International Development Design Summits

International Development Design Summits (IDDS) are intense, hands-on, community-based design training that brings together a diverse group of people to teach them the co-creative design process and how to prototype low-cost technological solutions to improve livelihoods of people. Summits emphasize the importance of “co-creation,” the idea that working with communities is more powerful than designing solutions for them. During a summit, participants work in teams with community members from developing countries, learn the design cycle, identify problems and solutions, and test prototypes. Design summits can last two weeks or a month and typically take place in a developing country. Two-week summits delve into a specific topic such as urban waste systems and develop innovative ideas and proposals, while month-long summits address broad topics like agriculture, health, and education and result in viable prototypes.