Eriol is a designer at Ushahidi who focuses on designing for crisis. They have 10 years of experience in digital product design and user experience. Eriol discussed research conducted in emergency services and international disaster relief aid to help people communicate needs and respond better during crises. This included mapping health facilities in Kathmandu before an earthquake. Eriol presented on challenges of finding what affected people need in a crisis and testing a tool to help communities help each other before, during, and after incidents.

1. Research in emergency
services and international
disaster relief aid.
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
DESIGNINGFOR
CRISIS

2. Hi, I’m Eriol. (Ehh-roll).
I’m a Designer @ Ushahidi
They/Them/Their’s pronouns.
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
10 years in digital product design & UX.

3. Helping people raise their voice and those
who serve them to listen and respond better
A tool to help other teams reach each other
everyday and in a crisis. On any device.
We were able to map all the health facilities in Kathmandu
Valley before the earthquake, which will undoubtedly help the
relief workers’ ability to deliver supplies and help save lives.

4. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
CRISIS BACKGROUND.
MVP & KENYA FIELD RESEARCH.
4 CHALLENGES/LEARNINGS.

5. Hi, I’m Eriol. (Ehh-roll).
I’m a Designer @ Ushahidi
They/Them/Their’s pronouns.
7+ year history in varied
community development work.
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
10 years in digital product design & UX.

6. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
Fox Lane Project: Adamsdown

7. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
WSAAG, Homework club, Community garden

8. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
Team Rubicon UK

9. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
Marmalade trust, Community Resilience Team SARAID

10. PROBLEM STATEMENT:
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
IN A CRISIS, FINDING
OUT WHAT PEOPLE WHO
ARE AFFECTED NEED IS
COMPLICATED.

11. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
CRISIS, INCIDENT,
DISASTER.
Disaster:
Typically natural disaster like a hurricane/cyclone/typhoon/earthquake/
flood/fire.
Crisis/Incident:
Can include human made disasters like terrorism, community violence,
hate crime, govt. organisational corruption.

12. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
AFTERDURINGBEFORE
Resilience Response Recovery
X Time elapse

13. CAN A TECH TOOL HELP A
COMMUNITY BUILD CAPACITY TO
HELP EACH OTHER BEFORE,
DURING AND AFTER AN
INCIDENT.
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
WHAT WE WANTED TO TEST:

14. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
KATHMANDU LIVING
LABSquakemap.ushahidi.io/views/map

15. SO WE DID RESEARCH
LOCALLY: ETHNOGRAPHIC
RESEARCH
Nailsea FirestaXon: www.avonfire.gov.uk
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

16. SO WE DID RESEARCH ‘LOCALLY’http://bit.ly/opnanook
IN CITIES AND SMALL
COMMUNITIES
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

17. AND IT STARTED TO LOOK
FAMILIAR TO ME…
hZps://www.facebook.com/groups/BS3helpers/
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

18. AND IT STARTED TO LOOK FAMILIAR
TO ME…
hZps://www.facebook.com/groups/BS3helpers/
WHAT’S THE USER
ECOSYSTEM?
ORGANISED NOT
‘DIGITAL’ 1ST
NOT ORGANISED
LOOKING TO HELP
OFFICIAL
SERVICES
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

19. CHALLENGE/LEARNING 1:
OFFICIAL AND
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
SKEPTICISM.
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

20. AND IT STARTED TO LOOK FAMILIAR TO ME…
MVP: WHAT QUESTIONS ARE
WE ASKING?
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
Does AI and machine learning really maZer to users?
What are the opportuniXes for our system to supplement /
enhance those exisXng pracXces?
How do helpers/requester miXgate risk to their safety?
What are the micro decisions you make in a voluntary exchange?
What are the deep moXvaXons for helping members of your
community?
ORGANISED
NOT ‘DIGITAL’
1ST
NOT ORGANISED
LOOKING TO HELP

21. NEED!
OFFER!
NEED!
A peer-to-peer, community led,
needs assessment, matching, and
recommendaXon system.
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

22. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
CRUNCH: 4 MONTHS
RESEARCH. DESIGN. DEV.
FIELD.

23. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
RESEARCH. DEV SCOPE.
FUNDRAISING.
DESIGN+DEV ITERATION X 5.
FIELD WORK PREP. QA TESTING.
IN COUNTRY ACTIVITY.
REPORTING.

24. WHY NAIROBI, KENYA?
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

25. DISPATCHER PILOT:
EVALUATIVE &
FOUNDATIONAL
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

26. CHALLENGE/LEARNING 2:
CULTURAL DIFFERENCE
IN NEEDS.
BROAD STROKES
ARE DANGEROUS.
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

27. DISPATCHER PILOT:
EXPLORATIVE &
PROMOTIONAL
@ushahidi @BelFOSS #BelFOSS
@erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019

28. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
DID WE FIND THE TRUTH?
What are the opportuniXes for our system to supplement / enhance / supplant those exisXng
pracXces (features)?
What are the deep moXvaXons for helping members of your community?
Bonds of similar interests = New mum groups in Nairobi want to help other new mums.
In UK, miXgaXng they current support networks ‘faXgue’ e.g. an impaired person could
get simple task performed by a Dispatcher helper so their carers aren’t so stretched.
In Kenya, accessing skills they didn’t have within current networks.

29. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
Does AI and machine learning really maZer to users?
How do helpers miXgate risk?
What are the micro decisions you make in a voluntary exchange?
Turning device locaXon on only when needed. Using chat funcXons to discover
credibility of source. Relying on tone, language. Users asked for ‘recommendaXons’ or
ability to review other helpers. Are they part of my community e.g. Class barriers.
Profile image, descripXon and what people we asking was more interesXng
then proximity. The potenXal for a ‘bond’. Implicit trust was higher among community
‘first’ people.
Absolutely not. The matching algorithm was less interesXng than the social aspect.
DID WE FIND THE TRUTH?

30. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
CHALLENGE/LEARNING 4:
YOUR ATTITUDE
TO TRAUMA
MATTERS.

31. @erioldoesdesign @ushahidi @designfestbrum #BDF2019
POLYCOMfacebook.com/polycomdevelopmentproject

32. eriol@ushahidi.com
@erioldoesdesign
ASANTE SANA FOLKS.
Ushahidi community channel:
https://gitter.im/ushahidi/Community
@ushahidi
Ushahidi OSS repo
https://github.com/ushahidi/platform