Ralf Hotchkiss Makes Wheelchairs That Go ‘Round the World

Ralf is another fellow I met at a Stanford event. And another product benefitting lots of people. “Whirlwind Technology has been taken to over 45 countries worldwide, providing the best in wheelchair design and construction utilizing local resources.” That quote’s from their site.

I saw it in action. There was a woman attending the talk who was in a $4,000 titanium wheelchair. She was respectfully asked “Do you bang your toes?” She admitted she did. “What happens when you go off a curb?” She said she couldn’t without risking a nasty fall. Ralf pointed out that the Whirlwind design protected the feet and was stable going off an 8-inch curb. This was ably demonstrated by a proud owner of a Whirlwind chair. He in fact pushed off a 16-inch-high stack of boxes without misshap!

What’s wrong with this picture? Why does it take 100 years before some products receive some intelligent design attention?

Martin Fisher Designs Irrigation Pumps in Africa

Martin Fisher is an enthusiastic rulebreaker. And he’s on his way to making millions. Millions of products that help people in third world countries live a better life. In 1991 he co-founded ApproTEC (now KickStart.org) to develop and market new, appropriate technologies in Africa. He and his group have created over 29,000 new jobs, generating $37 million a year in new profits and wages — transforming subsistence farms into highly profitable enterprises. I’d feel pretty good if I could do something like that. That’s why I founded Designfluence.

Martin is an engineering PhD alum of Stanford who gave a talk there back in April of 2004. He demonstrated simple human-powered water pumps that have helped developing-country entrepreneurs create new jobs and new wealth, and allowed the poor to climb out of their poverty.

What was so distinctive about the presentation was how far removed I felt from his world of design. He has made a huge difference in a large number of lives. I asked myself if I wanted to do that kind of design. Yes!

I think designers should take every opportunity to get involved in as many facets of design as possible. The act of design is such a rich experience. Design, like so many disciplines, is both a satisfying process and a desirable destination — stimulating in action, rewarding in the finished product. Or maybe the finished effect. The people’s lives affected by Martin’s work is the reason he’s so involved. It’s a good test of design — the effect on human lives.

Designs are Conversations

Reading The Cluetrain Manifesto was an eye-opener, a validation of stuff “I already knew.” I highly recommend it. Read Chapter One. The Cluetrain Manifesto observes that markets are conversations. Conversations consist of questions, statements, remarks, answers, and, most of all, listening. Cluetrain argues, convincingly, that because these conversations are happening more frequently and more openly — over the Internet — companies are becoming more transparent. They may think they’re operating “behind closed doors,” but all the window shades are up. It makes them more honest because they have to be or they get busted, often by their own employees. People (markets) want to be heard. If, as designers, we listen to these market conversations, we learn what they truly want. And as a result we make better products.

I was enjoying “jazz night” and coffee once at a Borders Book Store in Thousand Oaks, California. A fellow enjoyer and I struck up a conversation. He asked “What was the first art form?” It’s a great conversation starter. My question is “What is ’sustainable’ design?” Before you answer, think about listening beyond the conversations of markets/people. We need to learn to listen to the “conversations” of this planet, paying attention to its “body language.” Thirdly, look at the diverse ways we can be “profitable” — not just financially, but socially as well.

What are the elements of “sustainable design”? Here are a few possible elements to get the conversation started: adaptive, modular, reproducible, simple, elegant, recyclable components… thoughtful?… how about globally manufacturable? I don’t mean China, I mean it can be made anywhere.

I’m listening…

FLASHBACK

“Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps weigh 1.5 tons.” (Popular Mechanics in 1949)

It’s good to run across reminders like this. Our vision shouldn’t be limited by what we know today, but wide open to the infinite possibilities of our imagination.

I call it the “Jules Verne Effect” — when we come into awareness of what might be, the foundation is laid for manifestation. The more attention is paid to it, the faster it becomes reality.

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