Overview

Ragging and bullying remain deeply rooted problems in educational institutions, creating fear, anxiety, and long lasting trauma for countless students. Despite strict regulations, many incidents go unreported due to fear of retaliation and lack of secure, anonymous ways to seek help.

Protego is a groundbreaking mobile application designed to silently combat ragging and bullying through advanced stealth technology. Unlike traditional safety apps, Protego operates entirely hidden, allowing victims to record evidence, alert authorities, and share live locations all without revealing its presence.

With its secret dial-pad activation, AI-driven audio surveillance, and real-time emergency response, Protego empowers students to take action safely and discreetly. When danger arises, a simple tap sends a silent alert to trusted authorities, while long-pressing activates Protego Mode triggering live audio recording, encrypted evidence collection, and instant location sharing.

The name Protego, inspired by the Latin word for "I protect," symbolizes its core mission: to shield students from harm, empower them to report incidents discreetly, and ensure swift action through seamless emergency alerts and real-time evidence collection.

Protego is more than an app; it’s a guardian in your pocket a silent protector that stands with you, even when speaking out seems impossible.

Problem Statement

Ragging and bullying continue to plague educational institutions, creating environments of fear, anxiety, and helplessness for countless students. Despite strict regulations and anti-ragging policies, incidents often go unreported due to fear of retaliation, lack of trust in reporting mechanisms, and the absence of discreet, anonymous ways to seek help.

Traditional reporting methods are not only visible and risky but also fail to provide real-time intervention, leaving victims exposed and vulnerable. Furthermore, bystanders who witness such incidents are often hesitant to get involved, fearing backlash or repercussions.

There is a clear need for a stealthy, secure, and efficient solution that empowers students to report incidents safely and discreetly, while simultaneously providing real-time evidence and location tracking to authorities for immediate intervention. This solution must be hidden from bullies, tamper-proof, and capable of collecting verifiable evidence without putting the victim at risk.

Protego addresses this critical gap by offering a completely hidden emergency response system, designed to protect students from ragging and bullying without exposing them to further danger.

User Research

To understand the severity and impact of ragging and bullying in educational institutions, we conducted user research through digital surveys. Our participants included university students, college students, and faculty members across multiple institutions. The objective was to gain insights into the frequency of incidents, the effectiveness of current reporting mechanisms, and the willingness of students to use a discreet mobile solution for protection and reporting.

Key Findings:

• High Incidence Rates: A large percentage of students reported experiencing or witnessing ragging and bullying during their academic journey, especially during the first two years of university or college life.

• Fear of Retaliation: Many students expressed reluctance to report incidents due to fear of retaliation and lack of trust in existing reporting systems.

• Ineffective Reporting Mechanisms: Most participants found traditional reporting methods like notice boards or direct complaints to be ineffective, slow, and easily traceable.

• Need for Stealth and Anonymity: An overwhelming majority indicated that they would feel safer using a hidden, anonymous reporting system that operates in stealth mode.

• Support for Real-Time Intervention: Students and faculty members agreed that real-time alerts to authorities could drastically improve response times and potentially prevent further incidents.

Persona

We categorized the persona into students to better understand their challenges and expectations. The persona of Wasana Dilrukshi, a student facing the realities of ragging and bullying, reflects the varying needs and struggles of university students. By exploring her frustrations and goals, we gain valuable insights that guide us in designing a solution that is both discreet and effective. This approach ensures that the solution aligns with the real-life challenges faced by students, helping them stay safe and confident while navigating campus life.

User Journey Map

These user journey maps illustrate the experiences of our primary user, Wasana Dilrukshi, a university student, highlighting how Protego empowers her to stay protected from ragging and bullying. Through seamless, hidden operation and instant emergency alerts, Protego ensures her safety while maintaining complete discretion, helping her navigate campus life with confidence and peace of mind.

Brainstormed Solutions

To address the pressing issues of ragging and bullying in educational institutions, we explored multiple innovative solutions aimed at ensuring student safety, discreet reporting, and real-time emergency response. Our primary focus was to create a stealthy, secure, and user-friendly application that empowers students to seek help without fear of exposure or retaliation.

Key Solutions Explored:

1. Ultra-Stealth Mobile Application:

   • Disguised as a system app to avoid suspicion.

   • Launchable through a secret dial-pad code to maintain secrecy.

   • Hidden operations to prevent detection during inspections.

2. Real-Time Voice Surveillance:

   • AI-powered audio monitoring to detect aggressive speech or keywords linked to ragging and bullying.

   • Automatic recording and encrypted storage for evidence collection.

   • Immediate streaming to authorities upon detection of high-risk scenarios.

3. Emergency Alert System:

   • Instant alerts to the police, university authorities, and a dedicated support team during emergencies.

   • GPS-based location sharing even if GPS is turned off, using communication towers.

4. Tamper-Proof Evidence Collection:

   • All recordings are timestamped, geotagged, and encrypted, ensuring they are admissible in legal proceedings.

   • Photo and video capture capabilities during emergencies, triggered silently for user safety.

5. Human-Verified Reporting:

   • A dedicated team reviews each incident to filter out false alarms and coordinate with the appropriate authorities.

   • Users who abuse the system are flagged to prevent misuse.

6. Emergency Battery Reserve:

   • Maintains 5% battery for critical alerts, even if the phone is forced to shut down.

   • "Fake Power Off" screen to continue operations discreetly if the device is confiscated.

User Flow Diagram

Wireframes

Here are some wireframes I created to sketch out the solution. These early designs helped us visualize the user interface and key features, allowing us to test ideas quickly and refine the user experience based on feedback

Designing the Solution

In our case study, we proposed targeted solutions to address the critical issues students face with ragging and bullying. These solutions are designed to ensure safety, confidentiality, and real-time emergency response through innovative features and seamless user experience. By focusing on stealth, immediate alerts, and secure evidence collection, our solution—Protego—empowers students to report incidents discreetly and stay protected without fear of exposure or retaliation. This approach not only enhances personal safety but also contributes to creating a safer, bully-free campus environment.

Solution Testing

After identifying the core pain points from our user research regarding ragging and bullying, we designed a prototype solution: Protego, a mobile application aimed at providing discreet emergency response and support. To validate our concept, we conducted solution testing with a selected group of target users university students.

Participants were introduced to the core features of the proposed app, including:

• Stealth Mode: Keeping the app undetectable during inspections.

• Emergency Activation: Methods like Tap, Long Press, and Automatic Voice Detection for triggering the alert.

• Evidence Capture: Real-time camera functionality for photo and video capture.

• Location & Data Security: Ensuring geotagging, encryption, and privacy protection.

Methodology

We conducted interactive testing sessions where participants engaged with the prototype's key features. They were asked to simulate real-world scenarios, including triggering emergency modes, capturing evidence, and testing stealth capabilities. Participants provided feedback through a structured survey focused on the effectiveness of each feature, usability, and their trust in the app's privacy and security protocols.

Key Findings

• Stealth Mode: 90% of users felt confident that the app would remain undetected during phone inspections.

• Emergency Activation: 80% confirmed the emergency triggers (Tap, Long Press, Automatic Detection) were intuitive and reliable.

• Evidence Capture: 75% found the photo capture feature easy to use, appreciating the timestamp and geotagging for verification.

• Location Tracking: The ability to track even when GPS was off was considered vital by 85% of participants.

• Data Security: 95% expressed high trust in the encryption and security measures of the app.

Insights

• Users were highly satisfied with the stealth operation of the app, which they considered essential for protecting their safety.

• The emergency activation system was praised for its simplicity and reliability, with long press and automatic detection being popular choices.

• Many users expressed a desire for a clearer and more reassuring notification during emergency mode to help them stay calm.

• The privacy and security features were considered crucial, and participants emphasized the need for tamper-proof evidence.

This solution testing confirmed that Protego meets the necessary requirements for providing discreet, effective, and reliable emergency support for students facing bullying and ragging, while ensuring the protection of their privacy and security.

Conclusion

The Protego app prototype has demonstrated significant potential in addressing the critical issue of ragging and bullying within educational environments. Through user testing, the core features stealth operation, emergency activation, evidence capture, and real-time communication were found to be effective in enabling discreet, secure, and efficient incident reporting.

Key Findings:

• Stealth Operation:

  • Users appreciated the app's invisible mode, ensuring complete discretion even during phone inspections.

• Emergency Activation:

  • Real-time alerts, triggered through tap, long press, or automatic detection, provided instant responses in critical moments.

• Evidence Capture:

  • Timestamped and geotagged photos were securely transmitted to support teams, serving as valuable documentation for legal actions.

• Privacy and Security:

  • Students expressed trust in the app's encryption protocols, ensuring their data remained confidential and secure.

User Feedback:

• Students felt empowered and protected, knowing they could report incidents without fear of retaliation.

• The app’s simplicity and ease of use were consistently praised, making it accessible during high-stress situations.

• Participants highlighted the need for reliable notifications and real-time communication for timely interventions.

Final Thoughts:

Prototype testing proved that Protego holds tremendous potential to foster safer educational spaces by offering a discreet and reliable way for students to report bullying and ragging. With further iterations based on user feedback, Protego aims to become a powerful tool in safeguarding students, ensuring they feel secure and supported in their learning environments.

Learnings

Throughout the process of designing and evaluating the Protego app prototype, we gained valuable insights that will guide its development and help optimize user experience. Below are the key learnings from the prototype testing and user feedback sessions:

Building User Trust:

• A major takeaway was the critical importance of user trust. Students expressed concerns over privacy and the need for absolute discretion, reinforcing the necessity for the app to remain hidden and tamper-proof.

• The ability to operate stealthily without detection was highly valued, emphasizing the importance of security and reliability in such sensitive environments.

Clear and Real-Time Communication:

• Real-time alerts and notifications were consistently identified as the most crucial features. Students wanted instant, clear information during incidents, with minimal delay.

• Prototype evaluations revealed that quick, actionable messages in emergencies are vital for user confidence and safety.

Simplicity and Usability:

• Usability tests indicated a strong preference for an intuitive, minimalist design. Overly complicated interfaces were seen as barriers during high-stress moments.

• Maintaining a simple, streamlined interface was found to improve user comfort and effectiveness in triggering emergency actions.

Privacy and Security Are Non-Negotiable:

• During the design evaluation, participants stressed the need for encrypted, timestamped, and geotagged evidence collection.

• Ensuring user anonymity and data security became central design considerations to build confidence in the app's protective capabilities.

Reliability of Triggering Mechanisms:

• Prototype testing confirmed that the tap, long press, and automatic detection methods worked as intended, but user feedback suggested enhancements for even faster response times.

• Ensuring these mechanisms are fail-safe and responsive in real-world conditions remains a priority.

Familiarity with Emergency Features:

• The Test Mode in the prototype allowed users to practice emergency triggers, which helped build confidence in the app's functionality.

• User feedback indicated that an effective onboarding process is crucial for educating users on how to use emergency features without confusion.

Continuous User Feedback:

• Feedback collected during the design evaluation helped identify areas for improvement and iterate on key features.

• Ongoing user involvement is essential to ensure the app evolves with student needs and remains effective in preventing bullying and ragging.

Thank you for reading! 🚀

© 2025 Lahiru Sampath Dayananda. All rights reserved.
This UX case study and associated designs are original work and may not be reused or reproduced without permission.