Coercive Control
Educational Tool
Mandate
The Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, a network of 46 shelters across Québec, needed a reference platform on coercive control: a way of seeing domestic violence not as isolated incidents, but as a continuum of controlling tactics that stay invisible. It had to reach victims, their relatives, and professionals alike.
Challenge
Designing for something invisible, for people in very different states of mind. A professional needs clarity. A victim may not yet have a name for what they're living. And these were users potentially in danger: when browsing might be watched, safety stops being a feature and becomes a constraint on every flow.
Solution
I split the platform in two. A toolbox for direct access to resources, with a full library for returning users and three guided paths for discovery. And an interactive experience that pairs everyday objects with real testimonies: a familiar surface, then the hidden face of control underneath. Safety shaped the rest, with a protection screen and a one-click quick exit, so a session never raises suspicion.
Results & Recognition
First three months: 9,500 visits, 800 resources downloaded, 2m12s average in the interactive experience. Welcomed by women's-rights advocates as a real step forward, it's now used as a training tool by justice professionals. The Webby Awards x1 IDEA x1 Locomotive, 2024