Tara Janes
User Experience Design
Major project
Supporting survivors of intimate partner abuse. [Read more]
SafeHands supports survivors of intimate terrorism in identifying the abuse, building confidence and accessing support.
SafeHands is an app and service solution designed to give support to survivors of abuse in the form of relatable information, to combat gaslighting, and connecting to support workers, to reduce isolation and give access to advice.
An informational tablet app is the cornerstone of the concept; it is easily accessible at 'Safe Spaces' in pharmacies so that survivors can get support without using their personal devices, as these can be controlled and checked by their abuser.
The app uses AI to provide users with relatable survivor stories and information to help them come to terms with what they are experiencing, in a gentle, supportive way.
The Challenge
Approximately 2.3 million people that experience domestic abuse each year in the UK.
Abuse committed by a partner or ex-partner is the most common domestic abuse type in the UK, and the impact on survivors is huge, both physically and mentally.
The aim of this project was to research the barriers that partner-inflicted domestic abuse survivors encounter in identifying the abuse, accessing help and leaving their abuser, with a view to defining an opportunity for a new solution that tackles some of these pain points.
Research
Due to ethical constraints, it was not possible to research with survivors of abuse directly. However, it was important that their voices were heard, so creative methods were used to ensure that survivors' experiences were thoroughly researched.
Methods included:
- Six expert interviews with charity workers and psychologists that work directly with survivors, to gain knowledge of the field.
- In-depth content analysis of over 60 posts written by survivors from the Women's Aid forum, to better understand barriers and pain points.
- A survey to gain the perspectives of the UK public on domestic abuse, with over 160 responses.
Findings to Insights
Research findings were collated using affinity diagramming and journey mapping.
Key insights included:
- Many survivors do not even know that they are in an abusive relationship, blaming themselves for their partner’s behaviour. This is especially true of coercive and controlling relationships.
- Pop culture references to DA can be beneficial in raising awareness, but if storylines are too overblown survivors will disengage, thinking their own experience is not so bad.
- Pop culture references to DA can be beneficial in raising awareness, but if storylines are too overblown survivors will disengage, thinking their own experience is not so bad.
‘’That destabilising of your own opinions and thoughts can make identifying what is abusive and what isn’t really difficult.’’
Design Iteration
Insights were developed into an opportunity statement; ‘’There is an opportunity for a service serving survivors unaware that they are in abusive relationships who want to feel assured that their decisions are well-informed, but are unable to use personal devices to do research, are subject to manipulation that skews their view on their relationship, and are isolated from the loved ones they would ordinarily turn to for help.''
Co-design sessions with peers and an expert generated initial ideas, which were then evaluated against the developed persona's needs and goals. The strongest concepts were combined and a basic user journey was mapped.
Design Development
Aspects of the proposed concept were prototyped with participants, and creative methods such as Lego bodystorming were also used to act out user-touchpoint interactions.
Two apps were developed; one survivor-facing and one for support workers to manage and schedule their meetings. Each app was wireframed on paper before progressing to mid and high-fidelity prototypes, all of which were tested with participants.
Final Concept
SafeHands makes use of digital and physical touchpoints to provide an educational, uplifting and inclusive experience to users.
Stage 1: Targeted social media adverts raise awareness of the service.
Stage 2: Using the tablet app in the Safe Space to view relatable information and build confidence to speak about abuse through chatbot interactions.
Stage 3: Speaking to a support worker on the tablet.
Stage 4: Using Safe Strolls, interacting with a support worker to safety plan.
Survivor App
The tablet app has two key sections; Info and Chat. In 'Info' users can learn about abuse types, read survivor stories and be recommended support services.
The 'Chat' function allows users to talk to a bot that uses sentiment analysis to identify the abuse types they are experiencing, and signpost them to relevant information. Users can also talk to a support worker on the app, helping them to build confidence before meeting in person.
Prototype Link: https://www.figma.com/proto/tsPvXbsHW8J1ruCjJYAjs3/Hi-Fi-2?node-id=2%3A188&scaling=scale-down&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node-id=2%3A188&show-proto-sidebar=1
Tara Janes
As a designer, my inspiration comes from users with genuine problems that need to be solved.
My undergraduate degree was in Industrial Design, where I was able to develop skills in user research, ideation, prototyping and various CAD software. As part of the degree, I completed an Erasmus Semester at Politecnico di Milano in Integrated Design and placement at Lego DK as a prototyping designer. These experiences gave me a more holistic view of design and improved my skills in collaboration.
I have always been a very user-focused designer and was looking for more freedom in terms of outcome after my undergrad, so UX was a clear choice. This course has given me the freedom to work on projects that I find meaningful and deliver outcomes that I deem appropriate for the problem space.
Major project
Supporting survivors of intimate partner abuse.
Awards
IxDA Student Design Charette 2020, Finalist
Selected based on my response to a brief relating to data and global wellbeing.
Ford Smart Mobility Challenge 2021, Winner
For Care Miles, a service that provides an empathetic transport option for users making regular hospital visits. The solution was created as a team and we have been awarded funding by Ford to develop the concept further.