LifeStraw: Revolutionizing Safe Water Access Through Innovative Design

LifeStraw CEO, Alison Hill 00:01
We are not a company in business to make shiny things for wealthy communities. We’re in business to solve global health problems.

Thamer 00:11
Welcome to With Intent, a podcast from the Institute of Design at Illinois Tech about how design permeates our world, whether we call it design or not. My name is Thamer Abanami, and I’m joined by Albert Shum, and we are your hosts for With Intent’s third season.

Albert 00:26
This season, we explore the stories and lessons from several designs featured in ID’s list of 100 Greatest Designs, published by Fortune magazine. We discuss how the concepts of intentional, responsible, and innovative design intersect with some of the selections on the list.

Thamer 00:51
Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of LifeStraw. It’s a product that’s not just changing lives but redefining what it means to be a purpose-driven company. And when I first came across LifeStraw, it wasn’t for this episode. Albert, I live in Seattle—I think you do too sometimes, most of the time. Yeah, you’re always traveling. But we have earthquakes here, and one thing we do as people that live in Seattle is we always make sure we have our earthquake preparation kits.

Albert 01:20
Yeah, I have my go-bag somewhere, yeah, in the closet.

Thamer 01:23
And as part of preparing my earthquake preparation kit for my family, I came across LifeStraw. It was only years later, when doing the research for this episode, that I found out there was actually a fascinating story and mission behind it. But before we get into the story, I think we should take a moment to understand the global water crisis that this product is addressing.

Soundbite 01:48
The United Nations is warning today of an approaching global water crisis because of pollution, global warming, and overconsumption. One of the largest cities in the world is running out of water tonight. There is serious concern in Mexico City about the taps running dry. It’s a slow-motion disaster. Cape Town could become the first major city in the world to run out of water. Cape Town, South Africa, is inching closer now to Day Zero, just 92 days away from having to…

Thamer 02:18
Albert, can you give us some context?

Albert 02:20
Yeah, absolutely. Thamer, as humans, we all need water to survive, and in some ways, I think it’s a fundamental human right. Actually, it’s a staggering number: according to the World Health Organization, 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water services. For me, when I worked on this episode, I was a bit shocked at the scale of the problem. Over 830,000 people die each year as a result of unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and poor hygiene. It’s distressing because by 2025, half the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. That’s the scale of the problem we’re looking at.

Thamer 03:12
That’s pretty alarming. And this is not just a problem elsewhere, right, Albert? It’s also with us here.

Soundbite 03:20
Tonight, the crises in western North Carolina are too many to count, with access to a basic life force—water—at the top of the list. Here we are on day five of Atlanta’s water crisis following multiple water main breaks. A lot of work remains to be done.

Albert 03:42
It’s not just a problem elsewhere. Sometimes, living in a country like the United States, we assume we have easy access to water as a given. However, the EPA estimates that up to 63 million Americans were exposed to potentially unsafe water more than once in the past decade. So even in a wealthy country like the United States, there are still issues with access to safe drinking water.

Thamer 04:12
Yeah, it’s clear that safe water access is a giant global challenge, and it needs innovative solutions. That’s where LifeStraw comes in. During our research, we were fortunate to talk to LifeStraw CEO Alison Hill, who we’ll be hearing from throughout this episode.

Albert 04:29
Wow, that’s great. Was it hard to get Alison to join us?

Thamer 04:32
Yeah, it was a monumental task, Albert. I had to go on LinkedIn and message her, and she was so gracious to respond.

Albert 04:39
Wow, that’s always amazing when people are open to share their work with us. So generous of Alison.

Thamer 04:47
It was great to chat with Alison because the story of LifeStraw is one of innovation and impact. What makes this episode really interesting is the business model that challenges our assumptions about profit and purpose.

Albert 05:02
Yeah, I’m excited to unpack this story. Should we jump in?

Thamer 05:08
Let’s do it. To understand LifeStraw, we really need to go back to its origins. We should start with a company called Vestergaard. Vestergaard is LifeStraw’s parent company, founded in 1957 as a Danish textile company making things like uniforms. Under new leadership in the 1990s, Mikkel Vestergaard, the founder’s grandson, pivoted the company to focus on humanitarian challenges. They became known for producing insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria and other solutions for crop protection. You can see how they transitioned from textiles to materials science and innovation for global good. Vestergaard’s shift toward humanitarian entrepreneurship set the stage for LifeStraw’s development.

Albert 06:13
That was a significant shift. The story of LifeStraw began not with a product, but with a partnership. In 1994, LifeStraw and the Carter Center partnered to create a mesh filter to remove Guinea worm larvae from drinking water. It was a specific mission to help eradicate a debilitating and painful disease. Here’s Alison talking more about the beginning of LifeStraw.

Alison 06:48
In the mid-80s, Guinea worm was a significant global problem, with about three and a half million cases annually. Guinea worm is a devastating and painful disease transmitted through larvae in contaminated water. In the mid-90s, the Carter Center, under President Carter’s leadership, initiated a project to eradicate Guinea worm. They partnered with Vestergaard to create a simple straw technology to remove Guinea worm larvae from contaminated water. Since then, we’ve partnered with the Carter Center and provided over 40 million filters. In 2023, there were only 14 cases globally, with the disease eradicated in all but four countries. This achievement shows how a simple technology incorporated into daily life can have a monumental impact, eradicating a disease without a vaccine.

Thamer 08:31
From 3.5 million cases to just 14 is truly incredible. That’s amazing impact.

Albert 08:48
Yeah, it’s—I mean, we are basically on the verge of eradicating a disease without the use of a vaccine. Today, LifeStraw has grown beyond this initial partnership and expanded its focus to broader water safety issues. They’ve developed more advanced filtration technologies, leading to a transition from purely public health products to consumer products. That’s where things get really interesting from a business perspective. Let’s hear more from Alison.

Alison 09:08
Around 2011, we had consumers here in the US looking for a simple solution to provide safe drinking water while hiking, backpacking, and for emergency preparedness. They used to contact the company saying, “Hey, we’ve seen this cool LifeStraw. Could you send me one?” I remember having a frank conversation with the owner and board to pitch the idea of a retail brand, a consumer goods brand. They pushed me to explain that we are not a company in business to make shiny things for wealthy communities. We’re in business to solve global health problems. My commitment to them with this business plan was to ensure the same rigor applied to achieving financial performance as to owning the entire value chain and delivering health impact at a school. That was the lightbulb moment—we had something fundamentally different: a public health company using the retail market to provide sustainable funding to scale and commit to long-term work in communities.

Albert 11:04
This dual focus on public health and consumer products is fascinating. I’m not familiar with many companies that have managed to balance these two goals so effectively. Thamer, maybe you could describe how LifeStraw products have evolved.

Thamer 11:27
Sure, the LifeStraw product has come a long way from its initial design as a pipe-and-mesh filter created in partnership with the Carter Center. Today, LifeStraw’s technology is centered on advanced hollow fiber membrane filtration. To break it down, imagine bundles of tiny, minuscule straws with microscopic pores that block bacteria, parasites, dirt, and even microplastics. The filters offer multiple advantages: they don’t require electricity or batteries, there are no chemicals involved in the filtration process, and they can be used directly in the water source. Each filter can supply a person with five years’ worth of clean drinking water.

Albert 12:27
That’s amazing, and the product design itself is also quite unique. It’s about nine inches long and over an inch in diameter, making it compact enough to fit in a backpack or even a large pocket. It’s made from durable, BPA-free plastic that’s shock-resistant and lightweight. The sky-blue color symbolizes purity and water, making it visually appealing, and the ridged texture ensures a secure grip even if your hands are wet. There’s a protective cap at one end to keep the mouthpiece clean, and the filter is designed to be intuitive—just like drinking from a regular straw.

Thamer 13:57
It’s almost sci-fi when you think about what this little device can do. You can walk up to a lake, open the cap, and draw water straight through the straw with minimal resistance.

Albert 14:16
The product’s user-centered design is clear, but LifeStraw’s impact goes beyond just providing a well-designed filter. Let’s hear more from Alison about designing for public health.

Alison 14:27
When introducing new technology to a population, the work involved in behavior change communication, training, and education can be just as significant, if not more, than the design of the product itself. When you ask someone to change long-standing habits, you can’t just tell them what to do; you also need to explain why it matters. It’s not just about providing a filter—hand washing, sanitation, and other complementary practices need to be considered for an effective public health approach.

Thamer 15:37
I find it fascinating to derive design principles from products like LifeStraw. Alison, could you share some insights on designing public health products?

Alison 16:01
The biggest lessons I’ve learned from moving from clinical medicine to leading product design teams are not to over-engineer, overcomplicate, or add unnecessary features. Focus on what you’re trying to achieve and deliver it in the simplest, most intuitive, and durable way possible. In regions where supply chains might not be reliable, where spare parts are hard to come by, you need designs that are fail-safe, where reliability isn’t a luxury but a necessity.

Albert 17:08
The simplicity of LifeStraw’s design stands out to me as a designer. The company managed to maintain a focus on public health outcomes while building a consumer brand, which is quite unique.

Thamer 17:42
It’s interesting because they weren’t initially targeting the consumer market at all. There was a strong pull from consumers who wanted to buy the product, and the company saw an opportunity to leverage this demand to fund their public health efforts. It’s the opposite of the usual approach, where companies start with consumer products and add social responsibility as an afterthought.

Albert 18:25
Exactly, and recognizing that opportunity and acting on it takes agility. Making consumer products isn’t easy, as you and I know, Thamer.

Thamer 18:37
Indeed, LifeStraw’s model isn’t your typical corporate social responsibility approach. Here’s how Alison describes it.

Alison 18:45
We start by considering both social impact and financial sustainability from the very beginning of innovation. When tensions arise between investments in impact and profitability, we have to widen our perspective and recognize that these two goals can drive each other forward.

Albert 19:47
Alison’s leadership shows that you can do good and do good business simultaneously if you’re intentional and clear about your priorities. The commitment to public health is at the core of everything LifeStraw does.

Thamer 20:05
Let’s talk about LifeStraw’s impact. They have a program where for every 500 products sold, they donate a community water purifier to a school, providing 100 children with safe drinking water for five years. They’ve reached nearly 10 million children through this initiative. They also participate in global humanitarian aid and emergency response efforts.

Albert 21:29
That’s truly inspiring. What does the future hold for LifeStraw? How are they preparing for emerging challenges? Here’s more from Alison.

Alison 21:56
We need to retain our core values and adapt to changing trends. Our commitment to public health and safe water as a human right cannot change. However, how we innovate, build, and scale must be flexible to stay relevant in the long term.

Thamer 24:31
That’s visionary. As we wrap up, what can we learn from LifeStraw’s story, Albert?

Albert 24:43
LifeStraw’s focus on user-centered design and balancing public health goals with business objectives is key. It’s about delivering on your promises and doing good in a sustainable way.

Thamer 26:14
The leadership, vision, and agility displayed by LifeStraw are truly inspiring. They’ve created a successful business that funds meaningful impact, a balance not easily achieved.

Albert 27:16
This episode has opened my eyes to creating products that serve everyone while maintaining a positive impact.

Thamer 27:35
And that’s a wrap for today’s episode of With Intent. We hope you found our deep dive into LifeStraw both inspiring and informative. Thank you to Alison Hill for sharing her insights, and to the faculty and staff at the Institute of Design at Illinois Tech. With Intent is a production of the Institute of Design at Illinois Tech, as part of the Latham Fellows Program. We look forward to connecting with you next time.