“The majority of the world’s designers focus all their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest 10% of the world’s customers. Nothing less than a revolution in design is needed to reach the other 90%.” —Dr. Paul Polak, International Development Enterprises



Browsing the website of Design for the other 90%, I have discovered some serious issues that exist in all over the world. There are so many people out there who suffer from poverty that includes hunger, mal nutrition, health problem, and lack of basic needs for living. Those people are also poorly educated with any matter; they have no chance or opportunity to experience things that we, who falls into the 10% group, think common, normal, and natural such as using technology, cell phones, computers, and internet, picking what to eat for dinner out of pizza, sushi, and spaghetti, and do favorite sports with proper gear like soccer, swimming, and golf.


What makes it okay that those people in poverty not experiencing any of the stuff that we do? Should we not care because it is obvious that they are poor? In my opinion, we should all consider how we can help those people to live better, eat well, and learn more about what happens in the world. Everybody knows that they are poor and have very low standard of living; however, everyone knows also that he or she can do something to help them. Therefore, a designer, who has learned and trained to design and make things better, should consider people who cannot afford the things we can and produce life saving products for them using funds and donations. It’s right that we need designers, who make an i-phone, high fashion clothing, and PS3; however, we also need more designers who build better shelter for refugees, develop services that can give people in needs an access to learn more things, and make things with low cost approach.


There is an impressive example of helping people in basic needs not only by designing shoes with the most comfort but also by involving customers to think more thoroughly for those people. TOMS, a shoe company, has been on “One for One” movement. For every pair you purchase, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. Since its beginning in May 2006, TOMS has given over 10,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and 50,000pairs in South Africa through the purchases of its caring customers. In 2008 TOMS plans to give 200.000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world. “One of One” movement of TOMS is doing a great job of getting customers involved in helping those kids and give the customers a chance to reconsider people in needs. Not only TOMS shoes will help those kids with no shoes and allow them to walk and run around with comfort, but also do shoes give them positive hopes and anticipations toward their lives.