An Aside - Something Great

My oldest sister is an occupational therapist and has volunteered for Delaware's Special Olympics and two of my aunts are visually impaired. Therefore, it makes sense why this idea appealed to me. This is a cell phone that has raised Braille for the numbers - therefore making it functional for some one who is blind. Designed by Siwei Liu, the phone is called the "Tactility" . A ring on the bottom allows an individual to hang the "Tactility" around their neck for easy access. As The Design Blog says, communication is essential in order to be an engaged citizen in our society, and everyone must be capable of joining the conversation.

An Aside + Design for Good Intentions

Today's front page of NYTimes featured a chilling photograph of a Kenyan woman drinking from water delivered from relief aid. The article goes on to talk about the drought affecting Kenya and it's people, suffering from starvation and extreme poverty. I have had a series of unfortunate and unlucky events happen to be during the past two weeks, but it is nothing in comparison.

Then I find this on The Design Blog. Argentine designer Javier Arancibia designed this mode of transportation that also serves as a water filterer. He did so thinking of how the impoverished in Asian and African countries would travel for miles in order to find water. More likely than not, the water is unclean and unhealthy to drink.

Water is filled into the wheels and while pedaling the "Tap", the wheels filter and purify the water.


A few things I have issues with:

1. will this vehicle be able to traverse the not so level environments of Asia and Africa
2. for such a serious subject - why is the vehicle so goofy looking? you have a starving child pedaling what is essentially a giant roller skate?
3. is the person in the top right photo on Mars?