Abinandhan's portfolio

Redirecting to nearby places for assistance

Assistance at you location

HerPath

Is Unsafe

Tara needs Assistance!!

Read book

Prototype

My role

Product Designer

Project

Thesis Defence

Timeline

8 months

Overview

Many women want to travel alone but face safety concerns and lack reliable, current information about safe places or emergency help. Scattered online advice isn’t enough, especially in urgent situations. This project aims to provide women with real-time, community-based support and essential tools so they can travel confidently and securely, beyond just general tips.

Problem

Female solo travelers—67% of all solo travelers often face heightened anxiety and vulnerability, especially in unfamiliar or unexpected situations. Yet they lack reliable, consolidated safety and navigation resources, forcing them to rely on scattered online information. This leaves them unprepared, unsupported, and consistently insecure, highlighting the need for a solution that keeps them informed, connected, and safe throughout their journeys.

Goals

To design a platform that allows travelers to feel informed, and connected while traveling solo to reduce their anxiety and foster a greater sense of security throughout their travel journey.

Solution

HerPath is a mobile platform that supports solo female travelers with real-time safety alerts through location-specific safety data with the help of community reviews, and instant SOS features. It highlights safe areas, crowd patterns, and nearby emergency services, while enabling quick sharing of safety experiences. Wearable integration ensures help is accessible even without a phone.

Impact Expectation

15%

Boost in confidence among solo female travelers by designing a solution that supports safer, more frequent independent travel.

10%

Reported safety-related incidents annually through proactive features and real-time support.

20%

Increase in trust with digital navigation tools by delivering accessible, reliable information for decision-making in unfamiliar environments.

Challenges Faced

Here came the challenge, when I gathered all the pain points faced by fellow travelers, There were too many problems faced at different situations and occasions and could not figure out Which problem to focus on so I could address the countless problems faced with the solution come up with.

Tackling Emotional Safety

Emotional safety is a situational and subjective matter to solve for and in addition measuring emotional safety is very difficult as it can't be felt by a third party person.

Reducing Cognitive Load

The number of complex steps that a user needs to take in order to obtain or reach their destination.

I tried to overcome this problem by

I tried to overcome this

problem by

Listening to travelers understanding the specific situations that cause them anxiety, and explored whether solving one of these issues could also help address others at the same time.

Making it faster and easier for travelers to access the features or information they need by minimizing the number of steps involved will help solve the problem more efficiently.

Research

Understanding the Safety and Anxiety Challenges

Trends

78%

Women wanted to Challenge

themselves by traveling alone.

Women wanted to Challenge themselves by traveling alone.

28%

Since 2020, there has been a notable surge in the trend of women increasingly choosing to embark on trips alone.

Since 2020, there has been a notable surge in the trend of

women increasingly choosing to embark on trips alone.

How big is the problem?

88%

Felt that their safety was

threatened in some way by traveling on their own.

Felt that their safety was threatened in some way by traveling on their own.

Felt that their safety was

threatened in some way by

traveling on their own

13%

Unable to defend

themselves.

Unable to defend themselves.

Unable to defend

themselves

40%

Anxiety on something bad happening.

Anxiety on something bad

happening

28%

Anxiety while on journey.

Anxiety while on journey

In what ways travelers are facing this problem?

In what ways travelers are facing this problem?

Deterrance from Future travel

Long time psychological effects causing phobia for traveling alone

Disrupted Itineraries

Primary Research

13 interviews, each approximately 30 minutes in duration, were conducted, recorded, and transcribed for in-depth

analysis. Detailed debriefs were created for each interview to identify recurring patterns.

13 interviews, each approximately 30 minutes in duration, were conducted, recorded, and transcribed for in-depth

analysis. Detailed debriefs were created for each interview to identify recurring patterns.

Why

the anxiety?

Why the anxiety?

• Unfamiliar environment

• Unexpected situation

• Lack of support at night

So What?

How might we create a community-driven platform for female travelers to access real-time information, make informed decisions, and feel secure by leveraging shared knowledge and support to combat anxiety in challenging environments and situations?

Solution

That's Where…

HerPath

destination

Search destination

Users can type directly into the search bar to find specific locations. Once selected, the app highlights safe areas and incident alerts along the route to the destination they searched for from their location with clear markers and provides relevant details like addresses. Combined with real-time safety alerts and location-based guidance, the search function becomes a vital tool for both exploration and personal security.

Drop reviews

The “Drop a Review” feature allows users to share their safety experiences at specific locations in a quick, structured way. Users can also upload images to support their review.

Location-specific information

The sheet helps travelers assess risk levels, understand crowd patterns, and find nearby safe spots like police stations or pharmacies, complete with contact details and estimated travel times. It also allows users to gather practical insights about what to expect at a location, enhancing their awareness and preparedness before visiting.

The sheet helps travelers assess risk levels, understand crowd patterns, and find nearby safe spots like police stations or pharmacies,

complete with contact details and estimated travel times. It also allows users to gather practical insights about what to expect at a location, enhancing their awareness and preparedness before visiting.

Emergency SOS

Tapping the prominent “Emergency SOS” button instantly alerts nearby trusted contacts or emergency services, sharing the userʼs live location. If no immediate help is available, the app displays nearby assistive places such as police stations or safe hubs so travelers can quickly find support in person.

users to gather practical insights about what to expect at a location, enhancing their awareness and preparedness before visiting.

Assistance in need

When a nearby traveler is in danger, an alert bubble appears on the map. Tapping it

reveals their exact location, details of the

emergency, and options to either respond or contact first responders immediately.

When a nearby traveler is in danger, an alert bubble appears on the map. Tapping it reveals their exact location, details of the emergency, and options to either respond or contact first responders immediately.

If phone is not accessible?

Travelers can easily use their watch to call for help from nearby people during stressful or urgent situations.

Pricing

Premium Plan

Unlock complete features for just $6 per month.

Business Plan

Boost visibility as a verified safe spot for $10 per month.

Validation

Market Validation for Sustainability

As I developed HerPath, I realized that building trust and engagement would depend heavily on how users interact with the appʼs core features. This led me to explore certain assumptions that, if proven wrong, could pose significant risks to the solutionʼs success. To evaluate these, I created a Risky Assumption Matrix, which helped me categorize assumptions based on their certainty and potential impact. This strategic framework allowed me to prioritize what needed validation first, which eventually led to me to prioritize notifications, real-time updates, and community-driven inputs.

Methods used to Validate

Fake Front Door

Mechanical Turk

Infiltrator

Aha

moment

"This app is incredible. I would definitely download it and it’d be worth paying for just for that peace of mind and the feeling of safety."

- Jordan Patrick

"This app is incredible. I would definitely download it and it’d be worth paying for just for that peace of mind and the feeling of safety."

- Jordan Patrick

"This app is incredible. I would definitely download it and it’d be worth paying for just for that peace of mind and the feeling of safety."

- Jordan Patrick

"I didn’t realize how much I needed this app until I saw this."

- Sweta Devnani

"I didn’t realize how much I needed this app until I saw this."

- Sweta Devnani

"I didn’t realize how much I needed this app until I saw this."

- Sweta Devnani