SafeWalks

SafeWalks is a New York City based non-profit which provides free personal accompaniment to/from a transit location for New Yorkers who feel unsafe.
They are New York City’s largest Community-Driven Public Safety Initiative

Solo concept

Jessica He

Timeline

2 weeks

Hackathon team

Designers: Tamyra Alicia- Yancey, Jessica He

Developer:

Nikhita Kunthu

timeline

48 hours

best self care hack - Winner
Techtogether atlanta hackathon
1st out of 142 participants
overview
overview

Safewalks

Safewalks

SafeWalks started in response to rising attacks in NYC, especially during the pandemic. The service pairs people walking alone with trained volunteers to make sure they get home safely.

It began at the Morgan Ave L-Train Station after a series of attacks, and quickly grew thanks to the community’s support. As demand increased, so did the need for a safer, more scalable way to request walks.

View prototype

Onboarding

Selecting a SafeWalker

Contacting SafeWalker

Arrival to Destination

The problem
The problem

Hackathon phase -
Uncovering the Barriers to Safe, Seamless Walk Requests

Hackathon phase -
Uncovering the Barriers to Safe, Seamless Walk Requests

At first, walk requests were handled through a Google Form on Instagram. It was hard to manage and unreliable in urgent situations. Their GoFundMe highlighted a clear need for technical support to scale operations. This opened up an opportunity to design a safer, more reliable experience grounded in community needs.

So, I took initiative: I recruited a small team of beginner software developers and a fellow aspiring UX/UI designer to prototype a solution during a 48-hour hackathon.


After the event, I continued building the app independently, stepping into the role of sole product designer and expanding the experience into a fully envisioned mobile app.

So, I took initiative: I recruited a small team of beginner software developers and a fellow aspiring UX/UI designer to prototype a solution during a 48-hour hackathon.


After the event, I continued building the app independently, stepping into the role of sole product designer and expanding the experience into a fully envisioned mobile app.

So, I took initiative: I recruited a small team of beginner software developers and a fellow aspiring UX/UI designer to prototype a solution during a 48-hour hackathon.


After the event, I continued building the app independently, stepping into the role of sole product designer and expanding the experience into a fully envisioned mobile app.

the solution
the solution

The SafeWalks app lets users sign up, schedule walks, and connect with walking buddies through real-time chat, in-app calls, or video.

best self care hack - Winner
best self care hack - Winner
Techtogether atlanta hackathon -

From Concept to Prototype (Hackathon phase)

In just 48 hours, our team reimagined SafeWalks’ basic request system (a Google doc) into a simple, mission-driven digital experience. We mapped out the full journey from scheduling a walk to being paired with a volunteer and focused on trust, ease of use, and accessibility.


I led the design direction, ran brainstorming sessions, and built our wireframes and prototypes in Figma. We worked quickly to prioritize what was realistic within the time frame while staying true to the needs of the SafeWalks community.

By the end of the hackathon, we delivered a working prototype that included:

In just 48 hours, our team reimagined SafeWalks’ basic request system (a Google doc) into a simple, mission-driven digital experience. We mapped out the full journey from scheduling a walk to being paired with a volunteer and focused on trust, ease of use, and accessibility.


I led the design direction, ran brainstorming sessions, and built our wireframes and prototypes in Figma. We worked quickly to prioritize what was realistic within the time frame while staying true to the needs of the SafeWalks community.

By the end of the hackathon, we delivered a working prototype that included:

In just 48 hours, our team reimagined SafeWalks’ basic request system (a Google doc) into a simple, mission-driven digital experience. We mapped out the full journey from scheduling a walk to being paired with a volunteer and focused on trust, ease of use, and accessibility.


I led the design direction, ran brainstorming sessions, and built our wireframes and prototypes in Figma. We worked quickly to prioritize what was realistic within the time frame while staying true to the needs of the SafeWalks community.

By the end of the hackathon, we delivered a working prototype that included:

In just 48 hours, our team reimagined SafeWalks’ basic request system (a Google doc) into a simple, mission-driven digital experience. We mapped out the full journey from scheduling a walk to being paired with a volunteer and focused on trust, ease of use, and accessibility.


I led the design direction, ran brainstorming sessions, and built our wireframes and prototypes in Figma. We worked quickly to prioritize what was realistic within the time frame while staying true to the needs of the SafeWalks community.

By the end of the hackathon, we delivered a working prototype that included:

This initial prototype helped bring the SafeWalks mission to life as a tangible product. After the hackathon, we reached out to Safewalks with our prototype. They needed funding so they created a GoFundMe.


In the meantime, I built the rest of the mobile app end-to-end as a personal project.

Concept app
•solo design phase

Building the end-to-end vision

Here's what I did:

  • Refined onboarding to set expectations early and build trust

  • Redesigned request system with transparent status updates and defined roles

  • Added safeguards to promote accountability

  • Addressed edge cases: cancellations, low volunteer availability, and location privacy

  • Focused on emotional safety and reducing stress through intuitive design

Here's what I did:

  • Refined onboarding to set expectations early and build trust

  • Redesigned request system with transparent status updates and defined roles

  • Added safeguards to promote accountability

  • Addressed edge cases: cancellations, low volunteer availability, and location privacy

  • Focused on emotional safety and reducing stress through intuitive design

Here's what I did:

  • Refined onboarding to set expectations early and build trust

  • Redesigned request system with transparent status updates and defined roles

  • Added safeguards to promote accountability

  • Addressed edge cases: cancellations, low volunteer availability, and location privacy

  • Focused on emotional safety and reducing stress through intuitive design

Here's what I did:

  • Refined onboarding to set expectations early and build trust

  • Redesigned request system with transparent status updates and defined roles

  • Added safeguards to promote accountability

  • Addressed edge cases: cancellations, low volunteer availability, and location privacy

  • Focused on emotional safety and reducing stress through intuitive design

User research

Why safety isn't just a feature.

Designing for safety isn't just about clean UI. It's about understanding what safety feels like in the real world. Before jumping into flows or visuals, I spent time listening. I looked at behavior patterns, global safety data, and stories from people who navigate public spaces alone, especially women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals. I grounded my approach in both quantitative data and personal stories to understand the full scope of the problem.

One study surveyed people across 12 countries (including the U.S.) on how safe they felt walking in their communities, and how their built environments shaped those perceptions. Source: Global and U.S. Studies on Street Harassment

70% of women surveyed listed sexual assault as their #1 safety concern.

30% frequently avoid going out or change routes because they feel unsafe walking.

30% frequently avoid going out or change routes because they feel unsafe walking.

30% frequently avoid going out or change routes because they feel unsafe walking.

30% frequently avoid going out or change routes because they feel unsafe walking.

Among non-binary respondents, though sample size was limited, sexual assault also ranked as a top concern.

  • Zipcar provides automobile reservations members, billable by the minute, hour or day.

In 2020 especially, these fears weren't just hypothetical, they were and are underscored by real-world violence.

From March 2020 to December 2021, Stop AAPI Hate reported nearly 11,000 anti-Asian hate incidents in the U.S. — ranging from spitting to verbal abuse to physical attacks.

From March 2020 to December 2021, Stop AAPI Hate reported nearly 11,000 anti-Asian hate incidents in the U.S. — ranging from verbal abuse to physical attacks.

From March 2020 to December 2021, Stop AAPI Hate reported nearly 11,000 anti-Asian hate incidents in the U.S. — ranging from verbal abuse to physical attacks.

From March 2020 to December 2021, Stop AAPI Hate reported nearly 11,000 anti-Asian hate incidents in the U.S. — ranging from verbal abuse to physical attacks.

62% of reported incidents were women.

74% percent of respondents reported personally experiencing racism, discrimination or both in the prior 12 months.

collected reports of almost 11,000 incidents in the U.S. of anti-Asian hate, ranging from spitting to verbal abuse to physical attacks.
Women reported 62 percent of these incidents.

57 percent of Asian Americans say they often or sometimes feel unsafe in public spaces because of their race or ethnicity.

In a separate survey of 2,414 female Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders conducted in January and February 2022 by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, results show that
74 percent of respondents reported personally experiencing racism, discrimination or both in the prior 12 months.

collected reports of almost 11,000 incidents in the U.S. of anti-Asian hate, ranging from spitting to verbal abuse to physical attacks.
Women reported 62 percent of these incidents.

57 percent of Asian Americans say they often or sometimes feel unsafe in public spaces because of their race or ethnicity.

In a separate survey of 2,414 female Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders conducted in January and February 2022 by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, results show that
74 percent of respondents reported personally experiencing racism, discrimination or both in the prior 12 months.

collected reports of almost 11,000 incidents in the U.S. of anti-Asian hate, ranging from spitting to verbal abuse to physical attacks.
Women reported 62 percent of these incidents.

57 percent of Asian Americans say they often or sometimes feel unsafe in public spaces because of their race or ethnicity.

In a separate survey of 2,414 female Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders conducted in January and February 2022 by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, results show that
74 percent of respondents reported personally experiencing racism, discrimination or both in the prior 12 months.

This research became the backbone of my design process. It pushed me to move beyond aesthetics and focus on building systems of care. I prioritized transparency, emotional clarity, and community-driven features that supported real-world trust. Users needed more than utility. They needed emotional clarity, accountability, and the reassurance that this product was built with their safety in mind.

  • Zipcar provides automobile reservations members, billable by the minute, hour or day.

user interviews
user interviews

Behavioral Responses to Feeling Unsafe

While the global data revealed just how widespread feelings of fear and vulnerability are, I wanted to understand the lived reality behind the numbers.

What does it actually feel like to navigate a city while feeling unsafe? How do people adapt their behavior to protect themselves? To answer these questions, I turned to direct conversations with individuals across different identities and backgrounds.

Through one-on-one interviews and a user survey, I explored how personal safety concerns shape everyday decisions and how identity, environment, and community all play a role.

I explored individual behaviors and perceptions around walking alone in cities through 4 qualitative interviews and a supporting user survey.

User Interview Questions

Scenario:
Imagine that you have answered a poll question about the U.S stock market.

Results:
2 male participants felt safe in this situation. The older 60+ male felt somewhat unsafe.

Females and non-binary participants felt unsafe regardless of age.

Question:
If you ever felt unsafe walking alone at night, what are some things you think would help you feel safer?

Scenario:
Of the participants who said they felt unsafe, I asked them to gauge their level of anxiety in the following scenarios:

  1. Walking alone

  2. Walking with a safety device

  3. Walking with someone

  4. Walking with someone and with a safety device

Results:

Participants were significantly less anxious with the combination of carrying a safety device and walking with someone.

Key Themes Emerged from Participant Narratives

Through these conversations, three key themes emerged, each highlighting how personal identity, systemic factors, and community support shape people’s lived experiences of safety and vulnerability.

Define & ideate
Define & ideate

From Insights to Concept

Based on my research, I identified the core concept and features that would best serve SafeWalks users.

The Concept

SafeWalks is designed as an inclusive and accessible platform where users can connect with local volunteers, called SafeWalkers, to schedule walks to their destinations. The app also enables real-time communication through messaging, in-app calling, and video chat, ensuring users feel supported and connected throughout the experience.

UX Goals

To bring this concept to life while aligning with the organization’s mission, I set three guiding goals:

  • Prioritize accessibility and inclusivity through UI design, language, and ease of use.

  • Build trust through connection by offering chat and profile features that allow users and volunteers to learn about each other before meeting in person.

  • Simplify onboarding with a clear and welcoming flow that emphasizes inclusivity from the start.

How might we...

...design a process that is inclusive, accessible and keeps the user's safety in mind without breaking the grassroots organization's budget.

Define & ideate
Define & ideate

Designing an onboarding process that uses inclusive language.

During the original 48-hour hackathon, onboarding wasn’t a primary focus of our prototype. However, in this redesign it became clear that onboarding would be the first and most important opportunity to build trust with users.


For onboarding I needed to do more than explain how the app works. It had to set the tone of the SafeWalks experience by using inclusive language and terminology, ensuring users immediately felt welcomed, respected, and safe.

Card sorting the onboarding flow

To better understand users’ expectations, I asked them to card sort the onboarding flow. My goal was to uncover their existing mental models of how onboarding typically works and identify what they considered to be the most intuitive sequence.

What worked well

  • Users easily understood why they were asked to share information about themselves.

  • Some likened the flow to familiar apps like Hinge or Tinder, which made it easier to grasp.

What caused confusion

  • Users were unsure why they needed to choose preferences for their SafeWalkers’ character traits.

  • Selecting traits for others felt unfamiliar and different from typical onboarding experiences.

Design takeaway

The redesigned onboarding process gives users control: they can decide whether to share gender identity and ethnicity, and whether they want to be matched with a SafeWalker based on those preferences.

Onboarding flow

Mid-Fidelity Prototype Usability Testing

To evaluate the onboarding flow, I asked the same four users from earlier sessions to test my mid-fidelity prototype and provide feedback.

To evaluate the onboarding flow, I asked the same four users from earlier sessions to test my mid-fidelity prototype and provide feedback.

Problem

The similar interfaces and question formats between screens were confusing users. Users thought they had already answered a question and clicked the back arrows to re-read the question.

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

Solution

  1. Restructure the flow so that users first answer questions about themselves.

  1. Follow with questions about their preferences for SafeWalkers.

  1. Introduce transition screens that clearly signal when the focus shifts from questions about the user to questions about their SafeWalker preferences.

  1. Introduce transition screens that clearly signal when the focus shifts from questions about the user to questions about their SafeWalker preferences.

  1. Introduce transition screens that clearly signal when the focus shifts from questions about the user to questions about their SafeWalker preferences.

  1. Introduce transition screens that clearly signal when the focus shifts from questions about the user to questions about their SafeWalker preferences.

Problem

One participant with an IT support background pointed out that using an open text field for pronouns risked breaking the matching algorithm, since users could enter unlimited variations that the system couldn’t reliably process.

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

Solution

Replaced the open text field with predefined gender identity options, allowing users to select multiple identities.

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

High fidelity prototype

Problem

Users needed help with understanding terminology.

Solution

  1. Introduced a drop-down pop-up to highlight the FAQ button in the top-right corner.

  1. Added an information (i) icon next to key terms so users can access definitions in context.

Final Usability Testing

Through usability testing across the full app, I broke the experience into four key flows:

  1. Onboarding

  2. Selecting and requesting a SafeWalker

  3. Contacting the SafeWalker

  4. Arrival

Key Insights

Removing features: More is not always better

Usability testing showed that too many features distracted from the core goal: helping users feel safe while walking.

Features removed after testing:

  • Trips — history of previous walks

  • Feed — activity from friends

  • Groups — forum for forming walking groups

Clear and focused. Designed with a single purpose: helping the user connect with their SafeWalker.

Removing features: Tipping

I initially thought it would be a nice gesture to be able to tip SafeWalkers. A user pointed out that this may discourage users from requesting SafeWalkers in the future if they feel pressured to tip.

​

SafeWalkers knowlingly volunteer their time from the goodness of their hearts. Maybe it would be best to leave it under the table...

Removing features: Tipping

Increase text input space for reviews. Building trust and keep the community safe and positive.

to MSN AI Commenting case study
to Safewalks case study