Redefining support & connection

SafeHaven for Snapchat

2024

ROLE

UX Designer

TIMELINE

2 Weeks

Snap Design Academy

As part of Snap Design Academy’s 2024 cohort, I was given the exciting opportunity to create a new Snapchat feature with a cross-functional team of storytellers, designers, and engineers.

Project Overview

My team was given the challenge of developing a new Snapchat feature designed to raise social awareness and inspire users to take action on a significant societal issue. We focused on addressing housing security.

— This was our overall process:

Research

-Market Research

-Needfinding Calls

-User Research

Ideate

-Problem Statement

-User Personas

-Card Sorting

-Sketching

Design

-User flows

-Wireframes

-Styleguide

-Prototyping

Test & Finalize

-User Testing

-Feedback Integration

-Final pitch deck for Snap Final Showcase

RESEARCH

Understanding the Problem

In order to better understand our target population and groups who face housing insecurity, we met with Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund, a nonprofit supporting the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and its residents.

Affinity Map organizing key points from meeting with Alex

FINDINGS

Here's what we learned…

Ephemeral

Snapchat’s ephemeral quality limits lasting impact, necessitating a reliable feature for enduring support.

Lack of Access

Lack of essential resources like Wi-Fi and food, highlights the need for extensive access.

Paycheck Away

Those with severe financial instability require immediate support as they can face imminent risk.

Connection

Users need a sense of community and access to resources, they need to feel they're building community.

The Challenge

Housing insecurity affects millions, leaving them vulnerable and without essential resources. Many remain unaware of available support due to insufficient awareness and accessibility.

The Question…

How might we use Snapchat to raise awareness about housing security and support individuals who are housing insecure, connecting them with the resources they need to feel supported and guided toward stability?

IDEATION

Exploring possible features

Our initial idea

We initially planned to build our housing security feature into Snap's "community" tab, which hosts college communities, to connect users facing housing insecurity or seeking information.

Why it didn't work…

Feedback from Snap executives and partners revealed key issues:

Many Snap team members were unaware of the community tab, suggesting low user awareness.

Accessing the tab required too many steps, hindering its usability for those needing immediate help.

Placing the feature within the profile page made it too hidden.

Improved concept

Based on feedback and prior research, we refocused on the location tab to prioritize immediate, easily accessible resources for our target population.

Why this works better

Location-based feature provides a more immediate way to get access to essential resources.

Focusing on user location ensures connection to nearby resources, such as shelters and public Wi-Fi.

The feature is easily discoverable, integrated into the map tab, just one swipe away.

DESIGN

Designing an efficient and user-friendly experience

We started developing our new concept by creating user flows, wireframes, and prototypes, focusing on a simple and effective way to connect users with essential resources.