Buddi
Travel Safety for those who feel vulnerable
Stages
(UI/UX, Project Management, Research)
User research, concept direction, prototyping, wireframing, concept strategy, visual identity, visual design
The Challenge
Traveling alone can be dangerous, especially for a woman in a foreign area. Risky situations can occur at any time, making it difficult to enjoy travel. Many women share the same struggle, especially when it comes to feeling safe in public spaces. How can we allow women to feel empowered to travel alone to foreign countries?
The Objective
Creating a tool that allows geolocation sharing, resource locator, emergency service information, and more to empower independent female travelers.
My Role
With the main focus on safety and flexibility in various situations, I conceptualized this mobile safety tool, conducted user research, and created the UI/UX for the product.
User Interview Discoveries
I asked various female friends how they feel when they travel alone out of the country, and what their main concerns are.
“I don’t like I bring attention to myself in public, especially in dangerous areas.”
“I always make it my priority to find the safest ways to get around quickly.”
“I like keeping myself and my friends updated on where I am, in case for emergencies.”
— KAYLIE
A college student who likes to travel once a year with her friends.
— VIOLET
A photographer who likes to visit famous locations around the world every few months.
— ANYA
A young businesswoman who frequently travels internationally.
Persona
Distinct user type created based on the data from interviews and research.
Statistics
According to the Global Business Travel Association and AIG Travel 2019 article:
64% American women said safety was extremely desirable when taking a vacation.
51% said safety is one of their top priorities.
83% experienced more than one safety incident when traveling for business.
90% expressed that safety affected how they planned their personal activities.
81% have traveled for business less frequently because of safety concerns.
80% reported safety concerns impacted their productivity when on a business trip.
Conceptualizing
With the main ideas identified, I then created an information architecture to find ways to build the features together to create a product.
Wireframing
I created wireframes to establish the general flow and the structure of content.
Key Interactions
Trip Details + Sharing
Keep track of important addresses on your trip. Then share your trip details and live location with friends.
The map shows any important resources, unsafe areas to avoid, or recent incidents.
Offline Map
View the most updated status of the map since the last time there was wifi connection (automatic updates).
Notification dots will appear on updated resources within Buddi after a trip has been created.
Emergency SOS
Access emergency services organized by category depending on urgency.
Call numbers or locate nearest resource to you, with offline map.
Style Guide
Friendly Illustrations
In times of feeling anxious, calming colors and friendly illustrations give a more personal touch. Buddi is meant to be the user’s buddy, not just a tool for safety.
Takeaway
Travel is meant to be enjoyable and full of adventure. For some women, it’s common to feel fearful of their surroundings, especially when in an unfamiliar place. With Buddi, I hope to create a product that empowers and encourages women to confidently go out and explore.
→ Impact: Learning opportunity
Although Buddi is a concept and hasn’t been launched, the research and design process deepened my understanding of how to bring more safety into independent travel. It reinforced the importance of user-centered design, especially for underserved or vulnerable groups.
→ If I had more time
I would expand user testing to validate assumptions, refine features based on more rounds of user feedback, and explore integrations with local safety resources. I’d also develop a prototype to better demonstrate how Buddi could provide real-time support, build a community on how to be safer together, and build trust with its users.