The project “Frugal Design – potential of the thrifty” has the aim to detect the manifestations of Frugal Design approaches in our society and to highlight potential ways how to further emphasize frugality as a valuable and challenging incentive for social transformations.
Frugal design approaches have been initiated by those living with constraints, be it money, space, mobility or another level of limitation. No matter if a trained designer or an everyman, the creators are always following the question: How to get the most out of the resources available?
In the first part of this project (2016/2017) the focus was set on learning from Jugaad (the Indian understanding of Frugal Design) and applying the findings to help a group of people living in the slums of Bangalore. In a workshop in collaboration with the SELCO Foundation, students from both ZHdK and the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology worked together to develop Frugal Design solutions to solve problems of the people living in the slum area.
In the second part (2017/2018) the investigation is set in the context of Swiss prisons, where a total different setting of constraints is given. By examining objects created by prisoners, the potential of frugality to enable social integration of this specific target group was evaluated. This project was realised in a collaboration of the Departement Design with the Departement Cultural Analysis ZHdK, as well as the Departement Social Work, ZHAW. The results have been published in an exhibition accompanied by a public symposium.