Ep 2 Siyanda Mbele | Talking design, manufacturing, and facing up to the realities of building a business when you have no Plan B
Behind The Design09/12/19 • 45 min
This is episode 2 where I am joined by interior and furniture designer Siyanda Mbele.
ABOUT SIYANDA: Siyanda Mbele is the founder of Pinda Design, the design studio he set up in his hometown of Durban, South Africa. He designs and manufactures hand-painted furniture inspired by South Africa’s diverse cultures.
We talk about:
- The financial implications of starting design business - finding funding and getting support from family to support his dream
- The costs of manufacturing, and finding the right manufacturers to work with
- Who turns to for advice and business support
- The early mistakes he made and how he fixed them
- Learning to connect and negotiate with global buyers
- The challenges of getting his product to market, logistics shipping internationally from the continent and how he works around the challenges
- The role of culture in design, the impact it has on society, and why it's important for him to express his culture in his designs
- Cultural shifts in South Africa, and the emergence and impact of young black furniture and product designers making a name for themselves and contributing to the South African design aesthetic, and what has changed to make this possible
Links and resources mentioned in this episode
Durban University Of Technology - https://www.dut.ac.za/course/bachelor_of_technology_interior_design/
Design Indaba - https://www.designindaba.com
SABS Design Institute - http://design.sabs.co.za
Where you can go to find out more about Siyanda
Instagram: @pindadesign | @siyandambele
https://www.behance.net/Pindabysiyandambele
Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast
This podcast is brought to you by atelier 55
09/12/19 • 45 min
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