SafeSpace
App for Safer Worksites
Overview
SafeSpace is an AI-powered safety platform built to support women and gender-diverse tradespeople in the skilled trades. It converts voice recordings and guided AI conversations into clear, structured reports and practical insights, while enabling anonymous sharing of job site experiences to help both workers and leadership strengthen workplace safety.
Developed in partnership with ConnectHER Hub, SafeSpace was created to dismantle the systemic barriers that prevent underrepresented tradespeople from reporting misconduct and advocating for safer job sites.
of women and gender-diverse trade workers have experienced harassment at work.
Yet reporting remains rare...
Silence was the only safe option
Why?
The Solution
Research
To better understand the experiences of women and gender-diverse people in trades, Team SafeSpace conducted a mixed-methods research study, combining surveys, interviews, and secondary research.
Our participants included tradespeople of various genders, ages, and experience levels, from newcomers to seasoned professionals. The research aimed to uncover barriers, frustrations, and needs specific to underrepresented groups in the skilled trades.
reported feeling isolated as women or gender-diverse people in male-dominated trades, often needing to suppress their identity and emotions to fit in.
A safe community where peers can share insights and give advice or recommended steps for handling challenges. This fosters belonging, reduces isolation, and empowers tradespeople to navigate the workplace with support.
wanted a way to report harassment and unsafe work conditions, highlighting the prevalence of gender bias, verbal harassment, and uncomfortable environments.
Secure and anonymous reporting tools that document incidents in real time. Structured reports enable workers to safely share concerns, while leadership can access actionable insights to address and prevent misconduct.
use phones on-site, but heavy workloads and remote locations make it difficult to access support or resources when needed.
Offer mobile-first, on-site tools with offline capability, quick access to resources, and instant reporting. This ensures workers can manage safety, get help, and stay connected no matter the location or physical demands.
User Personas
To inform the design process, two user personas were created from the collected research data. These personas highlighted the needs, goals, and pain points of gender-minority tradespeople, helping prioritize features and validate design decisions.
Design Process
Sitemap & User Flow
Based on user research findings, the team developed a sitemap to define the app's structure, scope, and navigation. Given the project timeline, the scope was intentionally narrowed to focus on four core values, prioritizing meaningful impact and clear direction.
Based on the sitemap, the team developed a user flow to define how individuals would navigate through the app's core features. This helped align the team on key interactions and ensured a consistent direction throughout the design process.
Sitemap
User Flow
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
After finalizing the user flow, low-fidelity wireframes were created to visualize the core layout and interactions. These wireframes focused on structure, hierarchy, and functionality. This stage allowed the team to quickly validate ideas, gather feedback, and iterate efficiently before moving into high-fidelity design.
Branding & Styleguide
The visual identity conveys trust, strength, and resilience while remaining approachable and inclusive, using rounded shapes and soft gradients to create a welcoming space. SafeSpace's design reflects its mission to support and empower women and gender-diverse tradespeople.
Color Palette
Our palette of purple, orange, and yellow embodies SafeSpace's values, creating a visual identity that is trustworthy, empowering, and welcoming.
Typography
Typography emphasizes clarity and approachability, reflecting SafeSpace's friendly yet professional tone. Satoshi was chosen for its clean, geometric shapes, ensuring readability and a modern, cohesive look throughout the app.
Logo
The logo overall represents safety, support, and community for gender-minority tradespeople. The hardhat symbolizes the trades, while the handshake conveys a safe, supportive and welcoming environment.
User Testing and Iteration
User testing was conducted to evaluate how intuitive, clear, and trustworthy SafeSpace feels in real-world scenarios. The goal was to identify usability gaps, emotional friction points, and opportunities to improve clarity between key features.
We primarily tested three core scenarios that reflect the app's main functions: recording an incident, creating a report (both by completing a short form and through Safi), and browsing public posts to review report details.
Seamless recording & Posting flow
Finding
- Users were unsure about the difference between recording and creating a report.
- "Reports" in the navigation felt similar to recording.
- The flow between capturing evidence and posting publicly felt disconnected.
Solution
- Renamed "Reports" → "Posts" in the navigation to clarify public content.
- Introduced a clearly defined center Record action as the primary CTA.
- Elevated the home screen with a prominent map and clearer content hierarchy.
Web Supplement
For foremen, union representatives, and industry leaders, the web supplement centralizes worksite posts and transforms them into clear, actionable insights. By identifying patterns and surfacing recommended steps, it enables leadership to respond effectively and foster safer work environments.
Marketing Materials
