hear4U
hear4U
hear4U
Designing and creating a mental health app
Designing and creating a mental health app
Designing and creating a mental health app
Roles: UX & UI designer (Indivdual) Tools: Figma Skills: Wireframing, Prototyping, Research Time: 5 Hours
Roles: UX & UI designer (Indivdual) Tools: Figma Skills: Wireframing, Prototyping, Research Time: 5 Hours
Roles: UX & UI designer (Indivdual) Tools: Figma Skills: Wireframing, Prototyping, Research Time: 5 Hours
About Blueprint (WLU) Design Challenge
This design challenge was held by UXL (UX Laurier) at the Wilfrid Laurier University. This challenged was judged by designers from Google & CIBC, I was placed second.
The prompt:
“How might we leverage technology to promote mental health awareness and provide accessible support for students in need?”
Who the App is For
The target market focuses on Canadian University/College students (undergraduate, graduate etc…) who would like to access to mental health services.
Learning More About the Users
For this project, I used two research methods, autoethnography which used my own personal experiences (primary research) and online sources such as news articles (secondary research). Below are the insights regarding needs of users found from both research methodologies.
1.
Primary Research (Autoethnography)
Need for “less formal” help
Different resources
Free mediation sources
2.
Secondary Research
APA Monitor:
Rapid access services
Workshops
Counselor chats
ConnexOntario:
Access to counselors, support groups, active listening
Recognizing signs
Providing growth opportunities
Findings: Understanding our Users
Through the qualitative analysis, I identified four main pain points.
Significant Wait Times
Root Causes:
Limited counseling resources & staff.
Inefficient or overloaded appointment scheduling systems.
Diversification of Resources
Root Causes:
Traditional therapy may not suit everyone's preferences or needs.
Lack of awareness about alternative resources.
Need for Anonymity
Root Causes:
Stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Privacy concerns and fear of judgment.
Lack of Support Groups
Root Causes:
Insufficient availability or promotion of support groups.
Inadequate representation and inclusivity in existing groups.
Persona
Using the insights and pain points, I created a persona to understand users goals and needs.
The identified pain points, such as significant wait times, lack of support groups, and the need for anonymity, are grounded in the experiences of individuals like Alex. The persona serves as a reference point to ensure that the proposed solutions directly tackle these issues.
Defining the Problem
To define the problem and enhance university and college mental health support systems, I created an affinity map to derive insights from my research, understand the impact and create a potential solution.
According to my affinity map, I believe that we are addressing challenges in the college/university mental health support system, including prolonged wait times, limited anonymity, a lack of diverse resources and support groups, to enhance overall accessibility and effectiveness for students seeking assistance.
Competitive Analysis: What’s in the market
Using Ohio State: Wellness App, I looked at the missing pain points that were not addressed by the designers.
1.
Community Engagement
Features that encourage community engagement, such as forums, events, or challenges that foster a sense of belonging and support among users.
2.
Counselor Connection Feature
A need dedicated feature that allows students to directly connect with counselors.
3.
Different Resources
Traditional therapy may not suit everyone's preferences or needs. Therefore other options should be presented.
The Solution
These features listed below are focused on creating a user-friendly and effective application based on the user needs.
1.
Want to Mediate?
Allows users to meditate, providing an alternative to standalone meditation apps.
2.
Want to Listen?
Offers podcasts and stress management content for learning and support.
3.
Let’s Discuss
Provides an anonymous chat forum or board for users to discuss their concerns.
4.
Let’s Talk
Divides into "Let’s Call" and "Let’s Chat," offering phone or chat-based communication options.
User Journey
I created a possible user journey that someone might take in times when they are feeling distressed. This also helped me identify if the application has an intuitive user interface and whether the navigation is accessible.
Feasibility
The app ideally is developed by the government (Ministry of Education) then allowing University integration.
Technical Feasibility:
University Integration
Communication Features
App Development and Maintenance:
The cost of developing and maintaining the app, including hosting, updates, and support, needs
Emergency Services Integration:
Integrating emergency services requires coordination with health services
Acknowledging Limitations
This project was developed in five hours therefore multiple iterations, testing and other methodologies were not utilized due to this restriction.
Visual Identity
Final Design
About Blueprint (WLU) Design Challenge
This design challenge was held by UXL (UX Laurier) at the Wilfrid Laurier University. This challenged was judged by designers from Google & CIBC, I was placed second.
The prompt:
“How might we leverage technology to promote mental health awareness and provide accessible support for students in need?”
Who the App is For
The target market focuses on Canadian University/College students (undergraduate, graduate etc…) who would like to access to mental health services.
Learning More About the Users
For this project, I used two research methods, autoethnography which used my own personal experiences (primary research) and online sources such as news articles (secondary research). Below are the insights regarding needs of users found from both research methodologies.
1.
Primary Research (Autoethnography)
Need for “less formal” help
Different resources
Free mediation sources
2.
Secondary Research
APA Monitor:
Rapid access services
Workshops
Counselor chats
ConnexOntario:
Access to counselors, support groups, active listening
Recognizing signs
Providing growth opportunities
Findings: Understanding our Users
Through the qualitative analysis, I identified four main pain points.
Significant Wait Times
Root Causes:
Limited counseling resources & staff.
Inefficient or overloaded appointment scheduling systems.
Diversification of Resources
Root Causes:
Traditional therapy may not suit everyone's preferences or needs.
Lack of awareness about alternative resources.
Need for Anonymity
Root Causes:
Stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Privacy concerns and fear of judgment.
Lack of Support Groups
Root Causes:
Insufficient availability or promotion of support groups.
Inadequate representation and inclusivity in existing groups.
Persona
Using the insights and pain points, I created a persona to understand users goals and needs.
The identified pain points, such as significant wait times, lack of support groups, and the need for anonymity, are grounded in the experiences of individuals like Alex. The persona serves as a reference point to ensure that the proposed solutions directly tackle these issues.
Defining the Problem
To define the problem and enhance university and college mental health support systems, I created an affinity map to derive insights from my research, understand the impact and create a potential solution.
According to my affinity map, I believe that we are addressing challenges in the college/university mental health support system, including prolonged wait times, limited anonymity, a lack of diverse resources and support groups, to enhance overall accessibility and effectiveness for students seeking assistance.
Competitive Analysis: What’s in the market
Using Ohio State: Wellness App, I looked at the missing pain points that were not addressed by the designers.
1.
Community Engagement
Features that encourage community engagement, such as forums, events, or challenges that foster a sense of belonging and support among users.
2.
Counselor Connection Feature
A need dedicated feature that allows students to directly connect with counselors.
3.
Different Resources
Traditional therapy may not suit everyone's preferences or needs. Therefore other options should be presented.
The Solution
These features listed below are focused on creating a user-friendly and effective application based on the user needs.
1.
Want to Mediate?
Allows users to meditate, providing an alternative to standalone meditation apps.
2.
Want to Listen?
Offers podcasts and stress management content for learning and support.
3.
Let’s Discuss
Provides an anonymous chat forum or board for users to discuss their concerns.
4.
Let’s Talk
Divides into "Let’s Call" and "Let’s Chat," offering phone or chat-based communication options.
User Journey
I created a possible user journey that someone might take in times when they are feeling distressed. This also helped me identify if the application has an intuitive user interface and whether the navigation is accessible.
Feasibility
The app ideally is developed by the government (Ministry of Education) then allowing University integration.
Technical Feasibility:
University Integration
Communication Features
App Development and Maintenance:
The cost of developing and maintaining the app, including hosting, updates, and support, needs
Emergency Services Integration:
Integrating emergency services requires coordination with health services
Acknowledging Limitations
This project was developed in five hours therefore multiple iterations, testing and other methodologies were not utilized due to this restriction.
Visual Identity
Final Design
About Blueprint (WLU) Design Challenge
This design challenge was held by UXL (UX Laurier) at the Wilfrid Laurier University. This challenged was judged by designers from Google & CIBC, I was placed second.
The prompt:
“How might we leverage technology to promote mental health awareness and provide accessible support for students in need?”
Who the App is For
The target market focuses on Canadian University/College students (undergraduate, graduate etc…) who would like to access to mental health services.
Learning More About the Users
For this project, I used two research methods, autoethnography which used my own personal experiences (primary research) and online sources such as news articles (secondary research). Below are the insights regarding needs of users found from both research methodologies.
1.
Primary Research (Autoethnography)
Need for “less formal” help
Different resources
Free mediation sources
2.
Secondary Research
APA Monitor:
Rapid access services
Workshops
Counselor chats
ConnexOntario:
Access to counselors, support groups, active listening
Recognizing signs
Providing growth opportunities
Findings: Understanding our Users
Through the qualitative analysis, I identified four main pain points.
Significant Wait Times
Root Causes:
Limited counseling resources & staff.
Inefficient or overloaded appointment scheduling systems.
Diversification of Resources
Root Causes:
Traditional therapy may not suit everyone's preferences or needs.
Lack of awareness about alternative resources.
Need for Anonymity
Root Causes:
Stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Privacy concerns and fear of judgment.
Lack of Support Groups
Root Causes:
Insufficient availability or promotion of support groups.
Inadequate representation and inclusivity in existing groups.
Persona
Using the insights and pain points, I created a persona to understand users goals and needs.
The identified pain points, such as significant wait times, lack of support groups, and the need for anonymity, are grounded in the experiences of individuals like Alex. The persona serves as a reference point to ensure that the proposed solutions directly tackle these issues.
Defining the Problem
To define the problem and enhance university and college mental health support systems, I created an affinity map to derive insights from my research, understand the impact and create a potential solution.
According to my affinity map, I believe that we are addressing challenges in the college/university mental health support system, including prolonged wait times, limited anonymity, a lack of diverse resources and support groups, to enhance overall accessibility and effectiveness for students seeking assistance.
Competitive Analysis: What’s in the market
Using Ohio State: Wellness App, I looked at the missing pain points that were not addressed by the designers.
1.
Community Engagement
Features that encourage community engagement, such as forums, events, or challenges that foster a sense of belonging and support among users.
2.
Counselor Connection Feature
A need dedicated feature that allows students to directly connect with counselors.
3.
Different Resources
Traditional therapy may not suit everyone's preferences or needs. Therefore other options should be presented.
The Solution
These features listed below are focused on creating a user-friendly and effective application based on the user needs.
1.
Want to Mediate?
Allows users to meditate, providing an alternative to standalone meditation apps.
2.
Want to Listen?
Offers podcasts and stress management content for learning and support.
3.
Let’s Discuss
Provides an anonymous chat forum or board for users to discuss their concerns.
4.
Let’s Talk
Divides into "Let’s Call" and "Let’s Chat," offering phone or chat-based communication options.
User Journey
I created a possible user journey that someone might take in times when they are feeling distressed. This also helped me identify if the application has an intuitive user interface and whether the navigation is accessible.
Feasibility
The app ideally is developed by the government (Ministry of Education) then allowing University integration.
Technical Feasibility:
University Integration
Communication Features
App Development and Maintenance:
The cost of developing and maintaining the app, including hosting, updates, and support, needs
Emergency Services Integration:
Integrating emergency services requires coordination with health services
Acknowledging Limitations
This project was developed in five hours therefore multiple iterations, testing and other methodologies were not utilized due to this restriction.
Visual Identity
Final Design
© Jasmine 2023