Samaritans launches new app ‘Oi’ for people who want to take a stand against violence via Headjam
NSW community services organisation Samaritans has launched the Oi app via Newcastle-based creative agency Headjam to change the way young people modify their behaviour around violence in their lives.
The app is a practical digital resource about abuse and domestic violence and the services offered. After receiving a grant through the Optus Future Makers Project #7 Grant, Samaritans engaged Headjam, to develop an app that would provide self-help information for young people to be voice against domestic violence.
Samaritans communications officer, Penny Harnett, said that the organisation was excited to work with Headjam in the delivery of the app: “We needed to partner with a skilled agency to transform our idea into a reality and to ensure
that the app delivered on our objectives of empowering young people to recognise, stand up and speak out against domestic and family violence.”
What followed was a successful partnership that saw a refocussed project scope to meet the complex, changing and savvy needs of the target audience of young people aged between 12 and 18 years of age.
It was here, that Headjam’s expertise and experience in
design, digital development and marketplace behaviour change was used.
Headjam director, Luke Kellett, said that it was important to create a framework for the application that provided reasons for audiences to keep coming back: “It’s one thing to get people to download an app but quite another to provide
meaningful reasons for ongoing engagement. One of our key tasks was to help Samaritans rescope the project so that it would become a useful resource organisation’s services while offering something to the users that would keep them coming back.
“It meant changing the focus with a new name and communicating key services and information in ways that the audience would understand and engage with. This is an excellent example of the power of partnership that takes a big vision and creates a community resource.”
The Oi App was developed for iOS and Android platforms and includes
• A name that was market focussed – that prompted the audience to take a closer look
• An interactive quiz, which provides real-time insight on how other young people view and understand abuse based on their own responses.
• A pledge to never commit or remain silent about abuse, which is able to be shared with friends.
• Information on frequently asked and/or misunderstood concepts around abuse.
• A library of support services available for those who may be at risk, or who need someone to talk to.