For years, companies and other organizations have used Human-Centered Design to arrive at innovative business solutions. Funded by IDE as part of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and in collaboration with non-profit groups ICRW and Heifer International, IDEO relied on this approach to improve the lives of communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The resulting HCD Toolkit helps NGO staff and volunteers understand people's needs in new ways, find innovative solutions to meet these needs, and deliver solutions with financial sustainability in mind. The free kit is divided into four sections that bolster listening skills, running workshops, and implementing ideas.

The HCD Toolkit contains the elements to Human-Centered Design, a process used for decades to create new solutions for multi-national corporations. This process has created ideas such as the HeartStart defibrillator, Cleanwell natural antibacterial products, and the Blood Donor System for the Red Cross--innovations that have enhanced the lives of millions of people.

This process has been specially-adapted for NGOs and social enterprises that work with impoverished communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and compiled into a Toolkit available for download here or for order at cost at www.blurb.com.

The HCD toolkit has been used by organizations throughout the developing world including Acumen Fund, AyurVAID, Heifer International, ICRW, IDE, Micro Drip, and VisionSpring.

"Many thanks to IDEO for their Human Centered Design Toolkit, which served as a guide for our work." - Joel Montgomery, 2009 Acumen Fund fellow working on the Micro Drip irrigation system in Pakistan

"An impressive study intended to create a common language around designing for social impact. Most impressive, though, is that the entire body of work is available to all via free downloads." - John Barratt, IDSA President and Teague CEO

"The HCD Toolkit is probably the most insightful document I have come across within the HCD/interaction design industry." - Majid Mirza, Micro Drip, Pakistan

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