In line with the purpose of the Design Indaba expo, which is all about taking creativity to the next level, the essence of the project was to supply a tile that was trendy and modern. The tile also needed to fit into the overall theme and structure of the Nandos stand, which had very bold design choices as well as modern, exposed light fixtures.

“We match the product with the concept, keeping in mind the technical aspects of the specification to make sure that what we supply is aesthetically pleasing and that the product is suited for the project, in terms of traffic and durability,” says Tharien Smith, new product designer at Johnson Tiles.

“We supplied a custom-made ceramic tile with octagonal patterns and small inserts. The tile also had three shades of blue, white and grey,” says Smith.

“The industry is moving away from plain tiles and we are seeing more patterns. Our inkjet printer was used for this project and this allowed us to include photorealistic patterns and motifs that were printed directly onto the tile surface before firing,” says Smith.

The whole concept took about a month from inception to completion, with the creative team at Nando’s leading the way.

“The Nando’s outlet makes use of beautiful ceramic tiles with strong graphics and links to the Portuguese Heritage,” says Tracy Lynch Lead Curator at Nando’s.

“Nando’s is also passionate about working with local manufactures and are very happy to see just how far South Africa has come in terms of décor. What we showcased at the Design Indaba was a beautiful collaboration and we believe that printed tiles are the future and will add a wonderful layer to the Nandos’ stores in the near future,” says Lynch.

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