design is how it works

Design Impact

Kate Hanisian, the co-founder

of Design Impact introduces

design in India’s social sector.

Design Impact is a non-profit

organization that partners

professional designers with

community organizations.

These designers work on-site

with innovative organizations

and the communities they serve to

design and implement lifeimproving

solutions.

www.d-impact.org

An Erikoodu charcoal briquette releases no smoke while burning, and prov ides consistent heatfor up to two hours. Im age courtesy Kate Hanisian

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like.Design is how it works. Barring a few isolated examples, there remains minimal opportunity for design and the social sector to

routinely collaborate. Design Impact is one of the groups leading the effort to change that. Their mission

is to identify opportunities where design skills can partner with organizations to address critical social

issues, such as providing better access to water, safe environments, or livelihood. Throughout its

history, professional Design has been used in business to drive innovation, solve problems, and connect

new ideas to users.

Unfortunately, Design efforts have too often been channeled into narrow applications that have minimal

positive effects on society. While we now have hundreds of different designs for running shoes, there has

been little Design investment towards products and services that serve the basic needs of impoverished

communities.

The ‘Em brace Infant Warmer’ serv es as a greatexample of the power of design interv ention in

Too often, lack of access to money means

lack of access to life-saving or life-improving

designs. But today with effective partnerships

and sustainable funding streams, design can

play an essential role in improving services.

Design Impact partners designers with

social sector organizations through our

fellowship program. We facilitate these

partnerships by matching social impact

projects with highly qualified and trained

professional designers, who live and work

t I di i ti f i th

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6/2/2011 INDIA - FUTURE OF CHANGE - Design…

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example of the power of design interv ention inIndia’s social sector. Designed by an integratedteam of designers, engineers, and social sectorleaders, it costs less that 1 % of traditional babyincubators and has the potential to sav e millionsof liv es ev ery y ear. Image courtesy Kate Hanisian

at Indian organizations for six-month

engagements. To test this model internationally,

we lived in rural Tamil Nadu for the eighteen

months, working closely with the Organisation

of Development, Action, and Maintenance (‘ODAM’)

on the Erikoodu Charcoal Briquette Project.

Erikoodu Charcoal Briquette Project

Families in India often use wood or kerosene for their cooking needs—both of which emit severe,

sometimes fatal fumes and cause numerous short- and long-term health problems. The Erikoodu (Tamil

for ‘burning nest’) charcoal briquette offers families a better way to cook. The charcoal briquette

releases no smoke while cooking, and is made from sustainably harvested and locally produced

charcoal, reducing dependence on fossil fuels. When charcoal is harvested from a sustainable source,

and is processed into a clean burning charcoal briquette, it results in a carbon-neutral energy source.

The non-toxic and smokeless attributes of the briquette make it a better alternative than traditional

charcoal, wood, or kerosene in rural areas.

Working on projects like the Erikoodu briquette has provided us with the proof and insight required to

grow our program to other organizations.

Elav arasu and Adam work together to design a locally -made charcoal m ixer out of recy cled materials. This m ixer will help prov ide briquettes that reduce indoor air pollution caused by wood smoke.Image courtesy Kate Hanisian

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Ter ms and Condi ti ons Copy r i ght © 201 1 . IN DIA Futur e of Change



Design Impact

Kate Hanisian, the co-founder

of Design Impact introduces

design in India’s social sector.

Design Impact is a non-profit

organization that partners

professional designers with

community organizations.

These designers work on-site

with innovative organizations

and the communities they serve to

design and implement lifeimproving

solutions.

www.d-impact.org

An Erikoodu charcoal briquette releases no smoke while burning, and prov ides consistent heatfor up to two hours. Im age courtesy Kate Hanisian

contd >>

Design Impact Fellowship Program

Beginning November 1, 2011, Design Impact’s first round of Fellows will be placed with Indian social

sector organizations, located in various states around India. These partner organizations all work in

crucial areas of social or environmental change. In addition, these organizations demonstrate openness

to innovative thinking, capacity to implement projects, and have an identified area of opportunity they

would like to explore through Design.

Possible design projects for our first year include: technology-driven job skills curriculum for

disadvantaged youth, waste charcoal briquetting to reduce indoor air pollution, small municipal bio-gas

plants to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, bamboo structure design to provide low-cost shelter, compost

packaging and distribution to advocate environment-friendly farming, healthcare provisions in low-

income communities, and rural technologies to empower low-income innovators. Although each round

of Fellows remains for six months, most projects require a lengthier commitment. Design Impact

provides continued support by placing as many rounds of Fellows as the project requires.

As we assess the measurable outcomes of our projects and garner specific feedback on our process, we

will continue to tailor our approach as we spread across India and abroad.

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Seemaichamy interv iews Muthukani to get her impressions of the charcoal briquette. Design Impact workedclosely with ODAM to complete user research that guided and informed the design process. Image courtesy Kate Hanisian

Urged on by the growing realities of globalization, new models of development work are emerging daily.

Lines are blurring between for-profit and non-profit, governments are working with businesses who are

working with NGOs, and all sectors have realized that it’s time to seek innovative approaches to some of

society’s toughest issues. With roots in business, manufacturing, art, marketing, and creative problem

solving, Design can help bridge the gap between sectors in these new models of social change. And,

better yet, designers who explore these new partnerships can encourage others to step out of traditional

roles and realize that we all have a responsibility greater than ourselves. At Design Impact, we are

learning every day from the ongoing Indian development initiatives that surround us, and are honored

to work closely with the talented and dedicated individuals that exist in India’s social sector.

Selv am and Seemaichamy of ODAM relax with Ramsey Ford of Design Impact after a long day of makingbriquettes. Image courtesy Kate Hanisian

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Ter ms and Condi ti ons Copy r i ght © 201 1 . IN DIA Futur e of Change



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