Design Methodology for Appropriate Technology: Engineering as if People Mattered

Corinthias P. M. Sianipar, Gatot Yudoko, Kiyoshi Dowaki and Akbar Adhiutama
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Corinthias P. M. Sianipar: School of Business and Management (SBM), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Jl. Ganeca 10, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40132, Indonesia
Gatot Yudoko: School of Business and Management (SBM), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Jl. Ganeca 10, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40132, Indonesia
Kiyoshi Dowaki: Department of Industrial Administration (IA), Tokyo University of Science (TUS), 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
Akbar Adhiutama: School of Business and Management (SBM), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Jl. Ganeca 10, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40132, Indonesia

Sustainability, 2013, vol. 5, issue 8, 1-44

Abstract: Since the emerging of its idea circa four decades ago, Appropriate Technology (AT) had been proven as a comprehensive solution in a limited condition. However, practitioners & academia have different opinions with engineers on how an AT must be designed. Researchers had noted the crucial factors in the issue as such, and they gave a notion of the urgency for a dedicated design methodology for AT. This study, therefore, aims to provide it. Such methodology is developed by incorporating AT characteristics, fundamental issues in community empowerment, and the principles of existing design methodologies. The methodology emphasizes combination between bottom-up and top-down design approaches. It means that an AT must be started purely from local conditions rather than given technical specifications, and be given back to local people to be seamlessly integrated into their routines. It also underlines the crucial importance of community involvement throughout design stages. By looking at previous design methodologies that were developed based on pure Engineering Problem Solving (EPS), this study delivers a fresh and comprehensive one that covers surrounding issues and concepts to produce an AT based on the real meaning of technological appropriateness.

Keywords: appropriate technology; community empowerment; design methodology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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