Turning design education in an opportunity to do good and showcase the power of humanitarian design, Parsons’ industrial design 2003 thesis exhibition asked students to design for “A Good Life.” Through collaborations with non-profits and NGOs, the students produced an array of thoughtful designs that addressed global issues from water transportation to HIV/AIDS, local economies, and education. Eddie Shao-Hsien Chiu’s 2006 Mobee (above), is an educational toy designed to improve the motor skills of children with cerebral palsy.

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Perhaps one of the first great examples of the intersection of innovative design, gorgeous aesthetics, functionality, and social conscience, Fuseproject’s XO laptop designed for the One Laptop Per Child program will deliver usable technology children of technologically underprivileged demographics. The fully-loaded and very cute machine will be delivered in mass quantities to developing countries for about $130 each, giving thousands of children access to the web and each other, along with dozens of educational applications. Last July, Nigeria placed the first order of one million units, and last month, the design was given Popular Science magazine’s “Best of What’s New” Award.

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