Ukrainian Refugees
SD in crisis management
Helping the work interpreter and driver volunteers with improved information design
Project Overview
Due to my previous profession, I am connected to Ukraine in many ways, with many friends, acquaintances, and memories tied to the country. Therefore, from the very first days, it was unquestionable that I had to actively help those who were forced to leave their homes in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion against Ukraine in February 2022.
In the early days of the war, due to the experiences at the Tiszabecs-Vilok border crossing, I contacted one of my mentors from MOME University with suggestions on how could we help as a UXsers in the crises. I eventually got invited to participate in a 'Refugee Design Mini Sprint' organized by the UX Budapest community.
With my team, our goal was to improve the chaotic situation at Budapest train stations from an information design perspective.
Problem statement
Disorganization and infographic chaos
Due to the spontaneous aid initiatives coming from many directions, there was massive disorganization and informational graphic chaos at the Budapest train stations.
Missing, hidden, and small information boards and wayfinding signs
Many “freelancer” civilian volunteers operating without distinguishing marks besides aid organizations such as Migration Aid or the Malteser.
This made it difficult for refugees to access important information or assistance and hindered the development of a sense of trust and comfort (which is important, for example, if a stranger offers to drive them somewhere for free)
Research
When the workshop was being organized, I had already been researching and interviewing at the train stations for a week on my own initiative. As a volunteer (driver, interpreter), I gained local knowledge and made connections.
Together with the team, we also visited the locations to conduct targeted interviews. On a Miro board, we marked the problematic areas on a map of the train station, complemented with the photos we had taken, and based on the workshop results, we added our proposed solutions.
Ideation
It was clear that creating a comprehensive infodesign system would be too ambitious (as it turned out, there were several unsuccessful or parallel attempts), so we looked for a high impact/low effort solution as an MVP, which we could implement in 1-2 days and provide immediate assistance
We decided to focus on the "freelancer" volunteer drivers and interpreters, and create a unified distinguishing mark for them.
Design
Festival/conference badge
We placed great emphasis on speed. Just two days after conceptualizing the idea, we were able to deliver the first batch to the train station.
Impact

The badges were highly successful, and at the request of the driver coordinator, three more print runs were made based on feedback, with various iterations (size, text).

Easier parking for volunteers

The Budapest Police Department had closed off the parking lots near the train stations to civilians, so volunteers had to park far away, causing extra inconvenience for refugees they gave a lift to. However, with the help of our badges, the driver coordinator managed to get the police to allow drivers showing them to enter and park in the lots near the train stations.

Assistance to the most vulnerable

After the first release, the leader of a Roma volunteer group at the train station contacted us, having seen our badges in one of the FB groups. They reported the difficulties they faced during their presence there (distrust, harassment from the police and other volunteers). They asked us to produce something similar for them as well to facilitate their activities (which was especially needed because Roma fleeing from Ukraine constitute the most vulnerable group among the refugees), so that they could deal with the discrimination they experienced.

Conclusions
It was deeply touching to witness the UX industry move so quickly and to be able to participate in such an inspiring initiative. I learned a lot about workshop techniques and the textbook-like execution of such a sprint. It was very instructive for me to see how effectively and swiftly one can assist with a social problem using a design thinking approach and toolkit, even when its digital or business aspects are minimal.
Want to see more?
Check out my next case study on designing a map with a self-guided walking tour for an architectural festival.
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