BETTY MWEMAFirst name: Betty Last name: Mwema Year of birth: 1993 Place of birth: Kenya Type of degree, university: MA. Design for Change, University of Edinburgh Discipline: Design Current professional status: Service Designer Awards: Afrika Kommt 8 Fellow
Personal motivation for choosing a career as a designer: I find my purpose in discovering, understanding, and telling the stories of human behaviour and their social experiences through user research and design processes. A job in service design allows me to work with a wide range of social, technical, and environmental systems to build unified services that are relevant to the requirements of today's world and people.
Personal vision of the Hub: The Design Networking Hub is a necessary platform to bring collaboration opportunities for designers from Kenya and Germany. Wicked problems such as access to affordable housing and others that the hub wants to address cannot be remedied in their entirety. I am eager to experience the hub's support and guidance to designers in the programme tasked with resolving these problems creatively and collaboratively.
As part of the Design Networking Hub, I am particularly looking forward to...: bringing a critical, curious, and system design perspective to the hub's projects on mobility and housing – some of the socio-technical issues that the world faces today. These include scoping a research process, formulating research plans, overseeing fieldwork and desk research, and analysing, synthesising, and interpreting findings for final design projects.
GEORGE WEKESAFirst name: George Last name: Wekesa Year of birth: 1991 Place of birth: Kitale, Kenya Type of degree, university: B. Arch. (Hons), B. A. S. (Hons) - University of Nairobi Discipline: Architecture Current professional status: Architect and Mass Timber Lead at BuildX Studio Awards: IE Spaces for Innovation Prize, Konza City Innovation Prize
Personal motivation for choosing a career as an architect: Architecture presents an avenue that horns problem solving skills in a multidisciplinary approach which can be applicable in other fields of design. It is also exciting as each project presents a new set of challenges and opportunities which makes it less routine.
Personal vision of the Hub: Learn, network, advocate, innovate and create
The idea of a Design Networking Hub excites me because...: it offers exciting new connections with professions in the design field enabling a diverse outlook at issues to do with mobility, innovation and housing.
HANNAH WEIRICH www.hannahweirich.comFirst name: Hannah Last name: Weirich Year of birth: 1997 Place of birth: Darmstadt, Germany Type of degree, university: HfG Offenbach Discipline: Product Design Current professional status: student Awards: Hessian State Award of Universal Design (2018), Awareness Award HfG Offenbach (2019)
Personal motivation for choosing a career as a designer: The profession of designer has always appealed to me. It combines creativity with technology. It is diverse and requires constant development of new skills. As a designer, you have the opportunity to deal with current socially relevant issues and actively look for solutions.
Personal vision of the Hub: From the Design Networking Hub, I especially hope for international exchange. I would like to get to know different perspectives on design and am looking forward to the discussion between the different disciplines. I'm excited about making new contacts and working in groups on interesting topics. The talks that have already taken place have been very inspiring and make me look forward to the upcoming projects and the trip to Nairobi.
As part of the Design Networking Hub, I am particularly looking forward to...: all the enriching conversations with people from different backgrounds, different cultures and different mindsets.
JULITA BHAGAT AFANDE www.simplyhuli.designFirst name: Julita Bhagat Last name: Afande Year of birth: 1987 Place of birth: Kenya Type of degree, university: Fellowship, Nairobi Design Institute Discipline: Impact design & Design leadership Current professional status: Consultant & Employment Awards: British Council New Arts New Audiences Grant
Personal motivation for choosing a career as a designer: I’d like to see a future where quality of life is not compromised by the services and products brought into existence.
The idea of a Design Networking Hub excites me because...: it is an opportunity to explore similarities and differences between two distinct cultures and histories; and use the output to create something new.
MADITA MORGENSTERN-ANTAO www.madita.designFirst name: Madita Last name: Morgenstern-Antao Year of birth: 1991 Place of birth: Offenbach am Main, Germany Type of degree, university: Diploma, HfG Offenbach, University of Art and Design Discipline: Product Design Current professional status: Entrepreneur
Personal vision of the Hub: Co-creating impact driven solutions, with a human centred approach in cross-cultural, strong teams.
As part of the Design Networking Hub, I am particularly looking forward to...: the opportunity of working on innovative and future leading projects with a team of international design professionals form diverse backgrounds.
MARVIN KASPER www.marvinkasper.deMarvin on BehanceMarvin on InstagramFirst name: Marvin Last name: Kasper Year of birth: 1992 Place of birth: Kassel, Germany Type of degree, university: Bachelor of Arts, Hochschule Hannover, University of applied sciences and arts Discipline: Industrial Design Current professional status: Industrial Designer at MAY Design and Master Student at Bauhaus University Weimar Awards: Interior Design Best of Year Award 2020 – Winner, European Product Design Award 2021 – Winner, German Design Award Newcomer – Nominee 2022
Personal motivation for choosing a career as a designer: Coming from a background of craftsmanship I discovered my interest in design processes quite early. I saw myself drawn to experiment with new ideas and approaches and decided to study product design to support this passion. I draw great inspiration from traditional uses of materials and methods and feel eager to combine these with modern problem solving to create new and meaningful products.
Personal vision of the Hub: I see the hub as a great possibility for intercultural exchange and a motivating place to get in touch and discuss strategies to solve the problems we are facing in the modern times. The hub is an informative and practical oriented platform, where new projects find the space to develop and grow. Especially the interpersonal connection makes this project so valuable for the advancement of new ideas and exchange of views to further support new ways of thinking.
The idea of a Design Networking Hub excites me because...: I am eager to learn more about Kenyan culture and design approaches. As a trained craftsmen I value learning about different manufacturing processes and would love to exchange my knowledge with other designers to equally promote our growth in our design development. I believe that different perspectives are incredibly important to shape a draft into a thought through project.
PHILIP KOHLBECHER Philip on LinkedInFirst name: Philip Last name: Kohlbecher Year of birth: 1997 Place of birth: Munich, Germany Type of degree, university: Bachelor of Arts – Munich University of Applied Sciences Discipline: Industrial Design Current professional status: BA Sociology Study at the University of Vienna – Industrial Design Freelancer Awards: Green Concept Award 2021 – BSH Design Award 2018 - …
Personal motivation for choosing a career as a designer: I see the work of a designer as extremely versatile and varied. The topics dealt with as well as challenges are constantly changing, which, in my opinion, enables a reflected perspective on many things. This professional confrontation is extremely exciting and can also be combined with real private interests, which makes it even more enjoyable.
Personal vision of the Hub: I hope that the Hub will also provide a rich exchange and many new perspectives on mobility, living and digitalization from the perspective of Kenyan designers and architects.
The idea of a Design Networking Hub excites me because...: it creates a real exchange through close cooperation and thus really enables an understanding of the role of design and architecture in the other country and culture.
STEPHANIE NYAIRO www.stephanienyairo.comFirst name: Stephanie Last name: Nyairo Year of birth: 1993 Place of birth: Kenya Type of degree, university: Bachelor Fine Arts Discipline: Graphic Design Current professional status: Employed
Personal motivation for choosing a career as a designer: My passion for visual design and it’s ability to transform experiences, change perspectives, and ease points of friction is what drove me to pursue design as a career. Lines, shapes, form, colour, texture and space are used the world over to communicate different ideas, emotions and feelings. This universal understanding of the elements of design, something that became apparent to me after moving across the world as a teen, drove me to pursue a creative career where I can create products and experiences that resonate with users of different backgrounds and abilities.
Personal vision of the Hub: The hub offers a great opportunity for learning, collaboration and cultural exchange. I’m excited to create and develop ideas and solutions that will have positive impact on communities both in Kenya and Germany. As well I’m pleased to be a part of a group that emphasises continued learning both in our respective fields and in the different fields where our creative engagement can make a difference.
As part of the Design Networking Hub, I am particularly looking forward to...: engaging, learning creating, and developing ideas with designers from different disciplines.
TIMM DONKE www.timmdonke.netwww.bricknic.orgFirst name Timm Last name: Donke Year of birth: 1991 Place of birth: Munich, Germany Type of degree, university: Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude at Design Academy Eindhoven Discipline: Conceptual Design Current professional status: Designer, Co-Founder and CEO of Bricknic B.V. Awards: Red Dot Design Award 2021, Ein&zwanzig Newcomer Design Award 2018
Personal motivation for choosing a career as a designer: With my work I develop proposals to open up worlds of unexpected solutions. ‘Designing - from a dream to reality.
Personal vision of the Hub: For me the Design Networking Hub is a great initiative to connect to creatives on a global level.
The idea of a Design Networking Hub excites me because...: it has the opportunity to build bridges and spark interaction between different minds, locations, visions and ideas.
WILLIAM OTUKE www.wmoworkshop.comFirst name: William Last name: Otuke Year of birth: 1991 Place of birth: Nairobi, Kenya Type of degree, university: Master’s in architecture (Glasgow School of Art), BA in Architecture (University of Kent) Current professional status: Architectural Designer
Personal motivation for choosing a career as an architectural designer: My personal motivation for choosing a career in architecture was based on the notion that future generations within a particular society would have an improved way of living as a result of the design projects that I will be a part of facilitating.
Personal vision of the Hub: My personal vision for the hub will be to identify a design problem & try to come up with a Specific solution that would not only identify Kenya as a rich design hub, but also culminate in improved convenience for the wider public.
As part of the Design Networking Hub, I am particularly looking forward to...: learning and collaborating with all the talented designers we are working together with as well as broadening my understanding of the German culture.
