UX Design

Civic Tech

ReadyNow
Notify emergency contacts with one click
Project Overview
I collaborated with the Human Rights First Welcome With Dignity Campaign to create ReadyNow, a mobile application that empowers individuals at risk of ICE encounters to securely create emergency plans and easily notify contacts at the click of a button.
Jump To Solution
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Platform
Mobile Application
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Organization
Human Rights First
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Sector
Civic Tech
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Timeline
Q1 2025 - Q2 2025
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Role
Lead UX Designer
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Tools Used
Figma
Miro
Google Drive
Notion
Adobe Illustrator
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Responsibilities
Project Discovery
Plan & Facilitate User Research

Define Requirements
Project Co-Management
UI Design
UX Architecture
Rapid Prototyping
Engineering Collaboration
QA Testing
After apprehending a father and son from Honduras near Mission, Texas, on the US-Mexico border, US border agents prepare to send them to a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing center, where they face possible separation, June 12, 2018.  © 2018 John Moore/Getty Images
John Moore via Getty Images and Human Rights Watch
Problem
In early 2025, the new U.S. administration escalated aggressive immigration enforcement, resulting in sudden family separations and children left without guardians—often with no warning. Human Rights First recognized the devastating impact these actions have on immigrant families, and the urgent need for practical tools to help people prepare for the unexpected.

Historically, emergency planning resources have existed as dense PDFs or text-heavy articles, placing a significant cognitive burden on individuals already under stress.
Without proper preparation, families risk leaving dependents without care and attorneys—if available—lacking the information needed to intervene effectively.
Research
Because this was a rapid response project with a tight timeline, performing thorough research early on was difficult. Our target users were a vulnerable population, so access was extremely limited and we had to get creative with whom we spoke.

We relied on HRF subject matter experts and consulted with people that worked frequently with our target population, such as community organizers in our networks.
Key Insights
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The right info at the right time is key
Sharing the right information at the right time builds trust, avoids overload, and helps users complete tasks more successfully.
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Sample prompts inspire users and help them complete tasks faster
Providing examples helps users understand what details matter in an emergency plan and inspires them to include the right information.
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Sometimes you have to compromise one design principle for another
We learned that safety and trust had to come before ease of use. Some design decisions prioritized privacy over simplicity—because if users didn’t feel safe, usability wouldn’t matter.
Solution
Ready Now is a mobile application that simplifies emergency planning and – in the event of an ICE encounter – puts these plans into action with one quick, click of a button.
Create your plan with ease
ReadyNow carefully guides users to develop a series of emergency messages, containing critical information required for child and dependent care, personal safety, and legal defense.
Telling users what to expect during this process before they get started helps them stay motivated to complete it.
Pre-written, editable sample messages for each category of messages helps relieve cognitive load for users.
Easy account set up
Create an account with just a phone number, no email or password necessary
Prepare to be prepared
With some light upfront education, users quickly learn what they need before they get started
No Lawyer?
No Problem.
If you don’t already have a lawyer, you can opt-in with a partnering legal firm to connect you with legal aid in the event you hit the button and are detained.
Alert contacts at the click of a button
If faced with arrest, the user simply presses the big, red alert button, and ReadyNow will securely notify and deliver the emergency messages to pre-assigned personal contacts and legal aid so they can take swift action.
Impact
ReadyNow is currently going through QA testing and will soon be available in the App Store. Post launch impact will be monitored by the Human Rights First Innovation Lab.
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