Masters Candidate

MOUNDE ARISI ALEX

I'm a Senior Designer based in Nairobi. I love everything that has to do with Graphic design, Packaging, Industrial design and I feel a true devotion for Design Thinking. I am passionate about design both Digital and Print for problem solving! I’m a strategic design researcher and a problem solver. I specialize in user experience, applying human-centered design to address complex challenges through new design practices, innovation and community engagement.

mounde

Project Summary

Centering the Maker in Makerspaces; An Exploratory Study of The University of Nairobi’s Makerspace

Research Supervisors

DR. AMOLLO AMBOLE, DR. MICHAEL MUNENE

Makerspaces are creation spaces, equipped with digital fabrication tools and equipment for use by makers. Access to these expensive tools and networks has made makerspaces popular globally. Internationally, universities have acknowledged the significance of makerspaces in academic spaces and introduced them to the university community.  The University of Nairobi hosts the UoN makerspace, located at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Upper Kabete campus. The makerspace is meant to give students access to fabrication tools to enhance learning through a hands-on approach and inspire multidisciplinary collaboration. Despite the rapid growth of makerspaces as open spaces for creativity, innovation, and experiential learning, the role makers play in makerspaces remains unknown. While the need for makerspaces in academia has been well studied, there is limited knowledge of the makers who use the makerspaces. To remedy this gap, the researcher conducted an exploratory study on the makers and their experience in makerspaces. The researcher provides a detailed context and knowledge on Makerspaces, makers, methods, tools, and spaces using a case study of the UoN Makerspace, triangulated with secondary data from other academic makerspaces. The literature review explores the Maker Movement; its history, benefits, and opportunities. The influence of Makerspaces in areas of higher learning is also explored in depth. This qualitative study used exploratory research and participatory design through a process of co-design. Data were collected through observation, key informant interviews, a focused group discussion with UoN Makerspace makers and co-design through an HCD Design Sprint to redesign the "Retr3D Printer".

Links

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BPnmApwAAAAJ&hl=en

Mike Kemboi Chesaro

I am a passionate interior designer who has experience in both teaching and practicing areas of interior design. I have worked as a full-timer and part-timer interior designer with some interior design firms in Nairobi including Mushiq interiors, Remita design studio and Branphiq designs among other companies. This has enabled me to gain more knowledge in the industry.  On the teaching side, I have had an opportunity to teach at Buruburu institute of fine Arts (BIFA) and share the knowledge that I have with young and upcoming interior designers. I am able to undertake a project from the conception stage of design to the final stage of implementation with ease.

mike

Project Summary

Waste Minimisation Strategies For Sustainable Interior Design

Research Supervisors

Dr. Samuel Maina Mwituria, Mr. Collins S. Makuunda

Conventionally, interior design was viewed as a one-dimensional practice which was basically to offer beautiful spaces to the clients. Recently, the practice has experienced a dramatic change with the incorporation of strategies which emphasize designing environmentally sustainable and appropriate spaces for users to live in, work in and also play in. The awareness of environmental accountability is what sparked the necessity for an environmental sustainable interior design practice. Society at large is starting to recognize the link between spaces, people and community. Moreover, consumers of interior design are starting to recognize their role and influence in environmental protection.

This study makes emphasis on a case study of interior design firms within Nairobi County and its environs.  The objective of this study is to establish the most appropriate waste minimization strategy used by interior designers, to determine the current waste minimization strategies used by interior designers in Nairobi and its environs and to propose a waste minimization strategy that can be adopted by interior designers in Nairobi and its environs to attain sustainable interior design. The literature was gathered through document analysis from published online journals and books. The sample size for the study was determined as 11 respondent interior design firms from a population of 110 interior design firms in Nairobi and its environs. Stratified simple random sampling technique was used to get the sample of interior design firms that was studied. The interior design firms in Nairobi was categorized into stratus of small, medium and large firms.  The instruments that was used for data collection include in-depth interviews, questionnaire survey, focus group discussion and observational forms and checklists. This study creates awareness of the existing waste minimization strategies in interior design and also proposes a waste minimization strategy that can be adopted by Kenyan interior designers.

Links

http://uonjournals.uonbi.ac.ke/ojs/index.php/ahr/issue/view/91

Macharia Daniel Munyaga

A designer who has a passion for creativity, innovation and empathy. I am determined to enhance communication using my artistic and design skills. I communicate fluently using pictures. Experienced in visually enhancing communication for a wide range of audiences so that it is more comprehensive, attractive and impactful. I have years of experience illustrating  behaviour change communication content for the social enterprise in low literacy settings.

I am also an experienced fine artist known for painting peaceful  nature paintings that enhance interior spaces. Exhibited my paintings in and outside Kenya.

Macharia

Project Summary

A STRATEGY TOWARDS ENHANCING VISUAL AIDS IN TRAINING OF CHILD CAREGIVERS IN DAYCARES WITHIN NAIROBI’S URBAN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS

Research Supervisors

Dr. Lilac Osanjo, Dr. Betty Mwiti

As of 2017 there were 300,000 children living in Nairobi’s informal settlements and at least 2700 informal daycares run by owners with little or no formal training on Early Childhood Education. and majority with low education levels. There have been some efforts to train caregivers in order to improve the quality of their services. Visual aids are inadequately used in the training of these child caregivers. Studies show that visual aids are highly successful in any behavioural change program because they aid the comprehension, attention and adherence of information especially in a low literacy setting as this. The main objective of this study was to a strategy towards enhancing visual aids in training of child caregivers in Nairobi's urban informal settlements.

This study was a participatory action research which is mainly qualitative in nature and involves a lot of collaboration with the population studied. Best practices from literature review in regards to using visual aids were analyzed. A case study of an organization that trains caregivers in Nairobi’s urban informal settlements was conducted. A codesign session was held with trainers and designers and the inputs contributed to creating a strategy that would enhance the use of visual aids in the training. This study established that, if appropriately used, visual aids have a great potential to aid training of child caregivers in urban informal settlements. Results indicated that trainers use visual aids inadequately mainly because they are not empowered on how to use them. A visual analysis of their training materials revealed that visual aids are also not contextualized. This study proposed a strategy that will empower trainers to use visual aids by providing a simplified template that guides them on how to incorporate visuals in their training.

As informal child care centres are on the rise as informal settlements expand. Most caregivers in these centres are not formally trained, yet they offer a crucial service to the education system in the country. There is a need for a strategic training approach that will equip informal ECD caregivers with skills to enhance learning and child care in informal settlements. This study recommends a strategic way of incorporating visuals in training to ensure that they are more effective and have a greater impact to empowering caregivers and ultimately improving the quality of childcare.

Links