Fashion Forward

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Background

It is estimated HALF of all intimate partner violence in the U.S. will go unreported -- for this group of individuals, intimidation and monitoring play a substantial role in their silence. Our app hopes to offer more support to this group of people by providing discreet means for contacting the authorities.

What Fashion Forward Does

The Fashion Forward app is a false front -- purporting to be a designer clothing boutique -- that functions as a silent alarm system to notify authorities of potential violence. The individual will maintain a profile, including their contact information and address; the app itself will maintain a passive login. At any point, if the person is threatened or feels violence is imminent, that person may “purchase” any item from the Fashion Forward app (or via the Chrome extension) using a secret distress code; this will trigger a text message requesting a response from local authorities. There are 3 levels of police response projected: 1) immediate and direct police intervention; 2) police “complaint about a neighbor”; and 3) police presence in the neighborhood. In each instance, the local PD will be given the address of the potential victim automatically.

It is important to note that this is not intended to replace 911 calls; instead, it is primarily an alerting system when abuse can be anticipated, particularly in cases where violence has occurred previously. In cases where the PD does not directly intervene, it will be impossible to trace the call back to the victim as no “purchases” will be recorded to their accounts.

How We Built it / Application Stack

React NodeJS Express Passport Twilio MongoDB Domain from Domain.com Deployed to Heroku

Challenges, Accomplishments, and Lessons Learned

Integrating technologies we had not previously been exposed to was a definite challenge but ultimately we are proud we were able to work together so well to create something meaningful.

What's Next for Fashion Forward

Dissemination of both the app and distress words will initially occur at the ground-level in shelters, and propagate through word of mouth. It is important to control the true purpose of the app so it can be safely used.