Low-tech, high impact

By Kate Levinson

I work for a health organization that does very little clinical work and, instead, focuses on health solutions that don’t require much technology, training or money—and I’ve always been fascinated by these ideas and models that are so simple they could easily go overlooked.

In that spirit, I went to see an exhibit called Design for the Other 90% this weekend at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Created by the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the exhibit (in Minneapolis through Sept. 7) showcases low-tech solutions for everyday problems around the world, grouped into critical categories: shelter, health, water, education, energy and transport.

According to the exhibit, 90 percent of people in the world have limited or no access to products and services that address these basic human needs of survival and progress. But designers, engineers and social entrepreneurs, individually and in partnership with people and organizations all over the world, have been a driving force behind a movement to change people’s lives one low-tech, low-cost solution at a time.

I was amazed by the creativity and passion of the designs and designers of the products in the exhibit—all simple, inexpensive, intuitive and, of course, earth-friendly! The entire exhibit is housed in Global Village Shelters. These small houses ship flat, require no fancy assembly and are perfect for emergency situations; and, though they're considered temporary, they last up to 18 months. The shelters are actually made of corrugated cardboard that is waterproof and even biodegradable.

Inside the shelters, the magic continued.

To me, the benchmark in low-tech, high-impact breakthroughs is the LifeStraw. It's so simple, it's crazy: There's a filter in the straw, so whatever one drinks from—say a muddy puddle—is suddenly good, clean drinking water.

Already have a clean water source, but it is 10 or more miles away (which is common in Sub-Saharan Africa). Try a Q-Drum, which allows you to roll nearly 20 gallons of water comfortably behind you, instead of carrying it on an arm or a head.

KickStart, a nonprofit whose sole purpose is to develop this kind of technology, tackles issues of housing and also micro enterprise with the MoneyMaker Block Press, which uses soil mixed with a small amount of cement to make bricks quickly and efficiently and significantly increases production.

Worried about electricity, and connectivity? Check out StarSight, a solar-powered street lamp that also provides wireless internet to keep the environment happy, people safe and everyone connected.

And the list goes on: a solar-powered charger for hearing aid batteries, community-building furniture (i.e. church pews) built from Hurricane Katrina rubble, solar cookers to nuke dinner or medical waste.

Ducking out of the final shelter of the exhibit, I couldn’t believe how simple ideas could have such a huge impact around the world. Clearly, many of the products in this exhibit are intimately tied to the environment and health, but across any field, I think these low-tech solutions are a great reminder of how simple solutions can be the most impactful.

In career terms, this low-tech-high-impact principle can be applied across the board. Some of these companies, such as KickStart, are solely dedicated to this type of work. But many of the designs came from engineers and designers, well-known in the corporate world, who gave a sliver of their time to creating an earth- and life-saving product. So while it would be great to work for an organization dedicated to these innovations, they can come out of any field and any profession.

To learn—and do—more: Meet some of the expected and unexpected geniuses behind the scenes. Check out the International Development Design Summit and browse Ted—and professionally and personally, don’t overlook the simple.