BadgeWatch

See the UX research. UX research.See the test code. Repo here.See the design prototype. Prototype.

See the UX research. UX research.

See the test code. Repo here.

See the design prototype. Prototype.

 
 

Background

The data portal for police encounters.

BadgeWatch was a winning hackathon idea in 2018 based on using technology and design to help people track locally police encounters. The original vision was called “EI” which was a SAAS platform and application that uses facial recognition software to provide first responders access to people’s emergency information to resolve their issue. The hypothesis of this idea was that facial recognition could help first responders in the work that they do.

The American Bar Association Racial & Ethical Coalition gave a grant to build out working prototypes for these ideas and bringing on technical leaders to support with volunteers getting these apps proposed to Public Safety in Miami to test then later select an app prototype to pilot within the city.

Approach.

Using research and interaction to inform design.

We approached UX Designer, Monica Gragg, who conducted research on the best way to use design to help facilitate an application that can help with accountability for local policing. We then did further research on how exponential technology could address the needs outlined through our design research. Through design-centered design and delivery-driven government methodologies, we identified a problem than build a digital prototype that can be tested locally.  Our hope is to use civic user testing to understand the needs and thoughts of over 100 Miamians on how we can make this tool better serve them in the field.

The solution

Open Policing Portal for Citizens.

BadgeWatch is an application that acts as a data aggregation tool that listens to cities and aggregates all interactions at the local level between police and residents in video format. We use hashtags, tags, and various media forms to paint a picture of police interactions in order to help both people and police become more accountable.

Open data & API strategy

Scale the use of public interest technology.

BadgeWatch is built to enable municipalities to further their open data policies to:

  1. Provide a single place and proof of concept of leveraging social media for accountability for local public safety.

  2. Advocate for the use of open data to help introduces and draw awareness of police brutality and interactions with a trusted 3rd party.

We are looking for testers? Is this you? Then register here.