Innovation Democracy vs. the Design Elite

The NYTimes has a good article on user-developed innovations, like the ones on Instructables. It goes beyond just doing a field survey of the different project people are working tries to take a look to the future of tinkers and DIY.

Check it out here.

“Difficult questions are going unasked about who is participating in innovation and on what terms,” says James Wilsdon, director of the innovation program at Demos, a think tank in London.

In that scenario, needed innovations can be overlooked. For example, huge amounts of money are spent on improving Web search engines or MP3 players, while scant attention is given to alternative energy sources. Battling diseases like AIDS or Alzheimer’s — efforts that lobbying groups in wealthy countries help highlight — attract legions of well-financed innovators, while big global killers, like childhood diarrhea and sleeping sickness, are ignored.

Hat tip to Core77