Kopanang 2016

2016

Kopanang Community Trust



Kopanang community project – A project that has been running since 2001, to uplift the lives of women on the fringes of society. This is done through offering emotional support and a caring community, an opportunity to earn a basic living through the making embroidered products. Most of the women live in shacks, around Tsakane, a township far from any town or job opportunities, have little formal education, and are affected or infected by HIV/AIDS. The project is currently undertaking an intensive formation and training initiative, with the aim of the project becoming managed and run by the women.

THE BRIEF

This year we would like to focus on their online marketing and a redesign of the current website. This is to increase online customers and improve the user experience for the consumer. We would also like to focus on designing conceptual proposals for the communities facilities that could ultimately pave the way forward for an improved standard in living. Finally it is our aim to give guidance to the Kopanang design team to improve their understanding of design processes, by assisting in creating new products that focus on efficiency and sustainability .• 1A Website Revamp (accessibility, purchasing, maintenance & Navigation)• 1B Marketing tools (redesign of current strategies & additional strategies)• 2A Extended Centre, revamping old space or proposing a new space.• 2B Bathroom & Kitchen, Revamp• 3A New Products, to widen the target market to include both international and local consumers. • 3B New Products, to widen the target market to include both international and local consumers.

THE PROCESS

After the briefing the students pinned down what areas they needed to challenge and came up with a moodboard to present to us for feedback. The students then had weekly site visits with the ladies of Kopanang and or the board members to receive feedback on the progress of their projects. In the final week the students pitched the final ideas of their projects to get approval.

Many of the students were challenged by space (interior specific), time and feasibility in order for the projects to be successful from a sustainability point while catering for the community.

Many of the group also ran training workshops such as how to piece the materials together or a photography workshop allowing the ladies to gain skills. That will serve to grow the community.

The students have expressed that working with the ladies and the board has been a humbling experience.

THE PROCESS

THE OUTPUT: Group 1A: Website

Kopanang required a new and improved website that will engage readers to purchase products, donate to specific needs of the project and share the website with friends and colleagues. The new website needed to include the following: Display of products in categories with enlarging images. There should

also be a section for images of commissions undertaken by the project. Ability to purchase products online (This group needs to research

different options for purchasing online including the cost implications to the project. This information needs to be presented to the client).

Staff and/or community members must be able to take, prepare and upload new products into the website easily.

The story of the project and the community. New projects/things happening at the project and funding needs that

people can contribute to. Be fast to view and interact with



This group looked at all the marketing material and align it to the look and feel of the website design. They also created a rebranding for the project as the old logo had problems with scalability and transferability. The marketing material needed to be able to take overseas with them and reflect the ethos of the community. Train members of the community for digital marketing.

THE OUTPUT: Group 1B: Marketing

THE OUTPUT: Group 1B: MarketingCorporate identity: Rebrand

THE OUTPUT: Group 1B: MarketingCorporate identity

THE OUTPUT: Group 1B: MarketingMarketing Materials

THE OUTPUT: Group 1B: MarketingMarketing Materials

There is a possibility that a funder will provide money to build a new or extended centre for the project. In order to move forward the project need be able to have some clearer ideas of what this entails, both to convince the funder, as well as the property owners of the possibilities. The group needed to assess the ideal space needs of the project and come up with an exciting design proposal, that is practical, cost effective and sustainable. In this case the sustainability includes environmental factors, cost effective use of the space (minimum electricity and water usage, easy and cost effective to maintain) as well as contributing to the local economy through the use of local contractors and materials. At the same time the design needs to be appropriate to the community, reflect the ethos of the community and be interesting.

THE OUTPUT: Group 2A: Extended Centre

THE OUTPUT: Group 2A: Extended CentreExtended Centre

THE OUTPUT: Group 2A: Extended CentreExtended Centre

THE OUTPUT: Group 2A: Extended CentreNew Centre

Most of the women in the project live in shacks and have access to water through a shared tap, yet manage to wash even in the middle of winter. A funder has made funds available to provide a shower that the women will be able to use at the project. A decision was taken to upgrade the caretakers shower room which is accessible to the project space. This group provided a detailed refurbishment of the shower room as well as the supply of hot water from solar geysers, the reuse of the grey water for flushing toilets and watering the vegetable garden, as well as a kitchenette unit in the work area and a covered entrance outside the main door to the building.

THE OUTPUT: Group 2B: Bathroom

THE OUTPUT: Group 2B: Bathroom & KitchenetteBathroom

THE OUTPUT: Group 2B: Bathroom & KitchenetteOutdoor shelter

THE OUTPUT: Group 2B: Bathroom & KitchenetteKitchenette

Design some exciting new products that use the skills of the women, are contemporary, and acceptable to markets. These products could be sewn, embroidered or beaded.To engage the community’s design team get their input into the design process and the development of the products, and to enhance their understanding of design process. This group focused on wall hung canvases and a pattern book that had multifunctional uses, such as scale, and combinations of the design. They also provided photography training for the ladies of kopanang.

THE OUTPUT: Group 3A: New Products

THE OUTPUT: Group 3A: New ProductsTriptych Canvas embroidery designs

THE OUTPUT: Group 3A: New ProductsPattern work and designs: Pattern Booklet

THE OUTPUT: Group 3A: New ProductsTraining and canvas mount design.

THE OUTPUT: Group 3B: New Products

Design some exciting new products that use the skills of the women, are contemporary, and acceptable to markets. These products could be sewn, embroidered or beaded.To engage the community’s design team get their input into the design process and the development of the products, and to enhance their understanding of design process. This group focused on a foldable organizer bag for school children and allowed for the design to be customized to a handheld organizer for adults.

THE OUTPUT: Group 3B: New ProductsThe school kid organiser.

THE OUTPUT: Group 3B: New ProductsThe school kid organiser.

THE OUTPUT: Group 3B: New ProductsThe Adult organiser.

EVALUATION

The three week turn around time was far too short for some of the outputs of the groups such as the extended center and the website groups. They needed the additional time to finish and clean up their outputs for hand in, however they did extremely well under the short time span.

The groups that ran workshops with the women at the project provided designs and skills that will help move Kopanang further along the road of empowerment and growth, and were received with excitement. Clear, detailed instructions in the form of patterns, samples, and detailed infographics will allow the women to continue to develop the products and skills, and share the learning with others at Kopanang. Students learnt the importance of team work, and collaboration with the client, gained a new respect for craft skills, and how design with a community can have a positive impact on the lives of people in the community.

THANKS

Please extend thanks to anyone / any organisation that helped the project (like any community reps or sponsors)

Education

Kopanang 2016