Skid Row Power Now!: A participatory co-design project to power up digital devices in Skid Row

This case study describes the co-design of Charge ‘n Chill, a charging cart serving houseless residents of Skid Row. This project brought together community activists, Skid Row residents, and university researchers over the course of an 8-week intensive co-design workshop that culminated in the unveiling of a working prototype in the community. Through this case study, we describe the projects’ goals and motivations, as well as the participatory methods which guided our work together. We analyze both our process and its outcome, highlighting lessons we learned and guidelines we offer to others engaged in similar collaborations.

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