Hope Haven
Research & Design
2025
TL; DR —
Finding reliable resources while unhoused is overwhelming due to confusing, outdated, and unverified information. Safe Haven is a mobile tool that provides trusted, community‑verified updates on shelters, food, and essential services that is designed for low‑stress use.
How might we design a mobile tool that makes finding and verifying local resources intuitive, fast, and low-stress for people without stable housing?
The Design Process
Research →
We used AI like Perplexity to synthesize academic studies, govermnent progrems, and reports on homelessness, and digital access, and speaking with case managers who work directly with unhoused individuals. Research showed that many rely on on low-resource smartphones with limited data and battery life, and struggle with digital tools that feel unreliable or hard to navigate.
We spoke with 3 case managers to understand what finding resources actually looks like day-to-day. Their experiences pointed to three recurring problems:
The Need Behind Safe Haven
Both our research and interviews pointed to the same thing: people need reliable information fast, with as little friction as possible. This pushed us to focus on a mobile design that loads fast, doesn't require much data or power, and provides information that people can rely on.
Research →. Ideation →
During ideation, we used AI tools like UX Flow to explore and iterate on early user flows and low-fidelity wireframes. By generating and testing multiple layout variations, we were able to refine important interactions such as onboarding, resource discovery, and navigation before implementing higher fidelity designs.
The AI generated a detailed intake form that collected location, household size, and income, and a simpler dashboard with quick-access categories. We moved forward with the dashboard approach because asking someone in crisis to fill out a form before getting help creates unnecessary friction. The category grid lets users get to what they need in one tap.
We recognized the importance of crisis access from the wireframe, but moved it into its own dedicated tab in the navigation bar so it's easily reachable from anywhere in the app.
Research →. Ideation → Refinement
After winning the Best Novel award at the Google x Designathon, I wanted to keep going.
Built in 8 hours. Won an award
Our team designed a resource app for unhoused individuals. I focused on designing the homepage and shelter information screens.
Going back
After the designathon, I revisited this to build a working prototype, and started noticing things. Color inconsistencies, Android guidelines I missed, and an underdeveloped crisis page. I had someone walk through it and share their pain points, which shaped some of the final changes.
Let's Reflect
Designing Safe Haven reminded me that good design isn’t just about adding features, but also about removing obstacles. I also got better at using AI to speed up the process without letting it make decisions for me.
This project also changed how I approach feedback. Letting others challenge my ideas early made the work stronger and helped me move faster with more confidence. It’s a project I keep coming back to as a reference for designing with care and intention.
My Takeaway's
Design Advocacy
Designing for vulnerable users means advocating for clarity and accessibility, especially in high-stress situations.
AI as a Design Acceleratior
AI accelerated research and ideation, freeing time for refinement and validation.
Trust is a UX Requirement
Verified resources, transparency, and community context are just as important as visual design.