On a crisp morning in Oakland, crowds of eager students climb inside a bright blue bus—festooned with drawings of neon eyes—to receive free eye exams and snazzy glasses. On the other side of the globe, Indian women roll plastic barrels, of streamlined design, filled with clean water along the ground, their vibrant saris fluttering as they walk.

While utterly different in focus and community, these pictures represent projects for social change made possible by San Francisco designers. They are just two of many examples in which local creatives are putting their talents to work with the goal of making a difference in people’s lives—and bringing together places that are otherwise worlds apart.