Personally, I find myself most struck by the concept of interdisciplinary collaboration that A Better World by Design entails. After transferring from a Pre-Med/Bio-Engineering major to an Industrial design major, the most common response I get from people is an eyebrow raise followed by a statement along the lines of “Wow. Well that’s a huge change.” In actuality, I’ve found that there’s a good deal of overlap between the two disciplines, in terms of both process and goals: both look to use design thinking to solve problems. It’s this kind of collaboration and partnership between disciplines that I find so essential toward bringing about a better world.
For instance, Skylar Roebuck and Lauren O’Neill of Operation Simple really epitomize the kind of collaboration I believe will solve global issues through design thinking. Together, a computer engineer along with a graphic designer worked together to develop a portable surgical table for underprivileged countries. The table can be shipped easily to those in need and provide them with better healthcare. By designing their product together, they created something compact and cost-effective, while still retaining the integrity of its function by reaching out to resolve global problems and promote a better world. Read more at http://operationsimple.com/.
For rather obvious reasons, the interdisciplinary nature of this project struck a chord with me, and I can only hope to strive toward something similar. Though many of my own ideas are primarily concerned with healthcare, such as a needle cover that enables a safer and more efficient way to administer vaccines, I believe a Better World by Design can encompass so much more. The solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems of our world can be realized through community collaboration. After all, A Better World by Design is so much more than a conference. It’s a way of thinking and a way of doing.
- Katharine Li, 2012 Competition Coordinator
