Diversa

Co-designing local infrastructure in support of self-determination projects

2015 - Present
Diversa
Colombia
#PD #UX/UI design
︎ Completed

Motivation

Rurality is the future. Having control over the knowledge and skills to build decentralized, community-owned and controlled technological infrastructure to strenghthen already sophisticated local knowledge, can provide collectives with the necessary tools to determine their social, economic and cultural futures. In the face of an unsustainable capital-driven world, we focus on providing technical support to rural initatives imagining a world de-centering capitalism. We believe the answers to many pressing questions lie in learning together with these groups and building together a world that is sustainable, and respectful of difference.

Left: participatory action research session at a coffee farm
Up right: learning about different types and stages of coffee post-production
Down right: a Diversa team prepares the implementation of a water harversting system

What we are doing

I am one of the co-founders of Diversa (formerly C-Innova and Distancia Cero), a Colombian non-profit organization and a participatory design collective. Our mission is to collaborate with historically marginalized communities in the development of local infrastructure in support to life plans of self-determination projects. We do this through a myriad of ways. We provide access to high-quality, free co-design education, primarily in relation to technology design. Also, we offer services to universities locally and abroad, to connect and mentior their students to do community-based work along with members of our network. This support is complemented through access to digital tools for management of local innovation such as Retos. Lastly, we offer free consultancy and technical support on the ground and remotely for building and maintenance of local technology infrastructure to collectives across Colombia.

Up: prototypeof an invasive plant manual uprooter
Lower left: testing a prototype for a lettuce washer
Lower right: schematics for a sensorized beehive

Contributions

Co-founder, creative direction, curriculum design, design facilitation, product design, Ethnographic field studies

Collaborators

Alex Freese, Diana Duarte, Liliana Murcia, Carolina Gonzáles, Ángela Camargo, Aura Mora, Nicolás Gaitán, Natalia Barrera, Viviana Arango, David Osorio, Aura Flechas, Alejandra Villamil, our network of community partners and many, many more people who have worked with or supported us along the way.