The Third year Graphic Design students at Greenside Design Center, Johannesburg, through the guidance of Dr Antoine Abi Aad, engaged in a two week workshop which integrated internationally recognised signs and symbols, to produce contemporary messages of empathy with the Japanese people, through a project entitled South Africa for Japan. By choosing the Kanji characters for motivational words like good luck, rise, smile and moving forward, the students used the power of visual communication to demonstrate their commitment to the designer s socially responsible role in society. This is a summary of the workshop.
Japan Johannesburg, South Africa We wish to share our messages of empathy with as many of the Japanese people as we can. You touched us through your dignified mourning, and we would like to touch you, through our work. Our thoughts are with you.
11 March 2012 is the one year commemoration of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan, leaving millions affected by death, injuries, lack of clean drinking water and lack of electricity. In March 2011, the world watched as the Japanese dealt with their devastation with dignity, and used the world wide web to share their messages and gestures of compassion. As images of Hi no maru (the red sun) replaced profile pictures on social networking sites as a sign of solidarity and support, the design world also took notice, and played their part through the use of visual communication strategies. One of those designers was Dr Antoine Abi Aad, a Lebanese design educator and programme coordinator at Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA), University of Beirut, who is described as Japanese in his country, Lebanon. Dr Abi Aad first caught the attention of Greenside Design Center at the IDA Congress in Taipei, Taiwan in October 2011, where he was presenting a paper on the Kanji workshops that he had conducted around the world (including Brazil, Peru and Kenya). Although Dr Abi Aad s passion for the Japanese language and culture began long before the March 2011 calamities, he has managed to adapt his passion for Kanji (which literally means Chinese Characters) to create international support and compassion for the Japanese people. 3rd year Graphic Design students during a Kanji workshop Class peer critique of the poster design process Detail of one of the Kanji workshop exercises Thank you cake baked for Dr Antoine Abi Aad by a student
Over a two week period, Dr Abi Aad introduced the Third year Graphic Design students at Greenside Design Center, Johannesburg, to the Kanji ideograms that he has worked with whilst living in Japan (in order to teach foreigners the Japanese language). The students then integrated internationally recognised signs and symbols, to produce contemporary messages of empathy with the Japanese people, through a project entitled South Africa for Japan. By choosing the Kanji characters for motivational words like good luck, rise, smile and moving forward, the students used the power of visual communication to demonstrate their commitment to the designer s social responsibility role in society. Mohamed Dadabhay: Tranquil Dr Abi Aad s passion for the Japanese language and people began when he went to Japan in 2001, where he studied in the University of Tsukuba. In 2004 he finished his Master of Arts in Visual Communication Design, followed by the completion of his Ph.D. in Comprehensive Human Sciences, Art and Design, in 2007. After a year of postdoctoral research, he returned to Lebanon in 2008. Dr Abi ad has worked, exhibited, taught and lectured in Lebanon, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Dubai, Tunisia, Peru, Greece, USA, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Poland, Kenya, Germany, and now South Africa.
About Greenside Design Center (fondly known as GDC) Vision To be leaders in design higher education to nurture innovative and responsible designers for the greater good of humanity. Mission GDC is a private higher education institution that specialises in design education and which promotes - innovation and critical thinking in the design process - sustainable design and design for social development - an optimal environment for teaching and learning - the use and production of research Brief History GDC was founded by Prof Des Laubscher and Ingrid Templer in 1987 and originally began as an Interior Design College. In 1994 Graphic Design was introduced, and Multimedia Design in 2003. Sinead Queiroz: Tranquility Affiliations International Association of Universities and College of Art, Design and Media (Cumulus) International Federation of Interior Designers/ Architects (IFI) ICOGRADA South African Institute for Interior Design Professions (IID) Design Education Forum of South Africa (DEFSA)
Company Registration Number 2003/009330/07 Contact Details Tel: +27 11 646 1984 Fax: +27 11 646 6165 Email: info@designcenter.co.za Postal Address: P.O. Box 84190, Greenside, 2034 Physical Address: 118 Greenway, Greenside, 2193 Web: www.designcenter.co.za Registered with the Department of Education as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997. Registration certificate number 2000/HE07/028 Accreditation All Higher Education programmes are accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and registered with South African Qualifications Authority (SQAQ) on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Denieme Spenceley: Unite
Nawal Khamis: To pray Vivek Ramkelawon: Bloom/Blossom
戻 Jared Gower: Restore Detail of the evolution of the phoenix
Detail of the reconstruction Kanji poster reconstruction Kaylee Macdonald: Reconstruction Detail of the reconstruction Kanji poster
Karabo Maloisane: Smile Guy Buchanan: Help?
Detail of the connecting map of Japan Paulo Marques: To connect Detail of the connecting map of South Africa
moving forward Lethabo Marapyane: Moving forward Process work for creating the moving forward poster
Azeeza Saloojee: Rise Process work for creating the rise poster
arigato Class photo: First row(l-r) Lethabo Marapyane, Sasha-Lee Findlay, Kylie Forrester, Kaylee Macdonald, Dr Antoine Abi Aad (workshop facilitator), Denieme Spenceley, Onica Lekuntwane (lecturer) Second row (l-r) Clinton dos Santos, Vivek Ramkelawon, Azeeza Saloojee, Ramon Chinian, Jared Gower, Sinead Queiroz, Nawal Khamis, Paulo Marques, Mohammed Mamoojee, Aamina Richards (partially hidden), Stephanie Francke, Guy Buchanan, Mahomed Dadabhay, Karabo Maloisane.