My name is Tafadzwa, a professional designer living and working in Harare, Zimbabwe. I am in the middle of a revolutionary creative journey to fully establish Veza Design, an Industrial Design Studio that is the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.
The biggest challenge Zimbabwe and most developing nations face economically is that of competitiveness and participation on the global market. Local manufacturing companies and start-ups have suffered under intense competition from international brands that have commanded a great deal of loyalty with local consumers. Zimbabwe has a fair number of good manufacturers, but when it comes to brand appeal and emotional connections there they’re found wanting, struggling even to compete locally.
This makes it especially difficult for local manufacturing companies to export or expand into other markets leaving them vulnerable to localized financial crisis. As long as these companies fail to compete and participate on the global market, there is bound to be ripple effects socially as companies embark on job cuts and other cost cutting measures. In order to alleviate these challenges, local companies need to adopt strategies that enhance competitiveness by creating innovative and desirable products and brands that can penetrate global markets.
Veza is an Industrial Design Studio that will bridge that gap and will transform local companies and start-ups into strong, internationally competitive brands. The goal of the Veza Design Studio is to spark a culture of innovation and competitiveness by exploring new ideas and opportunities through design. Our design process spans multiple categories that include Industrial Design, UX Design, and Brand Development.
What is Industrial Design?
Industrial Design involves the creation of physical products combining form and function for the benefit of the user. It is an exiting process by which concepts morph from drawings on paper to products that we use in our everyday lives and cannot do without. From something as simple as a toothpick to something as complicated as an automobile. Your smartphones, tablets, furniture, footwear, appliances, the list is endless.
A few years ago, I embarked on a journey to a design career spurred by a passion to design products that would be part of people's lives. Unfortunately, industrial design is virtually unknown in Zimbabwe, so I took up something that would at least take me closer to that dream. I enrolled at the Harare Polytechnic where I studied Graphic Design while I taught myself industrial design concurrently (which was no easy task). We were fortunate enough to have a volunteer lecturer on Industrial design for one year which gave me a much needed boost.
After graduating from college, I worked in the Advertising and Web design industries where I gained vital knowledge in brand building and online marketing. In 2010, I began working as an independent designer. My journey to becoming an industrial designer was and still is riddled with challenges and limited resources, but this gave me an even greater appreciation and respect for the profession and the challenges that it posed.
The story so far...
Veza has embarked on a number of exciting projects that span multiple categories from furniture to consumer electronics. Most of the projects have been a collaboration of creative input from local graphic designers in Zimbabwe.
The Social Cause and What I Believe
Most people would relate social causes to building cheap products, but having worked with non-profit organizations during course of my graphic design career, I would disagree. People still aspire to beautifully designed products regardless of social class. I believe that better economies ultimately lead to better societies, and that better economies can only be built through competitiveness globally. I believe design is an important aspect to that competitiveness and thus 'Veza' is an initiative towards that. A design enterprise with with far reaching social impact.
Join me in part 2 as I reflect on the progress made thus far.
https://www.behance.net/tafadzwa_martingutsa