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An app-based platform that connects people to go through darkness together

You are not alone!
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Timeline

My Role

Solo designer
UX Researcher
UX Designer

3 weeks

Deliverables

Ux research
Ux design
Hi-fi interfaces,
Interactive prototype

Go through darkness together

The year 2020 has definitely not been easy.
I was struggling to find a job even a lot of job openings had been frozen.
At the same time, I’d been heartbroken because of a big break-up.
But because of the pandemic, I couldn’t go out and stay with my friends to distract myself.
I was so stressed, sad, and lonely at home by myself.
I felt like I was the only one who was so suffering.

I wanted to feel connected
However, I was here in this country, by myself. I live by myself...
It's such a difficult time for me!

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I can imagine how many people are there who are suffering from negative feelings like me!
 

So why not create a digital product that can connect people to go through hardship together?

Contextualizing the problem space

43%

of millennials reported feeling anxious all or most of the time

67%

experienced more stress

75%

of all people already felt more socially isolated shortly after the pandemic arrived.

57%

experienced more anxious

Source: Deloitte and Qualtrics Report

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

How do people react when they are in negative emotions?

I interviewed 6 people, asking them how they feel, what they do, and what they want when they are experiencing negative feelings. From the interview, i found that the feelings could be divided into 3 different stages. In different stages, they have different actions, and needs.

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"Getting to know that people who are in worse situations but who are trying their best to handle it gives me so much strength. I feel so much better to know I am not alone."

"I feel happy to know my advice helps people. That makes me feel the pain I’ve experienced was meaningful."

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"I don’t like talking about my struggles with friends because that makes me feel weak. But deep down, I do want to feel understood."

Insights:

People always look for self-help advice first. They only consider seeking professional help when they feel like they cannot help themselves out. Different stages have a different focus, but what people want are similar when they are in negative feelings.

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QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

What do people need most when they are in negative emotions?

1. Who would people like to talk to?
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Takeaway
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2. What do people need most when they are experiencing negative feelings?
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Takeawya
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DESKTOP RESEARCH

What are mental health experts suggest?

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  • Social and emotional support is very important for mental health.

  • Talking with others who have shared experiences can improve mood.

  • When we reach out to help someone, not only does the recipient feel good, but the helper feels good too.

Define the mission

18 - 35 years old people who are experiencing negative feelings have problems of:

  • Lacking communications

  • Lacking emotional support

  • Lacking self-help advice

  • Lacking a form of companionship

  • Lacking a safe place to freely express their feelings

  • Lack the feeling of belongings

These problems can be solved by creating an app which:

  • Connect people who have similar experiences in communities

  • Provide emotional support

  • Provide a form of companionship

  • Provide a safe place for them to talk

  • Encourage people to share experiences or advice to help others

The results can be seen by:

  • ​More and more people use this app to connect with each other

  • More and more people share their experiences and provide advice

  • People feel hopeful and emotional relieved

So, why design a mobile app?

The compactness and ease of a mobile app allow people to have quick access to the resources, seek help, and have immediate communication anytime, anywhere they want.

Core features based on the research
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User Flow

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Lo-fi Sketches

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Based on the established pain points and user flow, I sketch out some low-fi screens using pen and paper. My goal was to bring in the user flow and transfer them into wireframes. After that, I critiqued the idea and iterated.

Mid-Fi Wireframes

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Keeping the look and feel of the app calm, positive and friendly

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Final Outcome

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Confidant Call

Confidant call is for users to be heard, and to give them companionship by talking to a real person. 

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Users can set preferences to talk with the person and the topic they want.

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It's safe and private. In order to better manage the quality, users are asked to rate the person they talk.

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Posting

Users can express their feelings through the aviator. This can help them feel comfortable when posting negative feelings. And give users the ideas of titles to make them feel easy to post.

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Support & Private Chat

Users can browse the content to get useful information. They can also follow the person they are interested in and have a private chat.

Next Steps

1

Add more self-help resources, such as personal journey, reflection exercises to help users when they are in need

2

Build score mechanism to encourage users to give more advice/tips, and support others

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