My role
Research: Co-design facilitation workshops, Interviews
Design: Resource creation, Wireframing, Prototyping, Stakeholder presentations, Visual Design
Development: Developer coordination through full development cycle to launch
Project Duration
12 weeks
Team of 4
2 UX Designers, Visual Designer,
UX Researcher
ABOUT
Media coverage profoundly shapes public perception of DV, yet journalists often lack clear guidance on how to report on this sensitive topic responsibly.
Blue Shield of California Foundation partnered with Daylight Design to address this gap by creating a resource that would help journalists cover domestic violence in a more balanced, empathetic, and effective way—one that could reduce stigma and drive meaningful change.
IMPACT
7,000+ new users visited the Playbook in its first few weeks after soft launch.
Endorsed by major organizations including the North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition and the Association of Health Care Journalists
Adopted by prominent newsrooms including LA Times, KQED, Center for Health Journalism at USC
Used in journalism training programs including Uncuffed, a program for incarcerated journalists
Created meaningful connections between journalists, DV survivors, and advocates
PROCESS
We worked with a user focused, collaborative process - we knew we weren't the experts here, and therefore created a co-creation model for the playbook.
Generative research
with journalists
Concepting
with advisory group
Draft content and design
with Comms team
Feedback Sessions
with active journalists
GENERATIVE RESEARCH
By interviewing journalists who often amplify DV voices, we sought out to understand the current landscape of domestic violence reporting and the reasons why DV coverage in the media is generally imbalanced.
ISSUES WE HEARD
LACK OF RESOURCES
Journalists want to report responsibly but lack specialized resources and guidance
HARMFUL INTERVIEWING PRACTICES
Survivors often feel re-traumatized by typical media coverage approaches
BIASED REPORTING
Reporting incorrectly frequently reinforces harmful stereotypes and misconceptions
SINGULAR FOCUS
Coverage tends to focus on isolated incidents rather than systemic issues
GOALS
PROVIDE
Equip journalists with the necessary knowledge, resources, and support to confidently report on domestic violence with accuracy, empathy, and impact.
AMPLIFY
Amplify survivor voices and underrepresented perspectives within DV narratives, ensuring authentic representation that empowers survivors and resonates with communities.
SHOWCASE
Showcase exemplary reporting on domestic violence to serve as benchmarks for journalists, guiding them towards adopting best practices.
CONCEPTING
Working with the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV), we formed an advisory group of journalists, editors, survivors, and advocates to help shape the content of the playbook.
We workshopped the structure and the topics for the playbook with the advisory group, and with their help evaluated what topics are the most relevant.
Building Trust with Survivors
Respective Privacy, Dignity and Safety
Resilience, Strength and Solutions
We then created the basic architecture of the playbook, identified the types of content we saw could emerge from these topics, and then created 'design templates' - like flashcards, quick tips, terminology - for each of them to help support expansion.
Our Solution:
The Journalist Playbook
We created a comprehensive resource designed specifically for journalists, by journalists and survivors. The Playbook offers:
Educational content for those new to covering domestic violence
Example reporting showcasing responsible, trauma-informed coverage
Quick reference guides on language, framing, and interviewing techniques
Links to resources for deeper understanding of domestic violence as a systemic issue
The Playbook's design and structure prioritize accessibility and usability for working journalists, with content organized to serve different knowledge levels and time constraints.
The resources on the page was tagged by the main principles we identified that led to responsible DV reporting.
Launch and implementation
The Journalist Playbook launched during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, supported by:
A targeted social media campaign
A featured live event at the Commonwealth Club
Direct outreach to journalism schools and newsrooms
Partnerships with advocacy organizations
The project culminated in not just a resource but a movement to transform domestic violence reporting, creating new connections between journalists committed to responsible coverage and advocates working to shift public narratives.
