During this project, I created user scenarios for six alert categories defined by the Government of Guatemala, identified a user insight and reframed it into a problem statement, and constructed a value proposition highlighting our solution’s offerings. I also conducted nation branding research that informed my design of 50 white label UI kits, as well as four iterative prototypes.

Alerta Guate was conceived in March 2019, after ongoing discussions with the Guatemalan Government to produce a mobile app ENS harnessing our patented 'Silent'-overriding technology. Tenlot Group, an international lottery company, facilitated all communication between our company and the Government. Tenlot uses game-generated funds to re-invest in communities through social development projects, like Alerta Guate. The Government provided conceptual wireframes demonstrating features they might expect in their app. A few that were adapted included authority-managed alert categories, authority-on-citizen chat capability within those categories, and distinctive alert types indicating urgency levels.

I used the Government-provided wireframes to design a conceptual “lo-fi” prototype. Mockups included a home screen hosting the app’s alert categories (or “Groups”), a “Group Alerts” screen depicting three defined alert types, and a “Specific Alert” screen showcasing expanded details within a received alert.

The three alert types were “General”, “Critical”, and “Emergency” – two of which would utilize the ‘Silent’-overriding capability. The “Group Alerts” screen also illustrated a “Contact Group Manager” button for citizens to reach managing authorities, and an “SOS” button to dial the nation’s “9-1-1”-equivalent.

The Guatemalan Government approved the lo-fi prototype by June 2019, commencing Alerta Guate’s development. A mid-fi prototype featuring six specific alert categories was requested: Severe Weather, Dangerous Materials, Animal Protection, Public Health, Political Affairs, and Natural Disasters.

With government-sanctioned authorities considered our primary users and citizens considered our secondary, I created six corresponding user scenarios demonstrating ‘Silent’-overriding alerts - 4 ‘Emergency’ (loud horn), 2 ‘Critical’ (moderate ping).

These use cases informed Alerta Guate’s problem statement and value proposition, emphasizing the enhancement of public safety through effective and credible communication to citizens.

Due to a successful working relationship with Tenlot, our companies formed a partnership in August 2019. Through Tenlot's extensive international network, we discovered more than 20 potential government clients. As such, we adapted Alerta Guate's design into a white label ENS interface, customizable to each client’s needs while retaining core functionality.

To ensure responsible product design, I conducted nation branding research, drawing inspiration from flags for UI styling, selecting official seals for alert credibility, and determining language preferences for in-app localization.

Based on our strategy, each app was fully-functional and published on the App Store and Play Store prior to business proposal meetings, showcasing our dedication to each nation's interests, in addition to ease of deployment upon closing.

In the span of two business days, Alerta Guate went through two rapid iterations of high-fidelity prototyping. Based on Government testing, the first iteration saw the expansion of the six alert categories into additional groups pertaining to specific Guatemalan regions, as well groups for “Guatemala”, Tenlot, “Gobierno de Guatemala”, and “CONRED” – The National Coordination for Disaster Reduction. After further testing, the second iteration included branding changes, groups reduced to “Gobierno” and “CONRED” only, and additions carried over from the white label template, including logged out “SOS” capability and a Hamburger Menu.