The TUKLAS team set out to enable communities to design their own disaster preparedness solutions. They chose Design Thinking to foster creative, grassroots problem-solving and to ensure ideas were grounded in local realities and constraints.

The Challenge

How might we empower communities in the Philippines to better prepare for natural disasters? TUKLAS wanted a practical way to help community groups generate, test, and refine solutions they could own and sustain.

The Solution

On-Off Group designed and ran a program that guided participants from diverse regions through the full Design Thinking process. Teams were formed around a shared focus: helping an urban-poor community strengthen disaster readiness.

• Participants progressed through each stage of Design Thinking with weekly milestones and coaching.
• We trained teams in core methods and mentored them as they developed and iterated their concepts.
• The program was structured so participants could take the approach back to their own regions and replicate it with local communities.

The Results

• Teams presented working prototypes to stakeholders and potential funders, making solutions tangible and investment-ready.
• One standout prototype was a life vest made from low-cost, commonly available recycled materials in flood-prone communities — delivering safety at a fraction of typical cost.
• Selected solutions were refined with expert support and moved toward implementation after the program.

By combining community insight with rapid prototyping, the initiative built local capability and produced practical innovations for disaster preparedness.