NextBillion.net - Development Through Enterprise - A Day at the International Development Design Summit - Comments

Dissemination

Paul Rigterink — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:41:18 -0400

Aman The website/catalog I use to get an idea of what supplies are needed (and are available) for a subsistence farmer is Lehman's "Non-Electric Catalog" (available at http://www.lehmans.com/). The catalog provides examples of supplies that may be needed and may not be currently available in many regions of the world. I agree that one major hurdle in creating a BOP food security program/agriculture business in a less developed country is the dissemination of supplies required for a successful business. For example, better food storage equipment for grain and produce would help most subsistence farmers. Currently most of the poor do not have access to a complete set of supplies necessary for conducting a business with a reasonable amount of risk.

That is an awesome entry.

Niall Walsh — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:39:44 -0400

That is an awesome entry. Summed up exactly what Wednesday was all about - I think a little bit of copy and pasting is in order! Only kidding - glad you enjoyed the experience and it's unfortunate I didn't get the chance to meet you. Anyway, keep up the great work and will try to keep you informed about IDDS 08' through my blog entries.

Dissemination

Aman — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:34:07 -0400

On the issue of dissemination - I have often thought the same thing - there are at times dozens of groups designing the same thing. Having multiple "inventions" is a good thing for many reasons (it is generally better to have 5 or 6 diabetes drugs than 1 for competition and clinical reasons). However, we seem to be at fairly early stages on figuring out how to disseminate/share this info. Did you have a discussion there about how to do this? Or is there a clearinghouse website where people can log in what they are doing (the latest cookstove re-design, water purification system, etc)? I am wondering if it would be useful to have a simple google maps mashup where you have location, affiliation, and a category of what you are doing would be a start (water, vaccine delivery, cook stove, solar power, etc.).

A Day at the International Development Design Summit

Rob Katz — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:24:33 -0400

I'm hungry, and it's getting late; I'm worried about missing my train. The potluck table full of food isn't helping my growling stomach, especially as more and more dishes arrive. A fellow bystander casually offers play-by-play commentary: "India's represented. Now Ireland. Ghana's here; so is Peru. Where are the Hondurans? And the Zambians! They always hold things up…"

This scene took place yesterday, in the courtyard of a 1970s-era dorm at MIT, outside of Boston. Along with 60 others, I was waiting for the Hondurans and Zambians so we could begin the International Development Design Summit's (IDDS) around the world potluck dinner. IDDS is a two week workshop/seminar/collaboratorium organized by MIT's appropriate design guru, Amy Smith. A MacArthur Genius Award winner, Smith is renowned for her passionate, down-to-earth approach to design for base of the pyramid markets. (I wrote about her back in 2006.)

According to the IDDS web site, the goal of the program is to develop simple, inexpensive devices that can be produced locally and make a real difference for people and communities. This year's participants hail from 23 countries and include mechanics, social workers, doctors, carpenters, farmers, students, faculty and professors.

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