Product Development for Those in Need

Emily Pilloton found herself questioning the path of her career at age 26. After a not-so-rewarding stint as a store designer, Pilloton decided to only pursue work with a social and humanitarian impact. As a result, she founded Project H Design (projecthdesign.org)—a California-based non-profit initiative that addresses global problems with local projects—in January 2008.

Project H uses product design as a catalyst for producing solutions and systems that meet the needs of low-income and poverty stricken areas worldwide. Its Design for Education program has produced curricular solutions including the Learning Landscape, a scalable, grid-based playground system for elementary math education. The design consists of a square grid, which can be built in a 4×4 or 5×5 configuration based on the number of students and space constraints. This design allows for active movement while applying mathematical concepts in a fun learning environment.

The Hippo Roller is a water transportation device that was created for a South African community to make water transportation much easier and more efficient. The barrel-shaped container holds up to 90 liters (24 gal.) of water and rolls along the ground when pushed by the attached handle. Realize that that’s nearly 200 lb. of water. The redesigned Hippo Roller splits the barrel-shaped container into a two-part capsule that can be nested and stacked, which allows for a greater shipping efficiency.