Aziza Cyamani, IDSA, is making waves in the world of sustainable design! Her recent workshop, titled “Innovative Solutions for Product Designers,” held from July 27 to August 4, 2023, at the University of Rwanda – College of Science and Technology, underscores her commitment to fostering positive change through design.
The primary goal of Aziza’s workshop was to introduce students to the product/industrial design process as a powerful tool for addressing sustainability issues within their environments. Specifically, the workshop tackled the significant issue of tomato post-harvest loss and explored how designers can play a crucial role in SDG 12.3: Reducing Food Loss and Waste and enhance tomato supply chain in Rwanda and across the African continent.
The workshop fostered a collaborative environment where participants engaged in hands-on activities, exchanged ideas, and developed practical solutions that can make a real impact. They collaborated with peers from various design disciplines and external stakeholders to conceptualize and build physical products using local materials. The workshop explored the following steps of the design process:
- Introduction to problem
- Understanding the systematic connections of different aspects of the problem
- Individual and group brainstorming
- Model making and engaging stakeholder’s feedback
- Prototyping and concept development
- Group presentations and feedback
The workshop participants included 8 students from the Department of Creative Design, 3 Product Design students, 1 Communication Design student, 3 Media Design students, and 1 Environmental Design student.
More about Aziza
Aziza Cyamani, IDSA, is a multidisciplinary designer with experience in product development, visual communication, and sustainable systems, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Product Design at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her main research focuses on the integration of cross cutting topics in industrial/product design education, with a particular focus on sustainability and transdisciplinary collaboration. Her creative scholarship centers on object meaning in diverse cultures and the social impacts of artifacts after posttraumatic events. Ms. Cyamani holds a Master of Design in Sustainable Environments and a Master of Industrial Design from Iowa State University.