Michelle Wong
Abstract
Women dealing with uncomfortable situations due to inappropriate behavior in the workplace has been a conversation that has been going on for decades but the solution has not been found for this issue. They are constantly getting put in uncomfortable positions mainly by their male peers and superiors, but are conditioned to stay quiet about the issue because it may seem like they are overreacting or they are scared it may jeopardize their careers in the company. This thesis project is going to focus on bringing awareness to this ongoing issue for women and help connect the audience to their point of view to better understand them. Most large companies require new employees to undergo proper training on workplace etiquette and behavior. However, this does not seem to be following through with their actions because the amount of sexual harassment complaints have stayed at an increasing rate for as long as women have started working. Smaller firms on the other hand, do not normally have formal training required, resulting in many sexual harassment issues not dealt with properly. My project will be creating a solution to this type of treatment toward women in the workplace with a mobile app that contains anonymous complaints filed and virtual counseling to maintain confidentiality. I will be conducting interviews to gain a deeper insight on the issue and reaching out to get an expert opinion on the whole problem.
Thesis Advisors
Earl Gee: SJSU Graphic Design Professor
Diane Lee: SJSU Graphic Design Professor
Michele Day: Cisco Executive Talent Solutions Specialist
Research Questions
1. What are the factors that are making women feel hesitant to report issues and concerns to HR?
2. What are the differences in procedure in large and small companies?
3. How can employees have accountability for their actions?
Outcome
Wings is a mobile app created to help victims that has experienced sexual harassment in their workplaces. The goal of the app is to create a safe space for the users to file their claims about the incident without feeling scared of any repercussions or judgements, etc. The name Wings is a symbolism of protection and empowerment, which are also the main values of the app. “Taking someone under your wing” is what initially inspired the idea of the overall branding and name. The main feature is the claim filing section but the other features of the app go hand in hand as well. It provides a support feature that consists of the resources the company provides to all their employees and a mood tracking section that allows users to document their daily moods to see any trends and jot down any notes about their day that might’ve affected their overall mood. This feature can also be used in the future for any claims that will be filed since the user can go back and see exactly what day the incident might’ve happened and have detailed information about the incident. The tertiary features include a community feature that allows users to connect with other victims to ask for advice and empower one another. It also has a learn more option to let users understand certain sexual harassment topics more in depth and how their specific company may handle those situations.
