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Innovation Lab

Man sits at computer surrounded by equipment

Force-multiplying technology for human rights and democracy.


Explore our latest project

Mission

Human Rights First works to create a just world in which every person's intrinsic human rights are respected and protected. The Human Rights First Innovation Lab was founded in 2019 to ensure that mission endures in the age of automation. The Innovation Lab equips civil society with the tools, talent, and technological expertise needed to harness emerging technologies, surmount daunting challenges, and safeguard human rights now and into the future.


ReadyNow logo

ReadyNow!

Empowering immigrants facing arrest to notify trusted contacts and legal aid with one-click.

TK

Glimpse

Supercharging war crimes investigations with automated violence detection.

TK

Democracy Watch

Mapping anti-democratic legislation so advocates can monitor, make sense of trends, and respond.

logo for Pyrra and Alert Media

Pyrra

AI powered intelligence platform that tracks security threats across 45+ social media sites.

TK

Testimo

WhatsApp based tool that allows at-risk migrants to securely and anonymously tell their stories.

debate bot logo

Debate Bot

An experimental voter education game where users ask candidates questions and get simulated answers.

Code the Vote logo

Code the Vote

A hackathon challenging teams to develop gamified digital experiences to engage the public in elections.

What we do

The Human Rights First Innovation Lab brings together product designers and engineers with human rights advocates and impacted communities to develop high-impact tools for the field.

Prototype + Pilot

We build, test, and iterate technology solutions in pursuit of force-multiplying impact.


Sustain + Scale

We identify pathways to scale our solutions that prove successful.


Influence + Field-Build

We capacity build and cultivate talent pipelines to strengthen rights-centered technology.

Methodology

Our work starts with a clear problem statement, followed by a human-centered design process that leads to evidence-based solutions.

Discover

Discover

Gathering information and insights about users, contexts, and problems.

Define

Define

Brainstorming and sketching solutions to the opportunities identified.

Design

Design

Designing solutions informed by evidence, user needs, and expert insight.

Prototype

Prototype

Testing solutions with users to validate assumptions, measure impact, and identify areas for improvement.

Implement

Implement

Deploying solution, starting with a controlled pilot before scaling – ensuring quality and performance throughout.

Partnerships

We don't do it alone. Our partners inspire our ideas, co-create solutions, extend our capacity, and amplify our impact.

Acacia Center for Justice
Berkeley Human Rights Center
Defense of Democracy
Develop For Good
Formally
Howard University Center for Digital Business
Justicia Lab
Mobile Pathways
Okta
Orrick
Pat Finucane Center
Pyrra
Silicon Society
Zendesk

What We Do

The Human Rights First Innovation Lab brings together product designers and engineers with human rights advocates and impacted communities to develop high-impact tools for the field.

Prototype + Pilot

We build, test, and iterate technology solutions in pursuit of force-multiplying impact.

Sustain + Scale

We identify pathways to scale our solutions that prove successful.

Influence + Field-Build

We capacity build and cultivate talent pipelines to strengthen rights-centered technology.

Partner with us

Please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.