As the first cycle of the World Design Partner® Programme comes to a close, Icsid would like to highlight the important contribution made by its four World Design Partners: Microsoft Mobile, Nestlé (South Africa), Rado and BMW (South Africa), specifically to its World Design Capital® (WDC) initiative. Icsid is proud that these four design-effective companies chose to be part of this new partnership programme and looks forward to continued success in the next cycle.

“We are very encouraged by this first term and hope to attract similar high calibre partners in 2015-2016 so as to promote not only World Design Capital Taipei 2016, but Icsid’s other programmes such as the World Design Impact Prize and World Industrial Design Day,” said Dilki de Silva, Icsid Secretary General.

Over the course of 2013, Icsid sought partners with a strong commitment to design and an interest in specifically supporting the World Design Capital® initiative. Microsoft, Nestlé (SA), Rado and BMW (SA) were the first four partners to align themselves with Icsid and were able to activate their brands within the WDC Cape Town 2014 programme. Each industry leader had the opportunity to contribute to the yearlong calendar of events in a capacity that corresponded to their level of partnership (main partner, partner, supporting partner).

Microsoft Mobile collaborated with a WDC Cape Town 2014 recognised project, iKhaya le Langa, to build a mobile library in the Langa quarter of Cape Town. This digital empowerment project placed tablets and smartphones in the hands of residents who had never previously had access to free Wi-Fi. Rado brought their famed Rado Star Prize competition to the African continent for the first time, stipulating that design students and not-yet-established designers submit social design projects to complement the theme for WDC Cape Town, “Live Design. Transform Life.”

Nestlé saw the WDC Cape Town 2014 programme as an ideal initiative to support while building awareness of their NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® brand, which had only recently been introduced to South Africa; while BMW supported the WDC with a fleet of vehicles for use by Icsid and the local implementation agency as well as displays of their two zero emission vehicles, the BMWi3 and i8.

The World Design Partners demonstrated their commitment to innovation through design and not only enriched the goals of the WDC Cape Town 2014 programme, but also contributed knowledge and expertise to community development and the improvement of quality of life.

To learn more about each of the partner’s activations in Cape Town and to inquire about becoming a World Design Partner, visit here.

For more information about World Design Partner Programme please contact:

Ms. Allison DaCosta
Project Manager
e: adacosta@icsid.org
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext: 235