#hippo roller

Our group's manifesto was a combination of what we all believed in, and how we would like to shape our practice. The phrases written larger were of more importance and emphasis, such as “communicate don’t complicate” and “design not decorate”. Smaller phrases are more personalised to each group member, including our aspirations such as “I want to create timeless designs” and “ I wanna be more expressive in my works. The visuals elements are also a reflection of some of the phrases in the manifesto.

Overall, I feel that the manifesto reflects each group members’ belief in our design practice and journey. As it was my first time working with the group members, we struggled to start the manifesto. Given more time to familiarise, I think that the manifesto could be improved and seem less fragmented through combining some ideas into one phrase, and writing everything in one direction to better reflect our beliefs visually.

I really enjoyed CTS B as there are deeper reflections from the topics that we learned about. The module also builds on what I have learned in CTS A and WOII. I like how the topics aim to explore what we are passionate about, how social and cultural engagement is important in design, and how we can incorporate them in our practice. It has also helped me to consider my intentions and objectives when approaching a brief and what impacts I can bring to the community. This has helped me to better evaluate my projects in other modules such as in Materiality where I have to think about the aims and objectives of the project.

Another aspect of CTS B that was significant for me is the reflective writing. Unlike the modules in year one, CTS B had no specific guiding questions tailored for each topic. This helped me to think more independently and learn to convey my thoughts and ideas better. This has helped massively in modules that require reflective writing such as studio and materiality, and overall conveying my ideas. The reflective writing required case studies to support my arguments which expanded my views on how communication design can be used. I found it refreshing that I was looking at examples not purely for the visuals, but also the intentions of the projects, and how they have affected the target audience or beneficiaries.

For example, Hippo Roller is a project that aims to make collecting water more accessible for rural communities in Africa, through saving time and effort. The look and materials used to create the containers are not very visually exciting nor fanciful, but there is a pragmatic reason behind the choices. The aim of the design is not for it to be aesthetically pleasing. Instead, functionality and durability are more important considerations to have.

Overall, CTS B has helped me to develop intellectually and learn how to articulate myself better in speech and writing. I also learned that design can be meaningful, and not just for “aesthetics”.

(495 words)

References:

“Hippo Roller.” hippo roller - simple ideas changing lives in the global water crisis, https://hipporoller.org/.

Innovative water carrier in Africa

Two engineers from South Africa were designing a wheel barrel when they realized they could put water in the wheel. From that idea the Hippo Roller was born and is now changing people’s lives all over the world.

Produced by Grace Raver. Footage courtesy of the Hippo Roller Water Project.

Read more: http://www.techinsider.io/

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Hi WhosGreenOnline.com As we approach the end of an exciting 2017, I want to express sincere appreciation to our supporters, partners and suppliers and to the amazing team of people who have chosen to work with me on this life changing initiative. The Hippo Roller has been changing lives for 25 years now all over the world and to demonstrate this we have focused this newsletter on some of the…

‘Hippo Roller’ gadget providing access to clean water. 

When people think about important #inventions, they think of complex things, but the ones that changes lives the most can often be the most simple.

I recently read this intriguing article discussing the possible controversy of Western design being too imposed on non-Western cultures and communities, and I found it very interesting particularly because we often do tend to think that our sense of design and experience at large in the West is better and more advanced than that of the rest of the world, namely within India, Brazil, China and Africa. 

There has been a superb upswing here in the US and Europe to use design to do good and to promote social advancement in places that otherwise seem behind. But did we ever think that maybe we are crossing a fine line of cultural boundaries and differences that happily separate life in Africa or China or India from that in the West? That maybe such communities prefer a life unattached to 21st century technology and advancement? That maybe they themselves understand what they need better than we do? That maybe our unconditional interest and willingness to help may come off as another form of Western cultural imperialism?  

We at Holstee celebrate kickass products, sustainably made, with a social impact, and have products directly tied to improving life in places such as India, where the Holstee Wallet helps fund education+healthcare through a local NGO we've partnered up with, but it's always good to take a step back and reevaluate one's perspective, purpose and approach, and to consider all sensitive boundaries that may be crossed when working to serve another culture. 

So, food for thought- how exactly is Western design received in country X, Y and Z? 

And are we over presumptuous in our attempt to do good?

Would love to hear your thoughts and comments! 

Read the original article on Fast Code Design by @brucenussbaum who I also want to thank for writing such a great read- thank you Bruce. 

"Millions of people worldwide are forced to walk long distances on a daily basis to collect water. Traditional methods of collecting water include the use of 20-liter (5-gallon) buckets, which are laboriously carried on the head. This method is very time and energy consuming, can cause injuries, and discourages regular access to safe sites of drinking water.