Design in Africa

 



October 23, 2008

Design thinking for innovation

I have always been skeptical about using the word innovation, it seems like one of those word that gets used too often, however, it is easier to understand innovation than design.

Lets looks at some words from Wikipedia.

Design;  'Design is used both as a noun and a verb. The term is often tied to the various applied arts and engineering (See design disciplines below). As a verb, "to design" refers to the process of originating and developing a plan for a product, structure, system, or component with intention[1]. As a noun, "a design" is used for either the final (solution) plan (e.g. proposal, drawing, model, description) or the result of implementing that plan in the form of the final product of a design process[2]. This classification aside, in its broadest sense no other limitations exist and the final product can be anything from socks and jewellery to graphical user interfaces and charts. Even virtual concepts such as corporate identity and cultural traditions such as celebration of certain holidays[3] are sometimes designed. More recently, processes (in general) have also been treated as products of design, giving new meaning to the term "process design".

Which is pretty confusing, then there is design thinking; 'Design thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result.[1] Unlike analytical thinking, design thinking is a creative process based around the "building up" of ideas. There are no judgments in design thinking. This eliminates the fear of failure and encourages maximum input and participation. Outside the box thinking is encouraged in this process since this can often lead to creative solutions.'

And so we end with innovation; 'The term innovation means a new way of doing something. It may refer to incremental, radical, and revolutionary changes in thinking, products, processes, or organizations....The goal of innovation is positive change, to make someone or something better.'

So, what is really needed when faced with challenges in Africa, be it education, health, or water is design thinking for innovation, which in plain English means using creative ways to find new solutions which result in positive change.

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October 15, 2008

Project H-Hippo roller redesign

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As mentioned before, I am really interested in how Project H is going to redesign the Hippo Roller. Looks like they have been doing some user testing and figured out they have to go back to the drawing board.

Some ideas that caught my eye, were localized manufacture and using alternative parts. That said, designing for severe conditions where skilled people are scarce if a product needs repairs, it would be better to minimize the amount of moving parts and simplify the product and its manufacture.

In order for this product to be accepted by people, lowering barriers such as cost and ease of use are critical. Just looking at how difficult it is to pull the roller up a relatively even slope and pouring seems to me that weight and size are the biggest issues here. Perhaps it would be a good idea to determine exactly how much water a family needs, how often they need it and what is the actual value a Hippo Roller delivers versus the difficulty of using it.

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October 15, 2008

Fablabs in South Africa


Fablabs (fabrication laboratory) are 'a group of off-the-shelf, industrial-grade fabrication and electronics tools, wrapped in open source software and programs'

South Africa has set aside R16-million to establish 10 Fabrication Laboratories, also known as "FabLabs", around the country, providing disadvantaged communities with opportunities in the design, testing and fabrication process.

Fablabs in South Africa are initiated by AMTS (Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy), which falls under the CSIR, there are several fablabs in South Africa; Pretoria, Soshanguve and Cape Town to name but a few.

With the resources and expertise available at Fablabs it would be great if a platform like Ponoko could be established to create another distribution outlet.

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September 26, 2008

Nokia-The Way We Live Next 2008

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Some interesting presentations from Nokia, particularly 'Discovering Emerging Markets & Consumer Landscapes' from Jan Blom and Jussi Impiö, whose research focuses on India and Africa. Here is an idea of what Nokia Research Africa is doing.

More information at Nokia Conversations.

 

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September 26, 2008

Google 10^100

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Project 10^100 is the latest from Google to help change the world, using a huge amount of prize money and brand leverage, they hope to source the world for good ideas to benefit and make an impact in peoples lives. Google is embracing "crowdsourcing," the Internet-age notion that the collective wisdom of mass audiences can be leveraged to find solutions to design tasks.

The ideas can come from anybody, anywhere and can be anything, ideas that Google has cited as good examples are the Hippo Water Roller. Which in my opinion not the ideal solution, but it is inspirational and has seen a lot of press coverage, which helps the world think about how the other 4  billion live. Project H has called for a re-design of the roller for improved shipping efficiency for wider distribution and a lower price point. A new design should see a smaller, lighter more usable roller, which will help delivery and lower costs, lets see what happens.

But, back to 10^100;

Categories:
  • Community: How can we help connect people, build communities and protect unique cultures?
  • Opportunity: How can we help people better provide for themselves and their families?
  • Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy?
  • Environment: How can we help promote a cleaner and more sustainable global ecosystem?
  • Health: How can we help individuals lead longer, healthier lives?
  • Education: How can we help more people get more access to better education?
  • Shelter: How can we help ensure that everyone has a safe place to live?
  • Everything else: Sometimes the best ideas don't fit into any category at all.
Criteria:
  • Reach: How many people would this idea affect?
  • Depth: How deeply are people impacted? How urgent is the need?
  • Attainability: Can this idea be implemented within a year or two?
  • Efficiency: How simple and cost-effective is your idea?
  • Longevity: How long will the idea's impact last?
Hard to believe Google is only 10 years old.



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September 26, 2008

More from Surprising Africa at Picnic 08-Erik Hersman


See Erik Hersman's presentation from Picnic08, a good overview of mobile growth and applications in Africa. I like the title, 'If it Works in Africa, It Will Work Anywhere', excellent.

 

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September 25, 2008

MMA Architects win Curry Stone Design Prize

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The Curry Stone Design Prize has been won by MMA Architects for their low cost housing design which is being built in Freedom Park in Mitchell's Plain, Cape Town.

The idea behind the design was conceived by Ravi Naidoo during Design Indaba 2007, the 10x10 Housing Project invited leading international and South African architects to submit housing designs for lower income families.

"Lets give dignity and empathy to the poorest of the poor by designing a house that pushes the envelope in terms of ingenuity, creativity and sustainability." Ravi Naidoo; PingMag 2007.

The design from MMA Architects is a low cost, timber and sandbag infill construction, can be built with little or no electricity and uses unskilled labor from local communities.

 

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September 24, 2008

Surprising Africa @ Picnic 08


This looks like an interesting event, Surprising Africa @ Picnic 08 is a one day conference on the 26th of September exploring what can be learned from Africa; from Google's new business development, Vodafone and mobile banking to NairoBits, a digital design school for youth from the slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

Speakers include Eric Hersman, Ethan Zuckerman, Younghee Jung and Zina Saro-Wiwa.

Should be good, can't wait to see what comes out from it.

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September 24, 2008

Nokia-Calling All Innovators global developer contest

Just picked this up from Worldchanging, Nokia has announced Calling All Innovators, a global contest for developers to create mobile applications that will help to better society. This is a great opportunity for people out there to develop their ideas or to start working on a new ideas. The project is endorsed by Dean Kamen.

From the press release;

'Calling All Innovators challenges mobile application developers worldwide to create applications that will enhance the use of mobile devices in real world scenarios, in one of the three following categories:
 
ECO-Challenge: Make a difference by submitting an application that will work to minimize mobility's global environmental impact and develop ways to offer mobile solutions that help consumers make sustainable choices such as reducing their energy consumption or carbon footprint.
 
Emerging Markets: This category opens up new opportunities for developers to imagine the possibilities of pioneering applications and services impacting the daily lives of millions in developing nations, which could include solutions for education, health data access, infotainment, rural agriculture, or any other application that improves lives in emerging markets.
 
Technology Showcase: This is an opportunity to create and showcase compelling, experience driven applications, using any technology that runs on Series 40 or S60 devices, such as Flash Lite, Java, Python, or open source. From a single-purpose application to completely community driven, this developer's showdown will help open consumers' minds about what an application can do.'

One area that should show a lot of entries is the Emerging Markets, I hope to see some great ideas concerning mobile education, this is one area I think Nokia can make a huge impact in the future.

More on mobile education soon.

 

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September 22, 2008

Willowlamp

Willowlamp is a small company in Johannesburg that produces very unique lights, particularly chandeliers. A combination of laser cut steel and ball chain (which is the what keeps your bath plug attached to the bath) creates beautiful organic shapes.

 

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