Emma Galvin
London | UX & UI | Branding | Communications Design
Project type
UX/UI Design
Year
2020-2026
Team
Nick Lee
Emma Galvin
My role
UX Research
Wirefaming
UX/UI Design
Prototyping
In partnership with Arm, Northstar Research uncovered key insights on the digital habits of young people, as well as their thoughts and concerns about the future of technology.
These insights inspired the creation of a keyboard plugin, designed to help young people recognise the impact of their digital communications. The plugin detects potentially harmful language, introduces a brief pause before sending flagged messages, and encourages users to reflect on their words.
I designed the original concept in 2020 as part of a small team at Northstar Research. In 2026, I picked it back up and extended it further on my own.
Try it for yourself →
Young people recognise the benefits of technology, however they also have significant concerns. 33% of young people reported that social media makes them anxious, and 74% of young people agreed that bullying is common on social media. This leads to potentially lower self-esteem and increased anxiety.
We designed a smartphone keyboard plugin which uses machine learning to encourage young people to be more aware of the consequences of their online messaging behaviours. The plugin encourages young people to pause before sending potentially hurtful messages.
A global survey with over 2000 youths aged 11-18, carried out by Northstar Research.
One-on-one interviews uncovered the challenges faced by young people in a technological world.
Key insights
01
A significant 81% of youths engage with their social circles digitally on a daily basis.
02
The predominant mode of interaction is through various messaging platforms, both in individual and group settings.
03
Youths are cognizant of issues like digital addiction and anxiety, acknowledging their behavior's influence on others' well-being.
Ideation
We created lo-fi sketches to ideate potential solutions to address the key problems.
Afterwards we grouped together key features which must be included, and eliminated features which weren't possible at that time.
User flow
We mapped out the entire user journey to ensure that it was intuitive, solved the cyberbullying problem faced by young people, and didn’t create any unnecessary friction in the messaging experience.
Figma wireframes and prototypes
We transformed our low-fidelity sketches into Figma designs, still keeping them low fidelity in order to easily refine and develop our solution where needed.
Using the Atomic Design methodology, we created components and templates in Figma, ensuring our solution was scalable, maintained consistency and changeable.
Type your own message using your keyboard, or tap one of the suggested replies below to see how it works.
Jamie, are you sure you would like to send this?
We’ve highlighted some words which may upset your friend — consider rewriting the message to be kinder.
Let's pause for a moment before you send…
Let's count to 5 and decide if you really want to send this message
Well done, Jamie!
You chose kindness.
Take a breath, then try again. A kinder version is just as easy to send.
Hey, Jamie!
Member since 2019
Here’s your stats from the last 30 days:
You’ve sent less hurtful messages this month!
Well done for asking for help!
Your message has been sent to someone who cares about you and is ready to listen.
Nothing typed here is saved, stored, or sent anywhere.
FEATURES
01
Detects hateful and harmful language using machine learning.
02
Delays the immediate sending of hateful and harmful messages.
03
Prompts the user to reconsider the message but leaving the user with the final choice.
04
Tracks their messaging history and supplies reports allowing them to monitor their actions.
05
Connects the user to their nominated support network to ask for help.
06
Educates both users and their support network on digital wellbeing.
Detecting insensitive or hurtful messages in real-time, the Conscious Keyboard uses machine learning to alert users and help them consider the potential impact of their words.
Jamie, are you sure you would like to send this?
We’ve highlighted some words which may upset your friend — consider rewriting the message to be kinder.
Let's pause for a moment before you send…
Let's count to 5 and decide if you really want to send this message
Well done, Jamie!
You chose kindness.
Take a breath, then try again. A kinder version is just as easy to send.
Hey, Jamie!
Member since 2019
Here’s your stats from the last 30 days:
You’ve sent less hurtful messages this month!
Well done for asking for help!
Your message has been sent to someone who cares about you and is ready to listen.
Pausing to reflect on potentially hurtful actions empowers users to consider their choices, while leaving the final decision to send up to them, fostering personal responsibility over time.
Jamie, are you sure you would like to send this?
We’ve highlighted some words which may upset your friend — consider rewriting the message to be kinder.
Let's pause for a moment before you send…
Let's count to 5 and decide if you really want to send this message
Well done, Jamie!
You chose kindness.
Take a breath, then try again. A kinder version is just as easy to send.
Hey, Jamie!
Member since 2019
Here’s your stats from the last 30 days:
You’ve sent less hurtful messages this month!
Well done for asking for help!
Your message has been sent to someone who cares about you and is ready to listen.
Tracking users behaviour and providing a detailed report allows users to monitor their progress and reflect on their actions over time.
Jamie, are you sure you would like to send this?
We’ve highlighted some words which may upset your friend — consider rewriting the message to be kinder.
Let's pause for a moment before you send…
Let's count to 5 and decide if you really want to send this message
Well done, Jamie!
You chose kindness.
Take a breath, then try again. A kinder version is just as easy to send.
Hey, Jamie!
Member since 2019
Here’s your stats from the last 30 days:
You’ve sent less hurtful messages this month!
Well done for asking for help!
Your message has been sent to someone who cares about you and is ready to listen.
Connecting users to their dedicated adults, the ‘ask for help’ button allows users to reach out for assistance. This notifies the chosen adult, ensuring support is always within reach.
Jamie, are you sure you would like to send this?
We’ve highlighted some words which may upset your friend — consider rewriting the message to be kinder.
Let's pause for a moment before you send…
Let's count to 5 and decide if you really want to send this message
Well done, Jamie!
You chose kindness.
Take a breath, then try again. A kinder version is just as easy to send.
Hey, Jamie!
Member since 2019
Here’s your stats from the last 30 days:
You’ve sent less hurtful messages this month!
Well done for asking for help!
Your message has been sent to someone who cares about you and is ready to listen.
KEVIN THE CAT
We designed mascots to bring the Conscious Keyboard to life and add personality, specifically with young people in mind.
We created several variations of the mascots to show different emotions as the user interacts with the keyboard.
Before finishing this project, the prototype was shared with two people who outside of the design process, including a teenager right in Conscious Keyboard's target age range, and asked what they honestly thought.
Responses
London | UX & UI | Branding | Communications Design
