Story Of Survival

About

This UX project, developed for Surf Life Saving Research of Surf Life Saving Australia, addresses the critical issue of rip current safety, responsible for 20% of coastal drowning deaths in Australia. Our innovative solution is a website featuring an interactive podcast series designed to correct misconceptions and highlight the real risks associated with rip currents. By combining real-life stories, listener-driven outcomes, and live streaming sessions with experts, we aim to create an educational entertainment experience that effectively engages beachgoers, especially young men who are most at risk, thereby enhancing public understanding and safety.

Design Brief

Our goal is dedicated to improving rip current knowledge and awareness to enhance beach safety. Our goal is to create engaging and educational resources that reduce rip current accidents using advanced techniques and research-based insights.
We aim to make a lasting impact by increasing public awareness and changing behaviors related to rip currents, thereby reducing beach-related accidents and supporting public health and safety. Our innovative educational methods and community engagement strategies serve as a model for similar safety challenges, fostering a safer, better-informed, and more engaged community.

Project Type

Tools

UX & UI

Figma, Canva, Adobe Effect, Adobe Premiere Pro

Concept Mapping

Concept mapping is the initial step in our design process(after forming the team)where we visually organize and represent the relationships between different ideas and concepts related to rip current safety. This technique helps us identify the key components of the problem, such as the causes of rip current accidents, target audience characteristics, and the gaps in current educational approaches. By mapping out these elements, we gain a clearer understanding of the problem's scope and the interconnections between various factors, which informs our subsequent design decisions.

Brainstorm Ideas

Following the concept mapping, we conducted brainstorming sessions to generate a variety of potential solutions to increase rip current awareness and safety. During these meetings, team members are encouraged to think creatively and come up with innovative ideas without judgment or criticism. We finally identified the five most basic ideas, and based on these ideas we prepared interview questions and determined research directions.
This collaborative environment promotes diverse thinking and allows us to explore unconventional approaches. Ideas generated during brainstorming are then evaluated based on feasibility, potential impact, and alignment with our project goals. This step is critical in identifying promising concepts that can be further developed and refined in subsequent stages of the design process.

Research and Precedent

After brainstorming, we move on to conducting comprehensive research on both rip current data and successful idea precedents. This dual approach ensures our solutions are well-informed and grounded in evidence-based strategies.

We start by analyzing statistical reports, academic articles, and existing safety campaigns to gather detailed information about rip currents. Our focus is on understanding the frequency and locations of rip current incidents, identifying the demographic most at risk (primarily males aged 20-49), and evaluating the effectiveness of current educational materials. This data helps us pinpoint the reasons behind low public awareness and misidentification of rip currents, providing a solid foundation for our design process.

Simultaneously, we research idea precedents to identify successful educational and engagement strategies used in similar contexts. This involves studying case studies and examples of innovative safety campaigns, interactive educational tools, and entertainment-education methodologies. By examining how other projects have effectively increased public awareness and changed behaviors, we draw valuable lessons and best practices. Notably, we explore the concept of entertainment-education, which integrates educational content into engaging formats like interactive podcasts and digital platforms. This combined research informs our design, ensuring our approach is innovative, evidence-based, and tailored to effectively address the challenges faced by beachgoers.

Field Trip

Building on our previous research, we prepared a set of interview questions aimed at gaining deeper insights from both beachgoers and lifeguards. These questions were designed to explore their awareness, experiences, and perceptions regarding rip currents. Our goal was to

Assess Knowledge: Evaluate awareness and understanding of rip currents.
Gather Experiences: Collect personal stories of rip current encounters.
Evaluate Behavior: Assess preventive actions and safety awareness.
Understand Information Access: Determine how beachgoers seek safety information.
Enhance Awareness: Identify ways to improve public education on rip currents.

We conducted field trips to several beaches, where we interviewed a diverse group of beachgoers and lifeguards. Here are the key insights and summaries from our interviews:

Awareness and Recognition:

A significant portion of beachgoers, particularly tourists, were unaware of what rip currents are and how to identify them.
Lifeguards noted that despite warning signs and flags, many beachgoers still enter areas prone to rip currents, indicating a gap in effective communication and awareness.
Educational Materials:

Many beachgoers found existing educational materials, such as signs and pamphlets, to be either too complex or too easily ignored.
Lifeguards suggested that more engaging and visually striking materials might capture attention better and be more effective in educating the public.
Experience and Perception:

Beachgoers who had previous encounters with rip currents expressed a heightened sense of caution and a desire for more accessible information.
Lifeguards emphasized the importance of real-life stories and interactive methods to make the information more relatable and memorable.
Preferred Learning Methods:

A majority of beachgoers preferred learning through interactive and digital platforms over traditional methods like brochures.
Lifeguards believed that incorporating interactive demonstrations and digital simulations on the beach could significantly improve public understanding and response to rip currents.

In-depth Research II

Following our initial field trip and interviews, we delved deeper into understanding the practical applications and effectiveness of various educational methods for rip current awareness. Here are the key findings from our in-depth research:

Limitations of High-Tech Solutions:
- Despite the promise of high-tech solutions like AI-based rip current detection apps, our research highlighted significant concerns regarding their practicality and accessibility. Many users expressed skepticism about relying on technology that might give a false sense of security. Lifeguards also noted that such technology might not be suitable for all beach environments and could fail to address the immediate, on-the-ground needs of beachgoers.
Entertainment-Education:
- We explored the concept of entertainment-education, which integrates educational content into engaging formats such as digital media and interactive storytelling. While this approach showed potential in capturing attention and increasing awareness, our field trip insights suggested that it might not be sufficient on its own. Beachgoers and lifeguards emphasized the need for direct, hands-on learning experiences that could be immediately applied in real-life situations.
Preference for Beach Activities:
- Both beachgoers and lifeguards expressed a strong preference for educational activities that are directly integrated into the beach environment. Interactive demonstrations, real-life scenarios, and community-driven events were seen as more effective in teaching rip current safety. These activities provide practical experience and allow participants to practice skills in a realistic setting, which can significantly improve retention and application of safety knowledge.

Both beachgoers and lifeguards expressed a strong preference for educational activities that are directly integrated into the beach environment. Interactive demonstrations, real-life scenarios, and community-driven events were seen as more effective in teaching rip current safety. These activities provide practical experience and allow participants to practice skills in a realistic setting, which can significantly improve retention and application of safety knowledge.
Based on these findings, we have decided to focus our efforts on designing beach activities that are both educational and engaging. These activities will be tailored to provide hands-on learning experiences, combining elements of entertainment-education with practical demonstrations. By leveraging the natural beach setting and involving the community, we aim to create a more impactful and lasting awareness of rip current safety. Our goal is to develop activities that are not only informative but also enjoyable, ensuring that participants are both educated and motivated to apply what they have learned.

Reframing Statement

After our comprehensive research and field trip findings, we reframed our project brief to better address the core issues identified. Rip currents remain a significant hazard, yet public recognition and understanding are low. Traditional educational methods are not effectively engaging beachgoers, particularly the high-risk demographic of males aged 20-49.

Using "How Might We" (HMW) and "Jobs To Be Done" (JTBD) methods, we identified key areas for improvement. We need to create beach safety information that is more appealing and acceptable, using interactive and engaging methods focused specifically on rip currents. Our solutions should integrate seamlessly into beachgoers' daily routines and social activities, utilizing digital tools to make learning immersive and shareable.The redefined problem statement is: "Public recognition of rip currents is low because current educational materials do not resonate with most beachgoers, who do not perceive rip currents as an immediate or serious threat."

To address this, we propose enhancing the impact of our content by creating vivid and impactful narratives that highlight the risks and real consequences of rip currents. We aim to make educational methods more interactive to capture attention, and consider changing educational styles to be more acceptable to our target audience. We will conduct marketing campaigns to promote these educational activities, focusing our efforts during periods when rip currents are most frequent.

Concept Prototyping and Iteration

Based on our design principles, we identified the most promising concept: a radio program that integrates entertainment and education to promote rip current safety awareness.

Concept name: a radio program(entertainment education)

What is the big idea: A radio program that combines real-life stories of rip current survival pr life saver with engaging, dramatized audio plays to promote water safety awareness.

Who is it for? / Who is the user? The program is for beachgoers of all ages, main focus is male

How does it work? Listeners tune into weekly episodes that start with a dramatization of a true rip current incident. The story is followed by a discussion with experts and survivors, breaking down the dos and don'ts of rip current safety. Interactive segments involve listener participation to reinforce learning.

What problem does it fix? It addresses the lack of awareness about the dangers of rip currents and educates the public on how to enjoy the beach safely. By providing engaging and memorable content, the program aims to instill safer beach habits and reduce rip current-related accidents and fatalities.

Our team uses "The Tarot Cards of Tech" approach to critical thinking, aimed at developing a longer-term view of impact and criticality to ensure our designs are more closely matched to client needs(Artefact, 2024).

The Scandal:

Worst Headline Imaginable: "Safety Radio Drama Backfires: Listeners More Entertained Than Educated, Misjudgment Leads to Beach Tragedy"
Business Model Concern: The program might be perceived as sensationalizing rip current stories for ratings, which could compromise the integrity of safety education.
Harmful Scenarios: The dramatizations could inadvertently glamorize risky behavior or fail to emphasize the seriousness of rip currents, leading to dangerous underestimations.
Misuse of Product: If the dramatizations are overly entertaining, they might overshadow the educational content, causing listeners to take rip currents less seriously.

For The Backstabber:

Loss of Trust: Trust could be lost if a dramatized story is later revealed to be heavily fictionalized or not accurately representative of rip current risks.
Feeling Unsafe or Exposed: If a real-life story is shared without proper anonymization or consent, it could make people feel exposed or vulnerable.
Listening Mechanisms: The program will have call-in segments, social media engagement, and possibly a text-in feature for listeners to provide immediate feedback.
Recognizing Feedback Patterns: The production team would regularly review listener interactions and feedback, using both qualitative analysis of comments and quantitative analysis of engagement metrics to guide program improvements.

Design Principles

Through our Theory of Change, we identified key factors that could enhance our project's impact. By collaborating with various institutions such as ocean safety specialists, survival skill coaches, and educators, we recognized the potential for gaining more support and promoting diverse rip current-related knowledge. This led us to refine our concept to increase public awareness and engagement.

Iterated Concept

Concept Description:

The idea is a website featuring an interactive podcast series that fixes the misunderstandings and illuminates the actual risks of rip currents among beachgoers. It addresses this problem for stakeholders such as Surf Life Saving Auastralia and beachgoers by offering a Educational entertainment experience that combines real-life stories, listener-driven outcomes, and interactive live streaming sessions with experts.

Concept Iteration:

The Target Users:

The primary target audience is beachgoers, with a particular focus on young men who are often more receptive to engaging and interactive forms of Educational Entertainment.

The Project outcomes:

Our main issue is the gap between beachgoers' perceptions of rip currents and their actual risks, particularly among young men who are more prone to such accidents. Research indicates that young men engage well with educational entertainment, prompting us to adopt an interactive podcast format where listeners can influence the story outcomes through their choices. Additionally, our website features a live stream of beach education sessions, emphasizing direct interaction to enhance learning effectiveness during live events.

User Journey Map

NEXT STEP

Upcoming Steps:

The interactive podcast on rip current safety will focus on content development, technical setup, and pilot episode testing. The initial step will involve gathering real-life rip current stories and adapting them into educational and engaging episodes with the help of scriptwriters. For technical setup, the podcast will incorporate interactive features like voice response options, which will be thoroughly tested across various devices to ensure flawless functionality. A pilot episode will then be released to measure listener engagement and collect initial feedback, which will be crucial for refining content and enhancing interactivity.
For the live streaming program, the primary focus will be on scheduling and planning live sessions during peak beach seasons to maximise engagement.
For both the Interactive Podcast and the Live Streaming program, effective marketing will be essential. To develop a cost-effective marketing strategy that stays within budget, ensuring that outreach efforts are as efficient as they are impactful.

Key Considerations:

Funding must be effectively allocated to each segment of the project within our existing budget. Additionally, all content and activities must comply with safety guidelines and be verified by rip current and water safety experts to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Promotion Video

Reflection

Participating in this project has been an enriching and transformative experience. My primary role involved leading the creation of interactive tools designed to educate beachgoers about rip currents. Through thorough research, I ensured our educational methods were engaging and effective in meeting stakeholder needs. This research-driven approach allowed us to develop sustainable solutions that address the critical issue of rip current awareness. Additionally, I contributed significantly to the group's success by producing a professional promotion video that effectively communicated our project’s goals and outcomes. This visual element was crucial in garnering support and raising awareness among our target audience. Collaborating with my team, I was able to blend creativity with data-driven insights, resulting in a project that not only educates but also captivates. This experience has strengthened my skills in research, content creation, and teamwork, all while making a tangible impact on public safety.