Humanitarian Design

Designers contribute to society by doing what they are best at, making our lives better. Last week’s lecture spoken by Bruce Becker, made me realize designers could be everywhere not only in one office, and on one desk. His lecture on Monday just took me to other side of the world. The depressing number of refugees shocked me, and the environment they are living in shocked me again. Thinking about the issues for this week’s 500 words essay, I quickly started to brainstorm what designers can do for such different environment for different cultured refugees. To design something for somebody, we have to study the user group, so the product fits the specific user group and satisfy them. The issue is not about what we can do for the user group, but what the designed product can do for the user group. In the process of designing, designers should find the best way to close the gap between users and the products. For such environment as 3rd world country, more studies on users are required. We can find and create similar environment around here, but the best will be actually being on actual environment and do case studies and experiments with actual users. That way, we will be able to research more accurately, and trust the results. Whatever we design and make will be well fitting with the environment also.

Top design priorities in the field of humanitarian design should be well thought out and delivered on the product. If I was in the field of humanitarian design, I will probably have ‘function’ on my first priority. In our world, we have what we need, they all have same functions, there isn’t only one cell phone Company, but there are many of kinds. The design steals customers’ eyes and makes business out of it. The humanitarian design is not about business, is about designing on the people’s needs. What my product can do for them, this will be the first question I will ask myself before I design for people in needs.