This past weekend (October 2-4) I attended a better world by design conference in Providence, RI organized by RISD and Brown University. An inspiring group of attendees from students to professionals, across disciplines, from researchers, business leaders, designers, artists, economists, architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, and educators came together with a common goal of making this world a better place and to develop human centered designs. Speakers, panels, workshops and events ranged from sustainability to œpedal to the people, social entrepreneurship, emerging markets, communication for activism, information design, urban electric vehicles, appropriate technology and architecture in the developing world. I observed, learned and participated in a multiplicity of perspectives on a wide range of global challenges and solutions that worked.

From my schizophrenic notes!

Jan Chipcase — Nokia Research Center, user experience research
His visuals and personal stories of travel captured everyone. His research takes him to different cultures, countries off the map and villages in-between grids. It was fascinating to see how necessity drives innovation.

Emile Pilloton — Project H Design, industrial designer
Inspires and believes in life-improving humanitarian products. Her innovative solutions of a handmade bag turning into a hammock for the homeless women and counting tyre games for rural Africa and North Carolina truly carved the path for creative solutions.

The Integration of Design and Business — panel discussion
A very lively panel of Debbie Millman, Peter Lawrence, Bill Faulkes on design strategy, human behaviors, business of design, value and design as a business resource.

Culture Factor or Why the best laid plans go awry — Bianca Dahl, anthropologist, brown university
An enlightening workshop through several case studies on why the solutions with best research, taking the needs of people in mind, with regular follow-ups in the villages of India and Africa went wrong. We tried to answer, why after spending billions of dollars in aid with no result, how we interpret local culture and how to use these techniques to design for a better world.

Teddy Cruz — architect, san deigo
His incredible research and knowledge of San Diego and Tijuana culture clash at the border, literally, was mind-numbing. San Diego is the largest gated community. The exchange — discarded houses, materials from San Diego installed in Tijuana while migration from Tijuana to San Diego provides interesting challenges and opportunities.

Kiggie Hvid — Index
Based in Denmark, Index advocates, and offers the worlds largest financial assistance to design projects that improve life. Check out kiva.org where individuals can microfinance an entrepreneur to lift themselves out of poverty anywhere on this planet.

Jaime Lerner — architect and urban planner, brazil
He transformed his congested, polluted city to an efficient unclogged city with great mass-transportation. A strong advocate for public transportation gave his gyan on how an individual can make a difference:

1. separate garbage

2. use public transportation

3. work close to home / live close to work

4. multiuse facilities

my excerpt:
Consume less, keep it simple, don’t compromise, impactful-meaningful work, go beyond going green, follow my heart, immerse in different cultures, TRAVEL, and DESIGN LIKE I GIVE A DAMN.

You?