Overview
As part of NSW Police Force’s digital transformation initiatives, I led the discovery and design of the organisation’s first public-facing mobile application. The project focused on improving how members of the community access information, engage with police services and receive timely public safety updates.
**This application remained as a pilot upon completion due to re-organisation within the Police Force.
The Challenge
The project required balancing community expectations with operational security, governance requirements and the needs of frontline policing. The challenge was to create a trusted and accessible digital experience that encouraged community engagement while supporting organisational objectives. Since the recent launch of the NSW Police Force Community Portal, the NSW Police Force App needed to stand alone as a credible source of information without duplication. Therefore it leveraged aspects of the Portal’s crime reporting, but introduced new features and services such as crime prevention initiatives and crime statistics based on crime data and geographical locations.
Research and Discovery
Research activities included community engagement, stakeholder workshops, service analysis and consultation with operational policing teams. The goal was to understand how citizens interacted with police services and identify opportunities to improve communication and service accessibility specifically on mobile devices.
Defining the Experience
Customer journeys, mobile interaction flows and service concepts were designed and validated through iterative engagement with stakeholders and users. Particular focus was placed on reducing barriers to access and making important information available quickly and intuitively.
Accessibility and inclusivity were critical considerations given the broad and diverse user base. Design decisions aimed to ensure information could be easily accessed and understood across a wide range of devices, abilities and usage contexts.
Outcomes
The project delivered NSW Police Force’s first public-facing mobile application and established a foundation for future community-focused digital services. The initiative served to strengthen community engagement and demonstrated the value of digital channels in supporting public service delivery.