Abstract
The Reaboka Foundation is a self-sustaining non-profit company that aims to create employment for South African women in marginalised areas through the production of crafts such as beadwork and sewing. It is essential to optimise the design and production of craft products in order to make them economically viable within a contemporary market (Tung, 2012, p. 75; Thomas, 2006, p. 43). The research question guiding this study is: How can Industrial Design, through action-based research, expand and improve the product range of a South African non-profit company, Reaboka Foundation? The sub-aims of the study include to assess the needs of all parties involved with Reaboka Foundation, to design products that are sustainable for Reaboka Foundation, to incorporate alternative technologies in production, investigate production challenges and to consider semantic considerations in creating contemporary South African craft...
M.A. (Industrial Design)