Power of Without

A global knowledge platform to empower informal communities

Year: 2020-Ongoing
Team: M. Iruretagoyena, L. Alonso, K. Larson
Role : Lead Researcher, UX/UI Designer,  Developer
Recognition : IDB publication, KDD conference 2019

Collaborators: Inter-American Development Bank,
University of Guadalajara, and Norman Foster Foundation.
Overview
How can we improve informal settlements without bulldozing them?  
What can we learn from them?
As the world moves towards urbanization, cities are becoming increasingly complex. By 2050, about 70% of the world's population is expected to live in urban areas, projected to reach 6.3 billion people.  In many cities this will be informal settlements.

We must find new solutions to meet the complex challenges of the future. We pose an opportunity to rethink current models and invent new systems and strategies for a more livable, equitable, and resilient future. 
A non-traditional methodology that collects and groups the different indicators and definitions of informality found in existing research and reports. By doing so, the new taxonomy will enable the development of unified standards that will allow researchers on the ground to assess informal settlements with a degree of commonality across the globe.
The Toolkit of Technologies aims to translate the knowledge gathered through the Taxonomy collected into actionable and impactful insights for new technologies shaping existing and future communities.
User Research
Inventors
Identifying and designing technologies
Enablers
Making things possible
Receivers
Those living in informal communities
Identifying needs and goals through user personas
Website Sitemap
Concept wireframes
A crowd-sourced-database with local NGOs that will help us understand the strength of each community in addition to their struggles.

Explore the website
Have a look at the code
A simulation application that allows users to test technologies and input new ones. It will also allow them to input additional data to improve the accuracy of the simulation.

Explore the website
Have a look at the code
Our principles
User-friendly, intuitive. Since it will tackle different users and we want to attract as much as possible, its has to be simple and universal.  

Inclusive. Sensitive topic address from respect. The design should be beneficial and accessible to the every user.

Seamless integration. Every tool we develop under the umbrella of the Power of Without has to be able to complement the previously ones developed.