Red Zone: Alerting users to prevent overcrowded situations

A fashion ecosystem designed to maximize the use of existing textiles

Role
Product designer (user research, prototyping)
Team
Self-initiated
Timeline
Nov 2022 (3 weeks)
Tools
Figma, Photoshop

Problem Statement

Lack of appropriate safety measures to manage mass crowd situations may lead to a horrible tragedy.

On Saturday night of 29 October 2022, tens of thousands of people flocked to Itaewon in Seoul, South Korea to celebrate Halloween. Large crowds gathered in the area known for its nightlife, bars, and restaurants. Few minutes past 10 pm, chaos erupted at a narrow downhill alley that links a busy restaurant district to the main street. There was a deadly crash of population in the alley, leaving 158 people killed and 196 others injured. The victims were mostly young adults.

The tragedy was not a stampede—stampede is when people had space to run. In Itaewon, however, there was not space to move. While the authorities focus solely on finding scapegoats, I, deeply disappointed and angered by their neglect of addressing the root causes and preventive measures, decided to explore how we can better respond to such situations in the future.

Solution

Delivering Real-Time Notifications of Nearby Crowd Conditions.

To efficiently inform and give users the chance to avoid dangerous crowds, I defined two different zones—Red Zone and Orange Zone. The Red Zone and the Orange Zone notification allow people in the area or heading toward the area to avoid being involved in a crowd crush.

Providing real-time alerts for nearby congested zones

A crowded area lies ahead.
Just a heads-up.

Stay informed with the Red Zone notification, appearing on your lock screen as you approach, presenting a preview map showcasing the crowded area alongside your current location. Easily navigate around crowds by tapping the notification to explore alternative routes. New to the feature? Receive a quick introduction to Zones upon notification.

Choosing a detour route during navigation with ease

Seamlessly choose detour routes with predictive or real-time alerts.

Stay informed while on the move, receiving timely updates during your journey. Decide whether to continue as planned or effortlessly select a detour route to avoid congestion.

Staying informed to prevent large crowds

Stay ahead of crowds,
even in predicted hotspots.

Receive an Orange Zone notification when entering areas with anticipated high crowd density, advising either staying indoors or relocating to avoid potential overcrowding. The Orange Zone text bubble provides an estimate of the time remaining before the area transitions to a Red Zone, based on the current population flow.

Challenges Addressed

Expert Analysis: Identifying the Root Cause of the Incident

Proper crowd control measures could have significantly reduced the casualties, highlighting the urgent need for better strategies in high-density areas.

The tragedy occurred on a downhill slope, where people moved in all directions, causing the crowd to collapse like dominoes. Shouts of “push forward” only added to the chaos, as no one knew which way to go. This critical failure in crowd management, marked by the absence of clear direction, worsened congestion and prevented effective intervention. This insight prompted me to think about…

Framing the Challenge to Inspire Solutions

Framing the Challenge to Inspire Solutions

How might we empower individuals to effectively manage dangerous mass crowd situations, reducing their dependence on authorities during emergencies?

How might we empower individuals to effectively manage dangerous mass crowd situations, reducing their dependence on authorities during emergencies?

Defining the Key Audience

Primary users most at risk in crowded situations are the younger generation.

Primary users most at risk in crowded situations are the younger generation.

To develop a more impactful solution, I focused on identifying the primary target audience for this challenge. I concluded that it is primarily the younger generation, who often find themselves in large crowds during daily commutes, concerts, or sports events.

Co-design Session: Harnessing Collective Creativity

During the initial ideation stage, I envisioned an app primarily focused on preparing for dangerous situations by notifying people of crowded areas and providing real-time emergency instructions. I held a co-design session with two friends—one present in Itaewon that day—and a software engineer. Their feedback led to a significant shift from this original concept, with the insights gained proving crucial in reshaping the solution’s direction.

It should also be useful for normal, everyday crowds, instead of triggering an emergency mode only in fatal situations.

"A dense crowd doesn’t always imply imminent fatalities. In fact, most dense crowdings that, in numbers, might look similar or even worse than the Itaewon incident, but is completely organized and safe. We do not want our phones entering “emergency mode” during concerts.”

Anticipating and preventing dangerous crowds should be prioritized than trying to resolve the swamped crowd. In case of occurrence, promptly alert and aid local authorities with accurate data.

“People in dense crowds would not be able to look at their phones, lest follow instructions.”

Users do not want emergency mode to be activated in their phone without consent.

“It is not plausible to give an app “emergency authorities,” by which it can override other functions and pop-up on the first-screen. But without such functions, it would not be possible to simultaneously notify the entire crowd, a crucial condition that must be met in order to coordinate the crowd flow.”

The service would work better as a plug-in for GPS navigation apps. It can make efficient use of the readily available traffic and locational data of navigation apps.

“I don't think people will download an app only for this kind of purpose. It would rather be nice to have it on navigation apps, since it can legally use traffic data.”

Crafting personas and user scenarios

Designing with user needs at the core

Designing with user needs at the core

To ensure the user flow genuinely addresses user needs, I created three personas and developed scenarios that reflect how they would interact with the service. I then outlined three usage scenarios: Alicia represents the user approaching the crowded area, Katherine embodies the user navigating towards it, and Chris reflects the user already within the anticipated crowd. The final prototype was designed with these scenarios in mind.

Designing user flows and a low-fi prototype

Translating user needs into actionable design

Translating user needs into actionable design

Based on the key scenarios, I solidified the core experience of the service by creating a user flow that prioritized user needs over minor issues. I then sketched a low-fidelity prototype before developing the final design.

What I learned

#1. Embrace feedback, stay flexible with your ideas, and trust in collective intelligence.

I was initially shocked to realize how unrealistic my original idea was, and I felt embarrassed for overlooking the insights my friends provided. However, as I progressed through my master’s program, I learned that co-designing is essential to truly meet user needs and create valuable solutions.

#2. Trust in the power of user experience design to create positive change in the society.

While working at YTN, one of South Korea’s largest news agencies, I often felt powerless as I monitored global news covering a wide range of topics—disease, war, violence—without being able to do anything about it, aside from assisting journalists in spreading the news. This sense of helplessness drove me to transition into UX design, where I could make a positive impact, even if it’s small. This project reflects my passion for this field and my desire to contribute to meaningful change.

ⓒ Sammie Lee 2024

ⓒ Sammie Lee 2024

ⓒ Sammie Lee 2024

ⓒ Sammie Lee 2024