Emergency Alert System
Modernizing the way Canada distributes AMBER emergency alerts through mobile devices.
Overview
In Canada, "Alert Ready" (owned by the weather network) acts as the central hub for all emergency notifications, including AMBER Alerts for missing children.
While these alerts play a vital role in getting information out quickly, the system itself has faced criticism for being outdated.
Team
Solo Project
Tools Used
Figma
Figjam
Dscout
Status
Deprioritized
What is AMBER?
AMBER alerts save lives at the cost of small moments of discomfort.
Canada sends its emergency alerts through the weather networks sub-company "Alert Ready". This company tracks each province's past alerts and alert types.
Since the only method for sending out AMBER alerts is via province-wide messaging, AMBER alerts are sent only in extreme cases. However there is an opportunity to
I toned it down, give it a listen!
Highlights
Problem
Instead of being recognized as life savers, AMBER alerts are being treated as disruptions.
While critical, AMBER alerts can disrupt daily routines and raise tension. After not being able to contribute to alert enough time, people grow desensitized to the urgency of the message and are less likely to pay close attention to the details or take appropriate action. This shift in perception is a major concern, as timely public response is a vital part of a successful recovery.
A Reddit User
r/change_my_view
People aren't complaining about the Amber Alerts full stop, they are complaining about a system that should and can be better.
X-user
@BeingMani97
I thought I turned off AMBER alerts in my settings, why am I still getting them, forgive me for not wanting to have a nuclear alarm go off while I'm driving.
Kind of a jerk
r/Toronto
How do I turn this stupid AMBER alert sound off, I NEED SLEEP!!!!!
X-user
@_prkr
Is there any way to mute these emergency alerts that Ontario has started? I just had 3 blazing alarms in an hour about an amber alert in Thunder Bay 14 HOURS away from where I live…
A Reddit User
r/change_my_view
People aren't complaining about the Amber Alerts full stop, they are complaining about a system that should and can be better.
A Reddit User
r/Canada
I have never read an emergency alert. I just clear the notification so I can back to sleep.
A Reddit User
r/Canada
I seriously have no issue with receiving an Amber Alert. My issue is that they're using the "nuclear attack imminent" tone for it. There's a time and a place for that tone, and that's when a country or area are in immediate danger of destruction.
X-user
FekryAiad
I’m not against amber alerts, I’m against sh*tty implementations of amber alerts.
X-user
FekryAiad
I’m not against amber alerts, I’m against sh*tty implementations of amber alerts.
Solution
Improving AMBER alerts to give clear context and incentivize taking action over idleness.
With the rise of Covid and low-level weather alerts tensions have been rising for getting useless notifications one after another. To showcase this I filtered through hundreds of complaints and picked out a few we thought hit home people's thoughts and opinions.
You seriously read this? Respect.
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You seriously read this? Respect.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident
Research
Pinpointing sore spots
AMBER alerts receive the most public backlash despite being only 1.3% of Canada's emergency alerts.
Canadians don’t consider AMBER Alerts to be as important as widespread emergencies since they don't pose a threat to the community in the same way something like a wildfire would.
There is a misalignment with AMBER Alerts utilizing a widespread alert system without carrying the same life-threatening urgency.
These complaints stall call lines, delay police action, and foster animosity towards AMBER alerts, diminishing their effectiveness.
Breakdown of 1086 alerts sent out in 2023
Identifying pain points
I started by pulling quotes from online threads (Twitter, Reddit, news sites) and affinity mapping both positive and negative experiences and when they occur resulting in a lax journey map.
A 2022 Alert Ready survey (7,128 respondents) validated my journey map, revealing shared pain points with Canadians' negative AMBER Alert experiences (Alert Ready has not implemented changes so far).
Show most common issues
Pain point #1
The alert is excessively loud for a lower-level emergency, causing
panic at the wrong times.
When Canada implemented the AMBER alert system, it lacked the multi-tier alert levels used in the U.S., relying on a single-level alarm for weather, civil emergencies, and evacuations
This means Canadians hear the same alarming sound for any emergency, from a missing child to a missile — and it's terrifying.
Disrupting sleep
Interrupting sleep for those who aren't in a position to help leads to frustration and a surge in irate responses.
Innacurate location
Broad alerts for fast-moving suspects can backfire, causing confusion and needless worry among residents far from the crime scene.
Distracting drivers
Sudden alarms could cause a driver to brake abruptly, or take their eyes off the road to read the alert, increasing the risk of an accident.
Pain point #2
It’s hard to decipher what info you need to know in order to help.
The effectiveness of these alerts can be hampered by information overload. Cramming vital details like suspect descriptions, vehicle information, and last seen locations into a short message can be overwhelming.
This makes it difficult for recipients to grasp the critical details at a glance, which is especially important when people might only have a few seconds to react and remember key facts
If left alone…
If people continue to ignore AMBER alerts, they risk being desensitized to other emergency warnings.
Studies have shown that habituation to the suffering of others can make people less likely to help, particularly if we believe that people have become “used to” experiencing repeated disasters. Here: it's a good read
If people become accustomed to ignoring AMBER alerts, they might also disregard other critical emergency warnings, potentially delaying their response in a life threatening crisis.
If you dismiss the alert, you can't get it back...
Hope you memorized everything!
How might we (i*)
Design AMBER alerts to be more compelling & informative to maximize the chance of a successful recovery?
Design
Changing tone
Replacing the overly loud AMBER alert tone with something less frightening, but still draws attention.
When making the new tone I had to consider the frequency requirements established by the Canadian government which limited my options for a soft tone. I decided on a whooping sound that mixed low and high frequencies at a lower pitch.
Old tone
Working with audio software wasn't in my
Working with audio software wasn't in my
New tone
Working with audio software wasn't in my
Working with audio software wasn't in my
Branding
This is some TBD text describing design choices
TBD
TBD
I need to show an image of NFC chips as a delivery method - show screenshot of "recomended apps"
Branding
Multi-language accessible branding reduces the chance of alerts falling on deaf ears.
4.6 million Canadians (12.7%) speak a language other than English or French. Branding for the future of a growing multi-language means we are making the alert accessible and expanding reach to save more children.
Tying the app into the device's language settings, AMBER alerts will detect and display the users preferred language.
Aside from supporting 1000+ languages, I chose Noto sans because
of it's legibility, particularly for those with visual impairments.
Punjabi + 763,785 views
Mandarin + 730,125 views
Arabic + 629,060 views
Wrap-up
Retrospective
Impactful solutions can emerge from simplicity rather than grandiosity.
A solution to a bad system isn't always scrapping it and starting from scratch or adding new features.
I learned that rather than reinventing an entire emergency alert system, simplifying busy language with memorable visuals and isolating information to match users' logic can have a greater impact
I considered first responders in my process, but there's still room to explore this space.
In the future if I revisit this project I would adapt my solution to work with the existing AMBER alert dispatch system but eliminating the need to get approval from "Alert Ready" beforehand.
I expect it would drastically reduce the time it takes to send out an alert, and eliminate an unnecessary step.
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