Crime Crushing is a free tool built to help Law Enforcement Agencies and Crime Stoppers Programs communicate directly with members of the public. The goal of the platform is to increase partner organisation’s social media reach and reduce the hours needed to manage online engagement with our easy to use case management system.
By giving exposure to criminal and missing person cases, members of the public will be better informed on what is going on in their community and able to share tips on active cases.
As the founding designer on a small team, I spearheaded the product design, brand development, and strategic efforts from the outset. Joining before we secured funding, I played a crucial role in our seed round funding efforts by conducting market research, user surveys, product roadmaps and positoning and to shape our company strategy. Collaborating closely with the CEO and COO, I established the project roadmap and managed the creation of our two-sided marketplace from the ground up.
Given the team's size, we contracted our engineering work to a partner agency. I acted as the primary liaison, overseeing the handoff, quality assurance, and overall collaboration with their team. My responsibilities extended to product positioning, user persona development, branding, marketing, and crafting press releases. Drawing on my background in advertising and design, I was well-equipped to address any design challenges that arose throughout the project.
To understand the needs of both Law Enforcement Agencies and community members, I conducted user interviews with law enforcement officers and surveys of the public. This process revealed that Law Enforcement Agencies need a system for real-time updates, while users expressed concerns about "doom fatigue" from constant exposure to dark content.
Additionally, there is skepticism among the public regarding engagement with law enforcement, underscoring the need for a thoughtful approach to design and communication.
Crime Crushing's value proposition lies in its ability to facilitate modern communication between LEAs and the public. By analyzing existing platforms, I identified market gaps and incorporated best practices from social media to create an engaging user experience.
Leading the end-to-end design process from concept to implementation, my key principles were to focus on clarity and engagement, resulting in a clean, intuitive layout and component system.
The public facing user home feed features an endless scroll format to maintain user interest, presenting content in varying intensities to mitigate content fatigue. To enhance usability, I implemented top-level filters and partner selection, allowing users to customize their content display and moderate the type of content they consume. The design system comprises a limited color palette and custom illustrations, creating a cohesive look that softens the presentation of sensitive material.
The partner case management system was designed to mirror functionality of existing B2B tools that our Law Enforcement partners were accustomed to. The platform removes common friction points and created fast and straightforward tool, saving man hours for our partner organizations.
The partner case management system was designed to mirror functionality of existing B2B tools that our Law Enforcement partners were accustomed to. The platform removes common friction points and created fast and straightforward tool, saving man hours for our partner organizations.
Positioning a company involved in Law enforcement presented a unique set of challenges. In recent years with policing and its role in communities coming under increased scrutiny it was important to be aware of cultural shifts while engaging with members of the public and partner organizations. A focus on community safety and communicating that the public could play a role in active cases proved to be the correct focus to engage users and partners.
The content on the platform often consists of mug shots, security camera footage and other dark images. A key goal in the brand and product design system was to focus on simplicity, appear to be a trusted partner and not play into any Law Enforcement tropes. A typeface, color pallette and illustration style was chosen to pay homage to the vernacular of law enforcement, all while remaining friendly and neutral.
Leading the project through the development cycle involved coordinating with designers, developers, and stakeholders to ensure alignment with our goals. I tackled challenges such as creating a cop-friendly language that resonated with law enforcement while remaining accessible to the public. Additionally, I developed an intuitive B2B case management system tailored to the unique needs of law enforcement partners.
Crime Crushing represents a significant advancement in modernizing law enforcement's interaction with the community. By establishing a direct communication platform, we aim to enhance public engagement, improve case resolution rates, and foster a healthier relationship between law enforcement and citizens. This project exemplifies my ability to lead a comprehensive design process, from ideation to implementation, effectively addressing complex challenges in a sensitive environment.
The platform has recently launched and we are seeing excited engagement from both partner agencies and the public.
