Solutions for the other 90%

Last night I attended a Solutions Twin Cities event held at the Walker Art Center in conjunction with their Design for the Other 90% exhibit. Because of this connection, this particular volume of Solutions was focused on design. Presenters from the University of Minnesota College of Design, including the Dean Thomas Fisher, provided a framework and showcased student projects. Emily Pilloton from Project H in San Francisco gave us several examples of great design that considers social impact. Gabriel Cheifietz from 612 Authentic gave us a quick lesson on the different between telling a story, like we see on the news every night, and showing a story through short documentary (there are some great short films available on their website). Marc Swackhamer of HouMinn talked about the process of discovery and innovation involved in developing alternative building materials. Of course my favorite was Peter Rich, representing the Microfinance Alliance (full disclosure: I am the outgoing president), who gave a great overview of how financing fits into addressing the problems of the developing world. Hats off as usual to Colin and Troy over at Solutions Twin Cities.