2027 speakers
Lena Shyryna
TALK
Designing through war: What still matters when everything falls apart
When war reshapes daily life, public digital products have to change with it. In Kyiv Digital, that has meant building for air raids and shelter access, helping people plan around power outages, and creating space for collective memory through the daily minute of silence.
In this talk, Lena will share how her team decides what people need when priorities shift fast and the stakes are high. Through real wartime product examples, she’ll explore what remains essential when everything else changes: safety, clarity, usefulness, and meaning. You’ll learn how to:
Decide what matters most when everything feels urgent
Make good decisions when you can’t control the circumstances
Design for more than utility: safety, clarity, memory, and meaning
Keep moving when priorities change faster than the process
ABOUT THIS SPEAKER
Lena Shyryna (she/her) is head of content design working on two public digital products in Ukraine: Kyiv Digital, Kyiv’s official city app, and the Ukrainian Railways app.
With 20 years of experience in writing and editing, Lena now focuses on product strategy, UX, and communication. Her work spans everyday public services and wartime experiences shaped by rapidly changing needs, where clarity can directly affect people’s decisions and safety.
Outside of work, she explores storytelling through writing and acting, often finding her best ideas on long walks through the city or over a cup of ginger tea.