Turning a confusing, risky app into a lifeline for people experiencing domestic abuse
Industry:
Social care
Duration:
2 weeks
My role:
Product Designer (UX & UI)
Method:
Mobile-first design
🔎 Overview
Context
Domestic abuse is terrifying, and anyone experiencing it needs help fast. The Bright Sky app was meant to provide that help, but it was clunky, confusing, and slow. Users were struggling to find critical resources when it mattered most. The team needed a redesign that was safe, intuitive, and genuinely empowering.
Business goal
Make Bright Sky accessible and usable so survivors can get help quickly and safely.
🤷♀️ The user & problem
User group
People experiencing domestic violence—many with limited English and low digital literacy.
The problem
Confusing navigation and poor accessibility could literally put people at risk.
⚒️ My approach
I kicked things off with an audit of the app and spoke with stakeholders to understand what users needed.
Key insights:
The UI was inconsistent, looked outdated, and prioritised the wrong stuff.
Survivors needed to find help in under 3 taps, any extra step could be dangerous.
Text-heavy content didn’t work for users with low English or digital literacy. Icons, visuals, and plain language were key.
Accessibility and consistency weren’t good enough for such a critical service.
🧠 Behavioural principle used
Chunking
We process information better in small groups.
👉 Why it applies here
By breaking content into smaller chunks across screens, we reduced mental effort for users, making the experience safer and more empathetic.
🚨 The messy bits i.e. what went wrong & how I fixed it
Problem
I initially suggested removing the “Call 999” button from the main navbar. My thought: in a crisis, people would just dial their phone, no need for extra clicks. But client stakeholders pointed out a critical risk: abusers often monitor their victims, and seeing them use the phone could put them in danger.
How I iterated the design
Kept the Call 999 shortcut in place after stakeholder input confirmed its essential safety role.
✅ The outcome
The Bright Sky app went from confusing and risky to safe, clear, and usable. Survivors can now access critical resources in just a few taps, even under immense stress. What was once a barrier became a vital lifeline.
↪️ What I would do differently next time
I’d involve 5 actual users of the app to co-create the redesign, gaining deeper insight into their lived experience and making the solution even more empathetic.
