Improving Clarity in Disaster Response
How might we redesign the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System to better support emergency managers in the field?
This project was developed as part of my graduate coursework at ArtCenter College of Design, where I focused on service design and systems thinking. My role included leading research, comparative analysis, blueprinting, and interface design. The work centered on reimagining the On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) dashboard, a tool used by emergency responders to coordinate information and action during global disasters.
The Problem
When disasters strike, responders rely on clear, timely information to coordinate effectively. The existing dashboard made that difficult for them.
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Critical alerts were hard to scan quickly, slowing down urgent decision-making.
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Collaboration tools were minimal, forcing responders to use external channels for discussion and coordination.
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The interface prioritized data density over usability, increasing cognitive load in already stressful contexts.
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Responders often had to piece together fragmented updates across multiple sources, leading to confusion and delays.
The following images show the existing OSOCC dashboard at the time.
Initial Research & Insights
To understand the problem, I conducted a comparative analysis of disaster coordination platforms, researched relevant texts, and mapped the responder journey.
This revealed the key issues. From a service design perspective, gaps also emerged across the end-to-end experience: from how alerts were received to how teams created discussions and confirmed actions.
These insights shaped our persona, Randy, an emergency manager in the field. His needs underscored the importance of clarity, speed, and collaboration. Service design blueprints and customer journey maps helped visualize how the redesigned dashboard would fit into the broader workflow of responders.
Design Goals
The goal of the redesign was to create a dashboard that prioritized clarity, reduced cognitive load, and encouraged collaboration among responders. Beyond interface improvements, the project aimed to strengthen GDACS’s overall value proposition by aligning tools with real-world field needs.
Early Prototyping & Feedback
Early sketches and low-fidelity prototypes explored larger, clearer alert modules, simplified navigation, and built-in collaboration features such as discussion threads and team action confirmations.
As the design evolved, I developed higher-fidelity prototypes that emphasized readability and hierarchy: alerts displayed with stronger visual contrast, larger type, and contextual details at a glance. Collaboration tools were integrated directly into the alert view, enabling faster decision-making and reducing the need for external communication channels.
Outcome
The final prototype of the GDACS OSOCC dashboard featured:
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Expanded alert cards with clear visuals and contextual information.
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Integrated collaboration tools that allowed teams to discuss and confirm actions directly within the platform.
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Streamlined navigation and layout that prioritized the most urgent information for quick scanning.
Alongside the prototype, I created a service design blueprint, a customer journey map, and a comparative analysis to highlight how the redesign improved usability and collaboration compared to the original system.
Reflection
This project highlighted the value of combining service design and interaction design in high-stakes contexts. By centering the needs of responders like Randy, I learned how critical clarity and communication are in systems where seconds matter. The GDACS redesign is speculative, but it demonstrates how even small shifts in information design and collaboration tools can have a significant impact in emergency management.