Approaching UI/UX Design from a Safety Standpoint

Let’s run a little experiment, shall we?

No, no. Don’t run away. It will only take two minutes.

Open an app on your phone that you often use. Done? Now, think about why you use it as often.

Let’s narrow down the most plausible reasons.

Think we’ve got the basics covered?

Did you notice how “it saved my life” was not on the list? Think about it, do you expect the apps you use to protect you? We rarely consider our safety or of those around us and equate it to an app’s responsibility.

UI/UX designers, or for that matter, any designer in the world, don’t think about ‘safety’ when they ideate, brainstorm, or visualize. In fact, at no point in the design or design thinking process is talking about safety specifically allotted.

It’s never been done. As neo-designers creating to save the world, it’s our responsibility to start these conversations and to make safety a cornerstone of all design.

Neither is it about complicated passwords. You know the type – the password must be more than eight characters, must contain a special character, something in lower case, something in upper case, and include the name of your great-great-grandfather’s first high school crush.

Will it be safe? Most likely, yes. But is it a feat in UX design? Absolutely not. Most users would be happy to jump ship and move to another service provider which asks for a straightforward password.

We rarely focus on non-target audience groups, and we’re hell-bent on only delivering value to the client than easing the user’s journey. We talk big about inclusion but rarely design keeping the vulnerable and differently-abled in mind. Gathering data for non-target users isn’t easy too. Surveys and studies conducted are far and few in between, making it harder to design for niche audiences.

Preventive measures like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) aim to protect the user’s data and laws such as these help protect the individual.

While it may not be the only way to ensure safety online, it’s a start. To design safe products, there are a few things a UI/UX designer can incorporate.

Suppose you are creating a website where any user can come to unburden themselves. The platform could be a space for those hurting to share their deepest pains and secrets without being judged. But we’ve learned the hard way that the internet is a ruthless place, and trolls don’t hold back.

So, let the user create an anonymous user profile. They are now free to express themselves without fear, and most importantly, they aren’t fearful of being recognized. Protecting a person’s identity with anonymity is an excellent way to make them feel safe.

On Instagram, another list of options pops up after selecting the "I'm not interested" option. The most important of them is "This post makes me uncomfortable." 

It’s a quick way for the app to show that the user is heard. Similarly, your design should also incorporate a way to report suspicious activity. The web need not be a scary place for anyone.

Think about it; we place much faith in the next second. When the truth is, anything can happen.

Take lessons from Uber's real-time SOS button. The button includes your trip information, like your location tracked by dedicated GPS devices and the driver's details. A crisis of any kind may be lurking around the corner.

Design a product keeping all problems and crises in mind. While you’re at it, map best and worst-case scenarios. During the user-testing phase, simulate environments in which the user is forced to take drastic actions. Does your service or product help the user get out of harm’s way?

Can it assist the user in any way other than the one intended? If not, go back to the drawing board and start again.

Safety on the web may mean a host of things to different individuals. For some, it implies anonymity; for others, the chance to undo a mistake. Naturally, we’re quick to express our feelings on social media. Of course, we don’t realize we are overreacting in the heat of the moment. Later, we regret it.

Delete or edit buttons enable us to rectify our wrongdoings, further emphasizing our safety.

Safety can also mean making the right move when clicking buttons. MS Word gives the user the option to “Save”, “Don’t Save”, and “Cancel”. The CTA buttons are uncomplicated and as clear as day.

You might have noticed that the positive action is always placed first. Some make the mistake of placing the negative button first, which is mostly a delete button. Now, imagine that you just finished typing out your thesis paper and instead of hitting “SAVE”, you hit “DELETE”. Chaos ensues.

Designing for safety also means planning for a better and sustainable future. The internet contributes to approximately 3.8% of global carbon emissions every year. Pepper Square goes to all lengths to ensure that they are creating safe and sustainable interfaces. Learn their tricks to make and simplify safe yet revolutionary interfaces and create transformational designs.