Posted: February 14th, 2013 | Author: Anirudh | Filed under: Assignment 1 | No Comments »
Mastery and Mimicry
Sep talks about Gandhian approach to developing tools. Today developing economies should design tools of their own ‘by the people, for the people’.
Thoughts such as OLPC being relevant came to my mind. What if those tools were developed by the local engineers, who’ve themselves been a part of the society? The problems faced by under-developed world are rather more than just technological. A hungry boy will rather feed him first than use a laptop designed by powerful economies. He’d rather sell it and feed himself.
The Arduino/Processing on the contrary is a great example(not being ‘expensive technology’)- it was developed by people who themselves pursued art, design and had an itch to create something for similar people. If tools like these are given to the right people- amazing things can happen. They’re like the Gandhi’s wheel of the modern world where technology can be a great tool. Tools like these are a great leveler, anyone can participate, design and build now. Unlike 1990′s where only
elite universities/research institutes could.
Example, a modern day movement- a strong community and a self sufficient village in Rajasthan that thrives on designing solar panels. http://www.barefootcollege.org/
- User Centered Design: Its valuable when in cases where a specific iteration of a present technology needs to be done. People didn’t know in 1990s that they’d need an iPod, till Apple actually designed one and showed them. Poets don’t do a survey of what people would like to read- they write it, and see if people like them. Same with art/music. You can’t design a guitar with a user centered survey. That inventive spark has to be there- which is somewhat synonymous to being an artist.
Leave a Reply