Case Study: Habitat for Humanity International achieves human-centered housing innovation with On-Off Group

Habitat for Humanity International prototypes 2 shelter solutions with On-Off Group

On-Off Group partnered with Habitat for Humanity International's Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter to address a critical challenge: connecting design professionals with low-income households in the Philippines to develop market-based housing solutions. Over 4 million families lacked liveable housing, and the vibrant construction market often failed to serve this vulnerable segment. The goal was to leverage the expertise of architects, engineers, and builders to improve housing quality and safety through innovative, human-centered strategies.

The solution involved On-Off Group designing and facilitating a remote Design Sprint-based workshop. They guided participants through ideation and prototyping, grounding the process in user research and empathy-building. This resulted in two tested prototypes: a platform to centralize construction knowledge and connect families with resources, and a skills-sharing model to build trust and empower safer practices. The workshop built significant momentum, giving partners confidence in human-centered design and identifying actionable steps for further refinement and scaling.

Habitat for Humanity International