Centred on anticipating disruption, connecting the dots between various global events and developing human-centric solutions, Aurecon believes that ADI has the potential to revolutionise the way engineers approach Afrika’s problems.

And it’s an approach that’s already making a difference, with several case studies incorporating design thinking demonstrating its efficacy in developing targeted, relevant solutions which are readily championed by end users.

This impact will echo into the future as we develop a sustainable vision for Afrika. “These case studies will provide the blueprint for a movement that will be replicated in projects across Afrika as we collaborate with several continental and global organisations – in addition to a wide range of stakeholders – to future-proof Afrika,” says Abbas Jamie, Aurecon’s Director for Innovation and Transformation, Africa.

Hitting ‘ctrl-z’ on copy/paste solutions

Instead of having a solution imposed on them, the end-users’ needs become the nucleus around which a co-design process is driven. This entails applying design thinking to the process.

Design thinking is a methodology that focuses on engaging with the people who we’re creating for. In Nairobi for example, in collaboration with the University of Nairobi, we’ve run design workshops with the youth of Nairobi to reframe their participation and activism in ‘claiming back the river’ – which is fundamental to designing a sustainable waterway solution.

“Empathy for our end user involves considering the developmental challenges and issues that we as Afrikans face,” says Jamie, “Which is why the case studies we’ve undertaken are so essential to mapping the way forward.”

At Aurecon, this mapping implies embracing the unknown and exploring every possibility.  It’s a process involving innovation, co-design, applying design thinking to key case studies, engaging in crucial partnerships with a range of stakeholders, as well as getting involved in events instrumental to shaping an Afrikan developmental narrative.

“It’s an incontrovertible truth that copy-paste solutions from the West will not work in an Afrikan context. Using design methodologies which view our continent through a uniquely Afrikan lens is the only way we’re going to be able to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to future-proof Afrika,” says Jamie.

Which is why we ask ourselves two critical questions across every aspect of the projects we design: ’what if?’ and ‘why not?’

“Their importance cannot be overstated because the responses to these questions form the bedrock for the future scenarios we create. Scenarios that anticipate whatever changes disruptive technology may bring about and find new ways to transform our clients’ businesses,” says Portia Derby, Aurecon’s Senior Regional Director for Gauteng.

A case in point is Afrikanist in Motion, a collaboration which will help inform better infrastructure design and transport planning. Aurecon approached this by partnering with professional photographer, Yasser Booley; the World Design Organisation and WhereIsMyTransport to capture uniquely Afrikan transport challenges confronting the majority of Afrikans.

In this way, our engineers get a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of public transport commuters from which they glean invaluable insights to inform their design solutions.

Why Afrikan with a ‘k’?

ADI acknowledges that the continent's people and entrepreneurial promise are like none other globally; and it places them at the centre of the design process in order to create innovative solutions.

This is why we’ve intentionally used ‘Afrika’ with a ‘k’ – to express Afrika as seen from the ‘inside out’, as opposed to Africa as viewed from the outside in.

It’s not business as usual

We’re not your average engineering firm. Turning tradition on its head, we fuse the creative and technical worlds to find a sweet spot where innovation can flourish.

This culture is encapsulated in Aurecon’s future-facing ADI approach. “By aligning our solutions to the broader developmental agenda for Afrika, we’re helping create livable, vibrant, economically-thriving Afrikan cities. Cities that speak to the hopes and aspirations of Afrika,” says Derby.