Design Matters - Hands In The Mist - Extended Cut

Erik Anderson

6 Jul 201209:16

Summary

TLDRThe transcript highlights the struggles of marginalized communities in Latin America, particularly the lack of basic necessities like water and electricity. It emphasizes the importance of community-driven innovation and the role of designers in creating sustainable solutions to break the cycle of poverty. The speaker calls for a collective effort to address global issues, advocating for change from the grassroots level rather than relying solely on top-down approaches.

Takeaways

🏚 The speaker describes a region where basic amenities like water and electricity are scarce, indicating a state of neglect by the government.
🌐 The goal of the 'Cent innovation Tech' is to design solutions for people living in poverty across Latin America, aiming to break the cycle of poverty.
👧 The speaker shares a personal story about her sister carrying stones as a child, highlighting the hardships and lack of opportunities faced by the poor.
💡 The speaker emphasizes the importance of designing for people's needs, questioning why we design products like the iPhone 7 when a significant portion of the world lacks basic infrastructure to use them.
🌱 There is a call to action for designers to think more about sustainable energy solutions for the large, underserved market, recognizing the economic growth opportunities in addressing these needs.
🌍 The speaker points out that the reality of poverty in many Latin American families is not widely acknowledged or addressed by authorities, leading to a sense of invisibility and neglect.
😔 The pain of poverty is felt deeply by those who have experienced it, as they realize how invisible they are to the rest of society and how little attention their plight receives.
🤝 The mission of a 'texo' is to unite university students and volunteers with the most vulnerable families to find solutions to overcome poverty together.
🌱 The speaker dreams of a community where everyone has a home and a sense of belonging, emphasizing the importance of addressing basic needs like water to enable growth and development.
🌿 The environmental department's focus is on the total experience, whether designing for luxury brands or low-cost housing, aiming to deeply understand needs and innovate accordingly.
🌟 Designers are becoming more aware and are planting the seeds to become agents of change for the future, understanding behavior and other aspects of being a designer to make a difference.

Q & A

What is the main issue being discussed in the transcript?
-The main issue discussed is the lack of basic amenities like water and electricity in certain parts of Latin America, which contributes to the cycle of poverty.
What is the goal of the 'Cent innovation Tech' mentioned in the transcript?
-The goal of 'Cent innovation Tech' is to design solutions and innovate with people living in poverty across Latin America to break the cycle of poverty.
Why does the speaker mention the lack of aspirations as designers?
-The speaker mentions the lack of aspirations to highlight the need for designers to focus on creating sustainable solutions for large, underserved markets instead of just designing for the privileged few.
What personal anecdote does the speaker share about their sister?
-The speaker shares an anecdote about their sister carrying stones as a child and not being told anything about her situation, to illustrate the invisible struggles of those living in poverty.
What is the mission of 'un texo' as described in the transcript?
-The mission of 'un texo' is to unite university students and volunteers with the most vulnerable families in society to find solutions to overcome poverty.
Why does the speaker question the need to design the iPhone 7 when a third of the world lacks basic infrastructure?
-The speaker questions the priorities of technological advancement when basic needs are not met, suggesting that innovation should focus on sustainable solutions for the majority of the world's population.
What does the speaker mean by 'the reality is that we are invisible'?
-The speaker refers to the invisibility of the poor, who are often ignored or overlooked by authorities and the media, highlighting the lack of attention and action towards their plight.
What is the speaker's view on the role of designers in addressing poverty?
-The speaker believes that designers should be agents of change, using their skills to understand the needs of the poor and create innovative solutions to alleviate poverty.
What does the speaker suggest about the origin of real human change?
-The speaker suggests that real human change originates from the grassroots level, not from the top-down approach of politics or the economy.
What is the speaker's perspective on the responsibility to overcome poverty?
-The speaker believes that overcoming poverty is a global responsibility, not just the concern of those directly affected by it.
What is the significance of the community fridge mentioned in the transcript?
-The community fridge symbolizes a basic need for food security and the potential for community solutions to address issues like water scarcity and food production.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Socioeconomic Challenges and the Role of Innovation

The first paragraph addresses the neglected state of certain communities, particularly in Latin America, where basic needs like water and electricity are scarce. It emphasizes the importance of designing solutions that can break the cycle of poverty and innovate with the people living in these conditions. The speaker shares personal anecdotes to highlight the invisibility and lack of attention given to poverty by authorities and the media. The goal is to unite students and volunteers with vulnerable families to find solutions to overcome poverty, stressing the need for sustainable development that benefits the entire world, not just a privileged few.

05:08

🌱 Community Empowerment and Environmental Design

The second paragraph discusses the community's struggle with access to basic resources like water, which hinders their ability to grow food. It touches on the importance of creating a sense of belonging and community, suggesting a model where everyone has a stake in the community's resources. The speaker also highlights the role of environmental design in improving living conditions, whether for luxury brands or low-cost housing. The paragraph underscores the设计师's responsibility to deeply understand the needs of the community and innovate accordingly. It concludes with a call to action for global solidarity in overcoming poverty, emphasizing that change must come from the grassroots level rather than being imposed from the top down.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Forgotten

The term 'Forgotten' refers to being neglected or overlooked by society or the state. In the video's context, it is used to describe the feeling of abandonment experienced by communities that lack basic resources like water and electricity. The script mentions, 'Esta está un poquito olvidada,' highlighting the lack of attention and support from the government towards these areas.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the process of creating new methods, ideas, or products. The video emphasizes the role of 'Cent innovation Tech' in designing solutions to break the cycle of poverty, which goes beyond just providing water. It's about innovating with people to improve their living conditions, as illustrated by the speaker's aspiration to think more sustainably for the large market being served.

💡Poverty

Poverty is the state of being extremely poor. The video's main theme revolves around addressing and overcoming poverty. The speaker talks about the mission of connecting universities and volunteers with vulnerable families to find solutions to poverty, indicating that poverty is a central issue that needs to be tackled collectively.

💡Aspirations

Aspirations are strong desires for achieving something. The script mentions that designers do not have aspirations for creating products like the iPhone 7 when a third of the world doesn't have a place to plug it in, suggesting a need to reevaluate what is truly important and to focus on more meaningful aspirations that can benefit a larger portion of society.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the ability to maintain certain conditions or processes over time without depleting resources or causing harm to the environment. The speaker mentions thinking more about 'método energético sostenible,' indicating a shift towards designing solutions that are environmentally friendly and can be maintained in the long term.

💡Market Opportunities

Market opportunities are potential areas for business growth or profit. The video discusses the idea that by addressing the needs of the underserved market, there are socio-economic growth opportunities that benefit the world. This is exemplified by the speaker's point that excluding a large part of the world from economic participation is a missed opportunity for growth.

💡Invisibility

Invisibility in this context means being ignored or not recognized. The speaker talks about the 'reality paupérrima' of many families in Latin America that is not shown in the media because it is a wound that authorities are not willing to show or address. This invisibility causes pain and is a significant part of the video's narrative.

💡Change

Change refers to making or becoming different. The video emphasizes that change needs to come from the bottom up, not from policy or the economy to the people. The speaker believes that real human changes start at the grassroots level, which includes the audience and the speaker themselves, indicating that everyone has a role in driving change.

💡Design

Design in the video is not just about creating aesthetically pleasing objects but about solving problems and improving lives. Designers are encouraged to make deep connections and understand needs to innovate and apply design for change. The script mentions students designing for both high-end luxury brands and low-cost housing, showing the broad application of design in addressing different societal needs.

💡Community

Community refers to a group of people living in the same place or having common interests. The video script talks about a dream of a community where everyone has a home and a sense of belonging. The example given is of a person who feels that worrying about basic needs like water prevents them from feeling at home, indicating the importance of community in providing a sense of security and belonging.

💡Environmental

Environmental pertains to the surroundings or the physical and biological factors that affect the lives of organisms. The speaker mentions the department being about the 'total experience,' which includes designing for both luxury and low-cost housing with an understanding of the environment. This shows the importance of considering the environment in design to create solutions that are in harmony with the surroundings.

Highlights

The community feels neglected by the state with a lack of basic amenities like water and electricity.

There is a perception that the situation will not improve, causing despair among the residents.

The goal of innovation and technology goes beyond just providing water, aiming to design solutions to break the cycle of poverty.

The speaker shares personal experiences of poverty, highlighting the lack of aspirations and opportunities in their youth.

The mission of a 'texo' is to unite students and volunteers with vulnerable families to find solutions to overcome poverty.

There is a call to action for designers to create products that are more sustainable and accessible to the large market that is currently being underserved.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of designing for people, not just for the sake of innovation, but to address real-world problems like poverty.

There is a recognition that the current economic model is not working for the poor and that change needs to come from the bottom up.

The speaker discusses the invisibility of poverty and the lack of attention it receives from authorities and the media.

The speaker calls for a collective effort to address poverty, stating that it is a global issue that requires a global solution.

The transcript mentions the potential for growth and socio-economic opportunities if the needs of the poor are met.

The speaker talks about the role of designers as agents of change, planting seeds for a better future.

There is an emphasis on the importance of understanding the needs of people living in poverty to create meaningful and impactful designs.

The speaker highlights the need for designers to be aware of and address the socio-economic realities of the communities they are designing for.

The transcript discusses the idea of a community fund that could provide a sense of security and stability for those living in poverty.

The importance of clean water and sanitation for the poor is mentioned, as it is a basic need that can significantly improve their quality of life.

The speaker shares a dream of a community where everyone has a place to live and a sense of belonging, not feeling like they are living in a temporary space.