Better x Design

Call it social design, sustainable design, appropriate technology. We are exploring how design thinking can fuel technological innovations that benefit humanity and the planet.

Better x Design is a collaborative initiative at Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design to practice globally conscious design, research it in an academic way, and spread its influence across the globe. We are an amalgamation of ideas, projects, student groups, and faculty researchers in search of opportunities not just to design and build, but to design, build, implement, follow up, and measure. With developed venues for action, a process for implementation, and material and immaterial capital, we are creating social change through the combined power of creativity, technology, and design.

This blog is not simply a catalog of our efforts, but a recognition that we are but a small part of a larger global movement. We will discuss topics such as appropriate technology, bottom of the pyramid strategy, alternative energy, anthropological research, global development, urban growth, public policy, transportation, environmentalism, information technology, and branding+communication. All of this requires designing in some fashion, and we invite you to join us in exploring how we can harness the power of design to make all of these things better.