Design Revolution: 100 Products That Empower People

I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

"Featuring more than 100 contemporary design objects and systems--safer baby bottles, a high-tech waterless washing machine, low-cost prosthetics for landmine victims, Braille-based Lego-style building blocks for blind children (...) that are as fascinating as they are revolutionary, this exceptionally smart, friendly and well-designed volume makes the case for design as a tool to solve some of the world’s biggest social problems in beautiful, sustainable and engaging ways (...) Pilloton challenges designers to be changemakers instead of “stuff creators.”
"
Watch a video featuring the author, Emily Pilloton on the Adobe site

There is a Book Launch Party October 1 in San Francisco, and a panel and reception at Cooper-Hewitt in NYC October 3rd
more info >

Human Centered Design Toolkit from IDEO

A free innovation guide for NGOs and Social Enterprises

For years, organizations have used Human-Centered Design (HCD) to arrive at innovative business solutions. In collaboration with the Gates Foundation and non-profit groups IDE, ICRW, and Heifer International, IDEO has specially adapted this process for NGOs and social enterprises that work with impoverished communities around the world. The resulting HCD Toolkit helps organizations understand people’s needs in new ways, find innovative solutions to meet these needs, and deliver solutions with financial sustainability in mind.

Download it here >

Design to Improve Life (INDEX Peoples' Choice Awards)

Browse the really cool projects (including Kiva.org!) and vote on your favorite designs

Yay Denmark for hosting this cool award!

(photo: the 700$ house)

(thanks to Aaron Sklar for the link)

Humanity-Centered Design: IDEO's Aaron Sklar Speaks About How and Why....

IDEO's Aaron Sklar speaks about the process of human-centered design and how it can be applied to solving the 'important' problems of the world...

He is speaking in the SoCap09 conference Sept 1-3 09 in San Francisco, which you should attend if you can...unfortunately I will be out of town. Ironically, doing user research for my current user-centric project!

This video really got me thinking about how to apply the methodologies I use every day in my work as an interaction designer to do something more...how shall I say...'important' for other humans out there. You will definitely hear me using the term, "humanity-centererd design" from now on!

United Nations Climate Change Conference to be Hosted in Copenhagen in 2009

check out the site:
United Nations Climate Change Conference is happening in Copenhagen in 2009, on December 7-18

The website is full of interesting articles. Check out some of the things Denmark is doing for climate change.

I have no idea why the conference is called COP15 though!

Cleverest Idea I've Seen In Years Too!!

This is the cleverest idea I've seen in years: PlayPumps.

Kids play on a merry-go-round and pump water for villages at the same time. Girls benefit in particular because they are usually the ones fetching water.

Wish I'd thought of that.

Thanks to Diego for the link, Guy Kawasaki for the post, and National Geographic for the feature-- and PlayPumps for doing something worthwhile!

check out this video:

Web game gives free rice to hungry people

from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7088447.stm

An internet word game has generated enough rice to feed 50,000 people for one day, according to the UN's World Food Program.

The game, FreeRice, tests the vocabulary of participants. For each click on a correct answer, the website donates money to buy 10 grains of rice.

Companies advertising on the website provide the money to the WFP to buy and distribute the rice.

FreeRice went online in early October and has now raised 1 billion grains of rice, enough rice to feed 50,000 people for one day.

FreeRice is the invention of US online fundraising pioneer John Breen.