The Design Science Lab is a joint project of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, and BigPictureSmallWorld. It works in partnership with Global Education Motivators (GEM – a UN affiliated NGO), the United Nations International School, and other educational institutions and non-profit organizations.

At its core is a new way of seeing the world — one that takes a global, whole systems perspective that incorporates a well–developed sensibility about social justice and environmental sustainability. The Design Science Lab was inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s premise of a "design science decade", a vision for changing the world in which leading students, architects, designers, scientists, and concerned citizens would cooperatively apply themselves to solving critical global problems within 10 years using the design science method. It is our intention to hold at least one Design Science Lab each year between now and 2015.

The first Design Science Lab took place in 2005 in New York City at the United Nations headquarters and the United Nations International School and included 25 high school and college students as well as working professionals ranging in age from 14 to 42. The participants in this Lab focused on reducing by half those living in hunger and poverty by 2015. The group produced an 11-part strategy to solve the global hunger crisis by 2015.

Read the results of the 2005 Lab

Two Design Science Labs were held in 2006. One Lab was conducted in New York City from June 21st through 30th at the United Nations headquarters and the United Nations International School with 55 participants ranging in age from 15 to 60. A second Lab was conducted from July 19th to 28th in Asheville, North Carolina with 35 participants ranging in age from 14 to 73. The 2006 group examined Millennium Development Goals #2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 dealing with issues of global education, health, the environment, and energy use at both the global and local levels.

Each of the Labs began with an orientation session with UN staff members, meeting in-person at the United Nations Headquarters with the New York groups and via live videoconference with the North Carolina group. Lab participants were briefed by staff from the UNDP, The Millennium Development Campaign, UNESCO, UNICEF, DESA and others on the MDGs, their context, history, measurement, the progress made so far, and strategies in use for reaching them.

On the last day of both Labs, participants returned to the UN (either in person or via video-conference as was the case for Lab participants in North Carolina) where they presented their work to senior United Nations advisors and directors, engaging in discussion and constructive critique of their strategies.

Check out a sample schedule from the 2006 NYC Design Science Lab

Check out a sample schedule from the 2006 North Carolina Design Science Lab

» View the 2006 poster (PDF)

Contact us if you are interested in bringing the Design Science Lab to your community.

The 2007 Design Science Lab also took place at the UN and UN International School in New York City. It ran from June 22nd through June 29th and focused primarily on the Millennium Development Goal #1 - the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. Our efforts were focused on reducing by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day.

Lab participants were briefed by UN staff from the UNDP, UNEP, The Millennium Development Campaign, UNESCO, UNICEF, DESA and others on the MDGs, their context, history, measurement, the progress made so far, and strategies in use for reaching them.

The following United Nations representatives have participated with the Design Science Lab:

• Kathleen Abdalla, Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• Dr. Richard Alderslade, World Health Organization/Senior External Relations Officer, Health Policy
• Mandeep Bains, Senior Policy Advisor/UN Millennium Campaign
• Marcia Brewster, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sustainable Development Division
• Elisabeth Clemens, UN Development Programme
• Ramu Damodaran, Chief, Civil Society Section, UN Department of Public Information
• Donna Goodman, Program Advisor/Water, Environment and Sanitation Section, UNICEF
• Arunabha Ghosh, Human Development Report, UN Development Programme
• Ellen Gustafson, FAO, World Food Program, Press Officer
• Karoly Kovacs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Environment, Energy and Industrial Statistics
• Julie Larsen, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Program on Youth
• James Sniffen, Programme Officer, UN Environment Program
• Leonardo Souza, Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• Guido Schmidt-Taub, Associate Director UN Millennium, Project/The Millennium Village
• Sergio Vieira, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Social Perspective Development Branch
• Carol Welch, Millennium Campaign, UN
• Bill Yotive, Global Teaching and Learning Project, Department of Public Information, Director, UN CyberSchoolBus