Enhancing Citizens’ Role in Public Safety Interaction, Perception and Design of Mobile Warning Apps

The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine emphasize the need for greater disaster resilience and preparedness. This book investigates how these apps can enhance crisis awareness and citizen involvement in disaster prevention and response. By examining user perspectives and the impact of crisis experiences, the book explores how to increase the adoption and effectiveness of warning apps. The research uses qualitative and quantitative methods, including surveys and design interventions, to reveal current usage, changes over time and desired features. It shows that while citizens find warning apps helpful, more safety-related features and two-way communication could increase their appeal. Additionally, the integration of preparedness features into these apps can increase their perceived usefulness, though challenges remain in addressing user expectations and design preferences across different crises and cultural contexts.

Synopsis.- Introduction.-  Related Work.- Research Design.- Findings.- Discussion.- Conclusion.- Publications.-  Attitudes, Expectations and Use of Mobile Crisis Apps in Germany.- Perceptions and Use of Warning Apps – Do Crises Lead to Changes?.- Use and Perception of Social Media in Emergencies and Comparison with Warning Apps.- Citizens’ Perceived Information Responsibilities and Information Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic.- COVID-19 Regulation and Warning Apps: User Expectations, Developer Challenges, and Insights from App Store Reviews.- Reviewing Strategies to Motivate Users to Contribute to Resilience.- User Acceptance and Effect of Preparedness Nudging for Warning Apps.- Breaking Down Barriers to Warning Technology Adoption.

About the author

Jasmin Haunschild obtained her PhD in Computer Science in 2023, while working at PEASEC (Science and Technology for Peace and Security) at TU Darmstadt in Germany. She uses methods from the fields of Human Computer Interactions to research the effect of digitalization on public safety, security and state institutions. As such, in her dissertation, she investigated perceptions, interactions and the design of warning apps to increase citizens' engagement with crisis management and their crisis preparedness.