Introduction

Overview

The current crime reporting system faces challenges in efficiency and accessibility, particularly affecting Asian Americans, who report crime at only a 30% rate compared to other ethnicities. The existing reporting methods, like hotlines, texts, online forms, and 911, are complex and can jeopardize user safety. Moreover, there's confusion regarding the appropriate contact number for different crimes, hindering prompt reporting. Users often struggle to communicate their location and situation accurately, leading to delayed law enforcement responses.

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Opportunity

Addressing this, there's a critical need for an accessible reporting system that streamlines communication with law enforcement, specifically targeting marginalized communities. This solution not only empowers such communities to report crime confidently but also enhances overall law enforcement efficiency.

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Problem Statement

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Project Planning

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Secondary Research

Ecosystem Map

Our exploration of the MTA subway reporting system involves understanding the ecosystem and its stakeholders. By visualizing this landscape, we uncover key entities contributing to the subway's function and their interactions.

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Competitive Analysis

Evaluate apps like NaviLens, MYmta, Citizen, Night Walk, Ring, and Nextdoor, focusing on user profiles needing wayfinding, crime reporting, and safety monitoring. Analyze strengths, weaknesses, and innovation possibilities.

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Existing User Flow – Reporting System

To fill the gap, a user-friendly reporting system is essential, especially for marginalized communities. This system ensures effective communication with law enforcement and enhances their response.

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User Journey Map

By mapping daytime and nighttime commutes, considering people, place, time, and safety, we pinpoint when users feel safe or unsafe. These maps unveil opportunities for intervention and design enhancements.

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Survey

Key findings from our safety perception survey on NYC subways:

From the survey results above, it is evident that people generally feel unsafe on the MTA subway, with the highest levels of anxiety reported on the subway platform, followed by inside the subway train.

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While we were concerned about violent crimes on subways, our research shows that in most cases, people will face less serious crimes that lead to feeling unsafe on the subway. Suspicious persons (non violent), verbal altercations (non physical), and verbal assault (non physical) lead the list.

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Not many report crimes even after witnessing any forms of incidents in the MTA subway. From our secondary research, we anticipated that language barrier was going to be a big reason why Asian Americans underreport. However that was not the case in our research. Leading causes were that people do not want to get involved and do not think it will make a difference even if they do.

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Field Study

NYC's shift towards QR codes, contactless payments, and improved cellular connectivity indicates trends to leverage for our concept.

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Insights

Pain Points

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Design Principles

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Concept

SafeSpot is a discreet service for subway riders to report concerns during their trip.

Interactive Storyboard

Explore our concept through this interactive storyboard!

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Posters/Ads

Strategically placed posters and ads at stations to raise SafeSpot awareness.

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Platform Displays

Transparent display of ongoing incident reports at stations to foster trust and awareness.

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In-Subway QR Codes

QR codes on subways and platforms for discreet incident reporting.

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Mobile App

An app for checking nearby incidents, filing new reports, and tracking ongoing ones.

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Social Media

Engaging social media campaigns reinforcing app use and positive contributions.

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Reflecting on Next Steps

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