CUPISA/Make Space
Verb.
1) To set a place/ to park/ have a seat.
2) To set a trap or a snare.
The concept of the design is inspired by the act of one person asking another to create space for them to sit. This act usually happens in public or shared spaces with limited seating.
It is inspiring that a small act of generosity and kindness could have
such an impact.
Creating space for each other. CUPHISA.
The brief for this design required that we create a design that can be used to transcend the social distancing policies and bring people together. Demonstrate the ability to adapt to the current situation and also think beyond it. The design should be bold and African.
We settled on a design that was inspired by various elements. We drew inspiration from the shape of a cow's horns, which are symbolic animals in Zulu culture, as they represent wealth and prosperity. We drew inspiration from Japanese minimalism and its approach to woodworking. We infused cultural relevance by using contemporary patterns, but drew from deep symbolic meaning also. We decided that the final way to relate the Zulu culture to the design is by using the colour palette of the Zulu sandal called iMbadadi.
We loved the initial design, but realised the concept would be expensive to produce. We spent a few weeks exploring ways to simplify the design but retain all the essence that made it a bold cultural statement and beautiful design.
We went through multiple iterations of design revisions and finalised the design with the team from Pederson & Lennard, enabling us to create the most efficient and production-ready design for mass rollout. We maintained the wood structure and included a steel substructure to reinforce the design, as well as add visual elements through pops of colour.
