safeher.
Helping women feel safe at every wait — a service designed around the most vulnerable point of a woman's commute in Karachi.
Commuting shouldn't be a daily battle. Yet, for women in Karachi, it feels like one.
I usually plan and head to the bus station at least an hour and a half early — just to find a bus and reach in time for class.
The wait times are too long, and it's tough standing at bus stops surrounded by so many men. It can be uncomfortable.
"Less public gaze from men and strangers at bus stops would make me feel more comfortable."
"There's always this nagging fear of having my phone snatched or, worst-case scenario, getting shot in a snatching incident where things could escalate."
"I really don't like the public buses here. They're usually overcrowded, hygiene is a big issue, and there aren't enough of them."
"It's really about availability and keeping the costs down."
"I've felt uncomfortable using ride-hailing apps at night. It feels a bit risky sometimes."
"Dealing with all sorts of people on public transport can be challenging. There have been a few uncomfortable moments."
"I've felt uncomfortable and even harassed at times. It happens quite often on buses, sadly."
There was a lot more to the story.
So I had to map the whole thing — end to end — to see the pattern, not just the noise.Commute isn't just an inconvenience. It's a layered, systemic problem for women.
Through interviews, field observations, and journey-mapping across multiple commute scenarios, one pattern repeated: a single feature wouldn't solve a systemic issue — a service ecosystem was needed. The most vulnerable point in the journey is the waiting phase.
Long, unsafe waiting times
Buses don't run on schedules. Women plan an extra 60–90 minutes just to arrive on time.
Male-dominated public spaces
Stops are physically open and socially uncomfortable — often with no other women in sight.
Poorly lit, abandoned bus stops
Most stops lack lighting or signage. They look like risk, not infrastructure.
Of women avoid travel after sunset
Not because of the commute itself — but because of the waiting around it.
create a safer, more convenient waiting experience for women commuters in Karachi?
I wanted to fix everything — because it felt that personal.
I explored how design could transform the waiting experience from a vulnerable pause into a secure, visible, and supportive moment.
Comfortable stations
Better seating, lighting, and shelter at every stop.
AR integration & gamification
Live route overlays and reward systems to make the wait feel less idle.
Smart kiosks & payments
Self-service hubs for tickets, top-ups, and route info.
Transport super-app
One platform to plan, pay, and track every transit option in the city.
"For me, this wasn't just a design thesis — it was years of living through the problem."
But the problem wasn't about features. It was about foundations.
After 150 women interacted with my early concepts, one thing was painfully clear: I was designing for a system that barely existed. Their feedback forced me to throw out the features and rebuild from the ground up.
"Women often stood outside the station because there were too many men inside."
"Many people waited under pedestrian bridges or next to poles — using whatever shade or cover they could find."
"Most stations had no proper benches, no shelter, and no clear sign of where or when the bus would come."
"A lot of benches were broken or missing completely."
SafeHer: a multi-layered service that facilitates the wait.
Two interconnected layers — one physical, one digital — designed so neither carries the entire burden of safety alone.
SafeStops
Secure, gated waiting shelters with lighting, ventilation, transparent walls, CCTV and emergency features — so women aren't exposed, alone, in the dark.
SafeHer App + Web
Real-time bus tracking, route planning, helpline access, and personalised onboarding — so the wait is informed, not anxious.
Six outcomes — the hypothesis SafeHer set out to prove.
Safe, convenient stops
Reduced waiting stress
Women-powered community
Personalised experience
Digital empowerment
Accessible public transport
Every element of the SafeStop emerged from real fears, behaviours, and lived experiences.
Three diagrams documented every decision — what was added, why it earned its place, and what was redesigned after testing.
Real users in real conditions, not pristine renders.
- Drivers didn't recognise the original light strips → redesigned to round overhead lights.
- Bikes and rickshaws blocked the view of the entrance → entrance was repositioned.
- Women asked for more seating → expanded bench depth, added a foldable extension.
- Women felt safer when they could be seen → walls became fully transparent.
The app made the stop findable, accessible, and personal.
Onboarding is identity-verified (CNIC) so every member is accountable. The home centres the SafeHer membership card. The map surfaces nearby SafeStops with walk times. Routes show live bus arrivals. Reviews keep the community honest.
Smooth, secure onboarding
CNIC-verified sign-up keeps every member accountable to the community. Identity is the first promise of safety.
A home that knows her
The membership card sits front and centre. Frequently visited stops surface below, so the right SafeStop is one tap away — and her profile keeps her commute history, saved routes, and emergency contacts close.
Plan the safest route
Discovery map of nearby SafeStops with walk times, plus a step-by-step route view that makes a long, anxious wait feel intentional.
Stay updated in real time
Live bus arrivals at every SafeStop and honest community reviews — so the wait is never a guess, and the trust is never blind.
Safety and accessibility
A direct line to SafeHer Support — one tap, no menus — paired with a physical SafeHer card she can carry through the city. The helpline isn't a feature; it's the floor.
Cards she can craft
Pick a background, pick a phrase. The membership card becomes a small act of expression — and a quiet way to claim space in a city that rarely makes any.
Built to feel made for her, not made for everyone.
From a thesis prototype to public conversation.
SafeStops were installed and tested at the IVS Degree Show, allowing women to interact with the system in person — and the response moved past curiosity, into demand.
of 307 women said yes — sign me up.
of those (130 women) said they'd pay a membership fee.
organic sign-ups in the first week alone.
IVS Degree Show, December 2024
SafeStops were installed at the IVS Degree Show — visitors, parents, and policy figures interacted with the stops, signed onto the wait list, and offered feedback in real time. The thesis became a conversation about Karachi's transport infrastructure, hosted by women.
Policy attention
Recognised by Sharjeel Memon, Senior Minister of Transport & Mass Transit, Sindh — as a scalable public safety concept for women in Karachi.
Public demand
307 sign-ups for the wait list and 130 women indicating willingness to pay — demand that travelled past awareness into commitment.
Market signal
Featured in Dawn Newspaper as a women-focused urban safety innovation emerging from Karachi's design community.
"Communication Design graduate Nabia Tariq presents her thesis, SafeHer — addressing the challenges women face when commuting in Karachi."
A single feature can't fix a systemic issue. A service ecosystem can.
SafeHer began as a question about safety and ended as a question about infrastructure — a reminder that the most powerful design decisions often happen long before the screen. The work that mattered most wasn't the interface; it was the system the interface sat inside.
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