So, You Wanna Build an App? Know Your Audience

This post is part of the “So You Wanna Build an App” series. The other posts include: “What to Consider Before Developing an App,” “Safety First,” and “App Security.” This series is based on lessons we learned when developing the NNEDV Tech Safety App, and in reviewing dozens of apps created for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Our reviews can be found in the App Safety Center.

 If you’re building an app for survivors of abuse, your mantra should always be: first, do no harm. Survivors of abuse may be using your app in the middle of a crisis, or while looking for help to escape a violent situation. Although you can’t predict how someone will use your app, you can minimize harm by building an app that takes the unique needs of your audience into consideration. Below are some tips for doing just that.

Don’t Create a False Sense of Security

Because survivors may rely on your app to help them find safety or to get time-critical information, the app needs to work as it’s intended. Unfortunately, many apps that have been created for survivors are so complex they often don’t work the way the designers intended. We tested dozens of apps whose sole promise was to locate a victim when they’re in danger, but many of them didn’t always show exact location. Sometimes it was off by a few houses and sometimes it was off by a few miles. If your app promises personal security and safety as a key function, you have to make sure it works accurately every time, and in every environment (rural/suburban/urban).

Don’t Overpromise

Carefully market your app, and be sure not to imply that it does more than it’s actually able to. We’ve seen many safety apps created for victims of abuse that are marketed with claims that are blatantly false, and that (unethically) try to appeal to the victim’s need for safety. Some of these marketing ploys include: “#1 Prevention of Sexual Assault!”, “You’ll never be in danger again,” and “It’s like having a police officer in your pocket.” Even though the developers may have had good intentions, not only are these claims unrealistic, they can be dangerous if someone were to accept them as true.

Such claims may keep the user from thinking through other safety measures they could take. If users believe that your app is the only safety strategy they need, you’ve likely created a false sense of security that can result in unintended danger to the victim. Moreover, if someone has the app and does get assaulted, it can contribute to victim blaming – accusations that the victim had a safety app that could have prevented the assault, if only they’d used it properly. Simply put: don’t tell victims the app will keep them safe. There is no app that can stop an abusive partner from trying to harm their victim – the only thing that can stop that from happening are abusers themselves.

Be Accurate About Your Information

Because the app is created for someone who might be in danger, make sure that the information in your app is accurate. Resources should link to accurate phone numbers or websites, and be appropriate for your intended audience. For example, if your app is for victims of domestic violence, list local domestic violence programs in the resources section, rather than listing general health services. Remember that even if your app is meant for a specific location (such as your city) or population (such as teens), anyone can download the app, so resources should be applicable to all users (you can include the National Hotline in addition to the local hotline numbers), or clearly state who can use the resources. Double and triple check the information you’ve listed (websites, phone numbers, and other contact information) to make sure it’s correct, and make this a part of your ongoing maintenance plan.

Be Accurate in Your Language

If you don’t have expertise in the dynamics of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, work with experts in those respective fields to develop your content and to ensure your language is correct and appropriate. Domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are all very nuanced issues. Users of your app could be in a traumatized state of mind when they’re using your app, and your content needs to be sensitive. Victims may not yet have the words or definitions to explain what they’re experiencing, and the way you describe it may have a major impact on their understanding. Work with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim experts to help you write content that is appropriate.

 Speaking of apps – check out NNEDV’s Tech Safety App! DC-based company 3Advance developed the CMS infrastructure and created the multi-platform mobile apps to bring to life the NNEDV Tech Safety App. If you’re an app developer or a victim service provider working with an app developer, be sure to check out our Considerations for App Developers resource!

 

So, You Wanna Build an App? What to Consider Before Developing an App

This is the first post in a series for victim service providers who are considering developing an app. In this post, we’ll talk about whether an app is the right platform for what your agency wants to do. The next posts will be: “Know Your Audience,” “Safety First,” and “App Security.” This series is based on lessons we learned when developing the NNEDV Tech Safety App in reviewing dozens of apps created for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Our reviews can be found in the App Safety Center

As more survivors are using smartphones and downloading apps, many local domestic violence and sexual assault programs are considering whether they should build an app. There are many reasons why they might want to—apps give users immediate access to information and can harness built-in features of smartphones (like GPS), giving additional safety tools to survivors. However, before starting the development process, there are lots of things to think about. This series discusses key issues and concerns programs should consider before developing an app.

Is an App the Best Format?

It’s important before developing an app to assess if it’s really the best medium for what you want to accomplish. There are many innovative ways to distribute information without developing an app (like websites, podcasts, and videos, to name a few). Another reason why you might want to develop an app is because what you want to accomplish requires the unique benefits smartphones and tablets offer, like GPS, messaging, video cameras, and audio recorders. Or perhaps your goal is to make use of the immediacy apps offer. Most people have their phones with them all the time, so if you want to create something that will be at someone’s fingertips anytime they need it, an app may be the way to go.

Is Your Idea Unique?

So now that you’ve looked at whether an app is the best way to help you accomplish your goal, it’s time to find out if your idea already exists. Even though you may think your app is unique, take the time to do some research and check the app stores to see if similar tools already exist. Creating an app is a very resource intensive process (as you’ll find out in the paragraphs below), so the one you want to build should be different or add new value to what’s already out there. If it doesn’t, consider holding off or going back to the drawing board.

Will the App be Useful?

Your primary goal shouldn’t be to build a cool, new tool (though of course those are important characteristics), it should be to create a useful resource for survivors. To do that, you’ll need to evaluate whether survivors will find your app useful. You can do this by talking to potential users and asking what it is they would find helpful in an app - organizing a focus group is ideal. By doing this, you can identify what will be important for survivors (again, ensuring that it’s not something that already exists, or can actually be done easier in a different format).

Apps are Expensive & Require Ongoing Maintenance

Creating apps—the good ones, anyway—can be an expensive undertaking. To build an effective, functional, and useful app, you could spend more money than what you’d pay to create a new website, implement a communications campaign, or in some cases even hire a new staff person. Building an app is more than just coming up with the content that goes into it. You’re building a product that requires the work of engineers, designers, and project managers with specific expertise.

Depending on what you want your app to do, you’ll need to factor in the costs of your staff’s time, developer fees, and app management/upkeep expenses. (As a reference point, in building our Tech Safety App our development team included an iOS developer, an Android developer, a database builder, a graphic designer, and a project manager.) And that’s just what it takes to create the app.

Apps also require a commitment to ongoing maintenance and regular software updates. The level of maintenance an app will need depends on the kind of app you create. Each time there’s a major operating system update to iOS, Android, or any other platform your app is available on, you’ll need to roll out a new update to keep it working.

The Key to it All

Most importantly, any app that is intended to be used by survivors should prioritize safety and privacy. If your app creates safety or privacy risks for survivors, those risks will likely outweigh any potential benefit, and could potentially put survivors in danger. To learn more about how to prioritize privacy and safety in the app you create, be sure to check out our upcoming posts in this series: “Know Your Audience,” “Safety First,” and “App Security.”

Speaking of apps – check out  NNEDV Tech Safety App!  If you’re an app developer or a victim service provider working with an app developer, be sure to check out our  Considerations for App Developers! **

It’s a Wrap!! Another Successful Tech Summit in the Books!

Last week we welcomed almost 300 people to our 5th Annual Technology Summit in San Francisco. For four days we laughed, strategized, and built new ways to think and talk about how privacy and tech safety impact the lives of survivors of abuse and harassment.

We had over 30 brilliant and passionate presenters from around the world, including representatives from Google, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Uber, Mozilla, and Niantic. A wide array of content was presented, such as: the Internet of Things, the intersection between technology and human trafficking, cutting edge technology legislation, online gaming and dating, teens and tech, innovative uses of technology to address abuse, and many more.

In addition to our world class presenters, this year we had our largest group of participants ever, including from partner agencies in Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, and Canada. Technologists, advocates, lawyers, and survivors enriched the conversation as participants and presenters. Many participants came from programs providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, non-residential services, and crucial legal assistance. Others teach coding and tech skills to survivors to help them gain financial freedom. All of them make a difference every day.

Throughout the conference, participants discussed all aspects of Technology Safety for survivors, including:
·         How abusers misuse tech,
·         How survivors can strategically use tech to maintain their safety and privacy,
·         How agencies can use tech to increase accessibility and ensure privacy, and
·         The importance of designing technology with survivors in mind.

At NNEDV we work and play hard, and the 2017 Tech Summit was no different. Receptions, dinners, snacks, networking opportunities, and informal discussions provided a chance for participants and presenters to connect and collaborate. Tech Summit is ultimately a tech conference, so we also had ample time to try out tech, including learning how to opt-out of data brokers at our Opt-Out Station and testing out the virtual gaming system, Oculus.

We are thrilled that the conference was a success and we look forward to taking back many great ideas on how to make next year’s conference even better. The conference was filled with ideas on how technology safety can improve the lives of survivors of abuse and harassment. We are excited to provide that information in the coming year through technical assistance, new written materials, and our ever expanding training catalogue.

We are already gearing up for Tech Summit 2018, so send along ideas for what you want to see in 2018! If you were unable to join us for Tech Summit this year, you can see a little of the fun by looking at the Program Book, checking out our Storify and Twitter Moment feeds, or by searching for #TechSummit17 and #TechSafetyMeans: 
·         On Twitter: #TechSummit17 and #TechSafetyMeans
·         On Instagram: #TechSummit17 and #TechSafetyMeans
·         On Facebook:  #TechSummit17 and #TechSafetyMeans