One of the greatest challenges in designing commercial textiles has been creating durable, cleanable, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing fabrics for highly trafficked and 24/7 environments like healthcare facilities, theaters and airports. In addition, there is more demand for textiles with sustainable manufacturing practices, and companies like Designtex are taking on this responsibility and producing some...
Cities don’t make people poor; they attract poor people. The flow of less advantaged people into cities from Rio to Rotterdam demonstrates urban strength, not weakness.” Edward Glaeser, Triumph of the City The first exhibition in this series, Design for the Other 90%, sparked an international dialogue about how design could improve the lives of...
Dr. Paul Polak, founder of International Development Enterprises and D-Rev, explores when traditional approaches to alleviating poverty fail and how more affordable alternative solutions can succeed.
Designers, engineers, students and professors, architects, and social entrepreneurs from all over the globe are devising cost-effective ways to increase access to food and water, energy, education, healthcare, revenue-generating activities, and affordable transportation for those who most need them. And an increasing number of initiatives are providing solutions for underserved populations in developed countries such...
Modesta Nyirenda-Zabula, Project Manager, Godisa Technologies Trust
This panel highlights the growing trend in design to create affordable and socially responsible objects for the vast majority of the world’s population (90%) not traditionally serviced by designers. Contributors to the exhibition Design for the Other 90% discuss the design and use of affordable and socially responsible objects. Be among the first to see...
The third of the grand challenges posed by Secretary Wayne Clough for the new strategic plan of the Smithsonian is explained by the sentence: “As a steward and ambassador of cultural connections, with a presence in some 100 countries and expertise and collections that encompass the globe, we will build bridges of mutual respect, and...
Design for the Other 90% opened in Washington, DC on April 28, 2010 at the National Geographic Museum’s 17th Street galleries, through September 6, 2010. Admission is free. Photo: Megan Seldon, National Geographic Society, 2010 Alan Parente (left) and Rich McWalters of the National Geographic Museum install the Solar Home Lighting System, one of the...
Phil Patton Design Watch Members of the Museum had a preview of the 2010 New York International Automobile Show this week. Phil Patton led the group – he’s the design critic and author who knows lots about whatever moves you and writes the Wheels blog for NYTimes.com. As he guided us from one example to...
On February 16th the smiling Tata Nano rolled through the front doors of Cooper-Hewitt, up the stairs and settled on a platform in the Great Hall. Unveiled last year in India by Tata Motors, India’s largest automobile manufacturer, the Tata Nano is targeted to families who had not previously been able to afford a car....
Join in a Twitter-based Social Entrepreneurship Chat organized by Ashoka. The real time discussions on social entrepreneurship issues take place the 1st Wed of the month, 4-6PM US Eastern Time. The next conversation on Wed, July 1, focuses on mobile innovation. Ashoka is now partnering with the Lemelson Foundation on a new initiative to support...
Design for the Other 90% opens in Toronto, Canada at Ontario College of Art and Design’s Professional Gallery October 4, 2008 through January 25, 2009. In addition to the exhibition at OCAD, the Design Exchange will present a complementary program of exhibits and events as part of Design for the Other 90%. Announcement from ArtForum,...
International Development Enterprises’ founder Paul Polak has just released his much anticipated book Out of Poverty, What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail. Based on his 25 years of experience he tells why traditional poverty eradication programs have fallen short and how his alternative approach works. Paul’s work and dedication to developing practical design solutions that...
In sub-Saharan Africa, traditional building techniques are no longer feasible; due to increased deforestation use of timber for roofing and posts is not viable. Adapting an ancient architectural technique used in Sudan and Asia to West Africa, provides an affordable alternative. The Voute Nubienne (VN) or Nubian Vault technique uses local materials (mud bricks dried...
Nutrition in Bolivia Positive Deviance Study In this growing area of design innovations are evident in numerous forms. Not limited to current technologies these designers sample from current, emerging and out-moded technologies to provide low cost effective solutions to benefit the poor and marginalized. Working across disciplines and sectors they partner in innovative ways. They...
