Emergency Services Self-Help App
A discreet self-help app to encourage officers to raise their own awareness of their own issues without losing face.
This concept earned us a Creative Conscious Design Award in 2020. Our submission looks into the issues faced by our emergency services; our initial focus is the police service in particular.
Part of our research found that “leaflets get binned” and “emails just wind you up”, and raising public awareness of police mental health could create targeting in some situations.
Received Creative Conscience Award 2020
Application Category
People's Choice 2021
The name OPPO humanises the app as a colleague or friend: ‘an old oppo of mine’ - to develop a position of trust.
OPPO works as a personal record to self-monitor stresses and pressures. It logs working hours and mood changes and becomes a private place to think and respond to those thoughts using your OPPO suggestions through learning characteristics of the user.
There couldn’t be wordplay, no explanations, no distractions. A clear and simple message to be taken in by the user at a glance. Any call to action must be memorable for the user and completed in a single step, a distraction to their day, and it simply won’t happen.
Language has to be simple, straightforward and down to earth.
“We simply don’t have enough officers”
Immediate Response Firearms Officer – West Mercia Police
The slider interface was decided upon after consulting with CBTs. The opinion was; the action of the slider engages the user more productively – it gives them just enough distraction from events because they have to think of their own score rather than a smaller choice of pre-set options.
Strengthen the mood data by adding notes. OPPO will pick up on recurring keywords to enhance profile interaction.
Compare the days, weeks and months
OPPO builds up an overall activity record; users can increase or decrease the range shown to compare more averages on-screen. If the score creeps towards a general negative state, OPPO will make the user aware and suggest ways to improve it.
Shift Monitor
If the ‘End shift’ button wasn’t pressed at the official time, Oppo gives two reminders and then stays quiet. If the user is free to answer, they either confirm the end or press continue.
If the user forgets to log the end of their shift, a notice will show the next time they open the app.
Using the slider approach to stay familiar with already set interaction techniques, a quick slide to select the time, press the tick and log the time with the previous shift.
"There's a stigma - you're the Police, just get on with it"
Probationary Officer, Investigation Team - West Midlands Police
AI/Chatbot/Machine Learning
Conversational AI creates a closer, more personalised experience capable of understanding and responding to the natural language used between Oppo and the user.
Machine Learning will enable the system to learn from data rather than explicit programming, designed to behave convincingly as a conversational partner.
If warning signs beyond Oppo’s remit are picked up, the user will be encouraged to try the red button to connect to a predetermined helpline.
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©1973–2023 Tony Clarkson
&Something Studio is a design studio based, but no way trapped, in Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury has trains and roads which lead both in and out.