← Back

Beacon

Beacon — an accessible platform connecting unhoused individuals with critical local resources

My Role

UX Designer — User Research, Interaction Design, User Flows, Accessibility Design, Prototyping

The Team

Cynthia Le

Jasmine Danila

Prithvi Rey

Timeline

18 hours, awarded Real World User Empathy

Overview

Beacon is an accessible, low-bandwidth platform designed to bridge the gap between unhoused individuals and critical local resources, including immediate shelter, food pantries, and government assistance.

Working within an 18-hour timeframe for a Google x HCI designathon, I led the end-to-end interface design and rapid prototyping. I played a critical role in scoping the core user experience — prioritizing low-barrier entry and intuitive navigation for vulnerable populations — while establishing a scalable UI foundation under strict time constraints.

The final deliverable evolved from a conceptual prompt into a highly actionable, interactive utility. It culminated in a streamlined resource-finding experience that earned our team the "Real World User Empathy" award, successfully proving the product's viability for real-world application.

Key Concept

A platform designed to bridge the gap between unhoused individuals and critical resources including food and shelter

Beacon — onboarding language selection and quick-question flow
Beacon — assistance and qualification cards
Beacon — nearby shelters and food listings with availability tags
Beacon — resource category cards including SNAP, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and Veteran benefits
Beacon — isometric mockup composite of the core app screens

This is an archived project

Please reach out if you would like to learn more