Mutual Aid Mobile App Design
WEVACUATE
Category 4 -5 Gulf Coast hurricanes since 2017
THE PROBLEM
Since 2017, six Category 4+ hurricanes have barreled down on the Gulf Coast, prompting tens of thousands of evacuations.
Without a mandatory evacuation order, hurricane victims are left to navigate evacuation logistics on their own.
THE SOLUTION
Wevacuate is a mutual aid hub that leverages community support to make safe evacuations accessible to all.
This mobile app aims to solve two fundamental problems for Gulf Coast hurricane evacuees: accessing transportation and lodging.
MY ROLE
UX Strategy
Secondary Research
User Interviews
Ideation
Heuristic Analysis
User Flows
Wireframes
Style Guide
Prototype
Usability Tests
“The decision-making process is tremendously terrible on my mental health… once I have a plan and a place to go and a safehouse, it takes so much of my stress away.”
Hurricane Evacuee, Mississippi
“Evacuation, no matter what, is going to be tricky. It’s going to be emotional. It’s going to be expensive. It’s expensive! Two weeks of unplanned vacation. Having to stay in last-minute Airbnbs with pet deposits. And gas and lodging and travel. Accommodating an unplanned week of being away from our house was expensive.”
Hurricane Evacuee, Louisiana
USER RESEARCH
In my research plan, I identified and narrowed my research objective, assumptions, and question.
Objective: Gain a broader understanding of Gulf Coast hurricane evacuees and their primary concerns while evacuated.
Assumptions: My primary concerns while evacuated for Hurricane Ida included neighbors, home, feral cat that we fed, and general community (state of the neighborhood, parks, etc.)
Research questions:
What factors led to the decision to evacuate?
What were evacuees’ main concerns while away?
What tools or resources did evacuees use to solve their problems (and what was their experience with those tools/resources)?
What additional factors would come into play when deciding to evacuate in the future?
Understanding the current trends in evacuation rates through secondary research affirmed that the strength and frequency of major hurricanes are on the rise in the Gulf Coast, validating the need for a resource designed around evacuee pain points.
A competitive analysis confirmed that, while hurricane evacuee resources do exist, they are often difficult to find and obtain. Resources are often allocated after the fact, which doesn’t help evacuees in their efforts to leave ahead of the storm.
USER INTERVIEWS
I asked a local meteorologist to share my screener survey and gathered 60+ responses. I conducted eight user interviews with Gulf Coast residents who evacuated at least once over the last three years.
75% spoke about the difficulties of navigating evacuation with children and pets.
100% said that their job or their finances are a potential barrier to evacuation.
75% mentioned having trouble finding or using evacuation resources.
100% relied on their community and social media for evacuation information and resources.
One post-storm evacuee told the harrowing story of riding out the storm and weeks of power outages when her evacuation ride fell through. Another evacuee slept in the car with her child because the Airbnb she hastily booked became too expensive.
Each interview revealed that affordable, accessible transportation and lodging were the biggest obstacles for hurricane evacuees.
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
After building an empathy map, I recognized that the similarities between the diverse group of evacuees were stronger than their differences.
I developed a singular user persona to encapsulate the goals, motivations, needs, and pain points of a Gulf Coast evacuee.
IDEATION
A few different “How Might We” statements rose to the surface after synthesizing my research. How might we leverage community trust and support in the face of a hurricane? How might we make evacuation resources as accessible as items on Craigslist or FB Marketplace? How might we assist hurricane victims who are evacuating with dependents?
As a solo designer, I knew that the ideation process would be inherently more difficult. After trying a few different methods, I landed on the How, Now, Wow Matrix. This exercise was highly conducive to independent ideation - the initial loose brainstorm opened my mind to creative inspiration and the more structured mapping process allowed for deeper critical thinking.
“I think that information gets decentralized. While you’re dealing with everything else, it’s hard to know where to look for it.”
Hurricane Evacuee, Louisiana
“I think that we all know the reality of the situation is that these storms are going to get worse and more frequent. And we just have to help each other. We’re not going to get through it without our community.”
Hurricane Evacuee, Louisiana
USER FLOWS
Knowing that users would be navigating this app in a time of distress, I prioritized clarity and efficiency in my early user flows and sketches. I looked to the masters of transportation and lodging apps: Uber and Airbnb, respectively. I assessed their flows - both guiding their users through a brief yet trustworthy process to find the right ride or the right lodging for their needs. Because my typical user will have likely interfaced with these types of apps, I noted the language they used in their CTAs and disclaimers.
“Find Transportation” Flow
SKETCHES & WIREFRAMES
Guerrilla usability tests throughout the sketching and wireframing process revealed a need for onboarding screens that walk users through the process of navigating the transportation, lodging, and posting flows. Language also needed to be adjusted to clarify the difference between finding offers and requests on the map and posting your own offer or request to those maps.
“Find Transportation” Flow - Early Sketches
“Find Transportation” Flow - Wireframes
Brand & UI Design
Putting my marketing skills to work, I came up with a name, tagline, logo, and style guide for the app.
The name - which came to me while traveling - reflects the community support that forms the foundation of the experience, and includes the word “evacuate” to highlight unique value proposition.
The rotated map pin symbolizes one’s sense of space and place being flipped upside down during an evacuation. It’s also reminiscent of the rain drops that accompany a major storm.
Everything in the style guide was designed to evoke feelings of safety, efficiency, and calmness. I built a color palette that features soothing tones, but also has enough contrast to help guide the user. I also spent time redesigning certain icons to ensure clarity and ease of use.
“These people are so freaking nice to offer their house, but still… I’d want to know more about them. Like maybe a photo or a profile? What kind of vetting process has happened?”
Hurricane Evacuee, Mississippi
“Is there anything like this out there yet? This would have made such a difference for me… it could really impact a lot of people positively.”
Hurricane Evacuee, Louisiana
Prototype & Usability Testing
My prototype was massively influenced by two rounds of usability tests. Two evacuees who participated in user interviews returned for usability tests, and those full-loop conversations offered even deeper insights.
Safety
Safety was the most critical issue to address. In the first round, 80% of users were enthusiastic about the mutual aid aspect, but questioned whether they would feel safe sharing rides or lodging with people they’ve never met.
For the second round of testing, I designed a user profile screen featured prominently in the flow. 100% of users in the next round felt safe offering Nina a ride after seeing the verifications and reading her bio.
Onboarding
The onboarding screens created after initial guerilla usability tests were a high-priority issue, as users were still a bit confused by the overall purpose of the app until I provided the scenarios. I added an introductory screen and made the carousel a bit more user–friendly by adding arrows and a directive to swipe or click.
Users in the second round of testing were able to navigate the onboarding screens with ease and moved through the tasks much faster after absorbing this information.
Floating Action Button
Another high-priority issue that revealed itself in the first round of testing was the post FAB. The circle and plus sign did not provide enough context for users. By subbing in the logo icon, I was able to include a text label to aid users looking to post an offer or request.
LEARNINGS
Rejecting Assumptions
Going into the user interviews, I had a very clear hypothesis that most evacuees would express concerns about community members and property while away. But a more pressing pain point - navigating the logistics of evacuating - shifted the entire problem space and, therefore, the solution.
Observing prospective users as they navigated the prototype clarified and simplified the end product in ways I could not have anticipated.
Solo Design
Working alone was a challenge throughout the process. I am an adamant opponent of silos, so I worried that the solution would not be comprehensive enough. I knew that my designs couldn’t reflect the spirit of a community-curated app without actually involving the community. Involving fellow hurricane evacuees throughout the process redefined and refined the product several times over.
I am Wevacuate’s designer, but my neighbors are the solution.