Poverty, hygiene, education, healthcare are global problems – an Indian can relate to it as much as a Kenyan.

I am keen to explore how design thinking can involve people from developed societies to offer resources and solutions that address communities that they have no familiarity with. If you look at a grass root level, the issues stem from years of cultural and environmental conditioning; which then are not easily solved by education alone. There is only so much one can change by offering spare resources from better-off communities.

Can we really (re)-design new communities and societies that help change mindsets leading towards healthier and responsible behavior? For e.g. how do you change the behavior of millions of men who think spitting on the road is ok, or that women do not need any medical aid during childbirth?

Perhaps we can come up with something like a code-of-conduct tool kit or community manual? Can these manuals be enforced through influencers or social media gurus? While non-for-profit organizations and NGOs work towards addressing tactical issues such as building schools and hospitals; Designers can help change the world by providing an operating framework to enable communities understand the impact of their behavior and thinking and change them.

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