puzzled faces too. After a short introduction on general values that are needed to create a design toolkit to be used in Uganda’s capital Kampala, a skype call was made to meet the team in Kampala’s Design Hub. Here the same workshop will take place soon. The results from both workshops will be used to determine the general values that will make the toolkit.
In duos the participants were asked to establish their own personal most important value through a card game. Values to choose from included Tradition. Hedonism, Benevolence, Universalism, Power or Self Direction. In teams the participants were next asked to consider how these values could be used to form alternative layers in Google maps.
At this point many team members were scratching their heads and frowning their eyebrows, because it was quite challenging to translate such broad and pretty abstract values into an overlay map.
Some teams ended up with the conclusion that the values needed to be tested on the street first before an idea could be worked out. Other teams came up with real tangible overlay concepts to meet general needs of people in cities concerning food, transport sharing, a place to sleep, assistance with shopping or getting in contact with others.
All in all, this breakout provided an interesting approach that sparked some discussion. And it may have brought up some much more social engaging map overlays or app concepts than those forecasting the weather or indicating the way to restaurants or dance clubs.
Sinette Hesselink is a designer and trend forecaster based in Amsterdam
Femke van Gemert is a textile designer based in Amsterdam
Photos by Leo Veger