ROLE
Team Lead
Product Designer
SKILLS
Rapid Ideation and Prototyping
User Interviews and Surveys
Storytelling
TIMELINE
2023 Spring
9 hr Designathon + 5 wk redesign
TOOLS
Figma/Figjam
Qualtrics
PROBLEM
How might we enhance safety measures and build a positive and secure environment that ensures well-being for marginalized communities in Los Angeles?
82% of college students reported feeling concerned about their personal safety on campus in a 2021 study by ADT and Clery Center. With many opportunities to venture out within the college culture, safety must be kept in mind, especially for students who identify to be part of marginalized groups, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, people with disabilities, etc. scalable, sustainable, and accessible resources for a large number of university students are in need.
User Research
To get a baseline understanding of the demographic in a short amount of time, we conducted a survey with 48 respondents and 3 semi-structured interviews
95.6%
Felt unsafe in Los Angeles
Reoccurring factors that fueled this anxiety included prevalence of dimly-lit and unkept areas .
80.2%
Didn't feel comfortable ever exploring alone
Participants agreed that even in small groups they sometimes don't feel safe.
98%
Desired extra tools to encourage safety
There was an overwhelming agreement that safety was a halting factor in venturing out in Los Angeles.
Utilizing the user research, we created a user persona to better visualize the needs of users
Desk Research
To align what the problem is and understand what problems to solve for, we conducted a simple competitive analysis
Noonlight
An emergency dispatch app that saves details to your timeline just in case anything happens.
However you cannot hide your pin and must pay to connect the features with other apps.
Life360
A GPS tracking app that also offers features such as bluetooth trackers and roadside assistant calls.
Features such as bubble mode or ghost mode may blur the line between helping and hindering the purpose of the app.
Citizen
An app that provides live news and real-time safety alerts. You can connect with loved ones and alert them.
Paid subscription is needed to see the descriptions of what is occurring. It also relies on user updates leading to unmonitored alerts.
Research Takeaways
01 Students do not feel current measures are keeping them safe yet know which factors help them feel at ease
02 Current solutions offer diverse solutions in multiple apps but none cater to the demographic we are tackling
03 The issue of safety is causing concerns and even prohibiting the exploration of campus and the city
If we combine the needs of our demographic of wanting to explore and build community while also providing resources to enhance safety, users will be motivated to contribute to their safety and the safety of our community.
Ideation and Iteration
In order to encourage safety measures that can be used in emergencies with minimal friction and include features that encourage exploration we needed to create a balanced user flow
I created a comprehensive design system with specific use cases assigned to differentiate between interfaces
SOLUTION
To enhance safety and inclusivity for Los Angeles citizens we ideated a solution that created an alliance between citizens and stores.
Convert stores into safe spaces ⇆ Convert people into conscious travelers
View Prototype
01 Making Safety Into A Routine
The main page provides reminders for preventive measures to increase safety prior to going out. The UI is playful and gamified in order to encourage use.
Users can rate their overall feelings of safety in an area and self-report whether an area is crowded, well-lit, and more based on their locations. Self-reporting and check-ins are rewarded with points that can be used to compete with friends.
02 Safe Space Business Certification
Before being recommended to users, businesses are converted into safe spaces through a certification system that covers information such as, security systems, lighting for well-lit areas, secure entrances and exits, employee training on recognizing suspicious activity, and protocol on emergency response.
03 Exploration of Recommended Spaces
The map interface uses your location to determine recommended stores and businesses that are certified as safe spaces. Businesses are also encouraged to gather points through the self-report game system in order to increase visibility to users.
04 Emergency Alarm System
Users can silently summon help to their exact location with the tap of a button which protects and comforts people so they can explore freely. Alternative options such as alerting friends instead of 911 dispatchers are also available.
Learned takeaways
This case study was intense given the limited time we had to ideate and build. I learned how to prioritize and balance multiple aspects from creativity, functionality, and solving the problem
When I came back to redesign this project a year later, I reflected on how much I've grown and learned as a designer.
01 Importance of different backgrounds and perspectives
We entered this competition with two non-product people pursuing marketing. Their creativity when they approached the prompt is what I think drove us to success!
02 PM appreciation and as a possibility
As I took the leadership role, I juggled having to strategize, research, and design the product while teaching product methodologies to the team. It was really fun and I grew to really appreciate the role of a PM.
03 The love I have for designing for my community!
The unique experience of designing for a user demographic that fit us to the tea gave us a personal insight that led us to create a product that we cared about and hoped to use.
Yippee! ⭐