Hasta La Ideas

Global creative conference Design Indaba returns to Cape Town on February 26. The line-up so far is impressive, with talks from Thomas Heatherwick, Stefan Sagmeister, Experimental Jetset and photographer David Goldblatt…

The three-day conference turns 20 this year and has earned a reputation as one of the world’s biggest creative events, covering graphics, digital media and architecture as well as fashion, product and interior design.The full programme is yet to be released but 40 speakers have been announced so far.

Caitlin and I by Zanele Muholi. Image courtesy of Muholi and Stevenson Johannesburg/Cape Town

Man building his house, Marselle Township, Kenton-on-sea, shot by David Goldblatt.

They include South African photographers David Goldblatt, Nandipha Mntambo and Zanele Muholi. Muholi’s latest photography series, Of Love and Loss, is a collection of portraits capturing weddings among South Africa’s black LGBT community, on display in Johannesburg from February 14 until April 4.

There is a strong presence from graphics, branding and media firms, too, with speakers from Europe, Australasia and the Americas.

Experimental Jetset’s identity for the Whitney Museum and exhibition design for The Printed Book: A Visual History

Amsterdam Studio Experimental Jetset will be discussing their work alongside Sagmeister, who is based in New York; Dean Poole, co-founder and creative director of Auckland studio Alt Group; Tom Hulme, design director at London firm IDEO, Sao Paulo-based AlmapBBDO creative director Marcello Serpa and Wolf Ollins London’s managing director, Ije Nwokorie.

New Zealand Opera branding & New Zealand New Music packaging by Alt Group

The Happy Show and Standard Charter commercial by Stefan Sagmeister

Creatives attending from other sectors include fashion designer Henrik Vibskov, currently the subject of an exhibition at Helsinki’s Design Museum, Heatherwick and Dutch interior design duo Scholten & Baijings. A selection of graduates from leading design schools will also be presenting their work Pecha Kucha style.

Story Corps, a local storytelling project devised by New York media design firm Local Projects. Founder Jake Barton will be speaking at this year’s Design Indaba

UK Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo and new look London buses designed by Thomas Heatherwick. Image: Iwan Baan

The conference ends on February 28 and is immediately followed by a South African design Expo running until March 2, showcasing work from emerging creatives and local artists and makers. Music and film programmes run alongside both events with 38 gigs over two nights, and 10 film premieres between February 21 and March 2.

Fore more information or to book tickets, see designindaba.com