Every design discipline should help in Haiti

Helen Hamlyn Centre director Jeremy Myerson raises the important point that disaster areas need brilliant product and architectural design (Letters, DW 25 March).

Innovative structural thinking can save lives, but to dismiss everything else as platitudes is wrong. In a crisis, citizens want information, agencies need to co-ordinate activity and there is longer-term financial support to be secured. Other design disciplines can contribute their expertise to making those communications efficient and effective.

Lydia Thornley, Design consultant, by e-mail