“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
"Post-implementation reviews help catch bugs or style issues before customers see them, maintaining high quality."
Yunyan Li Anna Le Jen KimUX Best Practices
June 11, 2021
"This is the biggest change I've seen in my 30-year career making digital products."
Allan LowsonRehashing the Double Diamond: Collaborating across functions with AI-assisted prototyping
June 9, 2026
"Every day is a chance to check: is this how I want to be? This is a long-haul, marathon effort."
Denise Jacobs Nancy Douyon Renee Reid Lisa WelchmanInteractive Keynote: Social Change by Design
January 8, 2024
"Analytics and research should work closely to explain what is happening and why it is."
Renee BouwensLanding Product Impact: Aligning Research as a Foundational Driver for Delivering the World’s Best Products
December 15, 2023
"All data has bias, all data has problems, and all data has limitations. It’s about where on the spectrum that sits and being clear on your provenance."
Jemma Ahmed Steve Carrod Chris Geison Dr. Shadi Janansefat Christopher NashDemocratization: Working with it, not against it [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
July 24, 2024
"Some of the most mundane objects can signal change."
Sam LadnerHow Research Can Drive Strategic Foresight
March 9, 2022
"Designers adhere to standards not scientific ones, but design rigor tailored to dealing with complexity."
Yoel SumitroActions and Reflections: Bridging the Skills Gap among Researchers
March 9, 2022
"Monitoring for weak signals and early signs of emergence is as important as intervention itself."
Dave HoraResearch in the Face of Complexity: New Sensibility for New Situations
August 27, 2025
"Garbage in, garbage out—if the requirements are wrong, the AI will instantly create a useless UX."
Daniel J. RosenbergDesigning with and for Artificial Intelligence
August 11, 2022
