Africa leads in international design

The General Assembly was the final component of a weeklong schedule for Design/Culture: Icograda World Design Congress 2007. The biennial meeting brought together representatives from 33 of the 67 countries represented within Icograda, the worldwide body providing graphic design information, resources, events and news from the design world, and included an unprecedented gathering of 10 generations of Icograda Presidents. The overall Congress included delegates from more than 50 countries.

Mohammed Jogie was elected to his first term as an Icograda Vice President. He is a practising designer and partner in MSD Zulera. He works for Adobe in the role of Design Evangelist, marketing and channel for the MEA and MED region. He is a board member of think, the South African Communication Design Council, a Professional Member of Icograda, a Professional Member of AIGA and a member of ISTD, the International Society of Typographic Designers. He also serves on the board of Café, the Communications and Advertising Forum for Empowerment.

“I am hopeful that this appointment will help raise the profile of design in the South African context, Africa and the Diaspora. Icograda gives developing and developed economies the platform to influence the role of design in business, to improve the lives of ordinary people, democratising design and influencing government policies toward a better designed world,” says Jogie.

Jacques Lange, also a South African, continues to serve on the board as past president. He will continue to serve on the Advisory Committee of the IDA World Design Report pilot project. In his new capacity, Lange will also take on a leadership role in the redevelopment of the Icograda Foundation. A partner and creative director at Bluprint Design in South Africa, he is responsible for strategic consulting and R&D of integrated visual communication programmes for a diverse client portfolio. He is an advisor to various NGOs, governmental and education institutions and a steering committee member of the SABS Design Institute's Design Achievers Awards. He is also board member of think, the South African Communication Design Council.

Jogie takes over from Veejay Archary who served on the Icograda board during the 2005 – 2007 term. Veejay is a founding partner of Herdbuoys McCann-Erickson, which was the first black advertising and design company to open a practice in South Africa in 1991.

Veejay is also the former chairman of the Graphik Design Council of South Africa, THINK, and was the managing partner of HerdBuoys Strategy, Branding & Design. In July 2005, he established Black, a strategic branding and design consultancy.