Dear All,

I come from Brazil and I think that, reflecting about our situation (in the
midle between developed and underdeveloped countries), I can contribute to
this thread.
I'll use my response to the very first question raised by Richard Buchanan.
"Particularly, in countrys like Brazil (a big developing country), I don't
think that design and designing are too diferent from easter countries, when
we are asked to design... We do have a quiet important Designers
Association.
The major problem is related to technology transfer, when we are out of the
design process even if we are buying the technology. In these situations, we
are very close too other developing countries. We may think that even a
developed country may have the same problems (for instance, Ford unit in
Bordeaux vas designed in England and Germany).
In this subject, a Frech Professor, called Alain Wisner, have a great
contribution. He developed a discipline called "Antropotechnology" , after
years studying technology transfer. ( a reference may be find in Ergonomics,
vol. 38 n. 8 aug 1995)."
So I agree with Katti and Mikko that the problem occurs when the persons are
excluded to the design process. But if they are not, I don't see too much
diference in the act of designing. However, there are big diference in the
constraints trat drive tha process.
Yours,

Marçal Jackson

----- Original Message -----
From: "Euved Project" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2001 3:34 AM
Subject: Re: [phd-design] Re: Design in Developing Countries ...


> Dear Tim,
>
>
> We are not quite sure if we understood you correctly, but if you really
are interested in the differences between design in developed and
undeveloped countries, how about this:
>
> As you know, most people in most developing countries live in a completely
different economical, cultural, spiritual etc. situation than people in
developed countries - except that 5% - the extremely wealthy - that live
like they would be in LA or Geneve, if not better.
>
> While the concept "developing country"  implies a huge variety of
different societies from many continents etc, they all share one common
feature: they are mostly poor.
>
> Poverty, which in the developing countries is often extreme and absolute,
is the general context where these people operate.
>
> The products used in these countries come mainly from the sweatshops of
Asia, designed by "silent designers" (who have never heard that they are
silent designers),  or they are made by the potter or tinsmith or basket
weaver next door who doesn´t really "design" the products but makes them the
way they have always been made.  There might be a local name for the
creation process but we are sure it is not "design".
>
> We  would say that design depends on  who designs, what, where and who
for. If Philippe Starck went to a Papua New Guinea jungle to design for
Alessi, his design would probably not be that different from what he is
doing now - except that he would almost certainly be less productive, taking
into consideration the extreme heat and humidity, no electricity and the
nearest access to  internet being 100 miles away, in another group of
islands...
>
> If, however,  he designed for local people, his design would almost
certainly be completely different: it would consist of products that are
cheap (or, rather, free; also - he could get his fees in advance as a bowl
of rice, or, for big jobs - as a pig),  that in some way add to the life in
the jungle, work in harsh, isolated conditions without spare parts etc. and
that fit the local lifestyle, culture and values.
>
> If Gorb et al. coined silent design,  maybe we should coin the idea of
"poverty design", (how does that go in Italian: "dissegno povera"? )
>
> When we lived in Mozambique (94-98), there was only one architect in a
province of 1 million people. There were even less designers, a fact  which,
we would guess,  gives you some idea of the scale of the business we are
talking about here. Also, when many Mozambicans more or less know what an
architect does (=sits in a clean office, drives a nice car and gets a lot of
money!), the vast majority of people, living completely isolated by mine
fields, exploded bridges and flooding rivers, has never even heard the word
"design".  In fact, such a word doesn´t exist in most indigenous languages!.
>
> One gets the feeling: "Design" - can you eat it?
>
>
> hakuna matata,
>
> kati reijonen  & mikko koria (third world "design" consultants)
>
> p.o box 1502
> Port Vila
> Vanuatu
> South Pacific
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tim Smithers <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: 17. helmikuuta 2001 3:44
> Subject: [phd-design] Re: Design in Developing Countries ...
>
>
> > Dear Richard and others,
> >
> > What, I have been wondering, makes a difference
> > between design in developing countries and design
> > in developed countries, or even in underdeveloped
> > countries?
> >
> > I  think it could be interesting to this list if you, and
> > others with an interest, might comment some on this.
> >
> > After all, if there are important differences to better
> > understand, there could be some useful and
> > interesting Design PhDs to be done in this area.
> >
> > I am interested in this because I have been doing
> > some work on something that often makes me feel
> > how I imagine designing in a developing country
> > might feel: Accessibility in the World Wide Web.
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Tim Smithers
> > Donostia
> >