Design a Consumer Product That Celebrates African Identity Without Being a Caricature

The global market for African-inspired consumer goods is growing — and most of it is produced outside Africa by people who have never been there. The results range from inaccurate to offensive. Even African-made products sometimes reproduce these errors, chasing an idea of Africa that exists on mood boards rather than in lived experience. Your challenge is to design a consumer product — physical or digital — that genuinely reflects African identity, is produced sustainably, and would be bought with pride by a young Nigerian, Ghanaian, or Kenyan consumer. Submit: the product concept, design visuals or prototype, manufacturing or production plan, target market, price point, and a 500-word essay on the cultural thinking behind the design. Judging criteria: 30% cultural authenticity, 30% design quality, 25% commercial viability, 15% essay quality.