As the world’s population doubles in the next 40 years, the Malthusian half of me wants to say there is no way on earth (pun intended) our planet can support this exponential growth.

But there is hope, and it is spelled D-E-S-I-G-N.

With each passing year, technology improves far beyond our expectations. But technology alone is not enough anymore. Coupled with design, this dynamic duo does, and can continue to do wonders for the impending perils of overpopulation, disease, war, famine, natural disasters, etc.

So why design? What design? So what, design? Here is my proposed equation:

(Technology + Design) x Creativityⁿ → Innovation

Creativityⁿ is just another way of saying “collaborative ideation” (the n representing the number of minds involved in the process). When great minds come together, ideas are not only shared but shot down, built upon, refined, and finally, polished. And voilà! Innovative design—it is already solving our world’s current—and future problems.

Case in point: from the advent of the Green Revolution and fast food came the onset of obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

And though there is no cure for diabetes, Design for America, an organization from Northwestern University, developed an innovative approach to relieve the pressures a child faces with juvenile diabetes. Imagine a young girl with diabetes who is not allowed to care for herself for fear that she might make a mistake during a daily injection. Instead, her parents must routinely inject her and care for her. But this young girl doesn’t understand why it hurts, why her parents must do this everyday. After much observation, listening, collaboration, and ideation, Design for America created a prototype for an interactive teddy bear.

Here’s the interesting part: the teddy bear has diabetes. When given to the girl, she gives the daily injections, gives it glucose tablets, cares for it, loves it, and learns from it.  In the end, Design for America created a teaching tool for newly diagnosed children while helping them normalize the disease itself. (Design For America’s concept won Most Creative Entry in the 2009 Diabetes Mine Design Challenge).

I could name a dozen more ways in which design has alleviated and even solved some of the world’s growing issues. Thomas Malthus was wrong: despite our growing population and our growing problems, the art of listening, collaboration, and design has proven to lead to innovations that address several future dangers. Though many of these problems have no cure or solutions in sight (for which the root of the problem should be tackled), innovative designs and technology will continue to mitigate the negative effects of our growing population.

Anusha Sthanunathan is an Strategy & Marketing Intelligence Intern at Organic