Portfolio of South African designers: TinTemple

Abstract

The need to explore and express indigenous influences as key elements in graphic design has enjoyed considerable attention in published articles, conference papers and in the work of South African designers during the last decade. Although the idea is by no means novel, it was given additional impetus by the optimism and anticipation accompanying the social and economic changes offered by the new political order. The issue of a definable South African visual identity and style within this context has essentially been informed by two challenges. The first is the drive to satisfy personal curiosity about the nature of a design expression shaped by a creative exploration of that which is uniquely South African. The second relates to the strategic positioning of South African design in the global arena. The importance of a differentiating visual aesthetic and the value of design skills honed in a complex multi-cultural communications setting continue to be espoused by prominent members of the communications and design industries like Thomas Oosthuizen (1993), Kees Schilperoort (Kapplan 1998) and Roy Clucas ( 1998).