Crisis Text Line provides free, anonymous crisis counseling via text. In 2020, they had over 10,000 active counselors providing support to millions of people in crisis through 70 million text conversations. The document outlines 5 principles for allowing design to thrive: 1) self-awareness, 2) empathy for customers, 3) self-management, 4) inspiration, and 5) design leadership. These principles focus on truly understanding user needs and problems, managing goals, inspiring teams, and prioritizing the design process.

1. 5 PRINCIPLES TO HELP DESIGN THRIVE

2. Crisis Text Line provides free,
24/7 support for people in
crisis via text.

3. The Year 2020
○ 10,000 Active Crisis Counselors
○ Helping Millions of People in Crisis
○ 70 Million Conversations via Text
○ Over 20,000 Crisis Counselors
Trained in Empathy and Compassion

4. Sarah Bernard, COO Crisis Text Line

5. What Is Truly Important to Crisis
Counselors?
Mothers
Grandmothers
Veterans Grandfathers
Survivors Deaf/Hard of Hearing Fathers
College Students

6. Why Volunteer?
“Because practicing
empathy and reflective
listening makes me a
better friend, partner
and employee.”
“It teaches me about
believing in hope,
trusting the process,
and deepening
compassion -- for
others and for myself.”

7. Personas Working with Designers

8. 5 Principles
to Thrive

9. Admit You’re Not The Designer if you’re not….
Say It … Until you believe yourself
Focus on the Problem to Be Solved
Singular and Crisp
Find Strong Facilitators
Could be Product, Design, Tech…. Finance?
Principle 1: Self Awareness

10. #1 Thing We All Have in Common is We’re Not Listening to the User
Get out there and really listen
Leverage Listening and Watching Your Customers
Build a repetitive machine of “labs”
Seek to Understand Why
The ‘What’ from Data is not enough
Principle 2: Empathy

11. Self Manage Business Goals
Don’t Over Prescribe Solutions
Focus on the Problem
Make it Crisp
Let Design Surprise You
High Reward Results
Principle 3: Self Management

12. Use that Self Management to Trust the Team’s Activities
Self Organized Moments of Inspiration
Be Uncomfortable Not Knowing What It Will Produce
Designers Love It!
Let Makers Be Makers
Support Activities That Inspire
Principle 4: Inspire

13. Build Connection & Intimacy
Seek to Understand their POV
Leverage Design Reviews
Let them own the review and what the design accomplishes
Review in Primary Medium
Experience what the customer will experience
Principle 5: Design Leadership

14. 5 Principles Behind Environments that Allow Design to Thrive
○ Self Awareness
○ Empathy for the Customer
○ Self Management
○ Inspire
○ Design Leadership

15. Strive to be Albus Dumbeldore
Texter Crisis Counselor

16. Thank You!
In crisis? Text Hello to 741741
Volunteer: crisistextline.org/volunteer