Inclusive Innovation
WHAT?
Inclusive Innovation is adopting a participatory approach to innovation by actively engaging the beneficiaries and/or users at every stage of the innovation process to ensure that the resulting product or service meets their needs.
WHY?
The international development sector loses millions of dollars to humanitarian products that fail to fulfill the needs of target populations, while the private sector floods emerging markets with products that have to compromise on quality or environmental sustainability to be affordable. Poor people end up wasting hard-earned money on low-value products and services because they did not have a voice in the early stages of designing such products and services.
HOW?
The Participatory Design for Development Curriculum equips practitioners with design thinking methods and participatory design tools to develop truly inclusive innovation projects. The practice of participatory design enables practitioners to:
- ✓ Develop better quality products or services
- ✓ Achieve higher adoption rates
- ✓ Gain buy-in to ease implementation and ensure sustainability
- ✓ Build capacity, confidence and agency
Featured Resources
Video: PIA Co-Design Summit 2018 - Laayoune, Morocco
Organized by MIT D-Lab and the Phosboucraa Foundation in Laâyoune, the summit convened local and national stakeholders, PIA members, and aspiring entrepreneurs to co-create solutions to local economic and social development challenges, and catalyse an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.(3min)
Video: PIA Co-Design Summit 2017 - Fonseca, Columbia
Co-hosted with World Vision Colombia and C-Innova, the Summit consisted of a one-week, immersive, hands-on design experience focused on learning and practicing D-Lab's co-design methodology, addressing local challenges, and promoting an innovation ecosystem in Colombia. (5min)
Case study: AGUAJIRA - The Practice of Co-design for Technology Transfer
The case study documents the experience of a team at the MIT PIA co-design summit in Colombia applying the co-design process to a water technology transfer project. Published by MIT D-Lab in 2017.
Course: PARTICIPATORY DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT
Saida Benhayoune introduces the 6-part course curriculum. Clip from course introduction published by MIT D-Lab in 2017. (2min30s)