MigrantHelp
Overview
MigrantHelp is an application prototype that aims to provide more accessible resources and create an inclusive community for migrant workers during times of crisis.
This website prototype was created as a submission to Hydrangea Hacks USA 2021.
My Role
I spearheaded the conceptualization, research, prototyping, and presentation of the project for the hackathon.
Problems
Social Inequality
Migrant workers around the world experience severe social inequality due to lockdown restrictions, unfair workplace treatment, and the lack of basic resources during the COVID-19 pandemic
Travel Restrictions
In third-world countries such as the Philippines, there are several news stories of Overseas Filipino Workers who are stranded in airports, unable to come back home to their families, and could not seek help during emergencies because of the inaccessibility of support services.
Workplace Abuse
Several employers mistreat migrant workers through physical and verbal abuse, insufficient salaries, restrictions for travelling to home countries, and more. These make it harder for workers to report these cases to the appropriate authorities.
Goals
⦿ Enhance accessibility of resources for migrant workers
⦿ Create a more inclusive community to promote higher quality of living
⦿ Reduce workplace abuse cases in the future
Users
1) Migrant Workers
2) International Travel Organizations
3) Families of Overseas Workers
Main Problem
Due to various travel difficulties and workplace inequalities experienced by migrant workers, these individuals require an accessible application to alleviate their global hardships and and find a safe space to seek for the help they need.
Ideation
FEATURE OVERVIEW
Flight Tracker
⦿ Includes a search engine where users can browse available flights based on their selected location and flight dates
⦿ Displays specific travel guidelines and restrictions for each flight to avoid misinformation upon arrival
⦿ Shows the latest news stories that can affect travel guidelines, along with a catalogue of particular locations with available flights
Currency Converter
⦿ Easily allows users to convert values to the currency of their home countries
⦿ Regularly records the everyday expenses of the user according to specific categories
⦿ Automatically transfers the converted currency values into the expenses tracker upon selection of the user
Report Page
⦿ Lets users create emergency reports based on particular categories (workplace abuse, illegal recruitment, etc.)
⦿ Translates the write-ups of users if they’re not fluent in the language required for filing a reportSubmits reports to the government agencies of the home country of the user
Prototyping
FIGMA PROTOTYPE (Individual Webpages)
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Login Pages & Flight Tracker Features
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Currency Converter & Report Pages
Testing - Project Pitch
PITCH VIDEO
Outcomes & Results
Final PrototypeAcquired Learnings
FEATURE SELECTION
⦿ Throughout the experience of building the prototype, I learned how to carefully select the functions and information to be included in the application. I realized that having too many functions would not be beneficial for app developers or the potential users of the application. It’s better to expand on the features that you currently have instead of trying to add meaningless functions that might further confuse the people using your application. This understanding helped me focus on the true essence and significance of the product that I was creating.
FUTURE STEPS
⦿ An advanced budget tracker to incorporate both the expenses and income of the user, which also provides a more detailed and accurate graph to show recent transactions in the past week, month, or year
⦿ An interactive community page to connect with other migrant workers and learn from the experiences of like-minded individuals
⦿ Coordinate with more global authorities to incorporate high-quality services and promote the app to more migrant workers who require professional assistance
