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WATCHDOG
product design group project
OVERVIEW
The product was a collaboration between three students from different majors: UI UX, Fashion Design, and Graphic Design. The project aims at design products for users, especially college students, to survive and escape without injury by deterring or stopping the aggressive behavior of assailants.
Through conducting survey, doing secondary research, brainstorming ideation, the final solution was created with a basic prototype. “Watchdog” is a combination of pepper spray, personal alarm and a community based app.
ROLE
Product Designer
User Research, Card Sorting, Interaction, Visual design, Prototyping & Testing
Figma, Cardboard, Paint, Clay
Sept 2021 - March 2022
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Safety on college campuses is a top priority for everyone. With high rates of assaults occurring, we need to create a discreet and reliable personal protection device to keep everyone safe.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
​​How might we keep students safe with a discreet and reliable product?
DESIGN GOALS
Our primary goal is to design products for users, especially college students, to survive and escape without injury by deterring or stopping the aggressive behavior of assailants.
To do this, we have three other objectives which are to create a reliable device that is secure enough to protect the user without physical involvement. And the product also needs to be
discrete and easy to use. Another goal is merging the product with an everyday product that the user can always have with them, the product also can serve as a normal daily product aside from self-defending. Our last goal is to build a community where people can help each other when facing danger. This way, the function of self-defending will be maximized as a community is always stronger than an individual.
​PRIMARY & SECONDARY RESEARCH
We did some research about the current products and picked out the three most common products, pepper spray, personal alarm, and citizen app. Pepper spray is used to attack without the use of physical force or violent action by burning the eyes of assailants using pepper. However, even though it is portable and small, people don't carry it all the time, and also it fails at immediate attack when the user cannot take it out. The second most popular form of self-defense is a personal alarm and it works by emitting a loud sound that calls attention to the person at risk. Even though this can scare away the pursuer, it can also trigger them or don't work when being destroyed or when there's no one around. And the last one is an app where people can report all crimes, or emergency happening and alerts all members of the App. This works as a community only and does not ensure the safety of the individual facing threats.
​SECONDARY RESEARCH
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Among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation
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In 2019, of the nearly 28,000 on-campus crimes, burglaries accounted for over 9,000 and forcible sex offenses accounted for almost 12,000
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Studies have shown that women's fear of being assaulted on campus can negatively affect the process of their academic success
​PRIMARY RESEARCH
GOOGLE FORM SURVEY
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We asked a wide variety of people to take a quick safety survey so we could gather the most accurate information.
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We asked questions regarding when people feel unsafe, where they feel unsafe, why they feel unsafe, what products they use if they use any, and many more so we could design the best product.
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM USER RESEARCH
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Walking alone at night is users' biggest fear
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​With our product, we hope walking at night becomes a fearless activity.
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People want a product that does multiple things
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Pepper spray, watch, and an alarm all in one product
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Worries about safety have real impacts on people
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Fear of safety should not be keeping us in!
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THINGS TO ADDRESS
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Small, easy to carry or take out
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A protection product needs to be taken out quickly in response to the predator to give time for users to flee
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Is a disguise for a daily product
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Keep it casual and covert but stay on alert
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Can alert multiple people at the same time immediately
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The product aims at alerting not only the user but also the people around. No delayed alerts like the school emergency alert systems.
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Visually appealing
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The product must be wearable and aesthetic for the user to use it daily
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IDEATION SKETCHES
FINAL SOLUTION
A combination of pepper spray, a personal alarm, and a community-based app
The product has multiple functions that help maximize the protection for the user. The device has refillable pepper spray that can shoot up to 10 feet away and a 130-decibel siren that serves as an alert and an automatic notification to an app that can alert others to an emergency.
A self-defense product disguises itself as a watch
A watch is a wearable accessory that the user can use every day. It also functions as an everyday watch which is convenient for daily use.
An item that can be taken out immediately
The watch is connected using magnets instead of regular chain/leather, making it convenient for the user to use it immediately when at risk; this also helps the user to take it out of their hand to spray pepper more accurately
SOLUTION SKETCH
​STORYBOARD
1: Set up a connection
2: Bluetooth connection and secure it with the correct device
3: Tutorial or move to the home page by clicking the arrow
4: Homepage showing different functions, each box is clickable and the homepage becomes the default page
Report: report an incident
Call: uses current location and calls nearby authorities
Where am I: shows current location and direction of home
SOS: sends authorities to your location
History: tracks the history of all reports/calls, including specific date and location
Community: shows all reports in areas nearby your location
Ride: calls you a car service
DESIGN STATEMENT
Our product presents itself as a normal watch. As danger approaches and with the click of one button, pepper spray is released, and simultaneously a deafening alarm will sound not only from the watch but also from the corresponding app. Once the defense has been used a pin drops in your location to alert you that danger just occurred in that area. The pin drop is viewable to everyone but no personal information is shown. Pins are always saved with the time and date of when danger occurred, you can view your own history of pins or view your communities history of pins to stay up to date on which areas contain less danger as well as other app functions all to help keep you safe.
PROTOTYPE
HOW DO PEOPLE FIND OUT ABOUT OUR PRODUCT?
Where?
University campuses’ supply shops
How?
The product will be advertised through the school email as well as online marketing as the product can reach all the potential users this way
What will make the users engage with it?
The high risks around campuses and the product are more efficient than the campuses’ alerts
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