Picture a very small space containing a very large dragon-like thing, spinning and shooting flames. Then picture a lot of people in that space, and a lot of explosives – real explosives – inside that dragon. It’s a unique take on ‘Happy Easter’.

In back alleys, street markets, and hidden workshops around the world, microentrepreneurs churn out new ideas and products to help them get by or improve the world around them. We could philosophize on this all day. But here in Observed, we ask our correspondents to say nothing. So for the [...]

Here at Makeshift, we’re helping spread the word about Colour Outside the Lines, a reverse innovation challenge looking for ideas in emerging markets that can be applied to healthcare in Canada. Think new cataract procedures or cellphone-activated EKG machines. Or, in line with stories we’ve run, low-cost prosthetics, solar powered [...]

The sidewalk hustle: hawkers, vendors, merchants, traders, and craftsman, their wares lined up on tables or spread out on plastic tarps. The shouts, sounds, and smells of streetside commerce are unique in every corner of the world, with each culture putting a local twist on this brand of work.

For the Communication installment of Observed, we meet a chalkboard blogger in Liberia, an interactive drone in London, and one of the thousands of vendors in Lagos who have enabled the rise of communication in emerging markets. We receive godly messages to stop pissing in India’s streets, send information out of one of the world’s most dangerous locations, and read some cross-cultural free speech in Cairo.

In back alleys, street markets, and hidden workshops around the world, micro-entrepreneurs churn out new ideas and products to help them get by or improve the world around them. We could philosophize on this all day. But here in Observed we ask our correspondents to say nothing. We invite you to take a long glimpse through the lenses of [...]

In back alleys, street markets, and hidden workshops around the world, micro-entrepreneurs churn out new ideas and products to get by. We could philosophize on this all day. But here in Observed we ask our correspondents to say nothing. We invite you to take a long glimpse through the lenses [...]

With 700 parcels mailed in the last week, Makeshift’s shipping department is up and running! For those already receiving the hard copy, we’ve been thrilled by all the feedback—reader input always appreciated around here… Select Kickstarter backers will notice three stunning prints from the magazine, along with a specially designed [...]

Robert Neuwirth is the author of the recently published Stealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy. We’ve read some excerpts and excellent reviews, including this one from the Wall Street Journal. We also blogged last week about his Foreign Policy article, in which he discusses “System D”, a concept developed from [...]

If you missed it by now, you really missed it. Two weeks ago, Makeshift launched with a bump, thump, and a boom on a fun Friday night in Rhode Island. With a lot of balls in play, we couldn’t find the time to write about it. But now, we’ve got [...]