Sanctuary

Nov 1

UX Case Study

Client: Concept Project · 2021
Role: UX Research · Product Design · UI Design
Deliverables: Research, Personas, Competitive Analysis, Wireframes, Hi-Fi Prototype

Women stay in abusive relationships because they feel alone. This app was built to change that.

Sanctuary is a social impact app designed for women in abusive relationships. Not a hotline. Not a resource list. A safe community, a space to share without judgment, to find strength in each other's stories, to build toward leaving when they're ready.

I led the full UX process from research through prototype. Eight user interviews, four with women currently in domestic violence households. The research uncovered the real barriers: fear, shame, isolation, no trusted support system nearby. Every design decision was driven by what we heard in those conversations.

The design process was the work. We didn't start with wireframes. We started with listening.

**User needs** a safe space to communicate and find the strength to leave abusive relationships BECAUSE I suspect they stay in abusive relationships out of fear, shame, loneliness, and lack of a support system.
We believe that by creating a safe space for women in abusive relationships, we will design a platform to help them during the abusive relationship.
We will know this truth when we see what factors keep the victims in an abusive relationship.

**User interviews** were conducted with 8 people, from which 4 were still in domestic violence households. In the research, the main objective was to find why they couldn't leave.

Persona

Revised Problem Statement.

Julia needs a way to express what she is going through BECAUSE she feels isolated and misunderstood by family and friends.

Revised Problem Hypothesis.

We believe that by developing a safe space for women in abusive relationships, we will have a support system for women in need. A judge-free platform for women to share their experiences and create a dialogue with one another.