Design in the Time of Corona
- TALIA BERGER SPIVAK
- Jul 28, 2020
- 3 min read
Until a little over four months ago, the word "Corona" had exactly two meanings for me. It was a brand of beer from Mexico, the country where I was born, and it was the Spanish word for "crown," the very first language I learned to speak.
Today, Corona (Hebrew use for "Covid 19") is the most repeated and impactful word across the globe. It brought along a whole new vocabulary with terms like swabs, flattening the curve, exponential growth, lockdown, quarantine, and social distancing.
The pandemic pushed all of our lives straight into the history books. It introduced a scary and unfamiliar new reality, stripping away a crucial ingredient for a sane life: our routine. In its place, it forced upon us something terrifying and unnecessary: uncertainty.
I truly never imagined that the world would change overnight, pushing me to find my footing and figure out how to keep creating in this uncharted territory and to design in the time of Corona.
Uncertainty has always been something that triggers anxiety and restlessness in me. John F. Kennedy once noted that the word "crisis" written in Chinese is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.
How perfectly that quote captures the Corona crisis! This situation brought an opportunity my way that made the uncertainty much more bearable. It is quite ironic that this quote, just like the virus itself, originated in China... Toward the end of the lockdown we were all forced into, a project emerged. It kept me grounded in a daily work routine and introduced at least one clear piece of certainty into my life.
The simple certainty of having work during a time when most of the country was on unpaid leave or filing for unemployment was huge. Watching small and large businesses collapse made me realize that having steady work is absolutely not something to take for granted. But it was not just the fact that I was working during the lockdown that made me feel good. It was the profound sense of privilege in doing this specific work.
As the pandemic unfolded, we learned about various high-risk groups, including people living with diabetes. The National Diabetes Council, which operates under the Israeli Ministry of Health, reached out to me. They needed a dedicated website to support diabetic patients, their families, and the medical staff treating them during the Corona crisis.
The website we created is filled with vital recommendations and guidelines covering every aspect of life with diabetes. It includes information on glucose monitoring, medical directives, nutrition, exercise, foot care, gestational diabetes, and treating the elderly. It also provides nursing recommendations for hospitalized or community patients, alongside current global research. It serves as a central hub for anyone seeking reliable answers during these uncertain times.
From my very first phone call with the doctor chosen to lead this project, I felt an instant chemistry. From my experience, that connection is a mandatory condition for the success of any project I take on. We understood each other perfectly and complemented one another's strengths. Almost without noticing, the website went live within just three days. For over four months now, it has been updated and expanded daily, providing a true solution and a safe harbor for those who need an anchor right now.
Beyond the great chemistry with the client, a few key elements made this project so successful:
Trust: From day one, the client gave me the space to do my work faithfully, trusting that I could deliver the exact solution she needed.
Teamwork: Open communication turned us into a true team. This perfect collaboration allowed us to fine-tune the design solutions constantly.
Dedication: Because this was a "here and now" project where immediate updates were crucial, we did not limit ourselves. We continued working through the many weekends and holidays that fell during this period.
I am incredibly proud of the result. It moves me to know I had the chance to design and build a website that serves as a form of "medicine" for its users. Chemistry, mutual professional respect, open and honest communication, and the flexibility to adapt to specific conditions are the things that allow me to create work I am proud of. More importantly, they allow me to deliver a precise, custom-tailored solution for a highly satisfied client.
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