Professor Blalock’s talk regarding the challenges of design, implementation, and adoption of new technologies was very interesting and thought-provoking. 

Going into the talk, I thought that many villages in rural Africa were using harmful charcoal, or “three stone” stoves because the residents in these villages were not educated about the health and safety hazards of operating these stoves. Thus, it was extremely interesting to hear that even after the health and environmental hazards caused by these harmful stoves were communicated to the villagers, the villagers still did not change their use of these stoves. 

When engineers designed a new, more efficient, safer, “healthier” stove and introduced it to the villagers in Africa, there was very little to no adoption. Why? Because the villagers were more used to the “three stone” stove and new exactly how to operate it, how to modify it to their convenience. The new, technologically more advanced stove developed by engineers was harder to use, and the villagers did not know how to modify the flame, how to repair it when it broke etc. All in all, the “three stone” stove was just more convenient. 

This talk raised lots of questions and got me thinking. Is there a way engineers can design an easier to use, yet efficient and safer stove by working with the villagers to co-create a new stove? If we include the villagers in the design and production process, would they be more willing to adopt this new technology? By co-creating, engineers can see through the eyes of the villagers, to see their needs, wants, and conveniences, and thus be able to design a better stove that fits the needs of the villagers.