Voluntary Design Guidelines for Online Warnings

1. Voluntary Design Guidelines for Online Warnings Presented by Eliot Christian <echristian@usgs.gov> at the2014 CAP Implementation WorkshopNegombo, Sri Lanka 18 June 2014

2. Summary • Voluntary guidelines for "FIA messaging" • FIA messaging is publishing, not authoring nor editing the essential content of messages. • Specifics (text, design, etc) in each language for each kind of warning must be acceptable to alerting authorities for the affected areas • In the U.S., FIA Messaging invoked only for likely, imminent, significant hazards Public Warning Design Guidelines

3. Summary (continued) • Harmonized design elements, based on and supplementing CAP • Technical details for the processing of warnings • Discussion of some policy-oriented topics • Technical document produced collaboratively, now only a "version 0 working draft" Public Warning Design Guidelines

4. Table of Contents • Need, Prior Work, and Consensus Process • Warning Presentation Design Guidelines • Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging • Privacy and Other Policy Considerations Public Warning Design Guidelines

5. Need for These Guidelines Google.Org Public Alerts reaching people online Conversant (FIA Partner) helping National Weather Service disseminate tornado warnings Public Warning Design Guidelines

6. Prior Design Guidelines for Emergency Alerting • WMO consensus expert guidance concerning warnings • ANSI standard "Criteria for Safety Symbols" • Canada "Common Look and Feel Guidance • "MeteoAlarm initiative • Symbols for emergencies: UN OCHA, Canada, U.S. Dept of Homeland Security Public Warning Design Guidelines

7. Consensus Process and FIA Reference Service • Consensus should encompass official alerting authorities and hazard experts • Liaison with OASIS Emergency Management Technical Committee (EM TC) • FIA Reference Service maintained online for sharing without charge: these Guidelines, samples of public warnings through FIA messaging, common message design and delivery components, other pertinent policy and technology materials Public Warning Design Guidelines

8. Table of Contents • Need, Prior Work, and Consensus Process • Warning Presentation Design Guidelines • Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging • Privacy and Other Policy Considerations Public Warning Design Guidelines

9. Warning Presentation Design Guidelines • Graphics Design • Text Design • Interaction Design • Audio and Video Elements • Persons with Disabilities • Understandability and Constancy • Telecommunications Efficiency • Alerting Messages Evolve • Markup Language • Localization Public Warning Design Guidelines

10. Graphics Design and Text Design • Creatives should include a pictograph • Creatives should include the logo of the alerting authority, hyperlinked • Warning text should be white on red Public Warning Design Guidelines

11. Canned text messages in shorter lengths 100 Tsunami danger on the coast. Go to high ground, up to third floor, or inland. Listen to local news 90 Tsunami danger on the coast. Go to high ground or move inland. Listen to local news - NWS 78 Tsunami danger on the coast. Get higher or move inland. Listen to local news 56 Tsunami danger on the coast. Get higher or move inland 41 Tsunami danger. Get away from the coast 34 Warning! Extreme Tsunami Observed 25 Warning! Extreme Tsunami 16 Tsunami Warning 7 Tsunami Public Warning Design Guidelines

12. Interaction Design, Audio and Video • Any public warning through FIA should be interactive for click action • Presentation of a public warning may be accompanied by a distinctive tone • Public warnings may take the form of a video pre-roll Public Warning Design Guidelines

13. Other Aspects of Presentation Design • Persons with Disabilities • Understandability and Constancy • Telecommunications Efficiency • Alerting Messages Evolve • Markup Language • Localization Public Warning Design Guidelines

14. Table of Contents • Need, Prior Work, and Consensus Process • Warning Presentation Design Guidelines • Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging • Privacy and Other Policy Considerations Public Warning Design Guidelines

15. Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging • Sources are Official Alerting Authorities • Selection Criteria for Warnings • Alerts with Multiple "info" Elements • Identifying the Type of Event • Handling Updates • Geo-targeting of Warnings • Duration of Warning • Cancellation of Warning • Use of Test and Exercise Alerts • CAP Best Practices Guidelines Public Warning Design Guidelines

16. Official Sources and Selection Criteria • Official alerts from an officially designated alerting authority or its designated agent • Authority should be in the international Register of Alerting Authorities • Alerts should be deliverable immediately U.S. Example of Warning Selection Criteria Public Warning Design Guidelines

17. Multiple info, Event Type, Updates, Geo-targeting • Each of multiple info elements should be treated as a discrete CAP alert • Agree rules to identify the type of event • All updates to warnings previously disseminated should be evaluated • Disseminate according to geographic information available in the CAP alert Public Warning Design Guidelines

18. Other Aspects in Processing of Warnings • Geo-targeting of Warnings • Duration of Warning • Cancellation of Warning • Use of Test and Exercise Alerts • CAP Best Practices Guidelines Public Warning Design Guidelines

19. Table of Contents • Need, Prior Work, and Consensus Process • Warning Presentation Design Guidelines • Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging • Privacy and Other Policy Considerations Public Warning Design Guidelines

20. Privacy and Other Policy Considerations • Code of Conduct and Principles • No Personally Identifiable Information • Public Warnings Not Subject to Opt-out and AdChoices • Geo-location Considerations • Sharing Analytic Data on Warnings • Non-proprietary Works Public Warning Design Guidelines

21. Code of Conduct, Personal Information, Opt-out • Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) Code of Conduct • Principles adopted by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) • No Personally Identifiable Information • Public Warnings Not Subject to Opt-out and AdChoices Public Warning Design Guidelines

22. Other Policy Considerations • Geo-location Considerations • Sharing Analytic Data on Warnings • Non-proprietary Works Public Warning Design Guidelines

23. Review • Voluntary guidelines for FIA Partners • Specifics must be acceptable to alerting authorities • Focus on internationally harmonized design • Technical details for processing of "FIA Messaging" • Policy primarily in context of the Code of Conduct • Seeking broad consensus among online media and relevant international bodies. • Contact me to be a reviewer of the working draft (currently version 0.6) Public Warning Design Guidelines