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Design Blog Design Blog » Design for the Other 90% » Full Circle

Full Circle

Though we knew that we may find it tough to ship several of the objects, our registrars and exhibitions department have had to make extraordinary efforts to make arrangements to bring objects from remote areas around the world. In the beginning of March we received an email from Nigeria. Mohammed Bah Abba, the designer of the Pot-in-Pot Cooler, had planned to send us several of his low-cost refrigeration systems. He was working in war-torn Chad and was no longer sure whether he could meet our approaching deadline. He told us he had “limited time to round up and get out.” Worried for his safety we wondered whether we should try to find the pots from another source or place a label in the exhibit explaining the dilemma—it was the type of circumstances many of the users of the exhibition objects find themselves in.

Scrambling to find an alternate source we contacted Practical Action, the organization founded by the economist E.F. Schumacher in 1966. His design philosophy, “small is beautiful,” calls for more appropriate uses of technology to help people out of poverty. This approach continues to influence many of the designers working in the area of humanitarian design today; creating low-cost local solutions that help people and communities overcome poverty. It seemed only right that we would find the alternate source for the pots from the very group that started this design movement.

I heard from Mohammed this week. Because of the hot season the demand for his pots far outpaced his supply. We had not heard from him because he has been working around the clock seven days in a week traveling between his Cameroon and Niger factories in an attempt to meet these demands.

photo credit: © 2000 Tomas Bertelsen

About the Author: Cynthia E. Smith is the curator of Design for the Other 90% and manages travel exhibitions at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

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Comments

  1. Very interesting story, I’m sure just one of many surrounding the show. I wonder how these individuals and organizations choose to divide their time between their work “in the field,” and the development of their organizations and tools, and if in fact there’s a distinction.

    Nancy | Oct 29, 11:20 AM

  2. Have a look at the website of Dutch Design in Development. They send dutch designers to companies in 3rd world countries. To exchange knowledge instead of sending money. This is a totally different approach of designing for the other 90%. I went to Brazil to design products for a favela company. www.ddid.nl/english

    Maartje van Gestel | Oct 29, 11:20 AM

  3. I got to know about this stunning exhibition by amNewYork. And I checked up the website. I’m so excited with this exhibition as a designer. The book written by Prof. Victor Papanek was very impressive when I started my career. His argument was exactly what the designers are trying to do in this exhibition. Nowadays I’m awfully apt to forget such a discipline. I believe this exhibition will remind me the important principle again. Anyway, I’d like to show my respect to the designers who are in the exhibition.

    Tetsu | Oct 29, 11:21 AM

  4. I’m trying to help design a new American School campus in Antananarivo, Madagascar, using as many green design principles, particularly local materials and contractors as possible – i’m taking recommendations for resources and ideas from any and all!!

    Nikki Barratt | Oct 29, 11:21 AM

  5. Nikki
    Potter For Peace will be training potters in how to produce the ceramic water filter this year in Kenya, Tanzania, Benin and perhaps Mozambique. If you can make it, your invited.
    Peace
    Ron

    Ron Rivera | Oct 29, 11:21 AM

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