Raising awareness of Financial abuse and providing knowledge for a way out

Conceptualised collaboratively, Resolve is an application aimed at assisting victims of domestic abuse, with a specific focus on addressing financial challenges.

Working alongside another designer, our task was to explore potential avenues to combat the intricate issues faced by victims in abusive relationships. We concepted this application to secure a contract with a prominent charitable organization.

Discovery and Journey

The following video provides an in-depth look at our approach to this sensitive subject. From the initial workshops that shaped our ideas to the stylistic choices and underlying thought processes behind the brand, the video offers a comprehensive overview. For those who prefer a quick readable summary, the key points discussed in the video are outlined below.

Kick-off workshops

Understanding that control over finances is often weaponised in abusive relationships, we set out to create an app that empowers victims to reclaim their financial independence.

Because of the sensitivity of the topic, we wanted to know as much about the subject as possible, so we conducted workshops and developed personas to immerse ourselves in the experiences of both victims and abusers.

The goal was to devise strategies to counteract financial abuse.

Hopes and Fears Workshop

This workshop aimed to align our team's expectations and concerns before embarking on this challenging project. The outcomes were categorized into hopes and fears:

Hopes

Assisting vulnerable individuals in escaping harmful situations
Providing financial freedom
Establishing a pathway for an exit plan
Flagging potentially dangerous situations

Fears

Prolonging someone's stay in a dangerous situation
Abusers discovering the victim's search for help
Misuse of the app by the abuser
Abuser gaining detailed knowledge of the victim's financial situation, complicating escape efforts

Types of Financial Abuse

To comprehend the challenges at hand, we delved into extensive research on the various forms financial abuse can take and presented our findings to each other and documented on miro.

Persona Workshop

By conducting persona workshops that combined different scenarios with independent research, we tried to put ourselves in the victim's shoes, identifying obstacles and paving the way for potential solutions.

We came away with an understanding of the different types of financial abuse and the various ways abusers access the money of the victim. We found that certain scenarios required similar solutions.

Draft Concept

Our proposed solution is an easily concealable app designed to aid victims in planning their exit or improving their situation.

The app facilitates communication with the victim's bank, allowing them to inform the bank of the situation, set up a new account, or manage their existing account through the application.

Additionally, the app features an online chat to help victims devise a personalized plan for enhancing their lives.

Branding

We wanted the branding to feel both approachable and calming. We chose colours, shapes and imagery that we felt would make the user feel safe.

Selection of screens

A few of the key screens from the MVP concept app.

Prototype

We created a prototype for the charity to get a good idea of what was possible and how quickly we could ideate a concept and turn those ideas into the bones of a product.

Final thoughts

Engaging in this project was an emotional journey, but very fulfilling.

Not only did we devise a potential solution to assist those in need, but the agency I was working with successfully secured the contract.

This achievement allows us to further develop and implement our ideas, ensuring that our concepts contribute to aiding people in the future.