For this week, we have to solve a problem. This was a really difficult task for me since I find it really hard to come up with ideas when I’m put on the spot and they don’t come naturally to me, and it was a very open task. I decided to make it a bit more personal instead of a large widespread problem since I think that’ll be easier to connect to and understand and thus, solve. I went through a lot of ideas and decided to try and come up with a solution for overstimulation issues. It’s something I struggle with really often and it can impede on my daily life a lot. There a ton of reasons someone might feel overstimulated and it can vary massively from person to person, but the ways to help are usually similar for most people. I know that getting to a quiet familiar place to reset can help calm me down and reduce my senses, but sometimes when I’m out and about, especially in a bustling city like London it can be hard to find places like this when I’m in need. So, what better than an app to help people in crisis find a safe place to unwind and calm down. This is applicable to various audiences and isn’t just limited to those that experience sensory overload, it might be useful for people who suffer from panic attacks and anxiety, or even people with chronic illnesses who struggle to find places to safely and calmly manage their pain.
In theory, this might work a bit like Google Maps, where you would share your location and the app would show you places within a specific radius that might be best suited to help you. These might be quiet places like a library or a coffee shop- or in an emergency, might show you hospitals and ERs near you if you feel like you need one. The app would be called ‘OverstimuLocation’ because puns are funny and make catchy app names. The app would also include customizable options so that you can decide what best might help you personally, like whether or not it is important to you if the area is completely quiet or not. Ideally, places marked on the map would be ‘OverstimuLocation approved!’ and would have stickers or signs on the door welcoming users who need a place to relax. The places would of course be made aware of the app and it’s purpose, and if willing would provide specific services to help the users, like maybe noise-cancelling headphones.
The app would also have a ‘help’ section where people who are struggling can find advice and affirmations to help them through whatever they need. This might include breathing exercises to help someone out of a panic attack, or tips to help prevent/stop sensory overload. It would also include the number to a helpline for anyone feeling too overwhelmed or who feel as though they cannot handle it alone.
Having interactivity would also be great, users would be able to make comments on certain locations and how helpful/unhelpful they were. They may also be able to post affirmations and advice on a community page, or ask for help from other users if there is a specific problem they would like to ask about, either personal or app-based.
If the app became particularly popular, ‘OverstimuLocation’ pop-ups could be installed around London. These would be essentially rooms people can access with their app that are made to be quiet and dark to help people unwind. Headphones and comfortable seating would be provided and warm drinks can be purchased. In a way, it would be similar to sensory deprivation tanks, built to not overwhelm the senses and provide a healing experience to those that need it. These pop-ups would of course be marked on their app maps.
My biggest issue with this idea is that it may be a little too niche and will only help a very slim audience of people. If not popular enough, it may work best as a sort of optional extension to Google Maps rather than it’s own app- though this may remove the community aspect of the idea.
Below is a mock-up of what the main page of the app might look like.
