Sylvia

Design History at SVA

Sylvia is a futuristic device extension created for the LGBT community. When users look up locations or directions on their phones, Sylvia will tell them subtly how safe that place is for the LGBT community. A green pin means the location is very safe and friendly, while red means that place is dangerous and possibly harmful. Users can ask Sylvia to give them a more in-depth review of the place they want to go to, which will bring up comments and ratings from other people who also use Sylvia.

Sylvia also gives recommendations for safe places, anything from where the nearest bathrooms are to doctors and therapists who are well-versed in the mental and physical health issues of the LGBT community.

If users feel they are in danger, they have the option of allowing Sylvia to 'hear' their environment. If Sylvia hears harsh or offensive language being used, the user will get a text from Sylvia asking if the user is okay. If the user replies with their 'safe word' (which they decide upon when installing the Sylvia extension), Sylvia will call them, allowing the user to safely remove themselves from the situation.