Calling all Design Leaders,

Let me take you back to 2008—the year I embarked on my journey as a community creator. Everything was going well, and within just a few months, we became a strong community of over 4000 members. But fate took a dark turn when an individual decided to derail our purpose by turning the group into something unrelated and inappropriate. It was disapointing to witness the community I built become so tainted, and I had no choice but to step away.

Fast forward to 2011, and I found myself in a new country—energized to connect with South Africans in Madeira. We grew 600+ strong and when I organised a picnic in the mountain, we filled the entire campsite. I stood by the entrance excitedly welcoming people and everyone asked about Jose while ignoring me.

Who was Jose? Jose was a guy who started telling everyone that he had founded and organised the group and picnic.

Well, forward to today and here I am aware that a handful of people in my network are reaping the rewards of my efforts.

The thing is, these are people who take other people's ideas because they are too disinvested to ideate. I am intuitive and care about my network. I listen, I watch. When I create an event or activity, it's because I have spoken to the people. I have heard them, and I have seen and acknowledged their strengths and thoughts.

But then you get the copy cats, who not only copy you but they try to devalue at every opportunity, they ignore your offer for collaboration and they compete with you by messaging your your community with their activities strategically scheduled to force a choice.

The nuisance is the hoohoo haha collectives catch and convince others USING YOUR STOLEN WORDS AND IDEAS.

For the awareness week, I would love to hear from design leaders who might be interested in talking or presenting on this topic, and related topics.

Every day I see posts incentivising people to steal like artists. This is utter garbage. I see posts promoting idea theft as if it were some form of art. It's time to dispel this notion. Idea theft is not a sign of creativity; it's a symptom of uninspired, apathetic individuals from all walks of life.

So, how do we deal with this? How do we protect our ideas, encourage collaboration, and build an inspiring, respectful environment?

Design Pro Defence - Empowering Designers for Tomorrow

Join us for a transformative series of events under the theme "Design Pro Defence" - an initiative dedicated to equipping designers with the tools they need to thrive in the ever-evolving world of design. Discover strategies, skills, and processes to withstand industry challenges and foster resilience in your creative journey. From protecting your rights to building strong teams and advocating for ethical practices, these events are designed to empower designers like never before.