Hlomo Emergency App: One-Tap Community SOS Alert

Overview
Hlomo began as a concept to reimagine emergency response across South Africa by tapping into trusted community networks. Over seven months at Sammi Studio, I wore many hats—co-founder, strategist, UX/UI designer and front-end developer—to sketch out an app where a single tap could alert neighbours and professional services alike, all within a calm, intuitive interface.

Challenge

We faced three core hurdles:

-Complexity of existing systems: The 10111 call centre is hard to navigate, especially in high-stress moments.

-Digital divide: Vulnerable groups (elders, refugees, people with disabilities) often struggle with jargon or network gaps.

-Trust & adoption: Users needed confidence that their SOS signal would actually reach real help—fast.

Approach

Rather than build a half-baked prototype, we distilled our concept from:

-Secondary research (public safety reports, mobile-money studies, global community-alert pilots)

-Empathy mapping to define user states in crisis (anxiety, urgency, need for clarity)

From there, I designed in Figma:

-A bold, single-tap SOS button that works offline and confirms once the alert is sent

-An “Emergency Circle” setup where you pre-select trusted contacts and organisations

-Dual notifications (neighbours + responders) with clear icons and colour cues

-Cash & cashless options so anyone can respond, regardless of payment method

Takeaway & Reflections

Sketching Hlomo—without ever testing on real users—taught me how crucial every detail is when panic strikes. Some key lessons:

-Simplicity wins: Fewer taps and clear feedback beats fancy features.

-Design for failure: Offline fallbacks and retry cues are non-negotiable.

-Empathy first: A calming palette and concise language can steady hearts in a crisis.

Even as a paper concept, Hlomo reinforced that life-saving innovation starts by deeply understanding community needs—and removing every barrier between a user in distress and the help they need.