Maker: Zipline Challenge: For people living in remote places with difficult terrain and infrastructure deficiencies, getting access to emergency medical supplies is a major challenge. According to Zipline, “more than two billion people lack adequate access to essential medical products, such as blood and vaccines.” Solution: Zipline improves access to urgent medical supplies with on-demand drone deliveries to remote […]
Maker: A team of industrial design students from Carleton University Challenge: An estimated 5-6 million people in Uganda are living with disabilities, and studies reveal that those living with disabilities are most likely living in poverty as well (source). As a result, these individuals not only face the challenge of providing basic necessities for themselves, but they […]
Every design decision you make— deliberate or not— has the potential to exclude a group of people. Whether it’s on the basis of physical ability, cognitive ability, age, gender or culture. And we can all be excluded. Enter Inclusive Design. Defined in 2000 by the UK Government, Inclusive Design is “products, services and environments that include the needs […]
Quite a lot, actually. More than the creator of beautiful outdoor spaces, a landscape architect employs systems-thinking on a daily basis— designing spaces that maintain balance and harmony between the built and natural environments while at the same time fulfilling the myriad of objectives stipulated by their design briefs. An engaging botanical garden which restores an abandoned city lot, […]
MAKER: Hippo Roller, a social enterprise CHALLENGE: Water scarcity and impoverishment in Africa. According to Hippo Roller, “In Africa, 40% of the poorest households do not have piped-in water, and more than half of its population lack access to improved water sources such as boreholes, wells, or taps.” This challenge necessitates that women and children must […]
If you want to create successful solutions and real impact through your designs, keep the people you intend to serve at the heart of your process, every step of the way. This is what Human-centered design tells us. As defined by IDEO.org, an international design and consulting firm working to improve people’s lives through design, Human-centered design is a three-phase process […]