Design for Development: Spring 2009
This course focuses on developing the skills necessary to work on complex social entrepreneurship and design research projects for social, cultural, environmental, and economic development in partnership with members of marginalized rural communities and other disciplinary experts.
PROJECTS Spring 2009
Quintana Roo, Mexico
— Sustainable Handicrafts with the Amigos de Sian Ka’an (near Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo)
Project coordinator in FCP: Elsa Torres Zapata
foci: design education, research, strategy, design
1 Creativity, Design Thinking, Design Workshops for artisans (Noh-Bec)
2 Telling the story to position project, people, community, and products responsibly in a global market
Holistic approach, design systems, and multiple media outcomes.
— Organic Farming in Noh Bec, Quintana Roo
foci: discovery, research, ideation, strategy, project development
Project partner: Gualberto Casanova Dzul
Florida
— Levy County Wellness Coalition
foci: research, strategy, project development
Project coordinator/partner: Slande Celeste
1 Identity positioning
2 Communication strategy and design for public health awareness
COURSE MATERIALS
Provided via email
TRAVEL RELATED MATERIALS
Liability Waivers (pre-departure)
Trip Funding sign off (pre-departure)
Health + Evacuation Insurance: All UF students and faculty who intend to travel outside of the US are required to have health insurance and emergency evacuation insurance. The latter is available through the UFIC for approximately $10/month.
US Department of State Travel Information: México
ADDITIONAL READING
Design thinking for innovation
Tim Brown – IDEO: Design Thinking
Maria Rogal: 12 thoughts on working with communities
Design for the other 90%
Paul Polak: Out of Poverty
Paul Polak: 12 Steps out of poverty (You Tube)
Paul Theroux and Paul Krugman on Tavis Smiley (PBS) – on the economy and travel
William McDonough: Design for the Triple Top Line
Eco-Africa: Going Beyond Business (Businessweek)
Ashoka’s Print Room (collected articles)
see Social Entrepreneurship: Towards an Entrepreneurial Culture for Social and Economic Development
Skoll Foundation: Marketing & Communication for Social Entrepreneurs
see discussions on storytelling
Business of Fair Trade
Expert Advice (on many issues)
WEB SITES OF INTEREST
Kala Raksha Preservation of Traditional Crafts (India)
William McDonough
Ashoka: Social Entrepreneurship/Innovators for the Public
Skoll Foundation: Celebrating and Collecting Social Entrepreneurs
Partners of the Americas
– Agricultural Project Case Studies
– Gender and Equality
– Agriculture and Environment Web Links
Norsk Form (a project of the Norwegian Government)
Zumos Project with Norsk Form + Ecotourism Component
Design for Social Impact
Nest – website supporting women artisans in developing countries
Proud Mary
Proud Mary on Design Sponge
VIDEOS
Zumos weaving group from San Juan La Laguna
Zumos, San Juan La Laguna (about the community)
TERMINOLOGY
Agency: the capacity to make choices
Double bottom line
Empowerment: developing confidence in one’s own capacities
Social entrepreneur
Triple bottom line: people, planet, profit
“In his book Creating a World without Poverty—Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus defines what a social business is and what it is not. It boils down to the following requirements:
1. social objectives: it needs to have positive social objectives (help comes from the altruistic social services that the business provides to the poor): e.g. health, education, poverty, environment or climate urgency
2. community ownership: it needs to be owned by the poor or disadvantaged (dividends and financial growth return to the poor where their fiscal situations are helped bringing them out of poverty): e.g. women, young people or long-term unemployed
3. non-profit distribution: investors may not, after having had their investments paid back, take profits out of the enterprise.”
RESOURCES
Cradle to Cradle Certification
Funding Resources: Skoll Foundation
Building Brands in Rural Tourism (Norway)
Design without Borders (belief that design and designers can make a significant contribution towards a better and more sustainable society.)
Fair Trade – FLO-Cert (information on fair trade certification)
