Accurately identifying and communicating your precise location is an unexpectedly pressing issue all around the world and can be a matter of life or death. In an emergency situation, for example, if skiers are caught in an avalanche in a remote mountain location, rescuers will struggle to find the emergency site. Or if your house in an unaddressed slum dwelling is on fire, firemen might not be able to find it.

The what3words app solves this problem by dividing the world into 57 trillion 3x3m squares and assigning three specific words to each of these sections. Wherever someone is in the world, she can use the app on her phone to identify the square and the three words – the “address” – of her location. This information can then be shared with anyone else who has the app and will be able to find her location within that 3 meter square of the world. The app uses easy-to-remember language instead of hard-to-memorize GPS numbering systems, which is much easier for people to implement.

The practical impact of What3Words is clear. Providing addresses to homes and buildings around the world facilitates mail delivery, census taking, emergency response, etc. The applications are wide-ranging and can be utilized in an endless range of cultural contexts. What3Words uses digital technology to increase connectivity within our physical world, and at the individual human level, it provides a greater sense of identity and security to people who have not been “dignified” with an address before.