Saathi
A social impact application that helps to navigate with confidence and peace of mind – the application puts safety first, empowering women to live fearlessly.
Facts & Figures
The Impact of Saathi
In India, many women face safety challenges during travel, especially at night. Limited emergency support and the inability to notify loved ones create fear and hesitation. Saathi was conceptualized as a safety companion, empowering women with tools to address these issues.
After conducting a usability study with potential users, the following key outcomes were identified
85%
Enhanced Safety Perception
Surveyed participants indicated they would feel significantly safer using Saathi for their commutes
90%
Increased Confidence
Users expressed that Saathi would provide peace of mind during travel, encouraging them to commute more independently.
90%
Faster Emergency Response
Participants believed that the app’s SOS feature could reduce response times
Product Idea
In a society where headlines are often dominated by harrowing tales of violence against women, it's disheartening to witness the persistent insecurity and fear experienced by countless women across India. As a conscientious observer, I couldn't help but question why, in the 21st century, such injustices continue to plague our communities. The prevalence of these issues led me to reflect on the role of technology in addressing the safety concerns of women and empowering them to pursue their aspirations without fear or insecurity.
Product Goal
To empower women across India with a comprehensive and innovative safety solution that utilizes technology to provide real-time assistance, guidance, and support, thereby fostering a society where women can pursue their aspirations confidently and fearlessly, free from the threat of violence or insecurity.
Value Proposition
Our product offers women in India a sense of security and empowerment by leveraging cutting-edge technology to provide immediate assistance, guidance, and resources in times of need. By equipping women with the tools and support necessary to navigate their daily lives confidently, we aim to create a safer and more inclusive society where every woman can pursue her dreams without fear or hesitation
Project Overview
In response to the pressing issue of women's safety, I undertook the design and development of a dedicated mobile application aimed at enhancing safety measures and providing assistance to women in vulnerable situations. Saathi is a women’s safety app, targeting the women community of the society. This app ensures safety, by sending locations and connecting with local authorities by the touch of a button.Through thorough research, including user interviews, information architecture analysis, user journey mapping, and persona development, I aimed to create a comprehensive solution tailored to the specific needs and concerns of female users.
My Deliverables
01
Empathise
Research
I started by conducting secondary research, collecting data from various articles online, and analyzing it. Following this, I conducted a user survey with 25 women, aged 18 to 50. This demographic included college students, working professionals, and mothers—all of whom expressed that traveling alone often felt unsafe.
02
Define
Defining the problem
I analyzed research findings to identify key challenges such as real-time tracking and faster emergency responses. Competitive analysis provided insights into market gaps, and a user journey map highlighted critical pain points. These insights were consolidated into a single persona representing shared user needs
03
Ideate
Generating ideas
In the Ideation phase, I explored solutions using mind mapping to visualize ideas and uncover key features such as real-time tracking, an SOS button, and automatic alerts. Prioritizing feasibility and impact, I refined these ideas into actionable solutions that ensure a seamless and empowering user experience.
04
Prototype
Wireframing and High fidelity
I developed low-fidelity wireframes to map user flows and ensure intuitive navigation. Iterative improvements based on feedback enhanced usability, visual hierarchy, and interactions. The prototypes validated core features like SOS alerts and live tracking, ensuring they met user expectations.
05
Test
User testing
I conducted usability testing with potential users to evaluate Saathi’s functionality and user experience. Participants provided feedback on ease of use, feature accessibility, and emergency response effectiveness. Insights from testing led to refinements in the interface, making it more intuitive and responsive to user needs.
Research
In the pursuit of creating a solution that truly addresses the concerns and challenges faced by women travelers, particularly those journeying alone, I embarked on an extensive research journey aimed at understanding their unique needs and experiences.
Empathy-Driven Research
Conducting in-depth interviews allowed me to immerse myself in the world of our target users—the female community traveling solo, especially during nighttime. Through these interactions, I gained profound insights into their fears, apprehensions, and the specific safety measures they yearned for during their journeys.
User Validation Through Surveys
To corroborate the findings from our empathetic research phase, surveys were conducted to gauge the sentiments and experiences of our target user group. The response was resoundingly clear: women travellers expressed deep discomfort and insecurity when navigating through their journeys alone, particularly during nighttime. They voiced apprehensions regarding the safety of traditional transportation services such as cabs and public transport.
Identifying Critical Needs
The insights gleaned from these research methodologies crystallized into a clear understanding of the critical needs of our users. It became evident that my solution must prioritize providing immediate access to emergency services and law enforcement authorities. Moreover, users expressed a strong desire for a seamless mechanism to quickly reach out to their trusted network of family and friends in times of distress—a need that could be addressed with a simple tap of a button.
Designing for Safety and Security
Armed with these invaluable insights, my design journey is driven by a relentless commitment to crafting a solution that not only acknowledges but actively addresses the safety concerns of women travelers. By prioritizing features such as one-tap access to emergency services, real-time location tracking, and seamless communication with trusted contacts, our solution aims to instill a sense of security and empowerment in every journey undertaken by our users.
Online Survey
Do you often commute alone?
72.7% of respondents commute alone regularly, highlighting the necessity for enhanced safety measures.
A significant portion commutes in the evening (77.3%) and night (22.7%), emphasizing the need for solutions that address nighttime travel concerns.
What time do you commute?
The survey indicates that most women (77.3%) commute alone in the evening (6 PM to 9 PM), followed by morning and afternoon slots (each at 72.7%). Nighttime travel (10 PM and beyond) is significantly lower at 22.7%, suggesting higher safety concerns during late hours.
Are you comfortable using public transport at night?
77.3% of participants do not feel comfortable using public transportation at night, showing a lack of trust in existing infrastructure and a strong demand for safer alternatives
What mode of transportation do you use to commute?
Respondents use a mix of transportation modes, including cars, public transport, and two-wheelers, suggesting that safety solutions should cater to various commuting scenarios.
How safe do you feel while using cab services like Uber at night? On a scale from 1-5
40.9% of respondents rated cab services like Uber as "neutral" or "not safe," indicating that ride-hailing services do not fully alleviate safety concerns.
Only 27.3% of users felt safe or very safe using these services, reinforcing the need for additional security features within such platforms.
The Problem
Many women feel unsafe traveling alone at night due to concerns about harassment and the lack of immediate support. Public transport often lacks proper lighting, surveillance, and quick-response systems, making it unreliable. Ride-hailing services, while convenient, don't always feel secure due to reports of driver misconduct and poor emergency response. As a result, women avoid night travel, limiting their independence and opportunities. Many incidents also go unreported due to fear of stigma and a lack of concrete evidence, highlighting the need for reliable safety solutions with real-time tracking and emergency alerts to ensure their well-being.
The Goal
Saathi is a safety app designed to empower women with one-touch features like SOS alerts, live location sharing, and real-time recording, ensuring immediate support in emergencies. With a simple and intuitive interface, it caters to women of all tech backgrounds, offering easy navigation and accessibility features such as voice commands. Saathi provides a reliable solution for women to travel and go about their daily lives with confidence, knowing that help is just a tap away.
User Research Pain-points
01
Users are concerned about their security and safety while traveling at night.
02
Users are not comfortable using public transport and cab services at night.
More than often crimes go unreported as there are no substantial evidences, or justice is delayed for significant amount of time due to the sluggish justice system.
04
Women in the rural areas are often the victim and due to the dominance of the patriarchal system their sufferings are very much neglected, and also they don't have anyone who can help them.
Sign-up Page
As I was filling up the sign-up form I got confused while filling up the date as I could not separate out the month day and year, and I did not even know whether month or day should come first. Also I had to fill the date manually, there was no pop-up calendar or system calendar that was there.
Opportunities for improvement
1
In the default state should have provided the an overview of how to put the date. By click a calendar should have opened.
UX Audit - My safety pin
Onboarding screen
There was no header of the feature as to what it is. And there is no physical button to go to the next step or to the previous step.
Opportunities for improvement
1
Should have provided a header in that ways as a user I would understood just reading the header.
2
Should have provided a next and previous button which gives user the freedom to go to the next screen once the user has read the whole thing. Some users are slow readers.
Persona Mapping
Language selection, Onboarding screen
I found the multi language support to be a very good implementation as India being such a diverse country not every one understands english language.
Opportunities for improvement
1
Instead of putting Polish and other languages they should have implemented other regional languages
Problem Statement
Kalpana is an IT professional needs access to emergency numbers and contacts and share live location in one tap so that she feels safe while traveling alone
UX Audit of my direct competitor
The purpose of the audit is analysing all the design elements used in order to ensure that there is consistency across all pages of an application. My safetypin is a social impact application where in emergency situations users can use the application to contact helpline numbers for help, use tracking and find a safe route to reach the destination.
Usability Heuristics
As we can see here there was lack of visibility of system status as a result users were not able to see whether a particular task was completed or not, and also there was no no user control and freedom as a result users were not able to undo a task if made a mistake. There was no error management , or flexibility of use, no design consistency and system did not help with help if users needed.
Home screen
There is inconsistency everywhere. Design patterns are not followed properly.
Opportunities for improvement
1
Make it look clickable by giving it a card like structure or a button.
2
3 major features can be highlighted more by giving it prominence or making it a bottom navigation
Empathy Map
User : Solo Traveller
Says
-
Experiences workplace discomfort
-
Needs safety features in apps (location tracking, emergency
alerts)
Feels
-
Insecurity commuting at night
Thinks
-
Alternative routes, building entrances
-
Calling emergency services, family
-
Alerting others during emergencies
-
Safety concerns with local cabs
Does
-
Commutes alone, late hours
-
Uses office cabs, avoids public transport at night
-
Carries pepper spray
-
Doesn't use safety apps
Key Insights
-
Safety is paramount: User prioritizes personal safety.
-
Tech as a solution: User seeks app-based safety features.
-
Limited social support: User commutes alone, lacks a safety net.
-
Distrust in public transport: User perceives public transport as unsafe.
Design Opportunities
-
Design a safety apps with robust features.
-
Promote safer public transportation options.
-
Foster community and support networks for female commuters.
Find support
Major issue with the layout and the way information is put on the screen
Opportunities for improvement
1
Centre alignment does not go with the rest of the page layout.
2
Putting a filter icon will let users understand that search results are getting filtered down. Header is also inconsistent.
Select safe route
I like the fact users are getting information about the safest route along with rating and transit driving and walking routes. There is inconsistency with the navigation,. Its showing blue but in other pages its green.
Opportunities for improvement
1
Should have been green color
Safety audit
Safety audit is a good feature to have where the people in the community is given the chance to rate the area they are staying. In that ways users can understand how is the condition of the area. The back navigation is inconsistent.
Opportunities for improvement
1
Centre alignment does not go with the rest of the page layout.
2
Putting a filter icon will let users understand that search results are getting filtered down. Header is also inconsistent.
Low-fi Wireframes
I created the wireframes of the application to match the information architecture and also taking into consideration the user scenarios and made placement of the information as visible as possible, so that at the time of emergency users gets all the relevant information as soon as possible.
01
Instant access to emergency services
Created a layout where all the emergency service information is available in the first glance.
02
SOS
One tap access to SOS button
03
Community assistance at a glance
Map view lets users access the nearby community people for help
04
Community support forum
Forum lets users access the nearby people for help.
05
Secure cloud storage for essential information
Cloud service will help users store important information for future reference.
06
Building a supportive safety ecosystem
Partnering up with local businesses making self-defense tools and reward community responders, fostering a supportive network that uplifts users and businesses.
User Journey Map
To view the detailed journey map click on the link below
Information Architecture
To view Information Architecture click on the link below
Style Guide
I created the wireframes of the application to match the information architecture and also taking into consideration the user scenarios and made placxement of the information as visible as possible, so that at the time of emergency users gets all the relevant information as soon as possible.
High fidelity screens
Home page
Home screen is where user lands after starting the application, and has access to all the important information. At a glance user can see the list of
1
Emergency services
At a glance user can see the list of emergency services like police station, hospitals and pharmacies. So in case of emergency user can directly contact and find direction to the nearest location.
2
Emergency contacts
Users can see the list of emergency contacts and can send them live location, call, message and send pictures in case of emergency.
3
List of cab services
Saathi will partner with the cab services and users will be able to access the service and send the cab details along with location tracking feature to their loved once.
4
Public transport information
Users will have assess to the list of public transport availability, so that they can plan their journey accordingly, with minimum amount of waiting time.
Maps
Users can see the location of all the emergency services and nearby people who can help them.
1
Emergency services
All the emergency services like police station, hospitals and pharmacies
2
Public transport information
Users will have assess to all the public transport in the vicinity
3
Crowd
Users will have access to the nearby crowded location like malls or market places.
4
Forum
Users can see the people who can help in case of emergency in the surrounding areas.
5
Safety Insights Overview
Users can view key statistics about their area, including local authority response times, community helpfulness, and public sentiment on safety. This data offers a general overview of the city's security levels and highlights areas for potential improvement.
SOS
Once user taps the sos services an emergency distress signal will be sent to the local authorities as well as emergency contact alerting them, by sending them the live location.
1
SOS
An emergency message will be sent to the local authorities and emergency contacts as well as a notification will be sent to the community users who has enrolled themselves
2
Alarm
An alarm will emit high-pitched sound so that people in the nearby area passing by can be alerted.
Forum
Forum gives you the list of all the people who has enrolled into the program to help users in distress.
1
List of enrolled people
Users can see the list of people available to help in the nearby area
2
See the information
Users can seek help by sending them their live location and can also contact them. See how far they are from your location and also see they are in terms of helpfulness, area knowledge, behaviour and friendliness.
3
Earn reward points
In this gamified experience, users are encouraged to take action and assist those in danger by answering the SOS. By participating and helping others, users earn vouchers and cash backs, turning each good deed into a rewarding experience. This helps users stay motivated and make a real difference, and also enjoy exclusive rewards for efforts
Assistant
This is an AI feature that will help users in emergency scenarios, by guiding them in different scenarios
1
Sending emergency messages
Can send emergency messages to the contacts and services by just asking.
2
Activate SOS
Can activate SOS
1
Multi language support
2
Send automatic distress message
In case user has not reached the location within a particular time, the assistant will ask user for the confirmation, and if no response is generated then an automatic message will be sent to the authorities and contacts with live location and message.
Other screens
I have also included other screens with other important features like
1
Cloud service
Users can store valuable information in the form of proof, so that these can be accessed latter. Even if the device is destroyed information can be recovered latter.
2
Market place
Users can have access to market place where self defence items are available. This also provides a source of revenue for the application.
3
Routines
As the name suggest routines will suggest public transport information by understanding the daily routine of a user. It will also understand behavior pattern and send reminders like to charge their phone before leaving, or carry self defense items or devices.
4
Devices
Devices lets you see the list of emergency devices which are connected.
Usability Testing
Study type
Moderated
Location
India
Participants
7
Length
45-60 mins
Feedback implementation
1
Problem
One major concern which I faced was will the clock icon as users could not relate to what it meant
Solution
I replaced the icon with the SOS icon demonstrating that this particular person can be reached during emergency at certain time period. User need to specify a certain time against the name and in time of distress an alert will be sent automatically.
3
Problem
One major feedback I received was how will the SOS notification reach the Police and emergency contacts if there is no connection service available.
Solution
I came up with a solution to have an external device that will act independently regardless of network connectivity by sending SOS by the use of bluetooth connection. I took inspiration from apple air tag. I further thought of adding an additional feature where once paired with the device it can be activated from the device as well as physical long press. It will have a mic and can also record and store data.
2
Problem
On the home screen users wanted to have access to hospitals and pharmacies
Solution
I have added the list of hospitals and pharmacies around the vicinity.
4
Problem
In the maps section users wanted to have location of hospitals and pharmacies
Solution
I have added the list of hospitals and pharmacies around the vicinity.
Next steps
Press
Making the AI more intelligent and efficient in critical situations, by performing user testings
Providing more IOT based devices which will enhance user experience and security by collaborating with more companies.
The SOS feature to have intelligent feature where in if the user diverts from the original path AI will alert the emergency contacts and authorities
This is how I have divided my observation
1
Users got confused with the stop watch icon and did not understand what it meant
2
One major concern which I faced was will the SOS notification reach the Police and emergency contacts if there is no connection service available.
3
On the home screen users wanted to have access to hospitals and pharmacies
4
In the maps section users wanted to have location of hospitals and pharmacies
Saathi prototype
Click on the image to start the prototype