PinPoint
Helping people stick together, even when they're all over the map.
UX/UI Design
App Design
While it’s meant to be fun, going out with a group on a college campus or any crowded location can be stressful and create potentially unsafe situations. PinPoint is a mobile tracking and group communication app that aims to ensure the safety of those in a group gathering and encourage social activity through GPS location, group chats, an emergency safety button, and personalized activity recommendations.
The Challenge
While living on a college campus, partying and social gatherings are common occurrences, and often people go out in groups to ensure safety and to have a good time with friends. Based on discussions I’ve had with other students and my own experiences, trying to keep everyone in a group together or in touch during an outing is chaotic and stressful, so I aimed to create an app to assist with safety and communication while enjoying a gathering. After conducting interviews of fellow college students and older adults, I also chose to address the common problem of finding activities everyone in a group would enjoy through the addition of a recommender system.
The Process
Any good design requires human input and research to fulfill its purpose properly, so I began the design process by asking others about their experiences and creating 2 user journey maps based on 2 different personas: Anna, a college student trying to keep her friends safe and keep track of their locations while going out for her friend’s 21st birthday, and Danielle, a mother of 3 trying to keep her family together while allowing for individual exploration on their trip to the Bahamas. After creating basic elements the app, I also conducted a card sorting analysis with individuals from different ages and backgrounds. These maps and the feedback I received helped me empathize with the app’s untended users and improve the flow and features of the interface for ease of use.
The Solution
Small adjustments were made multiple times throughout the process of designing the flow of the app, resulting in a smoother flow that accommodates to most users and is much more comprehensive and simple. After hearing the shared experiences of others being separated from their groups and feeling unsafe at night, especially alone, addressing the issue of potential assault, robbery, or other crimes was a high priority. As a result, PinPoint contains multiple functions such as an individual location tracker, group and individual messaging, group and location recommendations based on preference settings, and an emergency button that calls the local law enforcement when the user feels unsafe to allow another layer of security.