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Sidewalk

Service Design

​ST: Benjamin Butler |  ST: Jo Rozycki |  XD: Maryn Tan

My Role: Project Research, UI/UX Design, Prototype


THE ASK

How might we make walking safer for walkers.


THE OPPORTUNITIES

Make safety preventative rather than reactionary 

by pairing walkers together.

Pairs walkers with other walkers

Allows the user to build a community with other walkers 

Built-in safety measures to ensure walker’s protection

​The Sidewalk App

An Uber App but for Walkers

Stage 2: During Walk

  1. Request walk

  2. Matched with a walker

  3. App establishes meeting point and suggests a safe route

Stage 3: After Walk

  1. Arrive at destination safely

  2. Check-out: take selfie, mark as safe

  3. Rate walker with option to save them as a connection

  4. App stays with you until you find your destination

Stage 1: Pre-Walk

  1. Set up profile

  2. Be verified

  3. Complete safety training

Stage 2: During Walk

Safety check-in part way through walk

Measuring
Success

App downloads

"Friended" walkers

Successful walks

  • High ratings

  • Repeat walks

  • Walks without incidents

Why this will work

  • Safety in numbers almost always guarantees a lower likelihood of being attacked, as opposed to walking alone.

  • It reduces individual’s vulnerability by taking attention away from an app / your phone as you walk.

  • The way you walk affects the likelihood of you getting victimized. → By feeling more safe, you are literally becoming more safe. (Grayson and Stein, 1981)

Reflection

This project gave me lots of knowledge not only about walkers but also safety in general.

In addition, we enjoyed making the user interfaces of the app. Since it was a new service, we had plenty of freedom to be creative and out-of-the-box while coming up with the UX/UI designs

Why we need this app

Copy of Sidewalk (1).png

Since 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased 339% nationwide, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

Image by CHUTTERSNAP

Replica service solution: SafeWalks NYC, founded in January 2021

The services in place require planning ahead (e.g. at least 24 hours in advance).

Twitter thread story of woman who was followed, another woman joined her — example of safety and numbers and the risks people face walking alone

william-bout-EISMFHhSlCM-unsplash.jpg

Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and people new to a city are more likely to be targets of harassment, assault, or burglary.

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