Diffusion, Politics, and Other Challenges to Social Innovation

            “Simple” innovations are often successful because they tend to embody the requisites of sustainability and practical application. However, it takes considerable effort to make something simple. This week’s readings include myriad examples of innovations that exemplify simplicity, such as the water-purifying Lifestraw [1] and the Hippo water roller to transfer water [2]. Though these ideas seem incredibly simple at first brush, their diffusion depended on several key characteristics of innovation apart from economic viability – relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trial-ability, and observe-ability. Context is overwhelmingly important in determining the efficacy of a product or service. Political climate, international/state regulations, and available technology all play important roles in the potential diffusion of an innovation.

            Human-centered design thinking can help innovators better determine the parameters of a given problem to develop a focused solution. For example, Salman Khan’s simple YouTube videos explaining concepts over a variety of topics appeals to learners whom might not have access to traditional classrooms or need additional assistance in a subject area. My younger brother probably would have failed his final year of high school math were it not for Khan Academy’s pre-calculus videos, as my parents could not afford private tutoring. Operating on a $7 million budget and reaching over 10 million students per year in a meaningful way, Khan Academy is experiencing an enormous return and is perhaps really reinventing education [3]. However, the limitations of this seemingly simple design concept remain to be seen. While modern technology may indeed be finally poised to disrupt how people learn, Khan Academy’s future diffusion in emerging markets faces potential challenges in compatibility and complexity. Aside from the fact that Khan Academy is not accessible in rural areas without computers and/or internet, additional issues such as literacy, language barriers, and work and family obligations might diminish the value of Khan Academy as a substitute or even a supplement to traditional education.

            Though there are many other examples of potential limitations for all the designs discussed in these readings, those related to the refugee shelters designed by Ikea are particularly relevant in light of current events. The shelters offer clear benefits: they are cheap, flat-packed, build-it-yourself, durable, and easily transported [4]. These relative advantages are nevertheless subject to a plethora of context-specific issues. For instance, the EU is currently in crunch talks as German and Italian border control processes are proving unable to handle the steady influx of refugees [5]. The EU may not have the time, resources, or broad-level organization to even consider shelter alternatives such as those Ikea offers. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has 100,000 air-conditioned tents in the city of Mina which could be used to house refugees, but which instead remain empty due to the nation’s foreign policy stance on accepting refugees [6]. Can innovative product solutions transcend policy limitations in and of themselves? Are innovations like refugee tents and educational videos best designed with the widest possible diffusion in mind, or should more context-specific solutions generally be the goal? What would a cost-benefit analysis of contextual specificity vs. global application look like?

[1] 6 Water-purifying Devices for Clean Drinking Water in the Developing World, Inhabit (2013)

[2] Africa innovations: 15 ideas helping to transform a continent, The Guardian (2012)

[3] One man, one computer, 10 million students: how Khan Academy is reinventing education, Forbes 2012

[4] A New Ingeniously Designed Shelter for Refugees – Made by Ikea, Fast Company CoExist, 2013

[5] Refugee crisis: EU crunch talks as queues form at German Border, The Guardian, 2015 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/14/refugee-crisis-britain-set-for-eu-showdown-after-germany-brings-in-border-controls

[6] Refugee Crisis 2015: Saudi Arabia Criticized for 100,000 Air Conditioned Tents Not in Use, International Business Times, 2015 http://www.ibtimes.com/refugee-crisis-2015-saudi-arabia-criticized-100000-air-conditioned-tents-not-use-2095403