Crime Census: Iphone App Concept
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I created the concept and also designed the interface for Crime Census, during my spring semester at Parsons. The design question was: How well do you know your neighborhood? Users of this app can view both officially reported data and user generated data to better understand their neighborhood’s crime rate. The colors on the map range from cool to warm, which dictates the current state of a neighborhood as compared to other neighborhoods in New York City. They can then click on specific neighborhoods to view detailed statistics. Users would also see clear definition of neighborhood boundaries, which is sometimes a mystery, especially if you are searching for an apartment. Additionally, a timeline view provides users the opportunity to view the changes in crime over time.
Currently, there are other apps on the itunes store that perform similar functions. However, most of them have issues getting official data from local law enforcement into the app. They also ignore user generated data, which can prove to be an effective way to compare, crimes that are and not reported. This app is an excellent idea, and would be even more robust if, officially reported crimes were accessible via some sort of “NYPD api”. Therefore the state of a neighborhood can be updated quickly to show crime patterns on a day or hour scale.
