Winners: DEFSA "What If!" Design Competition

Presented by DEFSA in partnership with the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture, the pilot edition of the What If! Design Competition concluded on 17 September with a virtual award ceremony.

DEFSA 2025 Conference Reportback

From 18–19 September, DEFSA hosted its 18th Biennial Conference, DESIGN+: Disruptions, Realities, Futures. The conference was a rich exchange of transformative dialogue — bridging physical and digital, Afrikan and global perspectives.

All DEFSA members are welcome to email us their institutional news for publishing.

2025 DEFSA Conference

DESIGN+ Disruptions, Realities, Futures

2025 Design Education Forum of Southern Africa Conference

The 2025 DEFSA conference—DESIGN+ Disruptions, Realities, Futures—explored the dynamic intersections of design, education, technology, culture, and social change. It will address the tensions and synergies between the physical and digital realms.

Peer Reviewed papers accepted for the publication, will be available on this website in January 2026.

2025 Call for Papers
DEFSA 2025 - Programme & Order of Presentations

2023 DEFSA Conference

Vulindlela: making new pathways

DESIGN EDUCATION | AFRIKA

ISBN: 978-0-7961-4046-3

The 17th National DEFSA Conference exploring new pathways in a southern African context, moving forward socially and environmentally. The conference consisted of five sub-themes, which allowed for parallel sessions and included a session for postgraduate student short paper presentations with the aim to encourage participation of young academics.

2023 Conference Proceedings
2023 Conference Programme
Call for Papers
Word Abstract Template

2021 DEFSA Conference

DE+AFRIKA+4IR+

DESIGN EDUCATION | AFRIKA | 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

ISBN: 978-0-620-97912-2

The 16th DEFSA Conference challenged design academics to self-reflection, addressing the past, present, and future of design education while considering the fourth industrial revolution in the context of Afrikan scholarship. At the end of a very challenging year in design education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to reflect on the impact of isolation and teaching in a digital space led naturally to the need to consider the future of design education in relation to the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).

2021 Conference Proceedings Overview
2021 Full Conference Proceedings
2021 Organising Committee
2021 Call for Papers
DHeT Compliance certificate

2019 DEFSA Conference

Designed Futures

Design educators interrogating the future of design knowledge, research and education.

ISBN 978-1-990930-81-2 

The 15th National and 8th International DEFSA Conference was hosted by the IIE Vega School and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology from the 9-10 September 2019 on the Vega campus in Cape Town South Africa. The broad theme of the conference addressed DESIGNED FUTURES: Design educators interrogating the future of design knowledge, research and education.

2019 Conference Proceedings Overview
2019 Conference - Full Proceedings
2019 Conference - Call for abstracts

2017 DEFSA Conference

#Decolonise!

The 14th National DEFSA Conference was hosted by Tshwane University of Technology and Inscape Education Group at Freedom Park Pretoria from 27 to 29 September 2017.

Design educators reflected on the call for the decolonisation of education,and  challenged design academics and postgraduate students to scrutinise their educational practice in relation to calls for the decolonisation of higher education. A record of 64 abstracts were submitted, of which 40 were accepted.

2017 Conference Proceedings
2017 Conference Programme

2015 DEFSA Conference

Ethics & Accountability in Design:
do they matter?

The 13th National and 7th International DEFSA Conference was held in September 2015 and was hosted jointly by Midrand Graduate Institute &  Vaal University of Technology

The DEFSA 2015 conference honoured a principle-driven, civic-minded and human-centred design culture that considers sustainability, credibility, corporate social responsibility, professional accountability and personal integrity.

2015 Conference Proceedings: Overview
2015 Conference Proceedings

2011 DEFSA Conference

20/20 Design Vision

The 11th National (and the 6th International) DEFSA conference was titled 20/20 Design Vision. A total of 23 papers were presented over a two-day period, addressing a range of topics that were pertinent to the conference theme. Of these papers 22 papers were accepted for publication in the conference proceedings.

In 2011, the Forum celebrated its 20th anniversary and in so doing, marked an important milestone in its reflection on design education from the past, present as well as visions for the future.

2011 Conference Proceedings Overview
2011 Conference Proceedings
2011 Conference Programme

2009 DEFSA Conference

Opening gates, between and beyond design disciplines

The 10th National DEFSA conference was hosted by the Design Education Forum of Southern Africa (DEFSA) and co-hosted by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). DEFSA encouraged speakers to investigate and debate the manner in which boundaries between design industry, government, community and design disciplines could be addressed within the conference theme.

The event was held in collaboration with the 2009 International Mohair Summit.

2009 Conference Proceedings
2009 Conference Programme

Our partners in promoting design education excellence

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DEFSA conferences

DEFSA promotes relevant research with the focus on design + education through its biennial conferences, to promote professionalism, accountability and ethics in the education of young designers. Our next conference is a hybrid event. See above for details.

Critical skills endorsement

Professional Members in good standing can receive a certificate of membership, but DEFSA cannot provide confirmation or endorsement of skills whatsoever. DEFSA only confirm membership of DEFSA which is a NPO for Design Education in South Africa (https://www.defsa.org.za/imagine).