ARTICLE SUMMARY: It’s a very unstable world out there and no matter where you live life can deteriorate at a moments notice. Even when you see situations months in advance sometimes it just can’t be stopped. Ukraine is the perfect example.

As designers in a perfect world we usually have stable internet, various tools to use and a safe place to work. One day you are working away in your home or office and then bang, all of a sudden your world is shattered and you’re running for you life. What do you do, how do you keep designing, and most important, how do you help others get through this.

Design and development during turbulent times” by Andrey Zhulidin is a design survival guide for the designer on the run. In a situation like this you need to focus and zero in on what is really important. In order to help you need to know

  • What you should pay attention to
  • It’s no time for beauty
  • Mobile first

For most of us the thought of something like this happening to us never crosses our minds, the sad truth is you never know anymore.

We are designers, our business is communicating, and not just about products and services to sell. In times of emergency we help by communicating critical information to the people in need. We communicate to the people in the outside world and shine a light on what is really going on, and as communicators it is our responsibility to do so.

Through personal experience Andrey has given us guidelines to follow in the event this happens to us. In the heat of the moment sometimes you loose focus and direction, but as reality sets in and the initial shock passes it’s good to have these guidelines from designers that have gone there before us.

Should this ever happen to you these guidelines are a must have in your emergency tool box. Like the old saying goes, “forewarned is forearmed”.

Let us know what you think in the comments.