Dream Defenders App Prototype
Problem
Dream Defenders was founded in April 2012 after the tragic killing of 17 year old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fl. One year later Dream Defenders had built from the ground up a movement that sparked thousands of young people in Florida and across the country to take action. And today Dream Defenders continues to strive for change. Their mission today, is to expand and encourage the youth to volunteer and help create change within their own communities.Through the development of a mobile application.
App Criteria
The app should include the following:
Sign Up/Register Screens
Login / Start Up Screen
Dashboard
Main Service Screens that support app functionality
User Settings and Profile
Account Cancellation or Deletion Screen
Actions
To create an app that will allow users to search by causes and issues that matter most to them, whether it be kids education, criminal justice reform, social equality, fighting poverty and voter suppression, or any other cause that inspires you.
Ideally by using this app you’ll be able to:
Stay informed on social issues
Stay informed of bills proposed at federal, state, and local government
Effect social change through the digital and real world.
Organizers will also be able to utilize the app. The goal for organizers will be to create a profile, organize events, fundraisers, and campaigns.
Results
The creation of the Dream Defenders application has helped the organization see an increasing amount of users volunteering within their own communities. Their reach is now stronger than ever. The goal was to expand and encourage the youth to volunteer, and they’ve been able to do so through the implementation of the mobile app, that connects users with opportunities near them.
Audience
Young men and women 18+, college educated, socially aware, avid social media users
The users will ideally use the app to volunteer for causes they’re interested in and stay up to date on global and local events that may affect their communities.
Non-profit organizations seeking volunteers
Organizations will create profiles, encourages users to volunteer, contribute, and bring about awareness within the community
Lessons Learned
Building this application from the ground up has taught me so much about myself as a UX designer. Its essential to define must-have features from the very beginning.
I’m accustomed to working on existing products so creating a product from the ground up was intimidating at first. To help cut down on the confusion I created a sitemap. Doing so allowed me to map out the different paths a user could take, which in the end helped outline the necessary screens.
During the design process considering micro-interactions, and planning how elements will be affected helped save me from making unnecessary adjustments to the interface.
I also made sure to get feedback from my peers from the very beginning of the process till the end.
