Whirlwind Wheelchair International

Product Design for Social BenefitKeoke King

Independence through quality mobility and sustainable development

Ralf Hotchkiss - FounderMarc Krizack - Entrepreneur

Ralf and Marc receive a Tech Award in 2004

Product Design for Social Benefit

1. Background on Whirlwind2. Our approach to product design3. Our approach to development4. Social business - for-profit similar different to non-profit5. Questions

Whirlwind Wheelchair International

Since 1989 Whirlwind has been collaborating with Wheelchair riders around the world to create durable designs for rough terrain that empower people with disabilities through independent mobility and sustainable economic development.

Roger Mibence Leon, Nicaragua

Whirlwind Basics

• Non-Profit Mission1. Independence through quality mobility2. Local economic development• Whirlwind uses contract manufacturing in the developing world• Two major chapters:Whirlwind 1.0 - small grant funded shops Whirlwind 2.0 - medium scale factories with revenue from sales • Historically - Open source intellectual property

1979: Managua, Nicaragua

Ralf Hotchkiss found: • Four young men sharing one wheelchair• Inappropriate technology

Ralf and friends created:• Local designs and parts • Low capital requirement• Employment for riders

A Good Wheelchair Can . . .

1.Help you stay clean and healthy2.Take you to school3.Get you to a job4.Go shopping and raise a family5.Promote social acceptance

The Need: 20 Million Plus

need a good need a good wheelchair and do not wheelchair and do not

have onehave one

20M+

The Need

70% of the 20 million live 70% of the 20 million live ruralrural areas with lack of areas with lack of

pavementpavement

ruralrural

urbanurban

1989: SFSU Nonprofit Incubator

At SFSU Whirlwind brought research and public service together

• Intellectual and lab resources for R&D• Funded by SFSU, donations and grants for establishing small wheelchair shops

Product Design Whirlwind’s Approach:

• User-Originated • Iterative design process• Rapid Prototyping• Designers are users• SF Hub & Many Innovation locations• Simple manufacturing techniques• Open source IP

MADE – Uganda

Small Shop Dissemination

• 46 small shops started• In 2003, 25 shops were ongoing • 50,000 + riders

Small Shops

Production per Month 0 to 20 *

Cost to set up < $10,000

Fitting B

Quality of Chairs C+

Design Criteria - From Rider / Builders

• Safe - stable

• Maneuverable

• Foldable

• No removable parts

• Comfortable

• Cheap to build

• Locally customizable design

• Easy to build – low education/ skill required

• Easy and cheap to repair

• Indoors/Outdoors - desks, doors, mud, rocks, dirt, sand, stones

The User MUST Be A Leader

• Users are Rider/Builders

• Users are testers

• Ralf is Founder and Chief Engineer

• Hiring preference for direct experience with disability

Social BusinessRisk Tolerance

Ken (on right) from KIFAS in Ankara Turkey

Social Business“It is not a social social or a business business. It is a social business.” Marc Krizack

Similar / Different to For Profit Orgs• no investors • can accept donations• operate in less profitable spaces• you CAN make a profit

Social BusinessBusiness Principals• Use the market?• Inter-dependence not Independence• Scale• Control Costs • Influence Standards• Measurement and Improvement

Family of Products1. RoughRiderTM

2. Active Kid’s Chair3. Trike Add-on for

RoughRider4. Cargo Trike – for micro

enterprise5. Standard Style Chair6. Open Source Accessories

Social Business Consequences

In 2000, small shops encounter globalization effects:

1.Competition from imports

In 2010 our design is copied.

We are re-organizing around our durable competitive advantage.

2. Designs could be standardized because of wider availability of components

Questions?

Thank You

• keoke@whirlwindwheelchair.org• Please email me right away to join our mailing list

We look forward to hearing from you:

whirlwindwc

Thank You

•end

whirlwindwc