Buoy

2025
2025

🏅

Graphis Inc. New Talent Honorable Mention – Logo

2024
2024

🏆

Constance Mui and John T. Sebastian Award for Outstanding Research in Honors

2024
2024

🥇

Loyola SCD Design for Good Award

What I Did

Branding, App Design & Prototyping, Motion Design, Exhibition Design

Each year, hurricanes and floods overwhelm U.S. government emergency responders, forcing impacted communities to organize and carry out search, rescue, and emergency response themselves across disorganized networks during active disasters.

Buoy helps coordinate search-and-rescue efforts between ad hoc civilian responders and people in need of aid, increasing certainty and transparency that help is on the way.

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Introduction

Growing up in South Louisiana, I experienced my fair share of hurricanes and floods. In these disasters federal aid can't save everyone, people must rely on their friends, family, and even strangers to rescue them from floodwaters. My own experiences in Lousiana's 2016 and observing Hurricane Harvey's destruction in Texas (2017) inspired this project.

Problem

Almost 99.9% of search-and-rescue in the U.S. is done by volunteers, according Chris Boyer the Executive Director at the National Association for Search and Rescue. Unfortunately, disorganization and lack of communication between civilian search and rescue groups waste valuable time when people could be rescued.

Solution

Throughout 12 weeks, I aimed to create a design solution that was a personable, communal approach to disaster response. My project, Buoy, directly connects people who need to be rescued to civilian rescuers in their local community and uses community reports to keep disaster information up to date.

Design Process

Minimal Design

To limit adding any more stress to emergency situations, Buoy's simple, clean design uses minimal color and images.

To limit adding any more stress to emergency situations, Buoy's simple, clean design uses minimal color and images.

Syncing with Phone Settings

To reduce steps that Rescuers and Rescuees have to go through, Buoy prompts users to allow access to their phone's accounts — like Apple ID's.

To reduce steps that Rescuers and Rescuees have to go through, Buoy prompts users to allow access to their phone's accounts — like Apple ID's.

Get Rescued

Go through a rescue scenario as a Rescuee

Keep Your Rescuer in the Loop

If your rescue emergency isn't immediately life-threatening, Buoy pushes Rescuees to input specific information about their situation to help Rescuers understand their circumstances.

If your rescue emergency isn't immediately life-threatening, Buoy pushes Rescuees to input specific information about their situation to help Rescuers understand their circumstances.

Collecting Rescuee Emergency Information

In the case of a life-or-death scenario, Buoy prompts the Rescuee to call 911 for official services. After contacting EMS, Buoy sends out a "SOS" alert to its civilian rescuers and brings Rescuees back on track for waiting for a rescuer.

In the case of a life-or-death scenario, Buoy prompts the Rescuee to call 911 for official services. After contacting EMS, Buoy sends out a "SOS" alert to its civilian rescuers and brings Rescuees back on track for waiting for a rescuer.

Stay Up-to-Date with Live Weather and Rescue Alerts

While Rescuees wait for their Rescuer, they can view and receive notifications about their emergency or nearby rescues.


While Rescuees wait for their Rescuer, they can view and receive notifications about their emergency or nearby rescues.


Waiting for Rescuer…

Waiting for Rescuer…

Buoy also informs Rescuees how to signal their need to rescue if they lose cell service or their phone dies. In the case of no cell service, Buoy will push the user to launch system SOS software — such as Apple Emergency SOS — if their device supports it.

Buoy also informs Rescuees how to signal their need to rescue if they lose cell service or their phone dies. In the case of no cell service, Buoy will push the user to launch system SOS software — such as Apple Emergency SOS — if their device supports it.

Helping Rescue

Go through a rescue scenario as a Rescuer

Organizing Rescue Requests

To reduce mental load about picking Rescuees, only 3 rescue requests are visible at once. Once the Rescuer fulfills a rescue request or a request is canceled, then a new request will become visible.

To reduce mental load about picking Rescuees, only 3 rescue requests are visible at once. Once the Rescuer fulfills a rescue request or a request is canceled, then a new request will become visible.

Rescuer Maps & Rescuee Information

Rescuer Maps & Rescuee Information

Community Updated Rescuer Maps

Rescuers can choose to customize their map to show certain layers, add emergency alerts and notifications, or confirm alerts created by other Rescuers.

Rescuers can choose to customize their map to show certain layers, add emergency alerts and notifications, or confirm alerts created by other Rescuers.

Rescuer Map Modifications & Alerts

Rescuer Map Modifications & Alerts

Rescuer Directions Map

Rescuer Directions Map

Prioritizing Audio Messaging

Since many Rescuers won't be able to type out a text message because of time or having their hands occupied, Buoy's design offers an emphasis on voice messages, with their button size and location, over traditional text messages.

Since many Rescuers won't be able to type out a text message because of time or having their hands occupied, Buoy's design offers an emphasis on voice messages, with their button size and location, over traditional text messages.

Coordinate with Other Rescuers

Rescuers can communicate with their own rescuer group or unknown rescuers nearby — like a proximity chat.

Rescuers can communicate with their own rescuer group or unknown rescuers nearby — like a proximity chat.

Rescuer Channels & Chat

Rescuer Channels & Chat

Live Activities

Watch Faces

Although they weren't a part of the project's original scope, I did a visual exploration of digital watch faces since many Buoy user won't have both hands available to operate the app.

Although they weren't a part of the project's original scope, I did a visual exploration of digital watch faces since many Buoy user won't have both hands available to operate the app.

Thesis Presentation Poster

23" x 36" on Posterboard

23" x 36" on Posterboard

Exhibition

To keep the exhibition wall interactive, I designed the space to display varying heights of floodlines and storm surges. Viewers could stand in front or against the wall to see much underwater they'd be during certain flood events.

To keep the exhibition wall interactive, I designed the space to display varying heights of floodlines and storm surges. Viewers could stand in front or against the wall to see much underwater they'd be during certain flood events.

Still lookin'?

:)

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© Ella Balhoff 2026