The workshops were aimed at fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on how to use design thinking to tackle global challenges.
Prof Doina Petrescu (DesignLab), IGSD director Prof Dorothea Kleine and Dr Hita Unnikrishnan curated the first workshop in the series, on Design and Co-production.
Presenters from various academic disciplines, including the School of Architecture, Information School, Urban Institute, IGSD, and the University of Cape Town shared their methodologies, design and co-production tools. Topics covered included Technological Perspectives, Gender Justice in Digital Innovation, Co-design in Practice, and Cross-Cultural Co-production.
A marketplace set-up then provided participants with the opportunity to engage in discussions and reflections on co-production methods in a collaborative atmosphere.
Professor Doina Petrescu (DesignLAB) commented: “Design thinking is providing an ontological ground connecting a multiplicity of discourses. It can help develop alternatives for the future in collaboration with communities”.