HeatCheck Mobile App
As we head towards increasingly hotter temperatures due to climate change, Maturis Design Lab thinks that we need a viable and compassionate solution for the problems that we’re facing.
For this case study, we ran a survey and discovered some unnerving facts — in the last heat waves that ran across much of the Southern Hemisphere, our survey noted that around 55.7% feared that the heat would impact their general wellbeing and safety.
Further qualitative research showed that users who work outside during the day wanted a solution where they could shelter from the heat when it was burning hot.
The data also showed that numerical data is often not enough, as numeracy might be limited in this regard.
Many apps use a certain metric called “real feel” to track temperature numbers better, but this might still be hard to understand. With these facts and data in hand, we ideated a solution — taking inspiration from the old Javanese tradition of putting a jar of water in front of one’s house to help anyone who needs them — to crowdsource heat data and shelter help.
Users can send in subjective localized heat data information that allows other users to immediately gauge if it’s too hot to survive outside. The localization is done using Google Plus codes. The app shows immediately whether a Google Plus local area, which allows “zooming in” up to a few meters using only 7 characters of code, is a heat danger area.
They can also contribute to the proliferation of shelters supplied with certain standards. Regular people's homes, business areas and government contributions alike can participate in this venture, making cities more livable. Other users who need them can then locate these shelters, see availability, check-in, and recover as needed.
The app is designed and developed to a certain aesthetic standard to ensure ease and delight of use. It is also designed to work with low data and low-end phones in mind, in order to facilitate inclusive access to as many people as it can.
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Here is our small, creative solution for the problems that lay ahead. As we face new realities, we will need to do more creative thinking to address new problems and tackle them head on.
Tune in next month for more of Maturis Design Lab’s creative solutions. Get in touch with us at maturisdesignlab@gmail.com if you’d like to know who we are and how we can help build your vision.
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