“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
"The current design education system doesn't always prepare designers for the complexity of enterprise challenges."
Alexandra SchmidtEnterprise UX Playbook
December 1, 2022
"Our offices have stand-up desks, nice collaboration areas, and comfy seating with a fresh, on-brand look."
Jen Crim Jess Quittner Saritha Kattekola Alex Karr Gurbani PahwaCulture, DIBS & Recruiting
June 11, 2021
"Critique sessions work best when the topic is shaped so answers are relevant and help the process, especially by including business goals."
Christian CrumlishAMA with Christian Crumlish, author of Product Management for UX People
March 24, 2022
"Maybe I too had joined another tech company that really wasn’t walking the walk when it came to diversity."
Libby MaurerTreating Diversity & Inclusion in Hiring as a Design Problem
December 5, 2019
"Green spaces are not luxuries—they're necessities for urban life."
Ali Jeffery Sheri ChudowHow DesignOps Helped Enable Wall Street to Work Remotely
October 22, 2020
"You can’t know a human honestly from the outside alone; you have to let their reality work on you."
Daniel GloydDesigning From the Inside Out: How Method Acting Can Inspire Design Research
February 12, 2026
"Every student has unique strengths that should be recognized and nurtured."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"Design strategy focuses on providing a framework for developing design solutions that support a given product strategy, whereas product strategy addresses the business model, the roadmap, and prioritizing requirements - Frank Guo."
Johanna KollmannInsights-Driven Product Strategy: Get your Research to Count
December 6, 2022
"Human behavior is anything but linear, rational, or predictable."
David SternbergUncovering the hidden forces shaping user behavior
July 17, 2025
