Helping the Dutch government communicate clearly about severe weather to all citizens

Before 2023, the KNMI did not have an up-to-date, accessible, government-owned app for weather communication. Citizens depended largely on information shared through commercial platforms, which is risky during severe weather. In moments where information guides immediate action, this gap mattered.

Challenge
The result must meet WCAG AA accessibility standards and deliver a clear and attractive experience for the entire audience.

Timeline
The design part of the project ran within a six month timeline, where design and development overlapped from the start. Development later continued building with solely design support. The product was built from scratch, requiring close collaboration. Koos Agency led design and research, while Egeniq progressed with development.

My role
I worked as a Product Designer alongside a Project Lead, Senior Product Designer and Product Designer. My involvement solely focused on the first eight weeks of the project. My responsibilities included key parts of the experience such as the precipitation radar, location search behaviour, and the location-based weather overview (short- and long-term).

Approach
We began by analysing existing weather apps to understand common expectations and where they failed to support inclusive use. Concept directions were developed with WCAG AA requirements in mind and validated through qualitative user tests, including accessibility tests. Continuous alignment with development and the Royal Dutch Weather Institute helped translate design intent into feasible and complete solutions.

Outcome
The result was an MVP design validated with real users and compliant with WCAG AA standards. Beyond compliance, the work improved how citizens understand weather information and how to act on it, especially in severe conditions.

Reflection
This project reflects how I work. Accessibility is treated as a measure of quality. Clear information, realistic constraints, and close collaboration lead to products that work for everyone.

This project is part of work as an employee of Koos Agency.