Chow Now
In 2019, a woman in Ohio reported an incident of domestic abuse by pretending to order a pizza, highlighting the need for victims to report such cases with discretion.
In the 23 hours spanning cmd-f 2023, Eunsaem and I designed and built an app disguised as a takeout delivery app, allowing victims to report incidents to local authorities without raising the suspicion of their abusers.
Team
Christina Raganit and Eunsaem Lee
Roles
UI Design, UX Design, Frontend Development
Event
cmd-f 2023 Hackathon | March 11–12, 2023 (23 hours)
Achievements
First Place Winner (out of 44 teams) and Best Design Award at cmd-f 2023
Final solution in a device mockup
Content Warning
The following content may contain mentions of domestic abuse and violence, which may be distressing or triggering for some individuals.
Please proceed with caution and prioritize your well-being while reading. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, please reach out to the appropriate hotline or support service for assistance.
- VictimLinkBC: +1 (800) 563-0808
- Battered Women's Support Services: (604) 687-1867
- BC Society of Transition Houses: (604) 669-6943
- Domestic Violence and Abuse Support Services: (604) 640-7549
- South Asian Women's Centre: (604)-326-3000
My Role
As the user experience designer, I was primarily responsible for identifying a solution through secondary research. After defining the most crucial features to complete for our minimum viable product (MVP) for the hackathon submission, I created an interactive prototype of the final solution on Figma and coded the frontend using React Native and CSS.
Check out some of the highlights below
Problem Space
In 2019, a woman in Ohio reported an incident of domestic abuse by pretending to order a pizza.
The discretion was imperative because the abuser was in the same room as her. Fortunately, the situation ended well for the caller, but according to April Heinze, 911 operations director for the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), there’s “no universal code language to let dispatchers know you’re in trouble”.
And it’s imperative that victims report cases of domestic violence discreetly, because attempting to leave puts them in danger.
The most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence is when they attempt to leave their abuser. Based on interviews with men who have murdered their wives, it appears that the most common events that trigger such violence are either threats of separation by their partners or actual separation.
Understanding Users
I conducted secondary research to uncover strategies for creating an app that could operate discreetly.
According to research from the University of Calgary and Lancaster University, reports of domestic violence incidents increase during major sporting events. Curious, I began to explore the habits and behaviors of sports enthusiasts and encountered a survey of 2,500 NFL fans, where 76% reported that ordering food was a part of their plans for watching the game.
Design Challenge
How might we offer victims of domestic violence a discreet way to report incidents of abuse and facilitate their access to the necessary aid?
Solution
Chow Now
is an app disguised as a typical food delivery application which enables victims of domestic violence to confidentially report incidents of abuse to local authorities with discretion, ensuring their safety while avoiding suspicion from their abusers.
Proposed Feature
Enhancing the efficiency of reporting incidents with location services
By requesting the user's location with location services, Chow Now streamlines the reporting process of domestic violence incidents to local authorities and emergency contacts, which is crucial for victims as it enables faster and more accurate response times.
A dialog appears, requesting the user's location.
Proposed Feature
Facilitating the ability to report incidents of domestic violence
Users can report incidents of domestic violence to local authorities by placing an order from any “restaurant”. Subsequently, users can provide crucial details regarding the involved parties, the nature of the emergency, and the incident's timing.
A user attempts to report an incident by "placing an order" from a restaurant.
Proposed Feature
Providing discretion by allowing toggling between different views
These view toggling controls maximize discretion. To appear inconspicuous, relevant information about local restaurants is displayed, such as its available orders.
A user can toggle between different views to avoid raising the suspicion of their abuser.
Proposed Feature
Guiding users with a comprehensive onboarding flow
In Chow Now, certain controls deviate from the standard of typical takeout delivery apps. This intentional design choice enables users to access resources and report incidents of abuse to local authorities while prioritizing discretion. A thorough onboarding flow provides users with a clear understanding of how to navigate the app effectively.
The screens of the onboarding flow of Chow Now.
Learnings and Takeaways
One big takeaway from this project was the importance of prioritization, as some features are more integral to the MVP than others.
Something I did well was deciding very quickly what key features needed to be done. However, I should have retained this mindset as I was coding. I spent almost three hours trying to figure out how to change the default font of the app as it was my first time learning React Native, and honestly, I never quite figured it out. That was not the best use of the very little time I had...
Reflection
I was uncertain about taking on this project for the hackathon, but I’m immensely grateful that I did.
In my second-year Information Design class, we were tasked with ideating and designing a digital product to address a user need. When I shared the idea of Chow Now with my TAs, they expressed reservations due to the challenges involved in researching this subject. However, I saw it as an opportunity and decided to proceed with the project for the hackathon.
Looking back, I am immensely grateful for that choice. I believe that designers have the responsibility to create meaningful solutions that address real needs and solve real problems. Engaging in research within this problem space has been an invaluable learning journey for me, and I am honored that Chow Now won both 1st Place and Best Design at cmd-f 2023.