Description:

Despite having some of the most sought-after swimming spots in the world, Aotearoa’s water isn’t always safe to swim in. With increasing pressure on wastewater infrastructure, unpredictable weather patterns, and powerful currents, New Zealanders continue to visit beaches considered high-risk for swimming.
Since 2017, Safeswim’s cutting-edge technology, which provides live water analysis, has allowed Kiwi to make safer swimming decisions. Our challenge was to upgrade this incredible platform, not only making it more accessible to the general public, but integrating even more ways to keep swimmers safe in our waters.

The idea was to turn Safeswim into a completely unified provider of water safety information. We did this by re-engineering the platform to not only feature live water quality updates, but the integrate weather and Surf Life Saving data feeds. This was all released as a new-to-market app, complete with a UI and master brand refresh.
The new Safeswim app also allows users to monitor their favorite swimming spots through push notifications should conditions change. That could be new hazard warnings, a shift in lifeguard scheduling, or new risks of waterborne illness.

These crucial updates are directly informed by Auckland Council, Watercare, Northland Council, and Surf Life Saving NZ. This gives the New Zealand public reliable and certified information to make responsible swimming choices.

Through carefully considered design, the app is optimised to convey crucial safety information as efficiently as possible. An interactive map of supported regions allows users to quickly identify their desired swimming spot before clicking on the pin to reveal its page.

A new feature of this app is the addition of stackable information cards that reorder themselves based on live safety priorities. For example, if a severe wind warning is issued in the area, that will rise to the top. This is underpinned by a simple colour coding and iconography system for maximum clarity.

The rebuild was a chance to refresh other elements of the Safeswim design system. Here, we introduced a beautifully simple illustrated world to capture the defining features of Aotearoa’s iconic beaches and waterways. This new look is also reflected in the accompanying public awareness campaign, ‘Decide With Safeswim’. Every execution encourages Kiwi to consult Safeswim before heading out, becoming an essential part of their swimming experience.

As a nation surrounded by water, learning how to make responsible choices is of the utmost importance to Aotearoa. By creating an easy-to-use and cutting-edge app for Safeswim, we’ve made that information more accessible than ever before, and analytics reflect this.
Safeswim has had its most successful season yet, with a phenomenal 480% increase in users, which included over 250,000 hits in the peak season of January 2024 alone. Interactions that have prevented serious illness, injury and ultimately saved lives.season yet, with a phenomenal 480% increase in users, which included over 250,000 hits in the peak season of January 2024 alone. Interactions that have prevented serious illness, injury and ultimately saved lives.