The concept of ‘prosper’ is at the heart of this year’s Design Indaba campaign. Building on last year’s campaign that initiated the idea of a Democratic Republic of Design (the DRD) – a virtual country created to effectively demonstrate that design is the backbone of the economy – this year’s campaign focuses on what needs to happen to ensure that the economy prospers.

And you know what needs to happen? You need to put pen to paper. So, Absa is using the DRD app again this year, to get you to share your designs on the Tweeters. If you’re a delegate at this year’s Design Indaba and you share your design via Twitter, you’ll earn Design Dollars to redeem at the DID store, and the chance to win a professionally rendered schematic drawing, prototype and trademark of their design. Quite mean. 

It’s part of Design Indaba and Absa’s Make think DID campaign, i.e. making ideas become real. You know, putting them down on paper. If you feel like sharing an idea instead of a design, a hub of illustrators guided by Ideso Industrial Design Solutions will turn each idea shared into a cool concept illustration. You can then order these through the app to be printed on a multitude of items found at the DID store, which you purchase using your Design Dollars. 

Over and above this, Absa’s design panel will choose one design idea a day that they think has potential. This person will receive a schematic drawing ready to take to a manufacturer of their choice. Should their design be chosen as the overall winner, Ideso Industrial Design Solutions will create a real-life prototype of the idea which the winner will receive along with the schematic drawing, prototype and a trademark.

To ignite delegates’ creativity, Absa has put together a list of design challenges that can be found in the app, ranging from what to do about shack fires to the disappearing USB. Absa has also solved a number of logistical challenges surrounding the conference itself that delegates can personally draw inspiration from. These include laptop bags that double up as informal seating for delegates and thereafter will be given to the city of Cape Town as bicycle racks; solar-powered mob­­­­­­­­­ile phone umbrellas to keep delegates connected and cool all day. And media ‘pods’ in the media lounge made out of sound proof material to ensure interviews are not impacted by background noise.

Check out a few rad examples, below.