Interview with Martin Miruka

DW: What are you looking forward to most about Design Currency 2010?

MM: This forum presents a chance to share with an important cross section of the world of design about Brand Strategy and Design in the African context. I believe that most of the audience would be hearing many of the things I will have to say for the first time and for a true African and citizen of the world, the opportunity to share a different side of my continent with a group from as far wide as this is invaluable.
 

DW: What does the conference theme “Design Currency” mean to you?

MM: First off, Design Currency to me could mean, literally, what design can ‘buy’ - that is, the value created or added to a subject, an item or an idea by good design (and vice versa).

Secondly, Design Currency could also mean Design that is ‘current’, i.e. Design that is in step with its consumer tastes and realities – culturally, demographically, or simply current based on the ever changing consumer tastes within and without the specific cultural and demographic contexts.
 

DW: If design was currency, who would have the most? Who would have the least?

MM: Those who are more design-literate will have more design currency. Within the design-literate group, those who are more intuitive in aligning their design output to their consumer needs will have the ultimate design currency.

DW: What criteria do you use to evaluate design?

MM: Relevance/Usefulness. Design is not art (though artistry can be and is applied to design). If design does not achieve a user-driven purpose, it is redundant (a well designed chair that you can not sit on is an oxymoron – or art).

Martin Miruka will be speaking at Design Currency 2010. Learn more about him on the Martin Miruka speaker page.