The Incubator, though principally geared towards recent college graduates, seeks to promote design skills, innovation and awareness of environmental and social responsibility at every stage of learning.  To this end, PDI recently participated in an activity in coordination with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and their Lehman Scholars Program.  This program is for select high school students in the 11^th and 12^th grades and introduces young minds to the fundamentals of design thinking through first-hand workshops and internships with design professionals.  The Incubator developed and presented one such workshop, entitled Innovation by Necessity, inspired by the Cooper-Hewitt’s exhibition Design for the Other 90%. 

The world’s population is well over 6.5 billion people.  Of that total, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted.  In fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter.  Design for the Other 90% explores a growing movement among designers to develop low-cost solutions for this “other 90%”.  Designers, engineers, students and professors, architects, and social entrepreneurs from all over the globe are finding unique ways to address the basic challenges of survival and progress faced by the world’s poor and marginalized.  This exhibit presents several of the solutions that have been developed and that have significantly contributed to the people of the world that desperately need the attention of the privileged 10%.  The students involved in the Lehman Scholars Program and Innovation by Necessity toured the exhibit before the workshop in hopes of exposing them to the reality of the world’s current need for socially responsible design.

Innovation by Necessity took place over a two-day course in the Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design.  After viewing the exhibit, Design for the Other 90%, the students were split up into four teams of five people and an advisor was assigned to each group.  The overall scenario indicated that the members of the teams were leaders of a tribe of 30 people, and each member was assigned to be in charge of either trade, food and water, shelter and security, home and health or as a scribe.  The teams were presented with a habitat (rainforest, desert, mountain, or island), each with its own set of restrictions and opportunities for design.  Maps of the habitats were provided, demonstrating where essential supplies such as fresh water and food were located. Each team was then given a box of materials containing items such as vinyl sheeting, cardboard, rope, and fabric, meant to simulate raw resources.  Some of the materials were considered limited while others plentiful.  The teams were then engaged in a conversation and brainstorming session about what was necessary for survival and what could be developed out of the resources at hand.  They were given a homework assignment to sketch and further develop ideas they had come up with the first day.

The students arrived the second day toting dozens of interesting concepts and eager to begin the hands-on construction of their ideas.  As scissors snipped and scraps of spandex flew, many fascinating products began to arise out the piles of raw materials.  Rain collection devices, climate-appropriate clothing and shoes, transportation and for some of the groups, complex systems of nomadic travel and inter-village cooperation were developed.  The students had roughly two hours to create prototypes, and then presented their ideas to the rest of the group using models, drawings and verbal explanations.  Overall, the final result was quite impressive.  The group remained energetic and focused throughout the workshop and many reported that they had learned a great deal about design, model building, and solving critical problems for the less fortunate populations on this planet.  The advisors felt as though the workshop had been incredibly productive and encouraging and hoped to participate in similar programs in the future.

The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, part of the Smithsonian Institute, was founded in 1897 by Amy, Eleanor, and Sarah Hewitt—granddaughters of industrialist Peter Cooper—as part of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.  It is housed in the landmark Andrew Carnegie Mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City.  It is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to design.  The Cooper-Hewitt’s collections include more than 250,000 design objects and a world-class design library.  Its exhibitions, in-depth educational programs, and on-site degree-granting master’s program explore the process of design, both historic and contemporary.  Together, these resources and programs reinforce Cooper-Hewitt’s position as the preeminent museum and educational authority for the study of design in the United States.

Team
Deb Johnson – Director, Pratt Design Incubator
Katie Miller – Designer, Clodagh
Brendon Keim – Designer, Clodagh
MacKenzie King – Program Director, Urban Assembly