Empower

Empower

Business Pitch

UX Designer

UX Researcher

Finalist in StartUp, a week long UX focused business pitch competition: Theme "what makes a home?"

Charging change: one battery, two lives.

A battery solution for energy good.

View more working details

Project Type

Business pitch & physical product

Duration

One week, Winter 2019

Tools

Physical materials, Figma

Team

4 UX Designers, 1 Industrial Designer

Finalist

StartUp is a weeklong UX focused business pitch competition hosted by SCAD's Future Leaders of UX club at the Savannah College of Art and Design. This project was selected as a finalist and we were honored to present to a panel of industry professional judges.

Finalist

All materials shown here were created in a week.

Seriously- no "post competition" updates have been made to any artifacts shown here!

All materials shown here were created in a week.

Seriously- no "post competition" updates have been made to any artifacts shown here!

Design Digest

Empower is a community-informed portable power solution co-designed with people experiencing housing insecurity. The product is a durable, rechargeable power bank that provides access to phone charging and light—two critical needs for communication, navigation, and safety. Developed through on-the-ground research, interviews, and user testing in encampments, Empower centers lived experience at every stage of the design process. It’s more than a tool—it’s a step toward energy equity and human dignity.

Introducing Empower

Portable power with purpose

Empower is a solar-powered charger created to meet a critical and often invisible need: staying connected while unhoused. Through a “buy one, give one” model, the project aims to deliver legal, sustainable, and accessible charging options to people experiencing homelessness. This case study explores how product design, ethical business models, and social empathy can come together to charge more than just phones—it can help power lives forward.

Portable power with purpose

Discover

Understanding the power gap

We began by researching the often-overlooked role of phone access in transitional homelessness. Staying connected isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Interviews, data from advocacy organizations, and field studies helped us better understand the need for legal, reliable charging options in public and transitional spaces.

Challenge theme: "What makes a home?"

Problem Statement

People experiencing homelessness or displacement often lack safe, legal, and reliable access to phone charging—limiting their ability to stay connected, access services, and pursue stability.

Problem Statement

People experiencing homelessness or displacement often lack safe, legal, and reliable access to phone charging—limiting their ability to stay connected, access services, and pursue stability.

Problem Statement

People experiencing homelessness or displacement often lack safe, legal, and reliable access to phone charging—limiting their ability to stay connected, access services, and pursue stability.

Vision Statement

Empower envisions a world where everyone—regardless of housing status—can access the basic power they need to stay connected, informed, and supported.

Vision Statement

Empower envisions a world where everyone—regardless of housing status—can access the basic power they need to stay connected, informed, and supported.

Vision Statement

Empower envisions a world where everyone—regardless of housing status—can access the basic power they need to stay connected, informed, and supported.

Define

More than a power bank

We honed in on one core insight: a phone is a gateway to connection, opportunity, and dignity. We defined our challenge as: How might we create a portable, renewable charging solution that benefits both paying consumers and people in need—without compromising durability or dignity?

Research

Summary

What does a home look like?

For many in America, it looks something like this:

What does a home look like?

For many in America, it looks something like this:

What does a home look like?

For many in America, it looks something like this:

For the more than 549,000 Americans who are experiencing homelessness, it looks more like this:

Camp 2, a tent city in Savannah, GA. What we discovered surprised us: residents of this tent city had outlined certain trees and areas as "restrooms" or "the kitchen" and "living rooms." This is home.

For the more than 549,000 Americans who are experiencing homelessness, it looks more like this:

When access to energy is access to opportunity.

Our research highlighted how essential phone access is to navigating housing applications, job calls, transportation, and social connection. Without a charged device, many fall further through the cracks. We investigated current barriers—like illegal charging, risk of device confiscation, and reliance on unreliable public infrastructure—to better understand the human impact of energy insecurity.

When access to energy is access to opportunity.

Secondary Research

The reality is that most Americans teeter on the brink of homelessness, only one financial challenge away from living on the street or in a shelter.

43.1 million Americans live below the poverty level 1 in 5 children in the U.S. live in poverty 1 in 5 Americans have no savings set aside to cover an unexpected emergency

The reality is that most Americans teeter on the brink of homelessness, only one financial challenge away from living on the street or in a shelter.

43.1 million Americans live below the poverty level 1 in 5 children in the U.S. live in poverty 1 in 5 Americans have no savings set aside to cover an unexpected emergency

The reality is that most Americans teeter on the brink of homelessness, only one financial challenge away from living on the street or in a shelter.

43.1 million Americans live below the poverty level 1 in 5 children in the U.S. live in poverty 1 in 5 Americans have no savings set aside to cover an unexpected emergency

million people

are displaced around the globe

million people

are displaced around the globe

million people

are displaced around the globe

Americans

are homeless on a typical night

Explore all of our secondary research

Primary Research

Site Visits

As part of our research for Empower, we had the opportunity to visit a tent city—an informal encampment of individuals experiencing homelessness—in Savannah, Georgia. This visit gave us firsthand insight into the real challenges faced by those living without stable housing, particularly when it comes to staying connected. We spoke with several community members who shared the difficulties of finding safe, legal access to power. Many relied on short-term charging at fast food restaurants, libraries, or shelters—options that were often unreliable or required travel. For those waiting on housing callbacks, job offers, or critical caseworker updates, a dead phone could mean a missed opportunity. This site visit grounded our project in empathy and helped us move beyond assumptions. It became clear that what we were designing wasn’t just a battery—it was access, opportunity, and peace of mind.

Site Visits

Without access to power, the camp relied on old generators or propane to cook or stay warm.

The dangers were obvious.

Unfortunatley, the week of our visit, one of Camp 2's generators brust and burned the camp to the ground.

The dangers were obvious.

Unfortunatley, the week of our visit, one of Camp 2's generators brust and burned the camp to the ground.

The dangers were obvious.

Unfortunatley, the week of our visit, one of Camp 2's generators brust and burned the camp to the ground.

Interviews at Camp 2 with residents

To better understand the realities of living without stable housing, we conducted informal interviews with individuals at the Savannah encampment. These conversations were guided by empathy, curiosity, and a desire to design responsibly. We asked about their day-to-day experiences, the role mobile phones played in their lives, and the challenges of keeping devices charged. Many shared stories of lost job opportunities or missed housing updates due to a lack of access to power. Others emphasized how important phones were for mental health—listening to music, watching videos, or simply staying in touch with friends and family. These personal insights shaped every design decision that followed. The interviews reminded us that even the most basic utility—like charging a phone—can have life-changing ripple effects when it’s made reliably accessible.

Interviews at Camp 2 with residents

Expert Interviews

As part of our ongoing research into displacement and the evolving meaning of "home," we conducted interviews with experts and individuals directly impacted by the housing crisis. These conversations explore the systemic barriers to secure housing, the emotional and economic toll of disaster displacement, and what justice looks like in the face of loss. The insights gathered highlight the urgent need for resilient, equitable housing solutions that prioritize people—not just property.

Expert Interviews

Affinitization & Opportunities

Affinization is the process we used to synthesize themes and insights from our interviews, site visits, and expert conversations. By grouping related observations, stories, and patterns, we began to identify key emotional and systemic touchpoints in the experience of displacement and housing insecurity. This method helped us move from individual stories to collective needs—laying the foundation for design opportunities that are grounded in lived experience.

Affinitization & Opportunities

Research Insights

Distilled from all of our primary and secondary research:

Research Insights

Distilled from all of our primary and secondary research:

Research Insights

Distilled from all of our primary and secondary research:

Power as a Necessity for Connection and Autonomy

Generators are critical infrastructure: Matthew’s account that their generator was stolen—and that it was used primarily to charge phones—underscores how vital power is for communication, coordination, and accessing services. Phones are not just tools of convenience; they are lifelines.

Loss of power = loss of agency: Without power, people lose access to essential services (e.g., telehealth, benefits portals, job searches, crisis communication). The theft of the generator signals vulnerability—not just materially, but in the power to participate in systems that require connectivity.

Power Sources Reflect Systemic Gaps

The camp had to supply its own power—a DIY infrastructure response to systemic neglect. The reliance on generators highlights the absence of municipal support or access to grid power, even though electricity is essential.

The issue of power is also an equity issue: The expectation that unhoused people must generate or source their own power (often at risk of theft or damage) underscores their exclusion from basic services others take for granted.

Power Is Tied to Safety, Community, and Continuity

Phones serve as safety devices, especially in cases of health vulnerability (as with Nancy) or recent release from incarceration (as with James). Being able to charge a phone isn’t optional—it’s a form of protection and empowerment.

Battery-powered lighting or cooking support could enable safer and more stable living environments, particularly for families or people with medical needs.

Design

Simple, sustainable, scalable

Our design process prioritized cost-efficiency, ruggedness, and ease of use. We sourced affordable materials and designed an approachable, branded unboxing experience to appeal to both customers and recipients. The product also includes trackable impact feedback, connecting buyers to the broader mission.

Goals

We designed Empower to be rugged, solar-powered, and easy to distribute through nonprofit channels. The experience is elevated but accessible, and the branding balances outdoor lifestyle appeal with social good messaging. Our goal: create a product that people want to carry—and want to give.

Goals

Lean Business Model Canvas

An important deliverable milestone for the competition was our lean canvas, shown below:

Lean Business Model Canvas

An important deliverable milestone for the competition was our lean canvas, shown below:

Lean Business Model Canvas

An important deliverable milestone for the competition was our lean canvas, shown below:

Ideation

With this deep understanding of the research and market, we began our ideation phase seeking to produce a wholistic solution.

Ideation

With this deep understanding of the research and market, we began our ideation phase seeking to produce a wholistic solution.

Ideation

With this deep understanding of the research and market, we began our ideation phase seeking to produce a wholistic solution.

Initial Concepts

We explored several solutions before commiting on a direction. Here are some of those concepts:

Initial Concepts

We explored several solutions before commiting on a direction. Here are some of those concepts:

Initial Concepts

We explored several solutions before commiting on a direction. Here are some of those concepts:

Proof of Concept

We then explored some initial product drafts using simple materials and 3D printers.

Proof of Concept

We then explored some initial product drafts using simple materials and 3D printers.

Proof of Concept

We then explored some initial product drafts using simple materials and 3D printers.

We didn't get out without a few mishaps including one with a 3D printer:

Kinetic Energy Draft

Solar Energy Draft

Product Development

With only a week to deliver, we jumped into our product design.

Product Development

With only a week to deliver, we jumped into our product design.

Product Development

With only a week to deliver, we jumped into our product design.

Mood board and inspriation:

Paper sketches:

Product renders:

Sample product assembly:

User Testing

As part of our research, we conducted user testing of a prototype power solution with residents of the local encampment, Camp 2, and experts in the feild. Participants were invited to interact with the product and share their impressions, needs, and concerns.

User Testing

Camp 2 testing:

Expert review:

Findings

1) Feedback centered on practical considerations such as charging capacity, durability, weather resistance, ease of use, and security. 2) Residents emphasized the importance of reliable power for charging phones, especially for staying in contact with services, family, and potential employers. 3) Their input is shaping critical iterations to ensure the final design is responsive to real-world conditions and priorities.

Findings

Deliver

Power to the people

We were delighted to make be selected as a business concept finalist and we pitched Empower to the panel of judges as the TOMS of renewable energy—delivering an affordable, eco-conscious product with a built-in social impact engine. Our go-to-market strategy emphasized ethical storytelling, retail partnerships, and social proof to activate early adopters and grow the movement.

Empower: Providing Power and Independence

Empower is a portable power bank designed with and for unhoused communities. Built for reliability and ease of use, it provides essential access to phone charging and light, helping people stay connected, safe, and self-sufficient.

Empower: Providing Power and Independence

Empower goes to market with a direct-to-consumer + nonprofit partnership model.

The “buy one, give one” promise drives sales while also building community awareness.

Empower goes to market with a direct-to-consumer + nonprofit partnership model.

The “buy one, give one” promise drives sales while also building community awareness.

Empower goes to market with a direct-to-consumer + nonprofit partnership model.

The “buy one, give one” promise drives sales while also building community awareness.

The Consumer Model

Fast and efficient.

Ready to go after just 2.5 hours of charging (5V input)

Fast and efficient.

Ready to go after just 2.5 hours of charging (5V input)

Fast and efficient.

Ready to go after just 2.5 hours of charging (5V input)

The Gift Model

Simple and durable.

Lowkey, packable, and durable to survive daily usage.

Simple and durable.

Lowkey, packable, and durable to survive daily usage.

Simple and durable.

Lowkey, packable, and durable to survive daily usage.

Crafting a brand

We designed supporting assets like packaging, a microsite, and campaign content to tell stories that resonate and invite action.

Crafting a brand

We designed supporting assets like packaging, a microsite, and campaign content to tell stories that resonate and invite action.

Crafting a brand

We designed supporting assets like packaging, a microsite, and campaign content to tell stories that resonate and invite action.

Debrief

Designing for dignity

This project challenged us to think holistically—blending UX, product design, business modeling, and social impact into one cohesive experience. Empower taught us that good design can do more than solve problems; it can give power—literally and figuratively—back to people who need it most.

Empower was more than a product design challenge—it was a chance to practice systems thinking and ethical entrepreneurship. As our first foray into impact-driven hardware, this project underscored the role design can play in making invisible needs visible, and the potential of design to directly support human dignity.