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DATE

Feb 2017

Role spec

App concept
App & Web Design
Branding
Prototyping

A_B

I challenged myself to design an app which could improve the safety of those walking alone at night. The result: A_B, which lets users share their location in real time with their loved ones. After brainstorming and wireframing the product, I created a working prototype of the app in InVision (pre-Figma days!), and a fully responsive landing page. This was a design-only exercise, so I never ended up building the app. All work below is my own.

Problem

In a study conducted among the 31 OECD countries with available data, 79% of men said they felt safe when walking alone at night – with only 62% of women saying the same.*

Solution

A_B: a travel companion which calculates the safest route home, while sharing the user’s exact location in real time with their loved ones. Additional features include the options to quickly send emergency alerts, record cloud-saved film (for safekeeping of evidence), and flagging of unsafe and poorly lit areas.

*OECD Library, 2017

Concept stage

I started by brainstorming a range of app safety features, and then drew up rough wireframes to flesh out the use cases. I used a combination of Sketch, Photoshop and InVision to bring the app to life.

Problem

In a study conducted among the 31 OECD countries with available data, 79% of men said they felt safe when walking alone at night – with only 62% of women saying the same.*

Solution

A_B: a travel companion which calculates the safest route home, while sharing the user's exact location in real time with their loved ones. Additional features include the options to quickly send emergency alerts, record cloud-saved film (for safekeeping of evidence), and flagging of unsafe and poorly lit areas.

*OECD Library, 2017

Concept stage

I started by brainstorming a range of app safety features, and then drew up rough wireframes to flesh out the use cases.

Designing the screens

The three core steps of an A_B journey: selecting a destination, picking your companions, and (if needed) placing a recorded, cloud-logged video call.

Choose destination

A_B calculates the safest route home, based (in part) on crime stats, street lighting and area footfall.

Select companion

Walker is prompted to select one or multiple companion(s) to watch over their journey.

Live video feed

Call companions or the police if you need support. Your location is logged, and footage is recorded and streamed straight to the cloud for safekeeping.

Choose destination and select companion

The first steps of an A_B journey: the user selects their desination, and the app calculates the safest route home – based (in part) on crime stats, street lighting and area footfall. They are then invited to select one or more companion(s) from their contacts to watch over their journey.

Your companions are one tap away

If they feel unsafe, users can call their companions with a single tap. Footage is recorded and logged to the cloud for safekeeping – in case it's needed for evidence later.

Landing page

I designed a fully-responsive landing page showcasing the app's capabilities:

Designed to protect

A_B comes with a range of smart features to ensure you reach your destination safely:

A_B calculates the safest route home, based (in part) on area crime stats, street lighting and footfall.

When you press the video button, A_B live streams footage from your camera to your primary companion. The footage is stored on the cloud for safekeeping, and sent via email to all parties.

If your phone is taken from you, your companion will still be able to see your live location via a separate wearable A_B tracker.

Prototype

I built an A_B prototype in InVision:

More of the good stuff

More of the good stuff

Responsive web app, 2021
Web, 2023 | Password on request