Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-131). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis(M.I.D.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.138-139).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes special report study entitled : Imagery of urban space. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: Viswanathan Krishnan. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 162-166).

M.Tech. / This research project endeavours to explore and develop notions of ‘contemporary African design’. The project focuses on chair design with particular reference to the Senufo articulated chair from the Ivory Coast. In order to frame the practical research the separate histories of Western chairs and African chairs are examined for common ground. Ideas of cultural identity and style as a means of communicating an African identity to the West are explored. Transculturation and liminality are presented as alternative conceptual stances from which to overcome conceptual and theoretical problems inherent in the term ‘African design’. The research also examines the notion of communication in products and artefacts aiming at a better understanding of how products and artefacts conceived in one cultural context are likely to be interpreted by another. A general semiotic theory is used as a starting point providing a comparison to various other alternate and/or opposing theoretical approaches. A chair designed in the Western Modernist tradition, Hans Wegner’s 1949 Folding Chair, is used as a basis for illustrating the applicability of such theoretical approaches. A traditional Senufo articulated chair is then used as a basis to explore cross-cultural interpretation: the ways in which one culture interprets the artefacts of another and attaches new and different meanings to these artefacts because of different cultural assumptions, attitudes and values. Finally, the insights gained from the theoretical and cultural understanding of the chairs are used as a basis for putting into practise a hybrid method for design: that of incorporating craft and design and allowing the two approaches to inform one another. After a thorough elimination process one design is chosen, refined and prototyped, this choice being rooted in the theoretical findings in order to develop a new stylistic possibility for African product design inspired by African cultural heritage.

M.Tech. / In this tenth year of democracy, South Africans celebrate a range of achievements marking their transition from apartheid to freedom. Our change in identity is confirmed by our accomplishments. We can boast of, amongst other transformations, the most advanced constitution in the world, a robust economy, a position of leadership in the affairs of Africa, and very recently, the successful bid to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup. However, we are continually reminded of transformations that still need to be made. Poverty alleviation, job creation and crime prevention are amongst the most important tasks still to be tackled. Improving the competitiveness of our manufacturing industries (whilst adding value to our abundant natural resources) is often cited as one of the more important means to achieve these goals. This project is born out of a conviction that our cultural heritage and unique cultural mix gives us the aesthetic wherewithal to create products that have a competitive edge because they differentiate themselves as uniquely African in style. In the field of product design there are almost no mass-manufactured products that seek to suggest a new African identity. This can be partly accounted for by the demands of the market and the economic pressures that accompany manufacturing in the capitalist mode (economies of scale, scientific management, etc.) and mainly by the lack of successful examples. By contrast, in those arenas of machine manufacturing that do not rely on large economies of scale, called either high design (Dormer1990:116-141) or batch production, the possibility of aesthetic innovation is both economically viable and is an expectation of the market. This is evidenced, for example, by the success of the products of Carrol Boyes (fig. 1) with their distinct African identity. However, products of this kind present what is as yet an underdeveloped vocabulary which only scratches the surface of stylistic innovation inspired by traditional African art or by the broader issues of identity in contemporary Africa.

As the population ages, the need for intelligent solutions to mobility concerns increases. Many existing products succeed in targeting the functional aspects of use but fail to address critical psychological and aesthetic elements in the design process. This thesis asks the question: can a walking device address concerns of dignity, beauty, and functionality? / Master of Science