MIT Student Designs All-Terrain Wheelchair for the Poor

Matt McCambridge, a designer for Whirlwind Wheelchair International, designed the all-terrain wheelchair you see above to address the needs stated below by the MIT News Office:

by Morgan Bettex, MIT News Office

“The U.N. Development Programme estimates that less than 1 percent of the need for wheelchairs in developing countries is met by local production, partly because small workshops can’t exploit economies of scale to be profitable. Moreover, the wheelchairs that are available aren’t designed for people who must push themselves over rough roads and muddy walking paths often encountered in the Third World. As a result, millions of people must rely on others to carry them or be stranded inside their homes.”

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/amos-wheelchair-0218.html

I read an article today in Core77 about “Emerging Markets as a Source of Disruptive Innovation” posted by Niti Bhan and I wanted to share some of my thoughts…

Why do you think?

Reaction by Jill Yoe Graves

Disruptive Technologies*

In the blog post Niti Bhan stated, “Where design of consumer products tended to begin with the assumptions of individual ownership or entertainment or passive consumption of throwaway convenience, its time to look at increasing productivity and opportunities for income generation while minimizing the impact on the environment and need for resources.”

Though I agree with Bhan’s point about creating products that “minimize the impact on the environment and need for resources”, I question the stated agenda behind creating new products. Why is the primary need that is being called for here related to increasing products and opportunities for income generation? If we are really looking at the needs of the lower income demographic or those in the “bottom of the pyramid”, I’m not sure that income generation should be the primary concern.

I have a more idealized view of where I would like to see design impact society. A view where designers see needs, extensions of the design’s life, how these designs could improve the journey and more positively interact with our lives, rather than an artifact’s brief impact on the market. It seems to me that this incessant creation of things cannot last, and that it would be more valuable to start shifting our thinking of what consumer products are and should be in today’s society. Truly considering the value, before it’s created—considering questions like, how could this design impact our world/community/society/culture in, say, 50 years?

If we are, here, examining the place for disruptive innovations (or design considerations that should be related to those disruptive innovations), maybe what we should be looking at is how to integrate a design approach that considers our true needs and the needs of others—maybe through disruptive innovation, maybe not—into the marketplace.

* Defined here by Niti Bhan on Core 77:

One of the most misunderstood terms in the business world is disruptive technology. Too many companies—and the marketers in charge of bringing these companies’ innovations to market—assume that “disruptive” connotes a highly-sophisticated, high-end product with cutting-edge technology that will appeal to early adopters. Actually, Harvard’s Clayton Christensen argued the opposite in his groundbreaking book on business innovation, The Innovator’s Dilemma. As Christensen pointed out again and again, “disruptive technologies were exactly those that did not appeal to entrenched market leaders because they tended to under-perform existing technologies and served a less-profitable consumer demographic.” (Source: Dominic Basulto)

Taking Christensen’s insight on disruptive innovation (summarized so well by Basulto) as the starting point, we could just as easily extend that thought to say that those innovations that are simpler, cheaper and offer value to the less profitable—those successful at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP), in other words—are the ones which contain seeds of disruption in markets outside of their intended audience.

“What is design?” talk by University of Alberta Masters student Robert Andruchow at Pecha Kucha night in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Found on the blog:

Design Theory: Discussing what is common to

architecture, industrial & graphic design

http://designtheory.wordpress.com/about/

Trustees Theater, Tuesday, December 1st @ 3:30pm

Come hear Roger Martin speak about design thinking. Martin’s recent book “The Design of Business” explores why design thinking is the next competitive advantage for organizations. Daniel Pink noted that Martin “helps you enlist the power of design thinking to transform your organization and yourself.”

In addition to publishing several books, Martin is dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and an adviser on strategy to CEOs of several major global corporations. He writes extensively on design and is a regular columnist for BusinessWeek.com’s Innovation and Design channel. He also is a regular contributor to the Washington Post and the Financial Times.

We’re incredibly lucky to have such frequent access to world-class thought leaders, and this presentation will be especially great, so please make every effort to attend!

- Amit Bapat

I’d like to share with you, the topic for my thesis that I have been working on for the past 2 years now. I am currently looking for sponsors to fund my research trip to Uganda, so if any body knows anyone who is interested, please feel free to contact me at amit.s.bapat@gmail.com.

Thesis Abstract
This ongoing MFA research project is being conducted in collaboration with a Non Government Organization (NGO), Hope to One life in Uganda. The Bio-sand filter (BSF) is a primitive and inexpensive form of water filtration that uses beneficial bacteria and sand to remove contaminants from water. The filter has been in use for twenty years and is innovative in its functionality and technology. However, the bio-sand filter fails to address issues of ergonomics and usability.

More importantly, its diffusion into the African community has reached a saturation point that is well below its potential. It is the purpose of this study to reveal the limitations in the design of the filter unit toward the end of creating a redesign that fosters a new production and service model. This model would increase the potential for diffusion of this important invention throughout non-developed countries.

This thesis project is very different from the other projects that SCAD usually teams up either with the industry or with the local community. Also, it is first of its kind to tackle a ‘real world crisis’ at an international location, dealing with an unusual target market. Usually designers and design in general are used at the end to make things pretty or attractive. This project emphasizes- why designers should be at the forefront of the design process and not at the end. Also, good design can be used to bring down the cost of innovation and make it affordable for the poorest of poor people in the world. Ultimately, good design can embody a combination of social, economic and environmental capital.

The Bio Sand Filter (BSF) is one of among thousands of products which have a potential of not only improving these poor people’s condition of living but also transforming into a tool of empowerment. Furthermore, this diffusion of innovation does not rely on the product itself but also in the system in which it is placed in. Here we see Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) playing a vital role in bringing true empowerment to these people. The existing model of NGO’s is flawed and for all these years, they have been in fact creating a greater dependency on the western world. Part of the problem lies with this broken system and necessitates a change along with the redesign of the product.

Designing for the other 90%
Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact,
nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter. Designing for the other 90% explores a growing movement among designers to design low-cost solutions for this “other 90%.” This concept is further popularized by C.K. Prahalad in his book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Their huge volumes and aggregate spending power is substantial to bring in a cultural change in the way traditional products and services operate. For more info:Desinging for the other 90%

The Approach

The goal is to decentralize the current NGO model from a star to galaxy pattern where participants are interconnected through a network of users, change agent and the local providers and manufacturers, businesses and entrepreneurs. This will not only ensure that entrepreneurship and innovation are driven to a grass root level but more importantly give a sense of ownership and pride amongst locals which is imperative to thus attain true empowerment of the Ugandan community.

In order to do so, the NGO must transform itself and involve the local population in the co-creation of products and services. The NGO must shift from the current manufacturing and distribution level to the innovation/ diffusion management level.
Furthermore, this transformation will take place with the NGO redesigning its organization and operations to be more in line with for-profit business models.

Other Components
Some other important areas of this thesis revolve around:
1. Entire product lifestyle: What happens when a BSF is broken. Where does it end up? Is there a way to bring back a broken filter back to the manufacturer and create a new one thus achieving a partial closed loop system?

2. Awareness Campaigns: Effective awareness campaigns will educate the locals about the importance of clean drinking water. For e.g cleanliness is not only limited to the Bio-sand Filter but also to sanitized storage containers and clean environments in which the filters are placed in.

3.Brand Identity: Brands such as these not only give an option to the people but also become a tool of empowerment. Effective Advertising and communication in
conjunction with the new service model, will maximize user participation as well as attract patrons and volunteers to support the system.

From a Design Management standpoint, this project also emphasizes the vital role of ‘facilitators of collaboration’ in any design project which give the required push to keep the ball rolling over obstacles. In this case, Dean of Graduate studies, Edward Dupuy has relentlessly been working to involve the upper management of SCAD and multiple graduate departments for this project. We soon shall have a graphic design team working on the branding of the NGO. On the Industrial Design side, Professors like Robert Fee have had the vision to extend this as a class project where 6 more graduate students along with Bob and myself are currently working on the redesigning of the filter and mold. It is rare in any institution, to have such a strong support of faculty in student projects which definitely brings such projects one step closer to realization.

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Amit Bapat is an Industrial Designer+Design Manager, exploring the combination of social, economic and environmental capital with good design. His well balanced perspective in Industrial Design results from a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving. He is currently pursuing his MFA in Industrial Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA. He previously earned a BE in Electronic and Telecommunications from India.

Though I’m incredibly excited to see what comes of this exchange that is bringing “a select group of 60 designers, change leaders, NGOs, foundations and experts together to engage actively in opportunities to demonstrate design thinking in crafting solutions for large social problems, as well as to use existing networks and programs to accelerate change”, I have to admit I am quite taken with a comment I found in response to the post about the conference on Design Observer’s website. The comment stated, “One question for you Bill, In this age of openness and ‘future thinking’ - where are the students at your summit?”- KT 10.10.09 at 09:53 

Thanks for the critique, KT. I think it brings up a valid point…

Since much of my thesis research is related to educational reform and students in low performing schools, I’m always on the lookout for case studies that showcase positive progress within the classroom.

One of the programs I’ve been following is K12lab through Stanford’s d.school. Recently, a partner in the project, David Kelley, was interviewed about the work K12lab is doing, and the use of design thinking that he believes is leading to many of the successes.

http://www.crosscurrentsradio.org

DESIGN THINKING FROM IDEO
“Follow the news, and it can seem the world has too many problems and not enough solutions. That’s exactly why people call IDEO. The design consultancy firm, launched in Palo Alto, has mastered a method for solving a wide range of puzzles, from transporting organs, to streamlining the services of the British national health care system. It’s called design thinking, and IDEO founder David Kelley thinks its principles can revive creativity in K through 12 education.  In the first report in a two-part series, KALW’s Bea La O’ visited Kelley at Stanford University’s design school, to learn how design thinking might revolutionize schools.”

Here, Daily Heller talks about Project M’s newest collaborative effort bringing designers and local farmers together in Falls Village, Conn.