Voluntary Design Guidelines for

Online Warnings

Presented by Eliot Christian <echristian@usgs.gov>

at the

2014 CAP Implementation WorkshopNegombo, Sri Lanka

18 June 2014

18 June 2014 Public Warning Design Guidelines 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

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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"

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Table of Contents

1. Need, Prior Work, and Consensus Process

2. Warning Presentation Design Guidelines

3. Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging

4. Privacy and Other Policy Considerations

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Need for These Guidelines

Google.Org Public Alerts reaching people online

Conversant (FIA Partner) helping National Weather Service disseminate tornado warnings

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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

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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

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Table of Contents

1. Need, Prior Work, and Consensus Process

2. Warning Presentation Design Guidelines

3. Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging

4. Privacy and Other Policy Considerations

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Warning Presentation Design Guidelines

1. Graphics Design2. Text Design3. Interaction Design4. Audio and Video Elements5. Persons with Disabilities6. Understandability and Constancy7. Telecommunications Efficiency8. Alerting Messages Evolve9. Markup Language10. Localization

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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

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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

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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

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Other Aspects of Presentation Design

Persons with Disabilities Understandability and Constancy Telecommunications Efficiency Alerting Messages Evolve Markup Language Localization

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Table of Contents

1. Need, Prior Work, and Consensus Process

2. Warning Presentation Design Guidelines

3. Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging

4. Privacy and Other Policy Considerations

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Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging

1. Sources are Official Alerting Authorities2. Selection Criteria for Warnings3. Alerts with Multiple "info" Elements4. Identifying the Type of Event5. Handling Updates6. Geo-targeting of Warnings7. Duration of Warning8. Cancellation of Warning9. Use of Test and Exercise Alerts10. CAP Best Practices Guidelines

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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

status msgType scope info/ urgency

info/ severity

info/ certainty

Actual Alert Update

Public ImmediateExpected

ExtremeSevere

ObservedLikely

U.S. Example of Warning Selection Criteria

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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

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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

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Table of Contents

1. Need, Prior Work, and Consensus Process

2. Warning Presentation Design Guidelines

3. Processing of Warnings for FIA Messaging

4. Privacy and Other Policy Considerations

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Privacy and Other Policy Considerations

1. Code of Conduct and Principles

2. No Personally Identifiable Information

3. Public Warnings Not Subject to Opt-out and AdChoices

4. Geo-location Considerations

5. Sharing Analytic Data on Warnings

6. Non-proprietary Works

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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

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Other Policy Considerations

Geo-location Considerations Sharing Analytic Data

on Warnings Non-proprietary Works

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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)