System Solution

While volunteering at the A Better World by Design conference, I was exposed to many different perspectives and approaches to solving the big issues which are facing our current generation. One thing, however, which seemed to connect all these different ideas, was the imperative need for us as designers, and human beings, to look at these problems holistically. These problems are often quite complex, and need to be addressed systemically. That is not to say that all solutions need to be complex, or solve all the problems at hand, because that, I am convinced, is impossible. Instead, the point was raised that we need to truly understand all the impacts of our ideas and how they can or cannot be utilized in different ways, and to different degrees.

One workshop which intrigued me in its outlook on the ideas of systemic applications was the solar cooker workshop. Virginio Mendonça & Eric Fedus showed how the solar cooker works. It is a relatively simple idea: you make an area which uses reflective material to focus sunlight onto a focal point, and this area heats up to high enough temperatures to cook food on. Below is an example of a very simple version of the solar cooker:

This version simply utilizes a cardboard with reflective Mylar, along with calculated angles of reflectivity, to heat cooking pots upto 130 degrees Celsius. However, as the two speakers explained, this technology need not be limited to cooking. Utlizing solar energy in this manner can be used to dry foods:

or distill potable water from unsanitary ground water sources:

Virginio and Eric then continued to explain how this technology can then be applied to an even bigger scope of applications, such as microconcentrators, which heat water that can then be used as a medium for heating houses and other spaces:

They also explained how this technology can also be expanded in scale. Many places in India have adopted parabolic solar condensers in large cooking centers. These parabolic solar cookers are used to heat pipes with water in them, turning it into steam. This steam is then used to cook up to 30,000 meals a day.

All of these applications evolved from the same principle. They all solve very different issues, but in a way which can be implemented systemically. It is our opportunity as designers to explore new ways to utilize newly found technologies, but also to re-explore old technologies from a different perspective and find innovative ways to create comprehensive and holistic solutions.