Overview of alumni interviews

1. Newly found managerial skills 7

2. I have what it takes to work for myself 4 3. Learned to start a product with little funds 1 4. Real world experience 10

5. Found my passion in design 4 6. Personal development

a. Detail orientated 3

b. Learned to trust in team work 9 c. Emotional development 3 d. Too controlling 2

e. Learning to speak up 2 f. Learned to trust others 1 g. Being independent 1 h. Being consistent 1

and in media. Jasper now runs a successful Industrial Design company with seven employees.

Calvin Botha (CB)

Calvin graduated in 2011 and was a member of the R5K group Root design. Root design, designed, manufactured, marketed and sold a self-defence armband that could be used by hikers. The armband brought in R140 000 profit in its first year of production. Calvin graduated and through his experience with the R5K project realised that he would rather work in a large company than become self-employed.

After a short time of producing his own bicycle frames Calvin quickly got a job with an international bicycle company and now has moved on to head his division in another bicycle component company.

Brad Inch (BI)

Brad was a member of the R5K group Bark in 2012. Bark produced an environmentally sustainable notebook that was produced using green principles.

After graduation Brad got a job with IDESO, one of the leading Industrial design companies in South Africa.

Brian Thomkins (BT)

Brian was a member of UPRIGHT in 2013. This R5K group designed and produced a monitor stand. The project won them a grant from the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) for R500 000 to take their project into mass production. Brian graduated from Industrial Design with the realisation that he could and desired to work for himself.

Brian has been self-employed since graduation and is now hiring staff for his growing client base.

Sebastian Bosman (SB)

Sebastian was a member of The Braai Tool or TBT in 2014. Sebastian and his R5K team also got funding from TIA to the value of R480 000 to take their project into mass production, which they are currently doing. Sebastian realised through the R5K project that he would prefer self-employment and has pursued that path. Sebastian is

busy opening an innovation lab based on a similar model that was used during the R5K project.

Alumni interview questions

Below is a table which includes a summary of responses to the semi-structured interview questions.³³

Table 7 – Alumni interview questions

33 The recordings of these interviews are held securely in a password protected folder and will remain so if they are needed.

1: Did anything on the survey stand out for you?

JE It was a reminder about how beneficial the R5K project was to me and where it lead me in my career. It particularly lead me to realize that I could go alone (self-employment) and gave me the real world thinking to make that choice real.

CB There should be two streams of R5K, one for self-employment and one for employment.

BI Unfortunately I didn’t complete the survey.

BT There is a vast difference between academia and the real world.

SB R5K was one of the highlights of my studies 2: Do you have a R5K story that you would like to tell?

JE We made in excess of R120 000 since the project launched until now and very soon I will prelaunch the products.

CB I found it wasn’t a good idea that groups chose themselves. There should be a psychometric evaluation to fairly assess and choose the groups. Our group was a group of friends that was set up in third year and it didn’t work at all.

BI There was a lot of conflict between our teams. I think it’s because the R5K project was real and involved our own money that people took it very seriously.

BT I found true friendship within my group. It was the most real group project we had done in the time at CPUT.

SB Strong relationships are built during R5K, it’s a real project and those in the groups take it very seriously.

3: Do you feel Industrial Design should be apprenticeship based (hands on) or should it follow a curriculum (heads on)?

JE Combination of both. I think the Masters and Doctoral students should help mentoring as well as bringing in industry experts.

Industrial Design is about a way of thinking

CB Apprenticeship but with a difference. I think students should find internships in their own time while being students. They could easily do a month accumulatively over the year and end up with four months internship by the time they graduate.

BI Apprenticeship with mentors from industry coming in to help groups BT Apprenticeship with visiting industry experts.

Carry on with the Work Integrated Learning aspect of the R5K project

SB Both, more collaborations with other departments as well as industry mentors coming in to guide and help

4: What was the hardest thing for you during your time in Industrial Design, CPUT?

JE Tedious exercises in first year

CB Being poor. Not earning while being a student.

BI The theory subjects especially history BT Presentation drawing and writing

SB I found the institutional systems very difficult.

Socially, groups stuck together and only in group projects did we mingle.

There should be more group projects.

5: What did you need that you didn't get from Industrial Design at CPUT?

JE Entrepreneurial skills, people skills. Do more R5K like projects

CB I was happy with what I received from CPUT, I was taught how to think and from that point anything is possible.

BI I didn’t leave with enough CAD and drawing skills. But I don’t think you could ever leave with enough of those.

BT I got everything I needed but could have used more in-depth real-world design practices.

SB Mentorship with industry experts