ON THE BUSINESS BORDER BETWEEN AID AND EXPLOITATION

Yesterday I learnt about the existence of a Danish organization www.iug.dk which organizes help from Engineers to Médecins Sans Frontières - such a wonderful idea. In the coming week I attend a big international conference 'joint action on climate change' http://www.jaocc.net/ where Anne Marie Kanstrup will present our paper on the difference between perceived affordance and perceived annoyance when it comes to mundane housekeeping activities such as using electricity and reducing the consumption of electricity. We worked with eight families on the issue of designing motivating feedback, and through the design activities they formulated the position, that the effect of feedback depends on when, where, and how much information is given. This they agreed on, regardless of difference in values and attitudes towards electricity consumption in general.
At the same conference I'll be chairing a session on the' Bottom of the Pyramid' business approach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottom_of_the_pyramid, where the line between exploitation and help is up for debate.
On Friday, June 12, I, ,representing SPIRE, participate in a conference at Alsion 'Cradle to Cradle' and conduct a workshop together with Michael Braungart on how to map out the process of designing a cradle to cradle product (SPIRE is a strategic
research centre at the University of Southern Denmark with a unique approach to user-driven innovation
– participatory innovation).
From all of this I will take some questions and maybe even answers regarding the designer's role on the business border between aid and exploitation.