The Cooper-Hewit Design Museum’s upcoming exhibition “Design for the Other 90%” explores the variety of affordable and socially responsible objects designed for the more than five billion people across the globe (90 percent of world’s total population of 6.5 billion) who often lack the means to purchase even the most basic goods. The exhibition will feature design solutions for the poor and marginalized around the world, ranging from the LifeStraw, a mobile personal water purification tool, to furniture made from hurricane debris through the Katrina Furniture Project, which works to rebuild the economic and social capabilities in New Orleans.

By showcasing the work of designers who use their skills and ingenuity to produce architectural and design solutions that really affect quality-of-life issues, Cooper-Hewitt will raise awareness of the critical need for humanitarian design.