TAPS Challenge: Team Action Problem Solving
We are the flagbearers of a problem-solving society, building sustainable communities through our social Makerthon dubbed TAPS Challenge.
TAPS Challenge is a problem-solving platform and social innovation concept that is being designed to facilitate community solutions design and development. We help economically, geographically and socially excluded communities, design and build technology solutions to their biggest challenges across industries, with a specific focus on STEAM (Sports, Tech, Entrepreneurship, Arts & Manufacturing) to help solve real 21st Century problems.
TAPS Challenge Flagship Event
Come build solutions for Sebokeng's community challenges in Manufacturing to help solve real 21st Century problems.
TAPS Challenge: Sebokeng
The workshops are designed to co-create community-led technology products & services with different stakeholders and end-users. The workshop will adopt the design thinking process incorporating the Internet of Things. The workshop will follow a 1-day Participant Induction, a 4-day Design sprint structure followed by a 2-day Live Prototyping event for two shortlisted design solutions (Proof of Concept).
Our challenge statement is...What Might Happen If we redesign & build an effective response experience to manufacturing-related problems using low-cost technology components to improve the lives of community members socially & economically?
Event Details
Venue: VUT Southern Gauteng Science and Technology Park, 05 Moshoeshoe street, Sebokeng, 1983
Dates: 15-21 July 2019
Times: See Workshop Schedule (typically 9am-4pm)
Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/rSHZL1tu46Hu3dCj9
Entrance: Free for community participants, design coach trainees, builders, and stakeholders.NB: Sign up is important for entry and ensures that your seat is reserved. See ticketing for the general admin ticket price if you want to support the event.
Food & Drinks:
Participant and general admin tickets include free light meals & refreshments. If you know that a platter meal won’t be enough for you, we’ll have food stalls available for food & beverage purchases.
Transportation:
If you would like to get transportation from Joburg, we’ll have a shuttle service available with the following stop points:
- Sandton Gautrain Station
- Park Station Gautrain Station
- Mandela Square Shopping Centre Evaton, Cnr Golden Highway
- Engen Armstrong One Service Station
- BP Garage TK
- Thabong Shopping Centre
Contact organizer for an updated transportation schedule.
Design Workshop : 4 Day Design Sprint
+ 1 Day Participant Induction Workshop
Making Workshop : 2 Day Prototyping Event (Live)
Our Facilitators & Speakers
Graham Smale, Founder, Innovation Coach & Facilitator at Innofindo
David Crellin, CEO & Founder at Sciencescope
Jennifer Sutherland, Co-founder of Creative Leadership Collective
Prajesh Bhikha, Senior Research Information & Marketing Officer at VUT
Charlene George, Managing Director at Verve Digital
Danie Maritz, Co-founder of Moonshot and Partner at Vollar Cryptocurrency for Good
David Du Plessis, Founder & Director at Africa Design Lab and Experience Design Director at Mckinsey & Co
Irven Hope, Co-founder & President at Skill Exchange Makerspace
Scott Walker, Director at Matter Innovation

FAQ's
Please click here to sign up.
Please click here to sign up.
- Community Participants: Speak & write English, between ages 16 to 35 years, living, working or hometown is within the Vaal Triangle region. Completed or still to complete grade 12. Will be available throughout the 7-day event activities between 9am-4pm.
- Stakeholders: Community based organizations, potential customers, civil society organizations, local businesses, researchers. Will be available throughout the focus group sessions.
- Builders: Speak & write English. Provide technical support come from IT, Engineering, R&D, Business Management and Marketing functional backgrounds. Commit to online availability for a minimum of 1hour per day throughout 5 days of design workshops to provide mentorship to participants. And commit 2 days onsite availability for TAPS Challenge Making Workshops to build the solutions.
- Design Coach Trainees: Speak & write English, between 25 to 45 years. Completed grade 12. Will be available throughout the 7-day event activities between 9am-4pm. Wants to learn how to become a design thinking coach.
Community Participants
All preparation material will be given to you in the participant induction session. All you need is your phone or laptop, email address, and a notepad. You can find out more about our technology component, the BBC micro:bit device on https://microbit.org/
Design Coach Trainee’s
Attend our Introduction Training Session
Date:10/07/2019
Format: Webinar (online)
Webinar access link & Time: Will be provided once you have confirmed sign up.
What to have: Laptop/Computer/Phone with headphones, Internet access, notebook, pen
Builders (Technical Support)
Attend our Introduction Training Session:
Date:11/07/2019
Format: Webinar (online)
What to have: Laptop/Computer/Phone with headphones, Internet access, notebook, pen
Webinar Access Link & Time: Will be provided once you have confirmed sign up.
You can find out more about our technology component, the BBC micro:bit device on https://microbit.org/ that will be used during the Making Workshop.
Be there, we just want your uniqueness
- Commit the whole week of the 15-21 July 2019 from 9:00am-16: 00 pm to helping us solve Sebokeng’s crucial community problems
Stakeholders are individuals that represent organizations that are directly or indirectly affected and/or effect the challenges we’re solving for. They provide insights on how we can solve these challenges through focus groups sessions.
- Provide product design and development instructional support, expertise and intentional support to participants who demonstrate behavioral, social and educational challenges via online support.
- To use expertise during the 2-day Making Workshop to build the prototype.
- Meet builder requirements
Design coach trainees are people who are seeking to learn how to facilitate design thinking and making workshops. These individuals do the following:
- Document the workshop session and manage team projects.
- Undergo Design Thinking Coach Training
No, you don’t need to have an idea to enter the challenge. The TAPS Challenge is structured to help you design and develop your ideas to working prototypes.
No. you can enter the TAPS Challenge as an individual or a team compromising of 2-6 people.
We are looking to solve everyday challenges caused by the manufacturing process and it’s bi-products. Examples include a) plastic & glass packaging waste in illegal dumping sites , b) water pollution, c) counterfeited goods, just to name a few.
Winning solutions from the teams will be selected through two stages.
- The first stage is on Day 5, the product pitch and proof of concept selection.
- The second stage is on Day 7, the prototype selection.
- Having the opportunity for your prototype/product to be showcased at the Live EXPO 2020-is a World Expo to be hosted by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, opening on October 20, 2020, with 192 countries confirmed to participate.
- Obtain ongoing product development support until initial funding injection.
How Might community teams living and working in & around the Sebokeng, redesign & build an effective response to manufacturing-related problems using low-cost technology components to improve the lives of community members socially & economically?
- Take the Identifying Triggers Poll
- Sign up on the online form or attend information sessions
- Meet the participant requirements
This could be done through submitting a 2min video via email to irven@skillexchangemakerspace or Whatsapp 0813728508 or alternatively fill in our sign up form.
- Take the Identifying Triggers Poll
- Sign up on the online form or attend information sessions
- Meet the participant requirements
- Attend focus group sessions to:
- Provide your organizations Point of View (POV) on how we can build solutions to eliminate Manufacturing pollution, waste or good counterfeit?
- Provide your professional experience on the problems and frustrations you have encountered personally, witnessed among colleagues, seen in your job.
- Show your understanding of the socially desirable conditions and the existing reality
This could be done through reserving your seat for focus group discussions held between the 15th- 18th July 2019 between 12:30-13:30. Confirm your attendance before the 12th July 2019 by emailing irven@skillexchangemakerspace.com