Design for Development Information

At Design for Development, we work with communities around the globe to develop meaningful and appropriate solutions to real world problems. The Design For Development Society (DFD) is a Vancouver-based, registered Canadian charity dedicated to using design as a problem-solving tool to address issues in poverty-stricken areas of the world. DFD aims to reduce poverty and increase community self-reliance through demonstrated and advocated use of the design process. Established in 2006 by Canadian designers Niki Dun and Sue Fairburn, DFD is committed to working with communities in developing countries to create practical solutions to the issues that they face. Examples of our current activities include: Working with communities in southern Africa to build bicycle ambulances that allow rural communities to transport injured people to medical facilities quickly and safely. Supporting and advising design and engineering students in a range of development projects. Exploratory design work into issues such as low-tech plastic recycling, in-field anesthesia delivery systems and alternative powered water pumps. Imagine a world where all communities had access to clean water, adequate nutrition and accessible health care.