‘Ahmedabad Declaration can show way for sustainable design’

AHMEDABAD: Can design solve the world’s problems? A good design can, believes design guru Don Norman, the director of The Design Lab at the University of California and author of the acclaimed book ‘Design of Everyday Things.’ Norman was the keynote speaker at the International Conference on ‘Design for Social Development’ organized by NID on February 14 and 15. “Design is not about making pretty things — it has to address real problems such as healthcare and education,” he said.“Here, traditional design doesn’t work. We have spent billions of dollars on experts and schemes. But if you ask me how design can be a solution, my answer would be ‘Ahmedabad Declaration’ (of 1979).”
The conference was organized to mark 40 years of the landmark design event that stresses on sustainable and people-centric design solutions for developing countries. Norman advocated local answers for local needs and a ‘value system which dissolves the disastrous divisions between the worlds of waste and want.’
“As a famous anecdote goes, a healthcare expert asked Africans what foreigners can do for them. Their answer was, ‘you can leave.’,” Norman said. “We have to find local solutions for problems. Here I see the important role for designers — they can see things differently and take multi-disciplinary approach.”
Norman said that in interest of humanity, companies should be mindful of the communities living around plants and of society at large for sustainable development.
The conference, which drew over 100 participants from across the globe, discussed issues ranging from sanitation to transport and fabric to technology.