Niti Bhan is a very regular source of inspiration on this blog, on her own site, on Core77, and elsewhere. She is a thorough thinker and has some very valuable insights to contribute on what design in emerging markets really means.
So I asked her to write a short essay for the website of Torino 2008 World Design Capital precisely on that topic. She accepted and wrote a great story. Just a few lines to wet your appetite:
“The technically proficient, the engineering experts, the world class designers are all who practice in conditions of abundance. They create with no shortage of materials, funds, resources, fuel or energy. If we need to design products and systems under maximum constraints using minimal resources, husbanding our natural resources and rationing our use, where better to begin seeking answers but amongst those who already live under these conditions?”
(Thanks Allan for plugging it so quickly.)