Bridging the design gap in education | Ssanyu Sematimba | TEDxAfricanLeadershipAcademy

Summary

The speaker recounts their childhood dream of changing the world, which evolved through a journey in creative arts and design thinking. They discovered human-centered design and its power to solve problems, leading to the creation of the African Collective, a platform for African creatives. The narrative emphasizes the importance of design thinking in education and its potential to drive social and economic development in Africa, culminating in the establishment of a creative leadership camp to empower the next generation of creatives.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker aspired to change the world from a young age and found joy and peace in creative activities like painting and drawing.
• 🎨 The speaker's early experiences with talent shows and fashion shows on their parents' bed showcased their innate creativity.
• 👯‍♀️ The speaker's brother was an early participant in their creative endeavors, albeit not very impressed.
• 💡 The realization that human-centered design could be a powerful tool for solving problems was a pivotal moment for the speaker.
• 🌐 The speaker's involvement in major productions and talent shows during primary and high school nurtured their creative skills.
• 🎓 Attending design school introduced the speaker to design thinking and human-centered design, which they saw as a creative superpower.
• 🏆 The creation of the African Collective was a response to the lack of representation and platform for African creatives to showcase their work.
• 🚀 The speaker's design existential crisis in university led to the creation of a platform that connects and celebrates African creators.
• 🌱 The speaker's venture into design education aimed to empower creatives to contribute to the social and economic development of Africa.
• 🏛️ The establishment of the first Panafrican Creative Youth Festival and the African Leadership Academy's creative arts department highlights the speaker's commitment to fostering a creative community.

Q & A

What did the speaker want to be when they grew up in nursery school?

The speaker declared that they wanted to change the world when they grew up in nursery school.

What activities did the speaker engage in that made them feel happy and peaceful?

The speaker felt happy and peaceful when they painted, drew, put on makeup, and hosted talent shows and fashion shows.

How did the speaker's involvement in creative arts evolve from primary to high school?

The speaker's involvement in creative arts evolved by participating in major productions, talent shows, being part of a dance crew, and meeting their first mentor, who was an art teacher.

What did the speaker learn from watching shows like 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'Extreme Home Makeover'?

The speaker learned about dreaming big, believing, understanding, inventing, listening for feedback, and delivering solutions that are relevant, client-focused, and human-centered.

What is human-centered design and how does it relate to the speaker's interests?

Human-centered design is a problem-solving approach that focuses on including the user in every step of the process, used in designing products and services in various fields. The speaker is intrigued by its potential to better cater to the needs of users.

How did the speaker's experience in design school influence their understanding of design thinking?

Attending design school introduced the speaker to the powerful combination of design thinking and human-centered design, which was a light bulb moment for them, realizing the potential of creative thinking to solve everyday problems.

What was the speaker's purpose-driven journey in the design field after university?

The speaker's purpose-driven journey involved designing curricula for drama plays, pageants, and camp programs aimed at informing, educating, empowering, connecting, and fostering healing in their local community and church.

What led to the creation of the African Collective and what is its purpose?

The African Collective was created out of frustration due to the lack of representation and a platform for upcoming African creatives to showcase their work. Its purpose is to connect, showcase, and celebrate the work of upcoming African creators.

How did the speaker's experience with the African Collective lead to an interest in designing for social impact?

The speaker's experience with the African Collective, combined with their realization that Africa was lagging behind in using creative thinking to solve social issues, led them to adopt designing for social impact as their mantra.

What is the goal of the creative arts department at the African Leadership Academy, as described by the speaker?

The goal of the creative arts department is to empower creatives, help them understand their importance, and enable them to contribute to the social and economic development of the African continent through design thinking.

What was the outcome of the first panafrican creative Youth Festival and what did it aim to achieve?

The first panafrican creative Youth Festival aimed to create a home for all creatives and establish a vibrant creative community on campus. It was a success, with 49% of the African Leadership Academy's student body involved in the Arts.