Salama Safety App

Women in Nairobi are facing a growing safety concern due to drugging, assault, and robbery in the streets of the city, resulting in fear and a sense of vulnerability while going to the City's CBD. There is a need to address this issue and provide a safer environment for women to move around freely without fear of being victimized.

The objective is to create an app to ensure women's safety in Nairobi and make it easier for authorities to keep the city safe.

Women in Nairobi are at risk of being drugged, assaulted, and robbed while moving around the city, causing fear and vulnerability. Therefore, there is a need to create an app that ensures women's safety and makes it easier for authorities to keep the city safe.

Ensuring that the app is user-friendly and easy to use for women of all ages and backgrounds

Developing effective safety features for the app that will address the specific safety concerns faced by women in Nairobi

Building trust with users and encouraging them to use the app as a reliable safety tool

Collaborating with local authorities to ensure that the app is integrated with existing safety measures and response systems

Creating a sustainable and scalable model for the app that will allow for ongoing maintenance and updates to ensure maximum effectiveness

During the Discover phase of the Salama safety app project, I conducted market research by checking Google reviews of apps available online, as well as conducting a competitive analysis. This allowed us to identify existing safety apps, understand their features, and evaluate their user ratings and feedback. By analyzing user feedback, we were able to discover what features worked well, what features didn't work, and what users wanted to see in a safety app.

Insights from user feedback include:

The app provides peace of mind and a sense of security for users.

The ability to choose trusted friends to add to their safety network is a popular feature.

The app has been useful for some users in emergency situations.

Some users have experienced difficulties adding friends to their network, which can be frustrating.

Even if users haven't had to use the app in an emergency situation, it's comforting to know that it's available on their phones.

The competitive analysis helped us understand the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors' apps and identify opportunities for improvement in our own apps. We were able to identify common patterns among the apps that had better engagement and user feedback, such as brand awareness and user-friendly interfaces.

Technical issues: the app is glitchy, unreliable, crashes or freezes

Limited features: paid subscription is required to access some features, and cannot customize pre-programmed messages

Limited availability: the app is only available in certain cities, limiting its usefulness for people in rural areas

Connectivity issues: requires an active internet connection, which can be a problem in areas with poor reception or no Wi-Fi

Privacy concerns: collects more information than necessary

During the brainstorming process for the Salama safety app, I focused on the key objectives make women in Nairobi feel safe, helping reduce crimes in the city, allowing users to send SOS alerts, and suggesting safe routes. I conducted market research on existing safety apps, analyzed user feedback to identify what worked and what didn't, and used insights to create design solutions that addressed user needs.

I explored ideas like providing a "feeling tone" UI, enabling users to include a response timer, and using AI to prompt a video or audio call.

Overall, I aimed to create a safety app that would make Nairobi a safer place for women.

Once I had a clear understanding of the information architecture and user flow, I moved on to the design phase of the Salama safety app. I began by creating low-fidelity wireframes to flesh out the basic layout and functionality of the app.

These wireframes allowed me to quickly iterate on different design ideas and get feedback from stakeholders before moving on to high-fidelity mockups. I focused on creating a user-friendly interface that would be easy for women of all ages and backgrounds to use, while also incorporating effective safety features to address the specific safety concerns faced by women in Nairobi.

Throughout the wireframing process, I made sure to keep the keyword coloring and prompt video feature in mind, which were two explorations that required deeper thinking beyond a UI execution. These features would help improve the user experience and make the app more effective in providing safety to women in Nairobi.

Overall, the low-fidelity wireframes served as a crucial step in the design process, allowing me to quickly iterate and gather feedback before moving on to higher-fidelity designs.

Key Features:

The users are able to create their personal groups with members where they can share locations and text each other via the app.

Users are able to send SOS alerts to the nearest local police or members of their personal group when they feel unsafe or threatened.

✅

As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our daily lives, it's crucial that we prioritize our safety both online and offline. With the rise of cyber attacks, online harassment, and other digital threats, it's essential that we take steps to protect ourselves and our personal information when using technology

By prioritizing safety in the world of technology, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society where everyone can fully participate in the digital age without fear or intimidation.