Socially and Environmentally Responsible Design
This weekend I attended an amazing conference addressing socially and environmentally responsible design. The name of the conference was "a better world by design" and Erik Hersman was one of the brilliant speakers. Erik Hersma is the founder of AfriGadget, a multi author website that showcases stories of Africans solving everyday problem. Here is part of the lecture he delivered in the first day of conference:
This weekend I attended an amazing conference addressing socially and environmentally responsible design. The name of the conference was "a better world by design" and Erik Hersman was one of the brilliant speakers. Erik Hersma is the founder of AfriGadget, a multi author website that showcases stories of Africans solving everyday problem. Here is part of the lecture he delivered in the first day of conference:
Erik Hersma is providing a comprehensive advice about social entrepreneurship to the audience.
“What do you see?”
By showing pictures from Africa, Eric asks audiences.
“ It is hard to see, but what do you see in here?”
Soon, some people starts to make responses.
“Keyboard! Stick! Trash”
Audiences have no idea what these pictures mean to African as it is HARD TO SEE the life of those that is totally different from us.
“What do you see?”
By showing pictures from Africa, Eric asks audiences.
“ It is hard to see, but what do you see in here?”
Soon, some people starts to make responses.
“Keyboard! Stick! Trash”
Audiences have no idea what these pictures mean to African as it is HARD TO SEE the life of those that is totally different from us.
The first picture is an old keyboard used by Africans as a shoeshine holder tool and the second picture is not just a stick: it is a bottle opener. The last picture is a hand washing station. Eric showcases objects that Africans use in their daily lives, and from those objects we are able to see the sense of creativity and opportunity of design. The way they reuse and reinvent the object is amazing. Eric Hersma, in his lecture, provides an advice to the audience to observe the refugees in the third world countries carefully. Furthermore, he redefines the role of designer from a tool-designer to a problem solver.
The conference was about people on earth living with economic crisis, and lacking access to a basic sanitation. Various resources exemplified the jobs that designers, entrepreneurs, and engineers are working for the poor in developing countries. Dozens of industry leaders were delivering speech about their approaches and solutions to an extreme poverty. It was surprising that marketing and distribution are keys to the success of products geared towards the poor in developing nations. Besides, a social entreperneur can greatly contribute to fellow human beings living on the other countries when they observe and understand their lives.
It is important for designer to see, listen, and totally understand these people. Ross Evans, a social entrepreneur, mentioned during conference that "when you go to a new place, and have an open mind, then you see new things. If you’re trying to solve problems within a context you already have, you’re going to have a hard time.” So, designer should open their mind, and suppose they know nothing about the new place when they start research. Then, designer, by immersing himself in their context, feel fun with working. From Chris’s picture of Africa I could see the people having innovative ways of surviving. Probably they have forced to be very creative in using and reusing them. I realized that it is better to embrace users' culture, see what they really need rather than bringing designer’s solution that comes from their own knowledge. Often, looking for a platform that is new and driven by high-tech is not worthy in developing country.
Another thing I learned from the conference is simplicity. A designer should make sure that he or she is working for people who need basic functions, not for people desiring iPhone or Audi. Designer’s role in here is not making a tool that has prettiness, aesthetic attractiveness, but creating a business model that is user-centric, affordable, and simple. One example is a cell phone designed by Nokia and being sold in Kana. This phone is intentionally made without a display and composed of basic parts to decrease manufacturing price and increase affordability.
Lastly, a designer should primarily seek to generate a social value rather than profits. I was surprised that many social entrepreneurs are working based on market place, not based on charity. Either we work with these groups or non-profit organizations, it is important not to forget a moral obligation. Designers can develop products and systems which create transaction and economic activities, but should not put financial structure as their optimal goal.
I believe one of the reasons of current economy crisis comes from the unbalanced development of our planet. It is time to offer products and services we take for granted to the people who really need them by providing proper technologies.
