A design/build high school program in North Carolina's poorest county


Bertie County, North Carolina

A public school curriculum teaching ecology and personal health through food production and waste processes.

Brooklyn, New York

A modular and adaptable desk system for rural schools in Mexico.


Outside Mexico City

A hands-on, not hand-out design enterprise for homeless individuals, teaching job skills and creating revenue through the design and sale of retail goods.
Los Angeles, California

Therapeutic and engaging spaces for foster care that employ tactility, texture, color, and light.

Austin, Texas

Multi-functional, easy-to-clean storage solutions for pediatric patients in the transplant unit at a children's hospital.

Mexico City

The design and construction of kitchen tables from discarded tabletops for refugee families, run as a studio at the Academy of Art.

San Francisco Bay Area

A design for social impact tour, 25 high schools and colleges in 75 days, 1 Airstream trailer and 40 products to change the world.

Nationwide (US), Feb-April 2010

The book. Authored by Emily Pilloton, a call-to-action for industrial designers and a compendium of 100 Products that Empower People. Available September 2009.

The design of a new composting device and community program for an urban farming co-op.


San Francisco, California

Peripheral function additions for a low-cost, rugged wheelchair enabling Improved mobility for the disabled in the developing world.

San Francisco, California

An improved version of a water transport device, redesigned for increased shipping efficiency and broader distribution.

Johannesburg and San Francisco

Engagement boards and in-class teaching tools for children with learning challenges.


Seattle, Washington

A research-based examination and weekend social program for individuals with mental health diseases and disorders.

London, United Kingdom