These are intended as starting points for discussion and should help you generate ideas of your own. Once you have a project, you are encouraged to go straight to the 'Sustain-a-balls' checklist. To do this click on the icon above. Alternatively, you may require a printable specific design brief, for these simply click on the link next to each context.

Practical Action (Southern 3): Sustainable power (specific design brief)
There are several sources of renewable energy. In many countries, micro-hydro power is a potential source wherever there is a reliable water supply. Investigate the appropriateness of micro-hydro power for an area of your choice and design and make a small machine that could harness that power for use in a small enterprise.

Practical Action (Southern 5): Sustainable cooking (specific design brief)
Cooking outdoors on an open fire is a summer treat in many northern hemisphere countries. In the southern hemisphere it is often their way of life. Investigate existing practices of open-fire cooking and design and make a cooking stove which is as fuel-efficient as possible.

Practical Action (Southern 6): Carrying equipment (specific design brief)
All over the world, people have to carry a wide variety of equipment or goods to do their jobs – the tools of their trade. Investigate the problem of carrying equipment. Design and make a sustainable method of carrying equipment or goods for the person or occupation of your choice.

Practical Action (Northern 7): Carrying equipment (specific design brief)
All over the world, people have to carry a wide variety of equipment or goods to do their jobs – the tools of their trade. Investigate the problem of carrying equipment. Design and make a sustainable method of carrying equipment or goods for the person or occupation of your choice.

CAT (Northern 5): Using timber (specific design brief)
When chosen and used with care, timber can be a very low impact material in furniture manufacture. Design and make a piece of furniture that uses timber in a sustainable way.

Loughboro University (Northern): Reduce, reuse, recycle (specific design briefs)
It has been recommended for many years that reducing, reusing and recycling provides many opportunities for environmental improvements in our own and other countries as well as in product manufacture. Design and make a product that tackles at least one of these criteria.