Background:
The Innovation Lab at Human Rights First exists to bridge the gap between civil society and rapidly evolving technologies like AI and data systems, fields that have been largely inaccessible to those advocating for democracy and human dignity. The lab focuses on designing rights-based, ethical tools that empower vulnerable communities and counter the misuse of technology by authoritarian actors.
The Challenge:
Affirmative asylum seekers face a high-stakes legal process that requires collecting documentation, recounting traumatic experiences, and navigating complex legal procedures — often without legal representation. While many have access to smartphones, they still struggle with language barriers, limited legal and digital literacy, emotional vulnerability, privacy concerns, and a lack of clarity about required documents or next steps. Existing digital systems are rarely built with the trauma-informed, culturally competent, and security-aware design needed to support this user group.
When an asylum seeker begins their affirmative application process, they need a safe, accessible, and guided digital tool that helps them understand what is required, know what documents to collect, and feel emotionally and legally supported — so they can confidently navigate the process and build a stronger, more complete case without the immediate presence of a lawyer.
The Solution:
As part of Human Rights First’s Innovation Lab, I contributed to the design and strategy of the Digital Asylum Tool, a trauma-informed digital assistant built to help asylum seekers understand and navigate the complex and often opaque U.S. asylum process. The tool supports individuals in high-stakes, emotionally charged legal environments by offering accessible, reliable guidance rooted in human rights principles.
My Contribution:
Conducted comparative legal and digital ecosystem research to identify best practices and gaps in existing asylum support tools.
Assisted with trauma-informed user interviews with asylum seekers, legal aid providers, and immigration advocates.
Synthesized qualitative insights into stakeholder maps and system flow models to guide the tool’s strategy and structure.
Designed and facilitated cross-functional ideation workshops, aligning legal, tech, and policy stakeholders on ethical design principles.
Helped develop a roadmap that balances legal accuracy, emotional safety, and user agency in a sensitive digital environment.
The Impact:
This work resulted in a validated set of trauma-informed design principles used in the development of Innovation Lab projects, and laid the groundwork for a scalable support tool tailored to the needs of affirmative asylum seekers.
Key Skills:
Qualitative user interviews
Synthesized insights to design strategy
Stakeholder mapping
Cross-functional facilitation
Systems mapping
Trauma-informed design strategy