SafeChat Silicon Valley
Role
Tools
Team
Duration
Problem
To better equip users who experience domestic violence, there is a need to better optimize the mobile experience of SafeChat’s website.
Solution
A responsive version of SafeChat’s website that enables survivors to conveniently and urgently seek help online via mobile devices.
Problem Statement
The current website experience limits users’ access only through desktop and laptop devices, rendering it inaccessible for those in need who rely on mobile devices for support.
Research
How Might We
HMW make SafeChat’s services more accessible to users, and better equip them to navigate situations of domestic violence?
Secondary Research
To get a complete understanding of the current issue, I conducted a series of secondary research on current domestic violence trends and the need for mobile devices in situations of endangerment. Through several scholarly resources, I learned COVID-19 has caused an increase in domestic violence cases.
Intimate partner violence alone affects more than 12 million people every year.
Mobile phone technology has served as a new frontier in tackling the worldwide epidemic of domestic violence.
Competitive Analysis
I conducted a competitive analysis to examine existing websites that provide support to individuals facing domestic violence.
Persona
Using the data collected from SafeChat, I was able to create a set of personas that represented our target audience.
Ideation
Design Requirements
Wireframes
The wireframes played a pivotal role in presenting key functionalities and layouts. They allowed me to efficiently experiment with diverse layouts and information hierarchies, and quickly incorporate feedback from both my team and clients. Following discussions with the team and clients, these wireframes expedited seamless changes, greatly streamlining the process.
Design System
I undertook the redesign of their current design system, aiming to enhance hierarchy, color contrast, and functionality. This effort resulted in a seamless integration of visuals and functionality, ensuring that SafeChat became not only easier to use but also visually cohesive and user-friendly.
Proposal
Emergency Pop Up
- When opening the website on a mobile device, the emergency pop-up page would not properly fit the entire screen, forcing you to scroll in order to receive the full information. I adjusted the layout of the page so that I could display the live chat times and make the entire pop-up visible.
Homepage
- Eliminated the excess space below the logo by shifting the content up towards the top of the page.
- Included a direct “Live Chat” button to make it simple for users to access the function that is most essential.
- I rounded the edges of the photo carousel and the live chat button which better draws attention to the content while maintaining a visually balanced display of information.
- Lastly, I removed the carousel chevrons and breadcrumbs because it was adding to cognitive load and clutter.
Resources
- Due to the overwhelming amount of information documented on the resource page, I found break points between resources to ensure it was more visually balanced.
- I added drop-down buttons to each resource to provide users with visual feedback that further information was available for a particular source.
- Moreover, I’ve increased the simplicity making the suggested resources easier to understand so users can effortlessly scan through the resources instead of reading everything from start to finish.
Reflection
One of the most valuable lessons I gained from this UX project was the firsthand experience of collaborating with a client. This aspect of the project brought an entirely new dimension to my understanding of UX design. Engaging with a client meant navigating through the intricacies of their vision, objectives, and expectations while also factoring in the practical aspects of design feasibility and user satisfaction.
- I would have loved to do direct user interviews for primary research, but the confidentiality constraints of SafeChat, unfortunately, prevented me from directly engaging with users through interviews.
- Taken the opportunity to collaborate closely with developers, working together to bring the concept prototype to life.
Regardless, the SafeChat redesign has already achieved success by completely transforming the mobile experience and making it highly responsive.The redesign has significantly improved website accessibility for individuals who are dependent on mobile devices for support. Empowering users to conveniently seek assistance, from the comfort and convenience of their smartphones.
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