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Design Blog Design Blog » Design for the Other 90% » Doing more with less

Doing more with less

;Buckminster

The Buckminster Fuller Institute has announced an annual award named in honor of the innovator has been described as a “philosopher of shelter”. The institute will award $100,000 to support the development and implementation of a solution which addresses a pressing world problem. A solution that demonstrates Fuller’s principles of using limited energy and resources appropriately to provide maximum positive impact.

About the Author: Cynthia E. Smith is Curator of Socially Responsible Design at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.
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Comments

  1. Hi there,
    I’m writing from Burundi.
    Can you get me some info on this bike, it’s weight, price per 1/100/1000, etc.) (in $ or EUR) and the shipping costs per dito to BURUNDI.
    Thanks,
    Macha

    Macha Weidenaar | Oct 25, 06:30 PM

  2. I am a senior at Javeriana University in Colombia majoring in industrial design and I think what you have on your site is great. I would like to collaborate on any of these designs and help raise awareness in world leaders and help people that live in what truly is the 90%.

    oscar fernandez | Oct 25, 06:30 PM

  3. Dears,

    Could you send me the catalogue from this exhibition? We are an NGO that works with public policies related with these themes in Brazil. I´m the coordinator of this programme. Our home page is www.thekey.com.br/napp and our adress is Nùcleo de Apoio a Políticas Públicas – NAPP.
    Rua Geraldo Flausino Gomes 78, 2ºandar – Brooklin Novo – São Paulo/SP. Brasil. CEP 04575-060.

    Thank you and congratulations. This is a great idea!

    Sergio Andrade | Oct 25, 06:30 PM

  4. I would like more information about things that i can do to get involved. I have many questions, and would love to speak with someone. Thank you for all that you are doing.

    Joel | Oct 25, 06:31 PM

  5. I wonder if there’s a way to summarize the constructive suggestions that have been made, and any answers given such as those pertaining to the cost of various items? Regarding estimated costs, I’d love to see a breakdown regarding the costs of component materials, packaging, shipping, and estimated labor hours required.

    Edward Woodhouse | Oct 25, 06:31 PM

  6. Hello All,

    Yesterday I attended the exhibit. While I was there I made an observation. It seemed as though almost every product could be used by the “other 90%.” However, it seemed that a few of the products could not be attained by the poor, and therefore were not a logical option for the “other 90%.” It does not make sense to design a product for someone who cannot afford it. How can people who struggle to attain food afford laptops, shaded pavilions that resemble pieces of modern art, or water containers that that are virtually indestructible. Clearly, products must be designed with the consumer in mind.

    Thank you,
    Jacob

    Jacob B | Oct 25, 06:32 PM

  7. Yes, it would be great to see a breakdown of cost in order to isolate factors that could be improved.

    Alex M | Oct 25, 06:32 PM

  8. I think the products should have come with some diagrams to show how they worked. It also would have been interesting if the exhibit was more interactive, allowing viewers to be able to understand the components necessary to make the products function.

    R. Neiman | Oct 25, 06:32 PM

  9. The exhibit was interesting, however,i would have liked to have seen an explanation and maybe some cross sections or disassembled products so that i might have better understood how they worked. The life straw, water filter pots, and other products seemed ingenious in some ways, but i had no idea how they worked internally. Perhaps a more “hands on” approach, even on an automated or interactive level would have been more enjoyable.

    M. Leskovec | Oct 25, 06:33 PM

  10. Are some of the cheaper items cheap because they’re mass produced or because they are cheap in themselves?

    Victoria | Oct 25, 06:33 PM

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