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Hearsay Privacy Recorder
SOFTWARE: Swift/SwiftUI
SERVICES: UI/UX Design, Mobile Development
01. The Idea
In today’s world, personal safety and the ability to safely document one’s experiences are crucial. Recognizing this need, the concept for Hearsay was born. Our goal was to create an application that empowers individuals in various situations — whether personal, legal, or professional, individuals often find themselves wishing they had a way to discreetly document their experiences. The idea was born out of a desire to empower these individuals, to provide them with a tool that could serve as a silent witness, capturing truth in its rawest form without being obtrusive.
02. The Development
The development of Hearsay was an intricate process, with a primary focus on leveraging the capabilities of AVFoundation, a robust Swift framework. The core functionality centered around enabling audio and video recording from both the front and back cameras simultaneously, or individually, as well as a strictly audio recording feature. This presented unique technical challenges, particularly in managing the seamless switch between different recording modes while maintaining user discretion.
A significant portion of the development was dedicated to crafting the asynchronous server communication and the UI overlay interface. Each recording, once completed, was automatically compressed and uploaded to a secure server. We designed different models and URLs to handle these uploads efficiently, ensuring that users’ data remained protected at every stage. For the UI overlays, the interface needed to be intuitive yet inconspicuous, allowing users to record without giving away their actions. Multiple overlay options were created, such as a native iOS lock screen and a calculator, which would enable users to record while the phone appeared idle or engaged in another task.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.– Edmund Burke
03. The Solution
Hearsay emerged as a sophisticated solution that balances functionality with discretion. It offers users the ability to record audio and video in various modes, catering to a range of needs from personal safety to professional documentation. The app’s intuitive interface, disguised as everyday phone screens, ensures that users can record discreetly, providing a sense of security and control in potentially vulnerable situations.
The backend infrastructure of Hearsay guarantees that all recordings are quick and securely, with the added benefit of a 15-day safeguard period. This period allows users to access and manage their recordings before making any decisions about their storage or deletion. The solution effectively empowers users to document their experiences safely and discreetly, aligning with our initial vision of offering a reliable tool for anyone who might need it.