Biography
Heya, my name is Anita and I am originally from Auckland, however I have been living in Hamilton while I’ve been studying. Alongside sports and travel, I have always been interested in design and have loved exploring my creative flair. When I was younger, I used to decorate cakes and make cards and invitations for my family and friends. Because of this passion for creativity, I knew that studying design was perfect for me and safe to say I made the right choice!
I’ve learnt a lot through my 3 years of studying and have definitely grown as a designer. I’m lucky enough to have explored most aspects of design through Waikato University’s course, and have found a love for branding, UI Design and publications. I’m more than excited to see where my design journey goes next.
Project Description
NOVA is an app that promotes safety for women in public spaces while also allowing women to connect with each other, hopefully making them more confident and comfortable when navigating environments. NOVA stands for ‘Navigating Our Ventures with Assurance”. It is targeted at 18-25 year old active, social women, that walk, run or bike to and from their daily activities by themselves.
When women go about their daily activities alone, they may feel uncomfortable, unsafe or vulnerable. This may be due to unwanted attention, harassment, being followed, the list goes on. It is that big of an issue that I can confidently say that almost every woman has experienced something like this at least once in their lifetime. I can personally say that I have, which is why I chose to design NOVA, as it is the type of tool I would use.
The goal of this project is to allow women to feel more confident, secure and empowered when they are in public settings. NOVA gives them the tools to feel safer, in which they can freely and confidently participate in their everyday activities without fear. Through the NOVA app, women can share their location with their friends, mark unsafe areas on a map, have the option of an alert button and connect with like-minded individuals through the forum. There is also a light up wristband that connects to the NOVA app, which flashes when the alert button has been activated. The purpose of NOVA is to almost create a club, or community which is why merchandise has also been created to further push the messaging of NOVA.