Context
Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico located in the state of Jalisco, has a thriving creative ecosystem and is known to attract creators and developers who are drawn to its innovative and technological atmosphere. However, according to the crime statistics cited by the OSAC report there are many criminal activities that pose a threat to foreigners and have caused prospective visitors to have second thoughts about traveling there.
Following the request of the government of Jalisco, team #1 has developed a bracelet with a patch aimed at 18 to 23 y/o citizens living in the future Smart City of Guadalajara. The device is aimed to develop a sense of trust and security within the community members.
Device description, its functions and benefits
Taking into account the fact that the main issues young people living in the city of Guadalajara face are sexual assault, kidnapping, theft, robbery and telephone extortion, our team has come up with the idea of a bracelet with buttons for quick contact and a digital patch which can be hidden on body and stuck to objects that might be potentially stolen.
The Bracelet is the best solution for young citizens seeking security, since it is not too costly (and thus most of the citizens will have a chance to buy it), user-friendly, which is vital for the young generation, and at the same time easy to wear and to combine with different outfits.
If the user is feeling unsafe or is in an area which might be dangerous the device has a tracking using GPS that knows where they are due to go, and automatically turns off monitoring when they get there. There is an escalation element for monitoring with green, orange and red notifications. The notification is sent to police only when escalated to red or beyond. This might help the citizens feel more secure and in the case of an attack there is a fingerprint tech that enables users to report the escalation without drawing attention to themselves.
Additionally, the device is outfitted with a hub similar to waze, so that users could send notifications to the community and visualize areas with social unrest, hooliganism and other activities that pose a risk to safety on the map. Link to a database housing criminal background information enables to notify the user of vicinity to convicted offenders by identification of type of criminal (sex offender, assault, theft and robbery) through a color code on screen with a buzz or vibration to notify. Apart from that, there is also a link to a database of medical history and illnesses which monitors for markers of diabetics, seizures etc to automatically send medical help if needed and quick report in case of robbery, theft or any kind of aggression (the users are directly connected to 911 )
The above mentioned functions can help police identify people nearby and help with investigations. Not only will the device help to increase the sense of security among citizens, prevent and decrease the crime rate, but it will also help to create a community of vigilant citizens, increase speed of response and potentially save lives, reduce workload for police through AI analysis of user data, improve urban planning/intervention, and regeneration projects.
When potential offenders see a person wearing a bracelet they are less likely to commit sexual assault or kidnapping, since the emergency call on the device launches a very loud alarm in the bracelet and activates spotlights and street alarms. Thus, our device might help to deter potential attack or kidnapping. Furthermore, the device has radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors, it is tied to wifi, bluetooth and RFID technology. Video and audio recordings are set to identify the rapist, knowing which offenders will be less likely to commit the assaults. A panic mode in the device is launched when the heart rate increases and the person is afraid. In this situation the device automatically sets recording and a very loud alarm goes off in the bracelet, activating spotlights and street alarms.
If the bracelet is removed and taken too far from the digital patch or sticker it automatically sets off the GPS tracking in the patch while at the same time activating video and audio recording/transmission from the bracelet and all street cameras near the GPS signal. The device sends an automatic Red Alert to police to inform them about the threat.
In case of theft and robbery numerous stickers can be used to track items. The bracelet “knows” where each sticker should be, and if one of the devices starts to move away quickly automatically starts to record and track the activity.
To prevent telephone extortion the device launches attention scammer push notification. In this case AI analyses where a call is coming from and the device blocks potential threatening numbers, tracks unusual calls, linked to biotech. If your heart rate changes, the device tracks the call, showing that an unusual activity is taking place.
Tipping points
We have decided to link our proposal to several tipping points:
Wearable Internet
The bracelet and digital patch can easily integrate into users’ clothing and accessories, which is convenient given the rising popularity of wearable technology.
The device comes equipped with GPS, RFID, and AI technology to improve safety features and is a valuable addition to the Wearable Internet trend. By tracking movement and alerting authorities in case of danger, the device can provide real-time identification and personalized safety measures to the user.
The bracelet could lead to better health outcomes by providing quick medical assistance when needed, reduce the number of missing children, and offer personalized safety measures tailored to individual users.
The Internet of and for Things
The device utilizes intelligent sensors that are already available at very competitive prices and can communicate with each other through a mobile phone network. The positive impacts of the bracelet include increased efficiency in using resources, a rise in productivity, improved quality of life, and more transparency around the use and state of resources. The device can also contribute to safety (e.g. planes, food), efficiency (logistics), the creation of new businesses. Moreover, the device can be designed to be “digitally connectable,” with the addition of digital services on top of products.
Smart Cities
Our bracelet aligns with the Smart Cities tipping point in several ways. It includes various sensor technologies like GPS, RFID, and biotech, which can be integrated with a city’s infrastructure to improve the collection and analysis of data. This data can then be used to enhance urban planning, intervention, and regeneration projects. By providing a way for citizens to report criminal activity and feel safer, the bracelet can contribute to creating safer urban environments. Additionally, the device’s connection to a criminal background and medical history database can help with police investigations and emergency medical responses.
Artificial Intelligence and Decision-Making (based on Big Data for Decisions)
Using big data can assist governments in automating their programs and providing innovative ways to serve citizens. It can also facilitate quicker decision-making in different industries. Our device proposal can benefit from big data by incorporating user feedback and data to continuously enhance and develop its features.
Which tools would you select from IDEO’s design kit for the INSPIRATION stage, and why?
For the inspiration stage our team decided to go with three tools:
Align on Your Impact Goals
It is really important for us and our stakeholders to get clear on the change we want to achieve, both in the short and long run. This tool will enable us to uncover expectations for the longer-term change that ultimately matters as well as for more immediate outcomes that contribute to that change. As well as that, it can help to align on our impact goals, ensuring that we are all working towards the same vision of success.
Immersion
Immersion means spending time with the people for whom the device is being created, watching them go about their daily lives, and talking to them face-to-face. It’s a way to hear directly from the people who will use the device and learn about their needs and wants. By watching and talking to users, we can learn about their decision-making, social habits, and behaviors. We can ask questions and take notes that will help us design a device that meets their needs.
Define your audience
This tool can help us define the target audience of the device and understand their needs, context, and history. It can also help us explore potential influences and behaviors we want the user to adopt, as well as things that may enable or inhibit that behavior. This will help us create a device that is easy to use and meets the needs of the target audience.
Which tools would you select from IDEO’s design kit for the IDEATION stage, and why?
For the inspiration stage our team decided to go with four tools:
Journey Map
This tool can help us plan for important moments in the customer’s experience with the device. The journey map visualizes the customer’s experience from start to finish, including how they learn about the device, try it out, and incorporate it into their life. This helps us identify areas for improvement and develop solutions to any issues. Additionally, involving stakeholders in the process helps ensure everyone is on the same page.
Mash Ups
By mashing up two existing brands or concepts, we can explore new ideas and solutions to the problem of safety and security for young people in the city of Guadalajara.
For example, some Mash-Up questions one of our team members came up with was: “How can we protect our wearable device from being stolen and what can we attach to other objects to prevent the theft? Can anything we are currently using be modified to pursue these goals?” This is how we came up with the idea of the wearable patch. The original product is a sticker used by a Russian bank.
By using this tool, we can broaden our thinking and come up with new and innovative ideas for something that can ultimately lead to a more effective and successful product.
Rapid Prototyping
This method allows quickly test and iterate the ideas, making them tangible and gathering feedback from users. We can identify which concepts have potential and improve on early ideas, which is crucial for a project like this that aims to increase safety and security for citizens. The process involves brainstorming ideas, selecting the most promising ones, building and running prototypes, and capturing findings in an organized manner.
Business model canvas
The Canvas will help us organize our ideas, identify key partnerships we’ll need to forge, and vital resources.
By using this tool, we can structure our thoughts around the revenue stream, cost structure, and customer segments. It can also help us identify potential challenges, risks, and areas where we need to gather more information.
Additionally, the Canvas can be used to communicate the device idea and business model to stakeholders and investors, which can be crucial for securing funding and support for the project.
Which tools would you select from IDEO’s design kit for the IMPLEMENTATION stage, and why?
For the implementation stage our team decided to go with three tools:
Roadmap for success
The Roadmap for Success tool would be a great choice for the implementation stage, because it provides a clear timeline and a plan of action to get the idea out into the world. The implementation phase requires a clear plan, and the Roadmap tool prompts the team to gather key stakeholders and partners to collectively determine important milestones in the life of the solution and define what success looks like at different stages of implementation.
For each major milestone in the project, we will need to think about what success looks like at that point. We will identify what needs to be accomplished to reach that milestone and determine who will be responsible for completing those tasks.
Pilot
Pilot is a crucial step before launching the solution. It involves a longer-term test that exposes the solution to market forces for several months. During the pilot, the solution is tested with all the necessary resources to see if it works as intended. This helps to determine if the idea is worth pursuing and how it can be scaled up.
Keep Getting Feedback
This tool helps improve the device based on user needs and preferences. Gathering feedback through interviews and group discussions with target users and key partners provides valuable insights into important features and functionality. This feedback can be used to make adjustments and improvements to the device before launching it to the market to ensure it effectively addresses safety concerns in Guadalajara.
What did you learn through this case study (personal and theoretical)?
Personally, the case study helped me understand how technology can impact society, especially in smart cities. It showed me that we need to think about how technology affects society and use it for good.
The case study highlighted the need to consider the specific context and needs of a city when creating technology for safety and security. Guadalajara’s Digital Creative City plan and the OSAC report’s crime statistics showed that we need customized solutions for different places.
I particularly enjoyed the team work. It wasn’t always easy to find the best solution and come up with something everybody agrees on, but anyway it was a good experience for me in order to develop “team player” skills.
What I really found useful is IDEO’s design kit and various tools that might help navigate through different stages when creating a product. I will definitely explore and use more tools in the future.