Design Laboratory Aims to Improve Life

published Aug 16, 2007
Design Laboratory Aims to Improve Life
40 design and business students from all over the world have gathered in Copenhagen with the intent to create designs that will improve life.

It is easier to grasp the scale of global challenges such as climate change, epidemics and natural disasters, if approached bottom-up; what can you, as an individual, do to lessen their impact or even prevent them from happening?

The non-profit organization INDEX: believes that designers are problem solvers, which gives them the power to improve people's lives and to have a humanitarian impact.

They just need to be encouraged to become socially conscious and envision solutions to urgent needs such as basic shelter, health care, mobility, education, and access to clean water, energy and sanitation.

Therefore, INDEX: is hosting a three week long design lab in Copenhagen from August 10, which is attended by design and business students from countries like Botswana, Canada, Denmark, Jordan, Korea, Italy, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Qatar, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan and USA.

Here, the students will gain an understanding of user-centred design and innovation processes - from identifying a problem and prototyping economically feasible solutions to communicating their final concept to a relevant audience.