The 21st Study of Design Fundamentals Seminar: How Understanding Human Needs and IKS Can Help Us Achieve Sustainability

Kyushu University Faculty of Design explores the fundamental methodology of design for integrating a wide range of designs. We were pleased to invite Dr. Keneilwe Munyai, human-centered design consultant and design educator,  to the 21st Seminar on Fundamental Design Studies, “How Understanding Human Needs and IKS Can Help Us Achieve Sustainability”.

[Topic]
Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) play a critical role in helping us understand the past, present and are helping us contribute towards a sustainable future. IKS is also critical to helping us better understand and reframe sustainability issues as related to sustaining human existence, which is a human need.  Traditional discourse on IKS and sustainability tends not to focus on human needs. Human needs are often identified as infinite, ever-changing, dependent on circumstance, culture, or time. However,  Max-Neef (1992) suggested that this is not so — on the contrary, needs are finite and universal. He defined nine basic human needs subsistence, protection, affection, understanding, participation, leisure, creation, identity and freedom. When looking at IKS practices linked to their needs to feed, clothe, co-operate, share their knowledge, express themselves, help themselves, learn from each other, Invent, design solutions, interpret local knowledge and practices, get to know themselves, grow, and develop awareness.

[Speaker]
Dr. Keneilwe Numyai is a human-centred design consultant who trains and capacitates individuals and organisations in human-centred approaches to innovation and problem solving, combined with the design thinking process to help them develop their organisational strategy, innovation strategy, services, and products that meet human needs using insights from different perspectives in various parts of the African continent. She has worked in sectors such as academia, private, public, and NGOs. She has experience in multi-stakeholder participatory processes, collective efficiency, and using various innovation approaches. As a design educator she teaches the transdisciplinary design module at the Sustainability Institute, she also teaches the introduction to human-centred design at UCT GSB in the MPhil in inclusive Innovation and in the vaccinology course in health sciences faculty where she is also an honorary research associate.

[Host]
Kyushu University Faculty of Design

[Co-host]
School of Design, Design Futures Course