At UBC Vancouver, safety is being reimagined-shaped not only by policy, but by design.
Campus Security has a renewed identity as UBC Community Safety , marking a shift in how the university approaches safety at the Vancouver campus, which is a move away from a traditional response-based model toward one centered on prevention, partnership and engagement.
"There's a big difference between the reality of safety and the perception of safety. Over the past few years, the department has actively sought feedback through focus groups and surveys to better understand how students, faculty, staff and visitors experience safety," said Sam Stephens, director of UBC Community Safety. "Our job is to listen and respond, so we can support the community."
"We didn't want to change the name until we were clear about the direction we were taking and how our services would evolve," Stephens continued. "This feels like the right moment to announce this change-it's aspirational, but it also reflects real changes already underway."
One unexpected theme emerged during the change: uniforms. Some community members shared that the current uniforms-which resemble formal security attire-can feel intimidating to them and may discourage interaction.
"We didn't want the uniform to be a barrier to human connection," Stephens said. "Our staff still need to be identifiable and equipped for their roles, but the uniform shouldn't get in the way of providing community-focused services, which incorporates having culturally aligned and trauma-informed care."
Designing safety together
Rather than redesigning the uniforms internally, the department partnered with Germaine Koh, assistant professor in the department of art history, visual art and theory within the faculty of arts, and lead of the Slow Fashion Research Cluster .
"It was clear from the start that they valued community input," Koh said. "They were already aware that the perceptions of security staff are partly based on their appearance and wanted to rethink their approach."
Together, they developed a design process where students, researchers, designers and staff explored uniforms that prioritized approachability. "We ran a workshop partly as a focus group and partly as a design charette, which is a group working together on a particular design problem," Koh explained. "Participants could have real conversations with patrol officers and talk openly about the challenges they experience."
Creating an environment for play was an important part of the process. "When people enter into a state of play, hierarchies soften and boundaries blur," she said. "People start engaging outside of the structures they're used to interacting within."
The workshop reflected the interdisciplinary spirit of the Slow Fashion Research Cluster , which connects designers, artists, engineers and scientists from UBC and beyond.
"These conversations shouldn't stay within one institution or one discipline," Koh said. "They're about sharing knowledge across boundaries."
How design influences perception
The exploratory design workshop examined how uniforms convey authority, safety and approachability.
"The way we dress communicates as much as words do," Koh said. "For patrol staff, clothing is the first thing people notice."
Participants experimented with colour, shapes and materials. Softer curves and flowing lines conveyed openness, while lighter blues and pinks signaled a shift away from traditional security uniforms. "These design elements shape emotional reactions," Koh noted. "The words we use for visual design-softer or gentler-can also describe social interactions."
At the same time, functionality remained essential. Uniforms still needed to support patrol work and incident response-carrying equipment, allowing ease of movement and protecting staff from weather conditions. "A lot of those requirements are actually similar to what you see in athletic or technical gear," Koh said. "That opens up more possibilities for what these uniforms could look like."
For Jay Rojas, manager of community support within the Community Safety department, the workshop was an opportunity to translate the department's values into tangible design ideas.
"I was curious about the process of navigating this cultural shift," Rojas said. "We talk about one of our guiding principles-People first, always-but how do we translate that into a uniform that someone wears every day while walking, biking or driving around campus?"
Designing a visual lookbook based on his experiences working in campus security helped bring those ideas to life: "I wanted to see how those ideas could translate into practice in the real world," he said. "It also helped me think about how we show up in the UBC community."
"We still need to step in and respond to incidents," Rojas said. "But we want people to feel comfortable asking for help."
The workshop culminated with the created prototypes being showcased at the 2026 Slow Fashion Show, where Community Safety staff walked the runway.
"When they walked out as a group, it underscored that uniforms are meaningful clothing," Koh said. "And the audience reaction was enthusiastic! They weren't expecting patrol officers to be a part of the creative process."
This collaboration demonstrates a rare intersection of public safety and design research, offering a model for how institutions might rethink frontline uniforms.
A new chapter for campus safety at UBC
As Community Safety rolls out its new design and identity, success for Stephens will ultimately be measured by how people feel.
"Our ultimate goal is to improve people's safety on campus," he said. "Everyone's experience is unique, so success isn't something we can define on our own. We'll continue to listen to the community, learn from them and refine our direction together."
"Building safety truly takes a community-and that's what this design transition is all about."
