“I mean, I can lift a shovel”: Design Skills in Disaster Response
Summary
Too often we withhold design efforts for "the best of times" - to make improvements or optimize already good systems. In this talk, Emily Danielson highlights the importance of design skills in "the worst of times." Drawing on experiences following Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, COVID-19 and Hurricane Ida, Danielson will illustrate the impact of applying design skills to recovery work, such as: Optimizing data collection to better triage the needs of flooded homeowners (and the data systems being used by the FBI to take down a corrupt contractor) The importance of service design and cultural competence in food distribution Contextual research for a mobile application on a shrimp boat at 2am Those who attend can expect to leave with the confidence to act quickly in contributing their skills as designers following a disaster; the knowledge of how to advocate for design efforts in states of emergency; and an understanding of the value design can bring in times of chaos.
Key Insights
-
•
Disaster response benefits from diverse design skills including service design, visual design, database design, and user research.
-
•
After Hurricane Katrina, lack of inclusive service design led to services being used more by volunteers and workers than by those directly impacted.
-
•
Data management evolved from scraps of paper to shared Google Docs, which later served as evidence in a federal corruption case.
-
•
The Deepwater Horizon app failed because it ignored user context like literacy levels, connectivity issues, and cultural communication preferences.
-
•
Effective communication in crises requires rapid iteration and user-centered redesign, as exemplified by Luna Moore's work improving ExxonMobil’s COVID-19 emails.
-
•
Disaster recovery phases include preparation, warning, impact, relief, recovery, and stabilization, each requiring different design approaches.
-
•
Core disaster response teams should blend locals close to the disaster with remote helpers to leverage emotional stability and resources.
-
•
Minimizing user stress by simplifying communications and providing direct human contact is the most important design principle in disaster recovery.
-
•
User research in disaster settings relies heavily on in-person observation and conversations, rather than formal surveys or digital tools.
-
•
Designers are rarely formally recruited for disaster response; they must be proactive in identifying problems and plugging in to help effectively.
Notable Quotes
"Our design skills can help to create Clarity in times of Chaos."
"Most services were being used by people not directly impacted by the storm but by construction workers and volunteers."
"We turned all of these files in boxes into an Excel file, and then into a shared Google Doc accessible to multiple people."
"The app was a huge flop because we let our excitement about helping people let our design principles slide."
"Designer Luna Moore transformed our COVID-19 emails and noticeably changed employee behavior."
"Minimizing a user’s stress is the best possible design principle for disaster recovery."
"Disasters aren’t just big front page events, they include minor crises like loss of a loved one or housing insecurity."
"Communication with users will be primarily in person, over the phone, or maybe some texting—not surveys."
"FEMA is not going to stand up a UX department; it’s our responsibility to witness and find ways to help."
"Be extra patient and gentle with people, especially if they don’t pick up your call after a disaster."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Employees can take as much or as little time off as they want, so long as their job gets done."
Lavy Kumar Kat Temple Shan Sebastian Tara Jensen Jenn ChouFuture of Work
June 9, 2021
"Design and research at Compass have become so integrated that we become these powerful partners driving the product vision."
Andreas Huebner Amy Takata Craig BrookesWhat Is It Like To Be Part of The UX Team at Compass?
March 11, 2021
"When people answer in a similar way, they find clusters that can be used to group users."
Ricardo MartinsUnlocking the power of advanced quantitative methods
March 12, 2025
"The fastest way to gain influence is to get somebody else promoted."
Monty HammontreeThe Future of UX Research
December 3, 2020
"We didn’t have the maturity of the practice itself to specify the impacts of losing design ops until it happened."
Benjamin RealShowing the Value of DesignOps by Not Having a DesignOps Team
October 21, 2020
"People don't learn when they're rushed, stressed, or don't trust the source of the knowledge."
Kate TowseyAsk Me Anything (AMA) with Kate Towsey
April 2, 2025
"The weakest insight method might win simply because of the relationship to the power structure."
Steve Portigal Chris Chapo Kelly Goto Christian RohrerDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"Browser autofill isn’t just convenience; it removes barriers to purchase for people with physical disabilities."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
March 28, 2023
"Screen magnification is really about making the screen larger, changing color contrast, reducing motion, and panning around the magnified area."
Sam ProulxPrototype Reviews, People With Disabilities, and You
October 1, 2021
