I will be speaking at World Information Architecture Day on Saturday, 18 February 2017 The topic of my presentation is “Exploring Human Activity: Technology Innovation on the Periphery” Professional designers often disregard users’ design agency. Negating the power of “lay designers” thus, is arguably at the cost of the relevance of a final design for its intended users. This is nowhere more evident than in so-called “developing” contexts where people have always been driven to design and innovate due to inequality, poverty, and unmet needs. Utilising the framework of activity theory, I will explore exceptional examples of grassroots innovation in South Africa. The aim of this is to encourage expert designers to shift their gaze and align their skills to amplify the efforts of lay designers in order to result in more sustainable and appropriate change. Tickets for the event can be bought at: https://worldiaday2017-johannesburg.eventbrite.com  – General admission: R200.00pp (includes lunch, snacks … Read More