The Baobab tree, indigenous to Africa and Australia, represents principle values of Participatory Design through its usage. In Africa, participative community meetings are held under the umbrella of this tree, as well as many interior and exterior decors of the tree emerged. Worldwide trees have been etched, leaving messages for others to come. In our project, we have merged the current African practice of participatory community meetings with a global practice of tree engraving. An African hand crafted, wired, baobab is placed at the conference site, while participants are provided with clay to contribute to an overall shared design space on the trunk of the tree. The joint effort results in a colourful, aesthetic, lasting masterpiece unique through the participants.

The e-Baobab is an innovative interactive art installation which offers participants a novel, yet traditional communication platform. A hand-crafted tree, whose core constitutes of recycled materials, provides the context for various communication tools, such as black-and whiteboards, as well as digital displays and signage. Participants can interact with the e-tree in various ways through personal inscriptions, viewing displays, and connecting with provided e-services.