What's Pathly?
Pathly enhances sidewalk predictability, empowering users to walk safely and confidently. Designed to address traffic congestion and carbon emissions, the app encourages a shift from cars to walking—making cities more accessible and sustainable.
Client
Pathly/Walk Smart
DELIVERABLES
UI Redesign
UX Research
Year
2023
Role
Visual Design Lead
Product Design Lead
Context
Making Downtown San Francisco Safer for Walkers
Around 10% of San Francisco workers commute on foot daily, relying on the city's sidewalks for safe and efficient travel. However, pedestrian safety remains a critical issue. According to SFMTA Archives, areas like the Tenderloin, Union Square, and Chinatown see high rates of pedestrian injuries. In 2024, San Francisco recorded 24 pedestrian fatalities—the highest since Vision Zero’s launch in 2014. San Francisco Public Press data further highlights the urgent need for improved walking conditions. Addressing these risks is essential to ensuring a safer, more walkable city.
My Roles
Refined Pathly’s core navigation and restructured its information architecture to improve accessibility and wayfinding. Enhanced interface consistency and scalability by developing a unified design system tailored to real-time pedestrian safety insights.
Led end-to-end design efforts—from identifying user pain points and mapping problem areas to prioritizing key features, designing solutions, conducting usability tests, and collaborating with the team through implementation.
Target Users
Before I joined, the UX team had already interviewed a good number of users, but I got to shadow a few sessions. We focused on people from all kinds of jobs—teachers, bartenders, trainers, corporate employees—all with one thing in common: they walk or take public transit daily.
Problem Statement
We’re building an app to help urban walkers feel safer and more confident in their routes. Users worry about poorly lit streets, unsafe areas, and obstacles like broken sidewalks or stairs that make walking difficult.
Our goal is to provide real-time, accessible route options that prioritize safety, ease of movement, and overall walkability—so people can navigate their city with confidence.
Feature 1: Apply Filters
Smarter, Safer Navigation
In Pathly, once a user selects their destination, they can customize their journey using a set of intuitive filters—each thoughtfully designed to prioritize safety, efficiency, and accessibility. These filters, informed by real-time community input and location data, allow users to avoid poorly lit areas, minimize elevation changes, or simply take the shortest route. Features like Safe Mode and Accessibility Mode add deeper personalization, especially for users with mobility concerns or specific safety preferences.
As the Lead product designer, I focused on making this flow both seamless and empowering—ensuring the route customization process feels both smart and human-centered. Once preferences are set, Pathly dynamically generates a route that’s not only optimized for the user’s needs but also reinforces trust in the product experience.
Feature 2: Real-Time Hazard Reporting
Designing for Trust
Safety is at the core of Pathly’s user experience. To support this, we designed an interactive hazard reporting system that empowers users to flag potential dangers—such as construction, poor lighting, or unsafe conditions—along their chosen route. This feature not only promotes community-sourced awareness but also reinforces user confidence by making them active participants in the safety of the platform.
From a UI/UX and product design perspective, we focused on minimizing friction in the reporting flow while ensuring clarity and responsiveness. Once a hazard is reported, it becomes visible to other users navigating nearby routes. To ensure data reliability, the system keeps the report active until other users confirm whether the hazard still exists. When approaching a previously reported area, users receive a discreet yet informative notification. They can choose to bypass the warning or validate its status upon arrival. If the hazard is resolved, the system updates in real-time to prevent outdated or misleading alerts.
To further enhance personal security, users are prompted to share their Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) with trusted contacts after reporting a hazard. This thoughtful layer of functionality not only ensures users feel seen and supported—it also reinforces Pathly’s commitment to creating safer, community-powered navigation.
Feature 3: AR Navigation
Designing for Safer Journeys
When a hazard is detected during route planning, Pathly automatically generates a safer alternative route—helping users avoid potential danger without disrupting their journey. This dynamic rerouting feature uses real-time, community-sourced data to ensure decisions are made quickly and confidently.
Once a new route is selected, users can activate AR Navigation to follow directions directly overlaid onto their environment through their phone's camera. This real-time visual guidance makes navigation more intuitive, especially in complex or unfamiliar areas. To further enhance safety, the feature also shares the user's live progress with friends or emergency contacts, keeping others informed as they approach their destination. By blending smart rerouting with real-time assistance, this feature empowers users to feel more secure and supported every step of the way.
Visual Design Showcase
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