The 67 Logos Designathon took place on Mandela Day, 18 July, where 67 designers dedicated their time to design professional logos for SMEs – at no cost to the businesses.
Designers made a pledge to design uniquely crafted logos for small businesses that need a professional logo to kick start their businesses into full gear. ‘The 67 Logos Designathon is one of my favourite projects! For Mandela Day, 67 designers come together to design 67 logos for 67 small businesses. It pulls together the creative industry to design for change,’ said Lesley Waterkeyn – Group CEO at CWDi.
‘Seventy percent of South African small businesses fail within the first three years of business. This shows how difficult it is for a small business to stand out and make an impact on the South African market. If we drive SMEs and ensure their success, it will help boost the South African economy and boost young entrepreneurs to do more and be more. Many small businesses can’t afford a professionally designed logo. We believe that a logo will give them the necessary boost of confidence and a chance to stand out.’
Designers had positive feedback about the event. Gerald Yapp, senior designer and owner of In-Detail Advertising said, ‘Designers are often competitive and do not collaborate too easily as our industry is fiercely competitive. I often collaborate and work with designers and teams from outside South Africa and find them more open and quick to share information and ideas. However, with all the designers placed in one room during the event, the collaboration and interaction was outstanding. Discussion and critique flowed, common design challenges were laughed at, connections were made and contacts were shared. As a designer, it was a really rewarding experience, with some good old fashioned pressure added to create an identity from brief to final artwork in only four hours.’
‘I really enjoyed being part of the 67 Logos Designathon as it was fun and very inspiring. I feel good about being able to help a small business bring their vision for a logo to life. This was my first time taking part in this initiative, but it’s something that I would like to do again. What I loved most was that I got to do what I enjoy doing, except this time around I was doing it to help a business,’ said designer Nomonde Mtetwa.
Phumzile Mthembu, owner of Ingcweti (Pty) Ltd, which had a logo designed for her business, said that she felt empowered and encouraged to be part of this amazing initiative. ‘Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey, but having designers dedicate their time to design logos that will help us elevate our businesses shows that we are not alone. For me, this means growth and higher levels for my business. I am motivated and excited as I can now present my businesses to other organisations and present myself professionally.’
‘We would like to thank all the designers who sponsored their time to design logos. We would also like to thank all our sponsors who help us create a valuable boost to these small businesses,’ said Samantha Gabriel, Group Managing Director at CWDi.
