PlaySafe
The prompt for 2023 UCLA's Designathon was "Create a prototype that creates a solution promoting safety for all students within the Los Angeles communities. Consider the diversity of backgrounds, circumstances, and resources of these students as you prepare your final submission."
View Prototype
DURATION
7 hr designathon + 5 wk redesign (2023 Spring)
TAGS
Competitor Analysis
User Persona
User Interviews
Information Architecture
01 Problem 🕵🏻♂️
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.
02 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. As the prompt was targeted toward UCLA students, we had a wide user pool that could bring rich insight into exploring the problem.
We aimed to design an app that fosters positivity and community-building, distinguishing it from existing safety apps.
Furthermore we created user personas by using the information we gathered from our research.
Felt unsafe in Los Angeles
Reoccurring factors that fueled this anxiety included prevalence in dimly-lit and unkept areas .
Didn't feel comfortable walking alone
Participants agreed small groups don't feel safe. They felt safest in crowded areas with large groups of people.
Didn't feel comfortable walking alone
There was an overwhelming agreement that safety was a halting factor in venturing out in Los Angeles.
03 Desk Research 🏁
To align what the problem is and understand what problems to solve for, we conducted a simple competitive analysis.
Furthermore we created user personas by using the information we gathered from our research.
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 toe 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.
04 Opportunity Spaces 🪞
1. Students do not feel current measures are keeping them safe yet know which factors help them feel at ease
2. Current solutions offer diverse solutions in multiple apps but none cater to the demographic we are tackling
3. The issue of safety is causing concerns and even prohibiting the exploration of campus and the city
05 Ideation and iteration 🏁
In order to encourage safety measures that can be used in emergencies with minimal friction and include features that encourage exploration/discover we needed to create a balanced user flow which incorporated both aspects.
I created a comprehensive design system that goes beyond what is used in the final design. This helped me understand the intricacies of design systems and build screens faster. Specific use cases were assigned to differentiate between interfaces. Furthermore, with the feedback on accessibility in mind, the font, colors, buttons, etc. were all redefined from the competition iteration.
06 SOLUTIONS ⭐
The main page provides reminders for preventive measures to increase safety prior to going out. 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. The UI is playful and gamified in order to encourage use.
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.
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.
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.
07 reflection 🪞
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.
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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!
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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
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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.