Columns
"Links I Like" on Engineering
Ideas/Model/Paper
Nicholas Kristof – similar to making choices about blood diamonds & fair trade products, Kristof suggests changing thinking about “blood” materials used to make cell phones in the Congo. #ENG
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/opinion/27kristof.html?hp
Stanford business news – “D.Light’s Lofty Goals Meet Practical Challenges” Hands down favorite article; Student group builds highly useful light technology to serve poor; however, must address distribution, adoption,& financing challenges. #ENG
http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/bmag/sbsm1005/feature-dlight.html
Thinkers
Paul Polak – proponent of developing small appropriate technologies to serve poor. Author of “Out of Povery: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail” & founder of International Development Enterprises (http://www.ideorg.org/) & D-Rev (http://www.d-rev.org/) #ENG http://paulpolak.com/html/paul.html
David Kelley & Tim Brown – leaders at Ideo (design thinking firm); big ideas - inspiration, ideation, implementation; love that it uses art, story-telling, theatre & other fields to provide tools to boost creativity & innovation. #ENG
Harvard Business Review article with an overview of his work –
http://www.ideo.com/news/design-thinking1//?press/item/design-thinking/
TED talk by Tim Brown
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/tim_brown_urges_designers_to_think_big.html (16min lite version of talk below)
MIT Sloan Talk “Innovation Through Design Thinking” by Tim Brown
http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/mit.edu.3597670572 (57 min use itunes – fantastic talk with a overview of thinking) search itunes
Method Cards example of an Ideo tool for creativity
http://www.ideo.com/work/item/method-cards/
Group/Organization
EMI - Engineering Ministries International; Christian development organization bring together teams of engineers, architects, and design professionals to help build schools and churches and help with other small development projects around the world. #ENG
(aside - I love this group. I heard about them during my last year at MIT. Neat model of mobilizing volunteer students/professional on two weeks, one month, and longer project. Often the team goes to site area and produces drawings & plan for builders to carry out. Love it)
http://emiworld.org/
Kick Start (HANDS DOWN favorite organization; Amazing five-step process (1. Identify opportunity, 2. Design product, 3. Establish a supply chain, 4. Develop the market, 5. Measure & move along) I love this group. Kickstart has a growing portfolio of technologies that are given to indigenous entrepreneurs to start businesses. Amazing model. #ENG
http://www.kickstart.org/what-we-do/
Enterprise Works (work in Energy, Water & Sanitation, Natural Resources, & Agribusiness) #ENG http://www.enterpriseworks.org/display.cfm?id=2&sub=2
Ripple Effect Global – group started by Ideo (above) and the Acumen Fund. Uses Ideo’s principles in the development realm to improve access to water in India & Kenya. #ENG
http://www.rippleeffectglobal.com/?cat=3