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.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Early Aspirations and the Power of Creativity

The speaker reminisces about their nursery school days when they declared a desire to change the world. They fondly recalls their early interests in painting, drawing, and organizing talent shows, which required critical thinking, communication, and strategic planning. The speaker's passion for the creative arts continued through primary and high school, where they participated in productions and met a mentor who inspired them. They were particularly inspired by shows like 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'Extreme Home Makeover,' which showcased how creativity could solve problems and improve lives. This led to an interest in human-centered design, a problem-solving approach that includes users in every step of the design process, used across various fields.

05:01

🌟 The Birth of the African Collective and Design Education

During the speaker's final year at university, they experienced a 'design existential crisis' due to the lack of a Pan-African centered curriculum and the absence of a platform for African creatives to showcase their work. This realization led to the creation of the African Collective, a platform designed to connect, showcase, and celebrate the work of upcoming African creators. The speaker discovered 'designing for social impact,' which further fueled their commitment to using creative thinking to address social issues in Africa. They then ventured into design education, aiming to empower creatives and educate them about the potential of creative thinking to contribute to Africa's social and economic development. The speaker highlights the importance of the first Pan-African Creative Youth Festival, 'Umuzi,' which aimed to create a home for creatives and emphasize the role of design thinking in solving local challenges.

10:02

🚀 Empowering Creatives for Social Impact

The speaker emphasizes the importance of equipping creatives with the right skills, tools, and mindsets to address opportunities and challenges within their local context. They advocate for teaching entrepreneurial spirits in creative pursuits, allowing creatives to raise funds and manage finances effectively. The speaker also stresses the need for empathy and the recognition of the intrinsic role that individuals play in solving their own problems. The speaker concludes by encouraging educators and institutions to think beyond traditional curriculums, embrace innovation, and recognize the potential of their students to make a profound impact in their communities.

Keywords

💡Nursery School

Nursery school refers to an early childhood education service typically for children before they are of primary school age. In the script, the speaker recalls a moment from their nursery school days when they were asked about their future aspirations, which sets the stage for their life-long ambition to change the world.

💡Creative Arts

Creative arts encompass a variety of disciplines that involve creative expression, including visual arts, music, dance, and theater. The speaker's involvement in creative arts from a young age is highlighted as a foundational aspect of their identity and their journey towards using creativity for social impact.

💡Human-Centered Design

Human-centered design is a problem-solving approach that focuses on the user and includes them in every step of the design process. It is used across various fields to create solutions that cater to the user's needs. The speaker is intrigued by this concept and sees it as a 'creative superpower' that can be used to solve real-world problems.

💡Design Thinking

Design thinking is a process used by designers to approach and solve problems. It involves empathizing with users, defining problems, ideating, prototyping, and testing. The speaker discovers design thinking in design school and realizes its potential to change the world through creative problem-solving.

💡Purpose-Driven Journey

A purpose-driven journey refers to a path or career that is guided by a strong sense of purpose or mission. The speaker's journey in the creative arts is described as purpose-driven, emphasizing their commitment to using their skills for meaningful change.

💡African Collective

The African Collective is a platform created by the speaker to connect, showcase, and celebrate the work of upcoming African creators. It is born out of a desire for representation and a space for African creatives to display their work, highlighting the need for such platforms in the creative industry.

💡Designing for Social Impact

Designing for social impact involves using design principles and practices to create solutions that address social issues. The speaker becomes passionate about this concept and makes it their mantra, aiming to apply creative thinking to solve Africa's pressing problems.

💡Pan-African Centered Curriculum

A Pan-African centered curriculum is an educational approach that focuses on the history, culture, and perspectives of African people. The speaker expresses frustration at the lack of such a curriculum in their education, which they believe is essential for empowering African creatives.

💡Creative Leadership Camp

The Creative Leadership Camp is an initiative mentioned by the speaker, aimed at building a space for creatives with state-of-the-art facilities and curricula. It is part of the speaker's vision to provide tangible solutions through creativity and to foster a new generation of creative leaders.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment in the context of the script refers to the process of equipping individuals with the necessary skills, tools, and mindsets to address opportunities and challenges. The speaker emphasizes the importance of empowering creatives to contribute to the social and economic development of Africa.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. The speaker implores educators and institutions to embrace innovation and recognize the potential of their students to drive change through creative and entrepreneurial endeavors.

Highlights

Aspiration to change the world declared in nursery school

Early interest in painting, drawing, and hosting talent shows

Realization of happiness and peace through creative activities

Involvement in creative arts throughout primary and high school

Mentorship by an art teacher who was a significant influence

Inspiration from shows like 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'America's Next Top Model'

Understanding of human-centered design as a problem-solving approach

Enlightenment about design thinking and its application in problem-solving

Application of creative thinking in community projects during university

Creation of the African Collective to showcase African creatives

Frustration with lack of representation and platform for African creatives

Introduction to designing for social impact and its global obsession

Decision to focus on social impact through creative thinking

Venture into design education to empower creatives in Africa

Initiation of the Panafrican Creative Youth Festival to build a creative community

Emphasis on the importance of creatives in social and economic development

Challenge to students to create a festival focused on user needs

Proud announcement of high student involvement in the arts at African Leadership Academy

Plans for a creative leadership camp to build tangible solutions

Encouragement for educators to embrace innovation and recognize student potential

Transcripts

when I was in nursery school my teacher

went around the classroom asking us what

we wanted to be when we grew up of

course we had a couple of doctors

policemen nurses astronauts two

dinosaurs yes two two dinosaurs and a

Spice

Girl then my turn came around so little

Sanu stood up proudly puffed out her

chest and declared that when I grow up I

would like to change the

world all the giggles and

and at third I continued plotting and

planning my world

Revolution but I began to realize that I

felt very happy and peaceful when I

would paint and draw put on makeup I

used to host talent shows and fashion

shows on my parents massive bed and even

convinced my little brother to join me

in my creative

escapades as you can see he wasn't too

impressed the point is planning all

these things took a lot of critical

thinking effective communication

strategic thinking these things were not

that

easy fast forward through to my primary

and high school years where I still

happened to find myself involved in the

creative arts I was part of major

Productions talent shows I was part of a

dance crew I met my first mentor

who was my art teacher that actually

happens to be here

today I fell head over heels for shows

like so you think he can dance Extreme

Home Makeover and America's Next Top

Model Tyra Banks taught me how to

smile thanks

Tyra but the point is I loved watching

how creatives were able to dream big as

they

believed

understood invented listened for

feedback and

delivered I loved watching how those

Solutions came alive before us as being

relevant client focused and of course

human

centered I've been intrigued by how

human- centered design is a

problemsolving approach that focuses on

including the user in every single step

of the process it's used in designing

products and services in various fields

from management to

engineering the goal of human Center

design is to design solutions that

better cater for the needs of its

user human Center design is basically a

creative

superpower so I knew and I always knew

that I wanted to change the world but my

plan was a

little fuzzy so I continue to pursue the

creative arts

I had the privilege of attending design

school for my undergrad and it was there

where I met the powerful combination of

designed thinking and human centered

design it was like a light bul moment

design thinking is the way designers

think and work when creating their ideas

it involves their thoughts strategies

and practical steps during the design

process it also includes the knowledge

about how people think when dealing with

design

problems imagine how powerful I felt

when I realized that you could use

creative

thinking to solve everyday problems I

realized that I actually could change

the world the only problem was that I

had no idea with regards to how I could

practically apply creative thinking

within my creative

Pursuits so during University I decided

to challenge myself and apply this

creative thinking in some of my creative

Endeavors I decided to do this in my

local Community

Church I went beyond just designing and

creating aesthetically pleasing things

and went into designing curricula for

drama plays pageants camp programs that

were aimed at informing educating

empowering connecting and fostering

healing

this marked the beginning of my

purpose-driven journey in the design

field fast forward again to my final

year in University why where I

experienced my design existential life

crisis because I realized that one I was

not exposed to a Pan African centered

curriculum and also realized that we

didn't have or upcoming African

creatives did not have a space or a

platform to Showcase their

work and as a result the African

Collective was

born the African Collective was born out

of frustration because I realized that

as upcoming creatives we did not have

enough representation we all had desire

for connection and we needed a space to

showcase our

work so I decided to design the African

Collective a platform that connects

showcases

and celebrates the work of upcoming

African

creators while designing the African

Collective I bumped into something

called designing for social impact and

then realized that the rest of the world

was obsessed with human- centered design

designing for social

impact and then came back to us and saw

that Africa was lagging

behind I was very frustrated because I

began to see and notice that Africa was

faced with so many problems like

Equitable education and access to clean

water and wondered why we weren't using

creative thinking to solve these

issues so I decided to make designing

for social impact my

Mantra after designing the African

Collective I ventured into design

education with the aim and the dream of

educating and informing creatives about

the power of creative thinking and how

they too can contribute to the social

economic development of the African

continent you may be asking

why because I believe that designed

thinking can change the

continent design thinking can Empower

people who best know their challenges to

be part of creating their

Solutions it's used to also Empower

people people to believe and understand

that they too play an intrinsic part in

solving their

problems so this year the creative arts

department alongside the student

Enterprise blank hosted the first

panafrican creative Youth Festival we

named it

umuzi umuzi means your home our aim was

to create a home for all the creatives

we not only hosted the inaugural event

but decided to establish a vibrant

creative Community with on the campus

right here at the African Leadership

Academy our aim as a department was to

empower creatives and get them to

understand that they are important that

they could contribute to the social

economic development of the

continent through design thinking my

students were challenged with the idea

or were briefed to create a festival

that purely catered For the needs of

their

user we had a lot of

fun I'm proud to announce now that 49%

of our student body at the African

Leadership Academy is involved in the

Arts I'm extremely proud to announce

that we will be hosting our first ever

creative leadership camp in July

our aim is to build a space for

creatives with state-of-the-art

facilities and curricula allowing our

students to create tangible

Solutions I would like you to know that

the essence of the African leadership

credit arts department was born in

2017 when I built the African

Collective I would like to

confirm that dreams do come true

there's a court that says write the

vision down make it plain that He who

reads it may run with

it dear Educators and

institutions I implore you to stretch

beyond the confines of traditional

curriculum to dream bigger Embrace

Innovation and recognize the untapped

potential of your students

consider the profound impact your very

students could have in their local

communities focus on equipping our

creatives with the right skills tools

mindsets needed to address opportunities

and challenges within their local

context teach them how to adapt

entrepreneurial spirits in their

creative Pursuits allowing them to raise

funds and manage their

finances and EMP empathize or emphasize

the