CLIENT

CareerFoundry

ROLE

UX/UI Designer

TIMELINE

April 2022 - May 2022

TOOLS

Adobe XD

SUMMARY

As the UX/UI designer for this project, the task at hand was to design a mobile app of my choosing to help solve a specific user problem for both iOS and Android Platforms. I decided to go with a mental health care app -  AWAKEN. 

 OVERVIEW:

According to Hopkins Medicine and the latest statistics available from the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health:

• Mental health disorders account for several of the top causes of disability in established market economies, such as the U.S., worldwide, and include: major depression (also called clinical depression), manic depression (also called bipolar disorder), schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older - about 1 in 4 adults - suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

THE PROBLEM:

The problem that the app is solving is to make therapy/counseling for mental illness as accessible to the user. Therapy can be expensive, it would be nice to make it more accessible and trustworthy. This app will be a native app and would be designed for both iOS and Android to create that accessibility. The user will have the ability to have access to a therapist (phone call, video call, or messaging) whenever they are feeling anxious or in need of help.

THE SOLUTION: 

The app Awaken will be for users that are seeking therapy for mental help. They will be able to select what type of therapy they are looking for (depression, anxiety, anger, stress, relationship, grief, self-esteem, eating disorder, borderline personality disorder) they will have the option of having a private mode or public when receiving therapy. The app will also help track habits and moods, cataloguing moods and habits using the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy method. Other features will include daily motivational reminders and facts on mental illness and suggestion for podcast and music for relaxation. This app for people that want to be happy and are seeking help, guidance and a way to find mental balance in their lives.

Competitive 

Analysis

For the competitive analysis I took a look at the apps Thought Diary and Calm app. There were some fuctionalities that worked well in both apps and I drew inspiration for my project, the only difference is that AWAKEN offers therapy sessions. 

Cognitive Thought Diary is a journaling app that uses tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and positive psychology to help consumers track and improve their moods and to reframe their thinking. Consumers can choose between reporting a thought, mood, or expression of gratitude. The app will guide consumers through specific exercises such as challenging their negative thoughts.

Calm is a meditation, sleep and relaxation app. Calm creates unique audio content that strengthens mental fitness and tackles some of the biggest mental health challenges of today: stress, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. The most popular feature on Calm is a 10-minute meditation called, 'The Daily Calm,' that explores a fresh mindful theme and inspiring concept each day.

User Flow & Wireframes

After evaluating other mental health and wellness apps, I proceeded with creating a userflow and the low-fidelity wireframes. The main functionalities for the app include: sign-up, login, matching the user with a therapist, mood tracking and selection of a daily productivity task.

User Flow displaying the functionalites and actions that the user will go through. 

Paper Wireframes depicting the basic structure of the application's screens. 

First Screen: iOS Mid-Fidelity Screens; Second Screen: Android Mid-Fidelity Screens

Style Guide

The overall aesthetic for AWAKEN is to bring solace and well-being to the user. The imagery is warm and comforting. Earth and natural tones were used for the color palette. Helvetica for ease of legibility. The app should create an atmosphere of calm and peace.

User Feedback after user testing with prototypes. 

High-Fidelity Wireframes for iOS and Android

Final

Mockups

These final mockups showcase the AWAKEN app and how it would appear in both iOS and Android.

Reflection

The brief of this project called for a design of an iOS and Android version of a mobile app that solves a specific user problem as well as the analysis of two competing apps in the market. With the research on the topic of mental health apps such as Calm and Thought Dairy, as well as the feedback from user testing, I was able to gain insight on what people seek in such apps. I was shocked to realize that many loved the idea of the app and felt that AWAKEN would truly help those in need of therapy or who are facing mental health issues in general. I feel that without the limitation of time restraints for the project, I could have dived more into specifics such as how payment would work (insurance or subscription based) and fine tune being matched with therapist, the legality and privacy issues. All in all, I really enjoyed this project because I got to select a concept I am passionate about. I would love to revisit this project in the future and refine it, I truly believe that mental health care and wellness should be more accessible and affordable to the public.