Introduction
The Problem
- The lack of accessible and available mental health care services poses a major challenge for individuals in America.
- 60% of people between the ages of 16-25 who experience major depression often go untreated.
I chose this problem because it is an issue that all individuals experience at some point in their life and despite the fact that mental health is so crucial to everyone's well-being, it is often neglected due of social stigmas and a lack of access to care.
First, I needed to conduct research to show that my problem was a real-world issue.
Secondary Research
Then research was conducted using Decontextualized method, including user interview observation, and affinity mapping. User interviews will be the primary research method to gather data about mental health experiences.
Then I conducted interviews with people that met my interview criteria and began categorizing the findings into paint points, actions, goals, and motives. I then classified them into themes and wrote an insight statement for each.
Key Theme
Access to Care
Access to mental health care can be challenging due to financial, social, and systemic barriers. Addressing these barriers can improve access to care, reducing the burden of untreated mental illness.
I chose access to care as my key theme since it was mentioned by all of my interviewees and entailed all of the other themes.
Now we'll move on to the solution state.
How Might We?
How might we better connect Americans aged 16-25 facing mental health challenges and the resources they need to help them lead happier and healthier lives?
User Persona
To add to the prototype, I created a UI inspiration board to collect visual and functional ideas as well as industry best practices. Then I began exploratory drawing and selected one solution sketch for each screen.
Solution Sketches
Low-Fidelity
Brand Identity
Brand Identity
Brand Identity
Accessibility
Color accessibility assures that people with color vision problems or color blindness can detect and comprehend visual information in the same manner that those with normal color vision can.
Final Prototype Walk Through
Scenario
You are a student at NYU. You are very stressed and anxious about your student loan and your classes. You like to use an app to keep track of your mental health and to talk to a therapist virtually whenever needed. You found an app that could possibly help this situation.
Goal or Task
You want to seek assistance right now since you're feeling anxious. You want to try to use affirmations to encourage yourself first and you wish to talk with the therapist online.
Home Screen/Landing Page
The users will be able to record their emotions on a daily basis, and a calendar section at the top will serve as a reminder of their appointments, meds, and other important events.
The user will receive daily customized activities like guided meditation, art therapy, affirmations, and more based on the data gathered.
Currently experiencing anxiety, our user will select "Help" from the navigation bar.
How are you feeling Screen.
The user will be able to tap on how they are feeling.
Because the user is anxious, he or she taps on anxious.
Anxious Screen.
To make the user feel at ease and let them know they are alone in this, I decided to have this screen with the moving and changing color in the back, much like color therapy.
Every time they tap again, they will hear encouraging words and a reminder to get help.
Activities Question Screen.
On this screen, users have two options, which are generally for new users and people who aren't ready to talk to therapy yet. Existing users can speak with therapists directly and receive the assistance they require.
For now, the user isn't ready to talk to the therapist yet, he or she will tap on Self activities.
Self-care Activities Screen.
Users will have a variety of options for self-care activities based on their own needs. The user will be able to see a description of how each activity will benefit them . So they can choose the activity that is best for them.
Our user will be tapping on the affirmations.
Affirmation Dropdown Screen.
Users can view a description of how affirmation can benefit them.
The user taps on continue.
Affirmation Screen.
Users will have a calming video on top and affirmations to swipe. If watching the video is making them feel worse, they will even have the option to pause it.
Now that our user is ready to talk to therapy after the self-activity, he or she will tap on therapy on the navigation bar.
The Therapist see more Screen.
On this screen, users can see therapist information such as language, pricing, specialty, and rating, and other things.
When the user is ready, they will tap the "book session" button.
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