Case Study: Designing Humanitarian Aid Tools for Ukrainian Refugees in Poland (UNICEF)

Client: UNICEF, Poland
My Role: Design Researcher and Visual Designer

Challenge

Millions of women and children have been fleeing the war in Ukraine since February 2022. How do we make sure that UNICEF’s Blue Dot facilities are equipped to meet the demands of this emergency?

Background

In early 2022, the escalating conflict in Ukraine led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Millions of Ukrainians, predominantly women and children, sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Poland. This posed a significant challenge to humanitarian organizations striving to provide immediate and effective assistance.

Our project aimed to support UNICEF’s efforts in Poland by designing service tools that respond to the evolving needs of Ukrainian migrants. The project aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

PART 1
Discovery

The primary objective in this phase was to understand the immediate needs and challenges faced by Ukrainian migrants in Poland. Our approach included:

  1. Field Observations: Our team members in Poland observed services provided by UNICEF and other organizations.

  2. Interviews: Direct conversations with Ukrainian migrants and service providers offered insights into their experiences and needs.

  3. Secondary Research: Phuthehi Masilo and I conducted extensive secondary research, analyzing UNICEF reports and media coverage to understand the broader context and emotional landscape of the migrants.

  4. Social Listening: One other approach taken in this phase was social listening and emotional mapping using Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions. This helped us understand the prevalent emotions among the migrants, revealing a complex mix of fear, apprehension, and optimism. This emotional insight was crucial in shaping our service tool designs.

PART 2
Synthesis

Combining insights from both primary and secondary research, we identified key areas of need among the Ukrainian migrants. These included mental health awareness, legal status clarification, employment opportunities, and community connection. This phase was crucial in translating observations and research findings into actionable design insights.

PART 3
Prototyping and Testing

Community Guidebook: A resource designed to assist Ukrainian migrants in navigating life in Poland, with a focus on maintaining cultural identity and addressing practical needs. It included a calendar, a list of rights, health information, and cultural elements to bolster Ukrainian identity.

In this phase, we all played a significant role in developing iterative tools for the various services needed:

Denys, a consultant at the Institute of Migrant Rights completes an intake form

Service Interaction Guide: A structured approach for UNICEF staff and volunteers to ensure effective and empathetic communication with migrants. It included a checklist to guide conversations covering basic needs, mental health, and legal advice.

Natalia, a Ukrainian mother, flips through the planner

Masha, a Ukrainian mother, ranks our various community-building concepts

Pictures and captions to the pictures belong to Common Thread

PART 4
The Tools

The project resulted in the creation of four comprehensive tools designed to enhance service interactions and provide vital information to Ukrainian migrants.

The tools were designed to be low-cost, easily replicable, and simple to implement, ensuring they could be effectively used by UNICEF and other service providers.

Tool 1- Community Guidebook

The guidebook is a combination of informational booklet and planner that considers the needs of Ukrainians and anticipates that they will change. It’s quarterly, so as to not burden them with the idea of planning a whole year in Poland, and allowing the design and content to be updated every few months with new insights.

Tool 2- Service Interaction Guide

This guide is a facilitation tool for the following-

1. To facilitate conversation and
2. To better understand each visitor’s array of needs in order to improve overall service provision

Tool 3- Service Tracker Checklist

The tools allows the service providers to effectively recognize and address the diverse needs of migrants, offering a wide array of services that cater to both fundamental requirements and more complex, specialized assistance. Moreover, it provides detailed information to service providers and furnishes them with a tool for monitoring interactions.

Tool 4-Community-Led Programming

The tool address the need for Ukrainians to maintain their cultural identity, build community, and express gratitude to the generosity and hospitality of Poles. For Ukrainians who are unfamiliar with the offerings of the Hub, these events serve as a great way to introduce newcomers to services and information they didn’t know they needed or had access to.

The finalized tools were shared with UNICEF Poland, with recommendations for implementation and adaptation to local needs. These tools were designed to be dynamic, allowing for updates based on ongoing feedback and changing circumstances.

PART 5
Project Reflections

Designing for an emergency is about designing for viability and hence simplicity is key.

Using the appropriate terms to define people is important in a study. We learnt that the people fleeing from Ukraine didn’t relate to the word “migrants” or “refugees”. Understanding how people view themselves in a study helps design solutions that cater to their self-beliefs. We made sure none of our deliverables referred to Ukrainians as refugees.