Donald G. McNeil Jr. — Design That Solves Problems for the World’s Poor
Michael (Mukesh) Parekh summarizes a New York Times article Design That Solves Problems for the World’s Poor.
The NY Times article by Donald G. McNeil Jr.starts:
[tease]
“A billion customers in the world,” Dr. Paul Polak told a crowd of inventors recently, “are waiting for a $2 pair of eyeglasses, a $10 solar lantern and a $100 house.”
The world’s cleverest designers, said Dr. Polak, a former psychiatrist who now runs an organization helping poor farmers become entrepreneurs, cater to the globe’s richest 10 percent, creating items like wine labels, couture and Maseratis.
“We need a revolution to reverse that silly ratio,” he said.