Here’s a post from Manny Garcia, one of the great students from The Aspen Design Challenge.

Seems he learned some stuff. Which is good, as the next stop is the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Cohenhagen

“One way to describe the experience in a few short words or just one, is: inspirational.

Over the past few days I had the privileged opportunity to work with some of our world’s most brilliant minds. Both the advisors and the participants had an energy that to my knowledge has been unmatched in my overall experience with design. The week had a feeling of optimism and discovery, not only for the projects, but for new friends and experiences. There was never a loss of excitement because there was never a dull moment, even when trying to revise our presentation at 4 AM we kept our spirits high. Maybe because we knew, whether we had or hadn’t, but do now, that our design could possibly, perhaps just a little, build change.

Just one week ago I had an absolute cynicism for design, but I now carry a reaffirmed desire to continue to strive for design that can potentially impose good on this world.

Thank you Index | AIGA for proposing that we do something to help change water’s future, to Louise for always thinking outside the box and presenting new and interesting opportunities to her students, to the groups and individual students who, like me, hope that design can fuel change, and lastly to all the advisors who took the time and energy to push us to do even more than any one of us had imagined, because they are optimistic for what design can do to and for our future.”