UnitedHands revolutionises the coordination of volunteers during flood disasters and enables faster and more efficient support during reconstruction. In view of increasing flood events and the growing burden on professional emergency services, innovative solutions such as UnitedHands are indispensable. 

The app relieves the burden on emergency services by organising and coordinating helpers – both experienced and first responders. Intuitive user guidance makes it easy to get started and motivates long-term participation.

To uncover real user needs, we conducted interviews with a variety of stakeholders — including fire service leaders, volunteers, flood victims, and those responsible for digital systems.
By tailoring our questions to each group’s experience, we gained a deeper understanding of their challenges, goals, and workflows during flood emergencies. These conversations revealed recurring pain points that shaped the foundation of our problem space and guided our design decisions.

Betroffene können ihre Aufgaben direkt auf unserer Website eingeben. Dazu hinterlegen sie ihre Kontaktdaten, damit Helfer sie im Notfall erreichen können. Anschließend legen sie Aufgaben für betroffene Bereiche an. Auf Basis dieser Angaben werden Helferzahl, Werkzeuge und Dauer geschätzt. Diese Aufgabe können die Helfer über zwei Arten bekommen, einmal über unsere App oder vor Ort über das Terminal.

With UnitedHands, we create a balance between clear coordination and flexible initiative. Our app not only gives helpers an overview of the most urgent tasks, but also shows them specifically what they can do next. At the same time, we deliberately leave room for manoeuvre, for example when procuring materials, so that helpers can act independently. This enables us to offer structure and security without restricting the flexibility and motivation of the volunteers.

We initially worked with an existing icon set, but quickly realized that it didn’t cover the wide range of tools we wanted to represent in a single, cohesive style. Since there wasn’t a ready-made set that met all our needs, we decided to create our own custom icons. I took on the design of these icons, as well as many of the illustrations throughout the app. To add more character, we experimented with colorful icons. However, for smaller use cases, we also designed a simplified, gray-toned version that works better at compact sizes.

Creating these visual elements is something I genuinely enjoy — it’s where my background in graphic design really comes into play.