Abstract
This Industrial Design Honours research project laid the foundation for a bridge between two very different worlds – industrial design as a progressive, technologically advanced driving force, and the wild coast of South Africa’s Eastern Cape as its rural, lingering counterpart. Veterinary resources in this part of the country are incredibly difficult to access. When they are accessible, they are often under equipped to deal with the issues encountered by animals in such a rural and informal setting. This presents an opportunity for the needs the community to be met by designing for context appropriate manufacture and implementation alongside the experts in the field. In designing this portable equine treatment system (known as a crush), it is revealed how important it is to introduce more technologically advanced manufacturing methods and products into rural areas. The system which stemmed from this research project holds equids in place while they receive treatment so that the animals and the people treating them are safe and calm. Given that the issues in this field are so varied and challenging to address this became a passion project. Since the community was somewhat difficult to engage with, data collection relied heavily on observatory field work and engagement with limited experts to design something that can be used by the community but does not necessarily need to be adopted by individuals within the community. Of course, these innovations may be met with some scepticism at first, but therein lies the importance and opportunity of community engagement. Products and solutions may be more difficult to implement in such a rural setting, but that does not mean that these settings should not be designed for. The value of this research project lies in the opportunities for growth in the relationship between rural community engagement and the introduction of innovative technologies.