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
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Disasters progress through phases: preparation, warning, impact, relief, recovery, and stabilization, each requiring different design interventions.
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Design in disaster response includes service design, visual/graphic design, database/information management, and user research.
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Improper service design can cause relief efforts to serve volunteers more than those directly impacted, as seen post-Katrina.
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Data visualization and communication tools are often unusable in crises, requiring urgent redesign to improve clarity for affected users.
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Rapid, frequent iteration is vital as conditions and needs change faster than in typical UX projects during disaster recovery.
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User research must adapt—more in-person, phone, or observational methods rather than formal surveys due to crisis environments.
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Interpersonal communication and minimizing user stress are often more critical than digital solutions in disaster recovery.
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Building core teams with both local boots-on-the-ground members and remote stable members leverages emotional capacity and logistics.
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Volunteering on the ground is a key way for designers to build relationships, assess needs, and identify real problems to solve.
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Failure to account for user context, such as literacy, culture, and connectivity, leads to ineffective disaster design solutions, exemplified by the oil spill app.
Notable Quotes
"I really hope that the end of this talk you’ll come away understanding how our design skills can help to create Clarity in times of Chaos."
"Most of their services were being used by people who are not directly impacted by the storm but by volunteers and construction workers."
"After relief, you move into recovery when your basic needs are met but you’re not necessarily back to normal."
"We found the exact same thing: people just needed to get a person on the phone, not an app."
"Put on your own oxygen mask before putting on someone else’s."
"Rapid and frequent iteration is very important. Things change faster after a disaster than any other time."
"Data collection is going to be participant observation and chats with neighborhood leaders, not formal surveys."
"Minimizing a user’s stress might mean giving them a real person to call, not a fancy digital solution."
"Designers will not be recruited after disasters; it’s our responsibility to witness and understand where our skills can help."
"In times of crisis, the stories you hear can be really difficult, and you have to be extra patient and gentle with people."
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