Connecting Resilience

Three questions for the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
Resilience during natural disasters is a complex subject. Despite the numerous inputs, it was crucial to collaborate with individuals who have real-life crisis experience.

After analyzing existing solutions, I merged various components into a service collage, creating a unified service system. Testing the concept was challenging due to limited resources. A feasible solution was to act out different scenarios with individuals experienced in natural disasters. Vida's story (see video) is one of many. The simulations had to consider diverse user accessibility needs, including perspectives from individuals with foreign phone numbers, those with impairments and people without smartphones, among others. This method helped to refine the concept.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
During any process, there are challenging moments. These roadblocks can often be overcome by stepping back and gaining a new perspective. While it may sound super simple, it was important to plan for breaks to refresh my viewpoint. One of the challenges was accepting that this concept is not a flawless or finite solution to such a significant and complicated issue. Instead, it reflects individuals' experiences and the research conducted within the given time and resources. It is one building block. A notable highlight was the chance to listen to personal stories from various individuals. I have also been engaging in conversations with professionals who provide aid during natural disasters. It was eye-opening.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
Service systems that help civilians through a crisis need to be incorporated into governmental frameworks for civil preparedness. Despite existing concepts, preparation is insufficient. My goal is to move beyond conceptualization to practical implementation. However, this is not a one-person job but a collective effort.

To enhance readiness, we should focus on evaluating each component, such as early education, robust training programs, and policy advocacy, in a system. Continuous testing, incorporating feedback from each training and incident, and raising awareness ensure continuous improvement and more effective responses in future emergencies.