HerAlert

Introduction

HerAlert is a mobile app built to boost women's safety in risky situations. Our group project tackles the urgent issue of violence against women, especially in places where gender equality is still a challenge.

We created this as part of our UX for Interactive Media - Computation class at UCSC, focusing on a mobile app that helps women in dangerous situations. Our aim is to design a user-friendly, effective tool that offers a sense of security and quick help when needed. With HerAlert, we want to make a real difference by supporting gender equality and empowering women to feel safe and confident.

Timeline

March 2024 - June 2024

My Role

Lead UX Designer

Collaboration

3 UX Designers classmates

Platform

Figma

My Role

As the lead UX designer for the HerAlert team, I took charge of this project. I created scripts, reviewed usability testing results, and wrapped up the design process after a heuristic evaluation. My main focus was making sure the app was easy to use, effective, and met our goal of improving women's safety. By working closely with the team and running several tests, we built a solution to help women navigate risky situations.

Problem

Violence against women and gender-based violence is a major problem, especially in places where gender equality is still developing. Women often find themselves in risky situations when they're alone, traveling, or in unfamiliar areas. Current apps and devices with features like panic buttons and location sharing often fall short, where they’re hard to use and don’t fully address women's needs in these moments. This issue goes beyond just making a better app; it’s about promoting gender equality, empowering women, and working toward global peace and justice.

Solution

HerAlert is our solution to this problem. It's a mobile app built to be a dependable and easy-to-use tool, helping women feel safer and more secure. We developed it as part of our UX for Interactive Media project, and it comes with several key features:

  • Secure Access: Profile information is safeguarded with face scan technology.

  • Community Support: Discussion forums where users can exchange advice and experiences.

  • Emergency Resources: Tips and guides for handling various emergency situations.

  • Emergency Access: Quick, one-tap access to emergency services and real-time location sharing.

Process

Storyboard

For the HerAlert app, we crafted a detailed storyboard to deeply explore and connect with the user's experience. The storyboard shows Ellie leaving work late and realizing a man is following her. Feeling unsafe, she uses the app to alert her family and local authorities. The police arrive quickly, arresting the suspect, and Ellie feels safe again.

Prototypes

We started with paper wireframes to bring the HerAlert app to life. This step let us quickly try out different design ideas and gather early feedback from users. Our main focus was on layout and functionality, making sure core features were easy to find and use.

I specifically worked on the emergency screen wireframe, ensuring it featured a prominent emergency call button and clear options for various emergency services, allowing users to access help quickly.

Starting with paper wireframes made it easy to adjust our designs based on user feedback. This process allowed us to refine our concepts before moving on to more detailed prototypes, ensuring the app met user needs while staying simple and user-friendly.

Home Screen Task

Discussion Screen Task

Advice Screen Task

Emergency Screen Task

Usability Testing

We did most of our usability testing during the paper prototype phase, gathering feedback from peers, TAs, professors, and user interviews in week 7. This helped us refine our designs and make sure the app met user needs.

Class Feedback Highlights:

  • Week 3: Expand communication channels and add more detail on how features solve key issues.

  • Week 4: Make the emergency feature easier to access and clarify interactive elements.

  • Week 5: Adjust the lock screen for emergencies and ensure the emergency menu is clear.

  • Week 6: Positive feedback on clear tasks and instructions, with a suggestion to include specific testing scenarios.

User Interview Feedback (Week 7):

During week 7, user interviews provided in-depth insights into the paper prototypes. This feedback was key for our design updates, helping us tackle usability issues and improve the user experience.

Iterated Designs after Usability Testing

Based on usability testing, we made several key changes:

  • Simplified Emergency Access: Users found the many emergency options overwhelming, so we streamlined them to focus on the essentials and added a sliding animation for better clarity.

  • Enhanced Discussion Features: Added sort and filter options to make the discussion section easier to use.

  • Quick Access Enhancements: Participants wanted faster access to emergency features, so we simplified the lock screen for quicker navigation.

Heuristic Evaluation

We ran a heuristic evaluation using Jakob Nielsen’s principles to make sure HerAlert delivered the best user experience. This review helped us spot usability issues and areas for improvement.

Heuristic Evaluation Summary:

  1. Visibility of System Status: Added animations for the face scan progress to keep users updated.

  2. Match Between System and the Real World: Simplified instructions to make them more intuitive.

  3. User Control and Freedom: Streamlined emergency options and added sorting/filtering in discussions for easier use.

  4. Consistency and Standards: Standardized design elements like buttons and video players for a cohesive feel.

  5. Error Prevention: Added confirmation steps for critical actions like emergency calls to avoid mistakes.

  6. Recognition Rather Than Recall: Made important features like the emergency call button more noticeable.

Design System

High-Fidelity Prototype

Final Design

Product Success

HerAlert's final design received a lot of positive feedback from both testers and stakeholders. Our professor, Christina Chung, praised our work, saying, "I really enjoyed your presentation today and I think you did a fantastic job of putting the design together." Our TA, Yihe Eve Wang, shared similar thoughts, noting, "I think you did a great job presenting your high-fidelity prototype." This feedback highlighted the success of HerAlert's innovative, user-friendly approach to improving women's safety.

What I learned

Working on HerAlert showed me just how important continuous user feedback and heuristic evaluation are in the design process. I learned a lot about refining our app by conducting usability tests, gathering feedback, and using heuristic evaluations to catch usability issues early on. This allowed us to make smart design choices that improved the user experience.

Leading the team and being the voice for our collaborative efforts taught me the power of clear communication and teamwork. Guiding my team through brainstorming, design iterations, and incorporating feedback highlighted the value of working together to achieve a user-centered design. This iterative approach made sure our final product truly met our users' needs and safety concerns.