Green Week 2015, University of Johannesburg, Group 17

For the 2015 Green week project, we were tasked to work in a multi- disciplinary team to solve a community-based problem for a community partner. Working in collaboration with Enactus (an entrepreneurial division within UJ), we were introduced to a group of entrepreneurial co-operatives As a team, we were required to apply a range of design methods, processes and techniques competently to solve a problem, documenting our development on a video and printed presentation.

As a team we collaborated with members of “The Community Youth mission Club”, a newly formed nonprofit organisation working to empower the youth living in Slovo park township through community youth projects. As an organisation, they intend to implement programmes that are designed to develop and empower the youth within Slovo Park and develop a sense of belonging. These projects would also function as a proactive mechanism to reduce high levels of teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, domestic violence, poverty and lack of education in the Slovo Park community.

Problem identification
During the initial meeting stage, we identified a variety of existing problems. We discovered that, due to lack of funding and knowledge, the organisation had failed to create a stable platform upon which to promote their initiatives. With no real foundation to work from, they struggled to gain support from the community. They did not have their own working space and operated from a small shelter which had been vandalised and was practically unusable. With little entrepreneurial skills, the threat of vandalisation and very little start-up capital, we as designers were faced with the challenging task of creating an affordable platform that the co-operatives could use to promote their initiative.

Our Solution
Having identified the problems, we decided to create a means of promotion that would be affordable and effective. With this, we focused on their working space. Due to political tension in the community, the existing shelter was vandalised. With the threat of further damage ever-present, we decided to integrate a portable, branded Gazebo unit as part of their promotional platform.

 This solution, aimed at spreading awareness, would be well suited to the organisation with its ease of use, mobility, brand exposure and affordability. This temporary structure also solves the issue of theft and vandalisation (they can move it around and keep the foldable structure in a safe place). 

 Scaled Mock-up 

 

We then decided to establish a unique brand identity for them through a new logo design, business card, T-shirt and poster. This would allow them to visually define their brand and identify themselves easily with the Slovo Park community.  

Chosen Logo

 

  T-shirt Design

 

Development Video

Green Week 2015, University of Johannesburg and Slovo Park

The purpose of the unit was for us (students) to work in a multi-disciplinary team, applying detailed knowledge of our various disciplines to innovatively solve an economic, environmental or social community-based problem for a community partner.

We met with our co-operatives from Slovo Park Youth Forum which is known as Community Youth Mission Club to talk about the social and environmental issues within the community they operate. We then all drove to Slovo Park and walked around for few hours to observe the changes they have done in the community. Our co-operatives were very kind and friendly to us, they bought us soft drinks to cool down after walking.

Mahlomola, Andrew and Tsogolo. (Youth Forum members)

The issues they are facing include lack of purpose amongst the youth, lack of opportunities
for the youth to develop skills, substance abuse, teen pregnancy & lack of motivation. The group would like to expose the youth to more opportunities such as internships and 
apprenticeships so they can develop their skills.

We suggested the following solutions as a group:

Creating an identity for the group so that they will be easily recognized within Slovo Park.

Create a ‘Notice Wall’ inside the community hall; the wall will be painted with black chalkboard paint so that notices can be written regarding the CYMC and opportunities relating to the youth.

A Facebook Page can be set up to keep the Slovo Park youth informed of opportunities as well as what the CYMC provides, this can be in digital form as posts or members can take photos of the ‘Notice Wall’ and post it on the facebook wall. This will keep information circulating and make the Community Youth Mission Club more interactive.

Please click link below to watch the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS63ASxRcRA