Today at the Cleveland Institute of Art, we parked in the main lot between the Institute and Case Western’s Frank Gehry designed building, and opened up promptly at 11am. The lecture at 12:15pm went smoothly (and in attendance were Matt’s mom and brother!). One particularly interesting question centered around our efforts in trying to “convince” people that design for social impact is worth “investing in.” I replied that our focus as Project H was not to verbally “convince” people to fund our projects, but to lead by action and literally do the projects as proof that design is power.
The focus of our day at CIA, however, was the workshop, which followed the lecture at 1:15, downstairs in the industrial design department’s conference space. We had a total of about 30 participants, and thanks to a collaboration with Case Western’s business school, we had an amazingly interdisciplinary group.
The project brief for each group in the workshop was twofold: 1) to critique one of the products included in the road show exhibition trailer, and 2) to use that critique to inform an idea for a local enterprise, product, campaign or effort in Cleveland, in a sort of reverse scalability that took global solutions and applied their functions locally. We encouraged people to think broadly (for example, the Hippo Roller may not have literal applications in Cleveland, but the issue of water systems in Cleveland might call into question the greater watershed, where water comes from, how it moves through municipal systems, etc).
The six products included the Lifestraw point-of-use water filtration device, the One Laptop Per Child computer, the BOGO solar flashlight, YWater naturally sweetened vitamin-infused water that doubles as playful blocks, SinkPositive toilet retrofit that saves water by moving water first to a sink top and then into the bowl, and the Antivirus cap that attaches to a soda can to facilitate the safe and sterile disposal of used syringes and needles. Here are some of the critiques and ideas that came out of the workshop!
YWater
One of the common critiques, which was mentioned today, is the promotion of more plastic beverage bottles inherent to the product. Additionally, the group tried the beverage and were NOT impressed at the taste (watch the video above). They also felt each bottle was overpriced at $1.69. Their local implementation included a proposal for bulk purchases in public school cafeterias, with the used bottles used in the classroom (i.e. in chemistry classes to build molecular structures).
Lifestraw
On our road trip, we’ve heard lots of critique of the Lifestraw, ranging from distribution models to the user interface (how do you know when it is working?). The Lifestraw group posed another interesting application in the developing world, which turned the single straw into a modular system that allowed for higher filtration capacities and larger village applications. In Cleveland, the team thought about a hugely untapped water source: snow! They posed an idea for snow recycling that combined harvesting (if we can harvest rain, why not snow?), and filtration using a system similar to the Lifestraw. They also proposed a business model that would sell filtered water in the US that funded the distribution of the Lifestraw in the developing world.
One Laptop Per Child
The critique of the One Laptop Per Child centered around the design of an object so foreign to most markets for which it is intended. The team noted the intuitive interface but wondered if the computer might help to cultivate more of a community or encourage behavior changes. Their local idea was a “One USB Per Child” – a dongle that children could carry that would monitor activity, could connect to a virtual community, even provide GPS and security for parents or help encourage healthier diets.
SinkPositive
The SinkPositive is a fantastic retrofit to a standard toilet that brings fresh water up through a sink top when you flush, encouraging you to wash your hands, and then moves the soapy gray water into the bowl, saving water and encouraging hygiene. The critique of the device was on the aesthetics and price point. The team proposed applying larger scale grey water reuse systems at a commercial scale, and redesigning the SinkPositive top to make it more attractive to contractors working on new building projects.
BOGO Solar Flashlight
Despite the user-friendly nature of the BOGO light, the team critiqued its use of solar in the first place: “panels get broken; the energy harvesting is not THAT big at the size of the panel on the BOGO,” they said. The team wondered if a pull-string or hand-crank might be more efficient (and fun!). The team also wondered if the $40 price point (despite the buy-one-give-one model) was too high. Their local initiative included just that: a more kinetic application combined with play-based energy harvesting. They proposed a line of toys for children that encouraged a greater understanding of energy harvesting and use by playing with self-powered devices.
AntiVirus needle cap
AntiVirus, while just a concept, is an intriguing product that might facilitate the safer disposal of needles used for vaccines in the developing world. The team pointed out that while a soda can is universal in the US, most beverages are served in in glass bottles, and aluminum soda cans may not be as ubiquitous. The team proposed that a similar device (or a redesigned version) be used in the US as packaging for the distribution of insulin.
Thank you so much to those who participated in the workshop, and to Dan Cuffaro, Matt Beckwith, and Doug Paige for hosting us! Also thanks to Carli Shipley, our wonderful volunteer who traveled from Columbus to help lend an extra set of hands to the day’s activities.
