Village: Community App
10 weeks
OBJECTIVE
The lack of safe neighborhood environments that encourage children's independent play, coupled with parents' safety concerns, widespread community distrust, and limited social interaction opportunities, has significantly reduced outdoor and social activities among young people. This trend negatively impacts their overall development and limits their ability to lead a more enriching and fulfilling life.
CONCEPT
Village offers a solution to promote safety, community bonding, and meaningful engagement through a dedicated shared space. With a secure keychain check-in system, parents can monitor their children’s activities, track attendees, and stay in communication via the ‘Village’ app. Real-time updates provide peace of mind, while the app notifies users of any community events and activities, encouraging socialization. This innovative approach balances granting children independence, ensuring their safety, and enhancing community interaction. Village empowers parents and fosters a sense of belonging within the neighborhood, enriching lives in a harmonious and secure environment
The lack of safe neighborhood environments that encourage children's independent play, coupled with parents' safety concerns, widespread community distrust, and limited social interaction opportunities, has significantly reduced outdoor and social activities among young people. This trend negatively impacts their overall development and limits their ability to lead a more enriching and fulfilling life.
CONCEPT
Village offers a solution to promote safety, community bonding, and meaningful engagement through a dedicated shared space. With a secure keychain check-in system, parents can monitor their children’s activities, track attendees, and stay in communication via the ‘Village’ app. Real-time updates provide peace of mind, while the app notifies users of any community events and activities, encouraging socialization. This innovative approach balances granting children independence, ensuring their safety, and enhancing community interaction. Village empowers parents and fosters a sense of belonging within the neighborhood, enriching lives in a harmonious and secure environment
ROLE
UX Researcher, UI Designer, Visual Design Lead
MENTOR
Ascanio Colonna
COLLABORATORS
Sana Baid, Madeline Bay
UX Researcher, UI Designer, Visual Design Lead
MENTOR
Ascanio Colonna
COLLABORATORS
Sana Baid, Madeline Bay
RESEARCH
OPPORTUNITY AREA
PROTOTYPING & TESTING
CREATE
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Research
PRIMARY RESEARCH
We each found 5 parents for a total of 15 parents, of kids in between 5-10 yrs old, and asked how they felt about letting their children play outside alone
We sent out a Google Survey, and received 40 responses, where we asked parents to list their top 3 reasons for not letting their children go play outside alone
What did they say?
"I just don't know my neighbors well enough to feel comfortable letting
my kids play outside alone. It’s not like it used to be, I feel like social media plays a big factor in this."
"The thought of kidnappings terrifies me. I can't risk my children's safety,
I would never forget myself, so I prefer to keep them indoors where I can see them."
"With my job, I don't have the luxury to supervise my kids all the time.
I would need a reliable system that ensures their safety while I'm gone."
"I had a friend that had to deal with a Child Protective Services situation from a neighbor calling them. I believe it’s a much more American thing
to not see kids alone/the community helping out. So yea, there’s a stigma here parents are worried about.”
What did I discover?
Parents don’t know their neighbors well enough to ask themt to watch their kids or let their kids play outside alone
Parents are scared their children might be kidnapped
Parents working multiple jobs can't always supervise their kids
Parents worry about being reported to Child Protective Services
Parents want reliable systems to monitor their kids’ activities and ensure safety
AFFINITIZATION
How Might We develop an app that improves parental concern for safety, community distrust,
and limited child socialization opportunities within neighborhoods?
Opportunity Area
Through affinity mapping, we consolidated our key insights and formed HMW statements
How might we provide children with opportunities for healthy growth, development, and socialization for future success?
How might we provide parents with tools to confidently allow their children to explore, fostering independence and resilience?
How might we foster trust, engagement, and connections among neighbors to lay the foundation for strong and supportive communities?
USER PERSONAS
JOURNEY MAP
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STAKEHOLDERS
FACTORS
FACTORS
MARKET ANALYSIS
MARKET ANALYSIS
Prototyping & Testing
FUNCTION ALLOCATION
CARD SORTING
GOAL:
Classification of ideas related to security, activities, and neighbors
Prioritization of importance of info within each category
KEY INSIGHTS:
- Community tab for connecting, trust-building events
- Security features: safety reports, child tracking, and companion identification
- Dedicated activity section for the community
REVISED INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Based on the card sorting exercises, we re-arranged the Info-Arch
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A/B TESTING
REVISED INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Based on the card sorting exercises, we re-arranged the Info-Arch
A/B TESTING
GOAL:
Understand prioritization of content and layout structure.
Understand strategies to build trust using content and layout
KEY INSIGHTS:
- Strategic use of proximity in content delivery enhances engagement
- Scannable designs are preferred over lists
- Tracking progress gives people a sense of achievement and motivation by showing how far they've come and how much further they need to go
GRAFFITI BOARD
GOAL:
Understand prioritization of content and layout structure.
Understand strategies to build trust using content and layout
KEY INSIGHTS:
- Strategic use of proximity in content delivery enhances engagement
- Scannable designs are preferred over lists
- Tracking progress gives people a sense of achievement and motivation by showing how far they've come and how much further they need to go
UI DESIGN
Led Continuous Refinement Through Iterative Usability Testing and Feedback…
KEY INSIGHTS:
- Vet for safety and communicate with parents effectively
- Balance security preferences and incorporate desired tracking features
- Build trust through shared habits, interactions, and proximity
- Utilize green color for enhanced security perception
Final Taskflows
Final Taskflows
ONBOARDING
