This master’s thesis explores the role of design in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters, with a particular focus on crisis communication during floods. The research is grounded in the catastrophic floods that affected Slovenia in August 2023, which exposed significant shortcomings in existing communication systems, especially at the local level. Drawing from the author’s personal experience, the thesis examines the relationship between institutional communication frameworks and vernacular, community-based practices of information sharing.
The theoretical framework connects climate change, posthumanist perspectives, and contemporary design theory that understands design as a relational and mediating practice. Methodologically, the research is based on the Double Diamond model and combines document analysis, case studies, a review of digital tools, and semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders.
The practical component presents Predmedpo, a preventive communication campaign structured around the logic of before–during–after, integrating information design and service design while drawing on local knowledge and low-tech solutions. The thesis demonstrates that design can significantly contribute to increased community preparedness, clearer orientation in crisis situations, and strengthened local resilience—not as a replacement for institutional systems, but as a complementary, community-embedded layer of crisis communication.
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