Tertiary students in Aotearoa New Zealand face increasing risk from natural disasters but remain underprepared because traditional emergency messaging is irrelevant to their lifestyle. This results in low engagement and leaves a vulnerable group exposed and unsupported as only 7% of New Zealanders under 30 have basic emergency supplies. Many students are living independently for the first time juggling study, part-time jobs, and flatting responsibilities. They often reside in lower-quality housing with tight budgets. Emergency messaging is typically formal and family-oriented, which fails to resonate with this demographic at a time when they’re forming new adult habits. With the growing frequency and intensity of disasters, preparing the younger generation now is critical to ensuring long-term community resilience and safety.
Flatmate is a mobile app that embeds emergency preparedness into the everyday routines of student flatting life through a relatable, supportive platform. Flatmate leverages the "Trojan Horse" concept. Students are drawn to its flat management features like splitting bills and tracking chores, and emergency preparedness is introduced naturally alongside these tools. Using behavioural insights and a fun, student-friendly tone, the app includes a four-step plan tailored to each flat. Campaigns like #dontbethatflatmate use humour and relatability to drive downloads during key moments like O-Week. Emergency preparation becomes something students do without even realising it, normalised, embedded, and shared socially. This approach meets students where they are, weaving critical preparedness into real moments of change when they’re setting up their first flat and open to new tools and routines.
Flatmate’s tone is casual and conversational, breaking away from the typical formal emergency language. Visuals are clean and playful, with a colour-coded dashboard and a character-driven brand identity that feels more like a mate than a manual. The app begins with a humanised risk perception animation. Using AI intelligence Flatmate shows students how a disaster could affect their flats exact location to spark action. Our 4 step plan starts with a personalised survey that tailors preparation steps to each flat’s needs like pets, accessibility, medications, etc. Flatmate also features real-time alerts escalating from early warnings to Level 3, activating peer-to-peer support between nearby flats using the in-app community feature. Flatmate feels like adding a helpful, organised flatmate who keeps you on track without pressure.
Flatmate can scale nationwide, becoming the go-to app for every flat in New Zealand, a must-have when moving into a new place. If we succeed, prepping will become a social norm, creating a new habit that students will carry into all future flats. This app shifts the narrative around emergency prep. It’s not just about buying supplies, it’s about being informed, connected, and ready. Success isn’t measured by numbers alone. If one flat in New Zealand fully prepares, that’s a win. If thousands of students simply learn what emergencies they’re at risk for, that’s a success too. This project reimagines emergency communications through design. By embedding preparedness into the student lifestyle, it proves that clear, playful, and behaviourally informed design can drive serious change in a hard-to-reach audience.
Description:
Tertiary students in Aotearoa New Zealand face increasing risk from natural disasters but remain underprepared because traditional emergency messaging is irrelevant to their lifestyle. This results in low engagement and leaves a vulnerable group exposed and unsupported as only 7% of New Zealanders under 30 have basic emergency supplies. Many students are living independently for the first time juggling study, part-time jobs, and flatting responsibilities. They often reside in lower-quality housing with tight budgets. Emergency messaging is typically formal and family-oriented, which fails to resonate with this demographic at a time when they’re forming new adult habits. With the growing frequency and intensity of disasters, preparing the younger generation now is critical to ensuring long-term community resilience and safety.
Flatmate is a mobile app that embeds emergency preparedness into the everyday routines of student flatting life through a relatable, supportive platform. Flatmate leverages the "Trojan Horse" concept. Students are drawn to its flat management features like splitting bills and tracking chores, and emergency preparedness is introduced naturally alongside these tools. Using behavioural insights and a fun, student-friendly tone, the app includes a four-step plan tailored to each flat. Campaigns like #dontbethatflatmate use humour and relatability to drive downloads during key moments like O-Week. Emergency preparation becomes something students do without even realising it, normalised, embedded, and shared socially. This approach meets students where they are, weaving critical preparedness into real moments of change when they’re setting up their first flat and open to new tools and routines.
Flatmate’s tone is casual and conversational, breaking away from the typical formal emergency language. Visuals are clean and playful, with a colour-coded dashboard and a character-driven brand identity that feels more like a mate than a manual. The app begins with a humanised risk perception animation. Using AI intelligence Flatmate shows students how a disaster could affect their flats exact location to spark action. Our 4 step plan starts with a personalised survey that tailors preparation steps to each flat’s needs like pets, accessibility, medications, etc. Flatmate also features real-time alerts escalating from early warnings to Level 3, activating peer-to-peer support between nearby flats using the in-app community feature. Flatmate feels like adding a helpful, organised flatmate who keeps you on track without pressure.
Flatmate can scale nationwide, becoming the go-to app for every flat in New Zealand, a must-have when moving into a new place. If we succeed, prepping will become a social norm, creating a new habit that students will carry into all future flats. This app shifts the narrative around emergency prep. It’s not just about buying supplies, it’s about being informed, connected, and ready. Success isn’t measured by numbers alone. If one flat in New Zealand fully prepares, that’s a win. If thousands of students simply learn what emergencies they’re at risk for, that’s a success too. This project reimagines emergency communications through design. By embedding preparedness into the student lifestyle, it proves that clear, playful, and behaviourally informed design can drive serious change in a hard-to-reach audience.