UnitedHands

WHY WE INVENTED
UNITEDHANDS...

THE PROBLEM

Volunteer helpers in flood disasters are necessary but rarely coordinated, as emergency forces are needed elsewhere.

THE STATUS QUO

There are concepts, but no existing solutions that effectively prepare and support volunteers in flood disasters.

THE SOLOUTION

UnitedHands ensures that the deployment of volunteers is coordinated, simple and efficient, allowing them to share positive experiences.

THE PROBLEM

Volunteer helpers in flood disasters are necessary but rarely coordinated, as emergency forces are needed elsewhere.

THE STATUS QUO

There are concepts, but no exisiting solutions
that effectively prepares and supports volunteers in flood disasters.

THE SOLOUTION

UnitedHands ensures that the deployment of volunteers is coordinated, simple and efficient, allowing them to share positive experiences.

User Requirements

Expert interviews

To understand the challenges of smoothly integrating volunteer helpers during flood disasters, we conducted numerous interviews with volunteers, as well as with personnel from the fire department, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), and the German Red Cross (DRK). The results helped us initially narrow down the solution space for our interface and define the main functions of our concept:

Coordination is important

Emergency forces reported that volunteer helpers need coordination; otherwise, they tend to be more of a hindrance and disrupt the process.

Tasks must be documented

It must be clear where help is needed, how many people are required, and the time involved, so volunteers can be assigned accurately.

No orientation after arrival

Upon arriving in the flooded area, volunteer helpers have difficulty orienting themselves due to large crowds and poor information.

Provide all essential information

Specific information about tasks, suitable clothing, and tools is required so that they can be taken along directly.

Help must be accessible

People must know from the very beginning whom to contact. Where is the designated contact person?

Timing is essential

An early arrival of volunteers can be counterproductive. Roads are often still closed, and extra vehicles can block essential access routes.

PAINPOINTS

User Journey

To gain a more detailed understanding of the steps that volunteer helpers go through before, during, and after their assistance, we created a comprehensive user journey. This also helped us identify emotions, particularly frustrations, in the process.

CONCEPT

Definition of the User Flow

We have recognized that there are challenges throughout the entire process. Initially, the focus is on preparing the volunteers for their assignment and possibly selecting them based on their skills. Once on-site, it is crucial to provide more leadership and guidance, ensuring that volunteers feel supported. Equally important, however, is offering them flexibility – after all, they are there voluntarily and should not feel obligated to anything. In summary, our main topics in the interface are:

iterative

Onboarding (at home)

Choosing Tasks

Procurement of tools

Realisation of the task

CONCEPT

High-Fidelity Wireframes

Over an extended period, we iterated on wireframes to refine the navigation structure and optimize interactive elements for our target audience. Decid-ing what to display and what to remove was challenging and time-consuming, but crucial to ensuring the best user experience and usability.

Onboarding

Homescreen and task-overview

Tools and group overview

Request of tools and chats

CONCEPT

Reaching a large target audience

While the app simplifies many aspects, there will always be volunteers who are either unwilling to download an app for this purpose or simply head to the affected area without having heard about it. With this in mind, we also considered integrating offline volunteers. At the supply station, there is an infopoint where staff have an overview of all tasks and can assign volunteers accordingly. This helps fill gaps and also provides an opportunity for people to contribute without using the app. Volunteers receive their task as a printed A4 sheet, ensuring they can still participate effectively.

Infopoint terminal

Task instructions

Personal qr-code

Volunteer name, contact data infopoint

Participating helpers

Task and victims contact data

printed task-sheet (A4)

DESIGN

Guidance in the interface

Volunteers are in an unfamiliar place for the first time and need guidance to contribute effectively. To ensure this, they must always know what to do next. The task card displays the next most important step, while the call-to-action button provides the action required to complete it.

DESIGN

Express positive energy

Flood disasters initially have a frightening and dystopian effect on volunteers. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to lift our users’ spirits as much as possible. Through micro-interactions and animations in modals and pop-ups, we create a positive and motivating user experience. At the same time, the animations are assigned to specific situations, providing a sense of familiarity and aiding orientation.

DESIGN

Key Features

Onboarding

During onboarding, the helper provides important basic information and indicates which flooded area they would like to be assigned to. Additionally, they specify the tools they have available and their level of experience, which will be used to pre-filter tasks. Furthermore, the helper can indicate whether they are arriving with friends and invite them to join their group.

Arrival Status

An important pain point identified in the research was the issue of early arrival of helpers, which can hinder the emergency responders. It was crucial to implement an arrival status that indicates when it is truly beneficial to arrive and when it is counterproductive. Until the arrival status is approved, the route to the meeting point is unavailable.

Task selection and task card

Based on the onboarding process, the helper group are presented with a selection of three tasks. Each member has one vote, so the process is democratically decided. If a majority is reached, the task is determined shortly thereafter, which is indicated by the card enlarging and additional information being displayed. The task card is also clickable, and on the detail page, you can see further important information related to the task.

QR-Code scanner for tool rental

It is not guaranteed that every volunteer will bring the appropriate tools from home. Tool stations are typically provided by the municipalities. We assumed this as well, but we have simplified and accelerated the process. Volunteers can easily borrow their tools by scanning the designated QR code. The system recognizes it, and the tools are then handed out by the staff.

Adding new team members

Volunteer organizations particularly benefit from networking and active communication among each other, leading to new friendships and mutual support wherever possible. We wanted to ensure that this sense of community was not overlooked, which is why we enabled volunteers to add other volunteers to their permanent team via a QR code, allowing them to tackle tasks together.

Tool request and chat

Another aspect aimed at strengthening the community and ensuring the important factor of flexibility is the sharing of tools among themselves. This saves time, as volunteers do not always have to make the long journey back to the tool stations. Tool requests can be viewed by any volunteer who possesses the required tools.

WHAT I HAVE
LEARNED...

FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS BENEFICIAL

Gathering feedback is crucial, but we did not utilize it for a long time. If I could change anything, it would be starting to incorporate it earlier to eliminate mistakes.

FOCUS ON ONE USE-CASE

We often spent too much time planning for all scenarios, which rarely leads to results. In our context, we must accept certain things as given.

ACCEPT YOUR LEVEL OF INFLUENCE

Everyone has different work ethics and views on completing a bachelor project. When expectations differ, it’s important to guide the project effectively.

FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS BENEFICAL

Gathering feedback is crucial, but we didn’t utilize it for a long time. If I could change anything, it would be starting to incorporate it earlier to eliminate mistakes.

FOCUS ON ONE USE-CASE

We often spent too much time planning for all eventualities, which rarely leads to results. In our context, we must accept certain things as given.

ACCEPT YOUR LEVEL OF INFLUENCE

Everyone has different work ethics and views on completing a bachelor project. When expectations differ, it’s important to guide the project effectively.