Based on the assumption mapping and diary study I did, I started to test my hypothesis using the first prototype. Below is how I developed the testable hypothesis.
There are major situations where solo travelers feel not safe.
If solo travelers walk on an unfamiliar street, they are more likely to feel not safe.
If the solo travelers know where the dangerous street is, they can safely go to a particular place.
If solo travelers know the safe routes, they can explore more authentic local places.
If solo travelers can see color-coded danger levels, they can pick safer routes and explore more authentic local places.
When solo travelers walk alone in an unfamiliar place without people at night, they will pick a safer route than a faster route if they can see color-coded danger levels for each street.
The detailedness of crime affects the solo traveler’s decision to choose between a safe or fast route. We will know this is true when we see the solo traveler informed detailed information about the crime more likely to choose a safe way rather than a fast one.
I could not put participants in an actual dangerous situation for safety reasons, so I assumed an imaginary situation in my prototype. Below is the prototype I used for the experiment.
The only difference between Type A and B is in the last pages. Group A sees the details of the crime. Below is the result note.
And below are some key takeaways from the experiment.
- 89% of participants chose a faster route than a safer route in both conditions.
The detailedness of crime only affects the solo traveler’s decision to choose a safer rather than faster route when the time is enough to arrive at a targeted destination. - Male more tend to believe the crimes will not happen to them, making them feel safer than females when they become aware of possible danger.
- Even if the users want to see recommended routes, they want to find their own way based on each street information and the exact location for the crimes.
- People tend to take a risk and choose a fast route when it is related to a significant occasion, such as a job interview or an expensive show.
- The word “safe” can have different meanings for each person, so it may be better not to label the route name and show the information.
