CALL FOR ENTREPRENEURS IN CAPE TOWN FOR FOCUS GROUP WORKSHOP/ THUR. 7 & FRI. 8 JULY 2016/CAPE TOWN

2. 2. RESEARCH CONTEXT
CONTENT
1. THE PROJECT
3. BECOME A CO/DESIGNER
4. WHAT'S A FOCUS GROUP
5. BENEFITS OF COLLABORATING
6. PROCESS & TOOLS
7. KIT COMPONENTS
8. ABOUT THE DESIGN STUDENT
9. ABOUT THE ZHDK

3. At the heart or my exploration lies the question:
how might we use smart design with disruptive
technology to create new marketplaces and new
currencies for African startups to unlock resources,
know-how and skills, better and faster?
DESIGNING FOR TRUST
THE PROJECT
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 1 .
The project ‘Designing for Trust. Reputation Capital as the
ultimate currency for African startups of the 21st century.’ is
a design exploration within the scope of my Master of Arts
in Design at the University of Zurich, School of the Arts in
Switzerland.

4. Through my career engagement with Africa over the
past decade - first within executive education at a global
business school and now as a South Africa startup
entrepreneur - I’ve identified entrepreneurship as a
space for innovation to drive change at a country and
continent level. As a student of design (and still an
entrepreneur), I’ve decided to explore the topic of future
capital markets that are better suited to an African
context.
While Africa offers a deep pool of innovative ideas and
savvy entrepreneurs, the infrastructure on the ground for
transforming these into feasible and viable ventures
have not yet been adequately established and are costly
to set up.
MOTIVATION FOR MY TOPIC CHOICE
RESEARCH CONTEXT
Africa needs to build its own 'centre’ for disruptive
innovation, like Palo Alto, one that leverages the
immense human intelligence and creativity inherent
in African networks across the continent and within
the Africa diaspora.
By converging disruptive technology with the
networks and resources of the collaboration
economy, we can design a thriving virtual
ecosystem from which to catapult some of Africa’s
most innovative and creative businesses.
With this project my aim is to use intuitive design
and disruptive technology to deliver the concept for
a Reputation Capital Bank where startups can earn
and transact based on their reputation capital
earnings to mobilise resources needed for their
startups.
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 2 .

5. If we want new solutions that work, then we need to
collaborate with the end-users as co/designers in the
design process. This is why I’d like you, entrepreneurs
with innovative startups in South Africa, to join me in a
focus group.
The focus group will consist of 10 to12 entrepreneurs
from the South African startup community who will
commit to participating in the design research process of
the project over the next 12 months.
I’m aware of your time constraints as entrepreneurs, so
rest assured that you won’t be working directly on the
project all the time over this period. Instead, we’ll be
engaging in specific design research initiatives (DRI) such
as focus group workshops, interviews, service safaris,
prototype testing etc. which requires your inputs for a few
hours up to a day at various stages of the project.
PARTICIPATE IN THE
DESIGN PROCESS
BECOME A CO/DESIGNER
WHO SHOULD JOIN
Startups between 06-42 months based in South Africa, at
best Cape Town.
Provide innovative services and/or productst to local
challenges
Be for-profit with a double or triple bottom line (financial,
social and/or environmental ROI).
Operate in the following sectors: fashion, creative, design,
education, alternative energy, solar, fintech, water,
sanitation, housing, agribusiness, healthcare, logistics,
communication… open to others
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 3 .

6. This focus group workshop is a participative, interactive
way to to understand opinions and experiences of South
Africa entrepreneurs with early-stage startups with regards
to seeking startup funding.
The objective of the workshop is to understand various
touch points within the process of acquiring startup
funding, identify pain points and key levers for affecting
change.
The focus group participants are asked about their
perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a
product, service, concept, advertisement or idea.
PARTICIPATIVE DESIGN RESEARCH
ABOUT FOCUS GROUP
WORKSHOP
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 4 .
It’s also a useful tool that gives participants a platform to
challenge the status quo by raising new questions based
on their user experience.
Furthermore, through the focus group workshop
entrepreneurs can reach consensus on a shared vision of
what startup funding services could look like in the future.
The workshops consist of individual design research
initiatives using visual and participatory activities to
structure discussions around specific aspects of the topic.
The workshop will give entrepreneurs hands-on experience
in working on a concrete problem using design strategies
and tools, with concrete outcomes that are directly
transferable to their startups.
Some of design initiatives include: Intercultural-Link tool,
User Personas, User Journey Mapping and Service Blue
Print.

7. Startup branding as a collaboration partner with a ZHdK
Masters in Design Project
Access to startup and design networks in Switzerland
Opportunities for future collaboration
BENEFITS OF
COLLABORATING
FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Contribute to designing ‘an experience’ that showcases the
essence of the project for the final exhibition (This is the
creative part of the thesis in addition to the Master Thesis
and prototype)
Opportunity to showcase work: startups supporting with
photography, videography etc. will have their work for the
project displayed at the MAD Exhibition in Zurich in June
2017 (The exhibition is open not only to the university
community, but to the broader design & innovation
community).
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 5 .
Become a part of an innovative project, that could extend
beyond the 12 months, if you wish
Opportunity to join in venture competitions in Zurich and
Mexico in 2017 as part of the startup team

8. Design research initiatives (DRI) ie. workshops,
discussions, interviews etc. will take place periodically in
Cape Town or via Skype.
Sessions will be semi-structured, interactive and fun, with
content and take-aways that you can directly transfer and
implement into your own startup experience.
Most importantly, regular informal communication
between focus group members and myself via social
media channels and digital platforms to bounce ideas,
share and learn from your experiences
If your work involves videography, data visualisation or
photography, I’ll ask for your services in these areas.
Dates and times to be communicated in advance, based
on your availability
Location: Cape Town or via Skype
PROCESS
PROCESS & TOOLS
TOOLS
You won’t need much more than your creativity,
enthusiasm and commitment.
Your main tool will be your ideas, a laptop & wifi and/or
smartphone to keep channels of communication open via
social media and digital platforms. Occasionally we'll use
some paper and crayons when we get down and dirty in
workshops.
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 6 .

9. Tumblr blog for journal entries, documenting and social media
aggregator.
Blog posts at http://blog.africolab.com/submit
Social media platforms like facebook, instagram, pinterest &
twitter for in situ inputs (capturing in the moment) that feed into
the tumblr blog
Use #africolabsproject to tag all social media posts
Slack for day- to-day communication and receiving digital
postcards with questions and instructions
Skype for briefings and interviews
KIT COMPONENTS
https://www.facebook.com/africolab/
@africolab; #africolabproject
https://www.instagram.com/raadiyaluessi/
http://blog.africolab.com/
https://africolab.slack.com
raadiyab
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 7 .
DIGITAL LIFESTREAM
CAPTURING

10. HELLO,
I'M RAADIYA
LÜSSI
ST U D E N T O F D E S I G N ,
A N T H R O P O LO G I ST,
E N T R E P R E N E U R ,
T EC H - E N T H U S I AST, W I F E
A N D M A M A . C U R I O U S
E X P LO R E R , C R E AT I V E
M A K E R , F U T U R E
FO R EC AST E R , C O N T E N T
C U R ATO R & D OT
C O N N EC TO R . A N
A F R O P O L I TA N W I T H
AS I A N D N A A N D A
G LO B A L M I N D S E T. B O R N
I N C A P E TOW N , B AS E D I N
Z U R I C H .
PROFESSIONAL VITAE
Africa&Co. GmbH - Zurich; 2012 - present
Co-Founder & Chief Entrepreneur
Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), 2016 - 2017
Candidate, MA. in Design
INSEAD - Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Fontainbleau, 2007-2012
Global Director INSEAD Strategic Initiatives;
Director, INSEAD Africa Initiative
MLP AG - Wiesloch, London, Hannover, 2001-2006
Financial Advisor
Executive, Department International Expansion
University of Applied Science & Economics,
Hannover, 2001 -2004
MA. in International Business. Majors: Strategic
Business Management, HR
University of Cape Town, 1996 - 1998
BA. South African Private Law & English
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 8 .

11. With over 2800 students and 650 teaching staff,
Zurich University of the Arts is one of Europe’s
largest arts universities. The university offers
degree and research programmes in design, film,
fine arts, music, dance, theatre, and art education
on a purpose-built campus designed to provide a
truly excellent environment for teaching and
learning.
ABOUT TRENDS
"Trace the Trend and Shape the Future" is the core
theme of our Specialisation in Trends. Students
majoring in Trends build the skills needed to
develop strategic and innovative design concepts.
Graduates are able to recognise and track
significant cultural and socio-economic trends from
an early stage. They possess the specialist
knowledge and methodological skills to analyse
and transform these trends into potential
innovations and visionary design concepts in
keeping with strategic visions and economic
framework conditions.
ABOUT ZHDK
R A A D I YA LÜ S S I / M A D / Z H D K / D E S I G N R E S E A R C H C O L L A B O R AT I O N I N T R O D U C T I O N 9 .

12. I LOOK FORWARD TO
COLLABORATING WITH YOU!
https://www.facebook.com/africolab/
@africolab
https://www.instagram.com/raadiyaluessi/
http://blog.africolab.com/
H A N G O U T W I T H M E !