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Design Blog Design Blog » Design for the Other 90% » Schools Lead

Schools Lead

;Schools

A multitude of schools are at the forefront of devising low cost innovations around the world, these are only a few of the examples of initiatives and projects underway. Designmatters at Art Center College of Design develops a multi-component design solution for a mobile clinic in Kenya. A camel-packaging system improves efficiency, refrigeration units are solar-powered and a health education program provides culturally appropriate information for a nomadic people. A bike designer teams with the scientists and engineers from The Earth Institute at Columbia University on the Bamboo Bike Project to make bicycles out of bamboo. The goal is to build a sustainable form of transport for the rural poor in developing countries for improved access to the market, healthcare.

Harvard University’s SE Lab combines academic theory, research and field work with peer support and the participation of experts and practitioners. Inspired by the work of pioneers in the field like Ashoka’s Bill Drayton and the founder of Grameen bank, Muhammad Yunus, it is a laboratory workshop where student teams create and develop plans for US and international social entrepreneurship initiatives. MIT’s D Lab prepares students to respond to the basic needs of communities in developing nations with inexpensive, ecologically sustainable and easily adaptable technological solutions. Pratt Design Incubator for Sustainable/Social Enterprise links the social entrepreneur with designers.

Norway’s Design without Borders partners with Guatemala’s Universidad Rafael Landívar and Uganda’s Makerere University. These teams work with local organizations on product development aimed at critical situations like war or natural disaster and on long-term development with emphasis on environmental and social issues.

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

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Comments

  1. Vestergaard Frandsen did indeed evaluate the KSA iodine impregnated beads in the initial part of our development, but we chose a different version of the iodine impregnated beads, as we found the KSA version did not live up to our expectations.

    Use of iodine for disinfection purposes has in fact a long history—but this concept is not what makes the difference between LifeStraw® and other products.

    To ensure safe, permanent use for the consumer over the expected lifetime of the product, we needed to ensure that several specific objectives were accomplished—deactivation of microbes was only one of them. Of equivalent importance was the control of iodine elution to prevent health risk for the consumer by excessive uptake of iodine.

    After extensive investigation, this mechanism was formulated into a product which, in addition to iodine impregnated beads, consists of two different pre-filters, two different versions of particular spacers, special anionic resin and granulated active coal, as well as many plastic parts. It takes no fewer than six of these additional ingredients to make safe water, so we would hardly call that a “minor modification”.

    Apart from the ingredients, LifeStraw®, is also unique in the particular way it is assembled, packed, and compressed as well as its various dimensions. The KSA iodine beads and similar versions are used in many different products today, but that does not make these products LifeStraw®.

    Alexis Munier | Oct 25, 05:16 PM

  2. Dear Cynthia/Cooper-Hewitt
    I would like to make an addition to your article about the LifeStraw. The current invention is a minor modification of a device invented by Jack L. Lambert of Kansas State University. He is the inventor of the anion exchange resin which contains triiodide ions which is responsible for theantibacterial action of the straw. This was developed in the 1970’s. I remember helping to make batches of the resin in a plastic trash can. The patent for this resin is still owned by the KSU Foundation. The first company involved in making the straws marketed them to campers.

    While Vestergaard Frandsen should be commended for extending this device for the use of those in undeveloped countries, this is not really a new invention by them

    Please add this to the article about the LifeStraw.

    Michael Chejlava | Oct 25, 05:17 PM

  3. “Design for the Other 90%” is great! The web-site said to “GET INVOLVED”, so I am in my own way – by posting “DESIGN NOTES FOR LOW-COST PRODUCTS” on my Blog – http://tgideas.blogspot.com/.

    To date, I have Design Notes for low-cost Treadle Pumps, Hearing Aids, Eyeglasses, Solar Pumps. These topics above are just a start. I plan to continue posting these Design Notes for Low-Cost Products on my “Ideas for Products or Inventions” Blog for quite a while yet. I like doing this, am doing it voluntarily, and hopes that it helps.

    Feel free to let others know about my postings, if you think they might be interested. Let me know if you have a topic you would like covered. I’m also open to suggestions on improving my Blog format, too. I hope you find this helpful.

    Thanks!

    Tom G.

    Tom G. | Oct 25, 05:17 PM

  4. I Live in Majorca (Mediterranean Sea) but the sensation is that my office is the world. Like designer “all land” and with certain implication in the cooperation for the development, I am organizing with a group of professionals a network of technical cooperation to which I invite to all creative and generous mind to add itself. I understand that the context of this exhibition can harness wanting to contribute all to together something beyond the market and the competitiveness. To work to design a better world is task of all, for that reason I invite people to send ideas and suggestions: marc.masmiquel@gmail.com

    Marc Masmiquel | Oct 25, 05:17 PM

  5. Hi,

    I work for Goldman Sachs, a financial firm in NY. I had been a professor before that and I would like to use my skills (in finance and in organization) to help set up financial plans/goals for the poor. Is there an opportunity that I should know of or people that I should talk to about this? Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks.

    Venky Panchapagesan | Oct 25, 05:18 PM

  6. Dear Cynthia/Cooper-Hewitt
    I teach design history here in NY. Congratulations on the exhibiton, I was particularly interested in taking my summer school class to see it and the Triennial but, due to the Cooper-Hewitt policy of not allowing outside lecturers, sadly cannot.

    My further thoughts on the exhibition:
    http://www.djhuppatz.blogspot.com/

    Daniel Huppatz | Oct 25, 05:18 PM

  7. Thank you so much for all the people who are behind this exhibition.I am a civil engineer and a researcher at Brown University in Providence Rhode Island, I am interested in appropriate technology-specially infrastructure in the Horn of Africa region-I would like to cooperate and work with others in this crucial development area, I can be reached at: Abdel_Mustafa@brown.edu.

    Thanks

    Gabar Mustafa | Oct 25, 05:19 PM

  8. Looking for opportunity to better capture the all year round solar energy in Africa to generate electricity so that Rural folks can have decent life.

    Marion | Oct 25, 05:19 PM

  9. I am an interior designer in Atlanta, Georgia and very involved with some Sudaneese refugees. I have also been very involved with CARE in an advocacy capacity and I have been trying for sometime to find a way to use my design abilities to work in these developing countries. I was so happy when I found this site. Please email any ideas or people I need to meet to further this endeavor.

    Janis Sundquist | Oct 25, 05:20 PM

  10. I woukd like to make the UV Water filters for my people in my country, El Salvador, There is many people that don´t have any source of decent water to drink, so they can do the captation of rain water and get purified for free, please let me know all the info to search the basic material.
    Thank you very much.

    hugo melgar | Oct 25, 05:20 PM

  11. Dear Venky and others,

    The College of Wooster in Ohio has had a Social Entrepreneurship program in our local community since 2005. Our experiential learning program helps local non-profits enhance mission delivery and sustainability. We will be expanding to India shortly (2009-2010). We will work, devise and implement plans for institutions and non-profits that improve the livelihoods of poor. We would be happy to start conversations with experts that want to do pro-bono consulting in developing countries.

    Amyaz Moledina | Jun 8, 08:22 PM

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