Dear Otto readers,
This week has been a milestone week for the SocialDesignSite. We have launched a co-creating process, with the aim of establishing the SocialDesignSite as a sustainable and viable non-profit site. Together with all the project owners and stakeholders we want to create this vision and model for the site. You are welcome to join, or simply share your ideas with us on social design! Take a look at our efforts to co-create a viable vision for the Social Design community.

The newest edition to the SocialDesignSite is a very interesting and relevant project for the design community. Design 4 Development consists of a team of designers who form partnerships with communities and disciplinary experts on projects relating to sustainable development and leverage off these multiple perspectives to generate new knowledge and ideas. Bringing together people from diverse communities and disciplines, they design creative, innovative, and sustainable solutions for current challenges.

Hach Kaab Honey

Hach Kaab Honey

Xyaat

Design 4 Development (USA and Mexico)
The Design 4 Development team believe that design, in all of its many manifestations, plays an important role in fostering economic, cultural, and social development and change. They use design thinking, concepts, methods, processes, and products to engage the collective powers and potential for the social good. In partnership with marginalized indigenous communities in Mexico, they focus on projects that have rich opportunities for innovation, development, empowerment and a positive community impact. The outcomes of these projects are strategies, processes, and designed products.

They believe design is a tool to empower people and change the way we think.

Here are some of their current projects:

• Hach Kaab Honey (Yucatán state) with four honey cooperatives to bring high quality honey products direct to market
• Xyaat (Señor, Quintana Roo) a community based eco and cultural tourism project to teach about living Maya communities – in contrast to a sensationalized tourism approach
• Organic farming (Noh-Bec, Quintana Roo) with Gualberto Casanova to develop teaching farms, educate community members about sustainable and organic farming methods, and bring products direct to a high end market while, at the same time, providing healthier products the local community can consume
• Preservation of, education about, and marketing of regional autoctonous (native) seeds that have a high nutritional value and easily grown in the region.
• Teaching design processes and marketing high-end crafts in towns around the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Preserve in order to develop a sustainable and equitable craft economy.

For a complete list of projects, partners, participants, and locations visit their website or contact maria@mariarogal.com