MASSIVE Change

I saw this exhibit in Chicago on MASSIVE Change years ago. It was fascinating! I think the projects show the importance (and elegance) of creativity and design to social innovation. The exhibit explored the ways in which design could improve human welfare. Many of the projects/systems/products would serve the BOP population described in the articles we read for this week. In particular, I recall seeing portable, low cost water filters and transportation methods that would create enormous, positive change: women who otherwise spent hours and hours a day hauling water from remote sources to their villages would have time to pursue other productive endeavors.

As the sidebar says, “Instead of structuring our project around professional design disciplines, like graphic design and industrial design, we looked at design from the perspective of the citizen.” The Massive Change approach fits in with the notion of frugal engineering described in the Sehgal article: maximize value to the customer while minimizing nonessential costs. After all, in order to truly provide value to the customer, the designer must see what the customer wants and needs. While the BOP population has not formerly been a traditional “customer,” it is indeed a critical population of customers and often times has unique needs.