Aalto LAB Mexico is a multicultural and interdisciplinary project focused on improving the quality of life in El 20, a community in Campeche that doesn’t have access to some of the basic services needed to live well. ALM’s main attribute are the different approaches to the project from specific disciplines which will help us develop a much more suitable response to their needs and enrich their lives.
UNAM’s team is formed by 3 industrial designers who will work collaboratively with a design assessor from our university in order to develop better ways of using services.
The aim of UNAM is to improve the service of toilets and showers in the community without the need of running water. For the toilets we’ll introduce dry toilets, we haven’t decided yet which type of dry toilet but that’s one of the main purposes of having the field trip, so we can work with the community and decide which system works better for them. And for the showers we’ll reinforce the traditional way of showering with a bucket and a pitcher, which is also an ancient ritual in Mexico and other parts of the world.
We’ve been developing different strategies that will help us communicate with the community and work with them. Different methodologies, like Human Centered Design and Co Design techniques have been planned to do this. The purpose is to get all the information we can relevant to the community and the people, specially their traditions, their way of living, the resources they’ve got and how they use them. This will help us integrate the community in the design process in order to make a proper design for them and that they can identify with it.
We’ll use the lack of pipelines and drainage infrastructure not as a limitation but as a catalyst of ideas to reach a better life, more sustainable and therefore much more happy.
Action Lab Mexico 
Great projects! There’s so much to do through design in order to cover mexican community needs.
I’m a graduated industrial designer from UNAM as well.
Is there a way to collaborate within Altolab? During the last two years I’be been working with UCD & Design thinking techniques in order to find real innovative guidelines as design drivers. It’s difficult to find the right ways to achieve a real impact. Would be really glad to take part of this!