2 weeks
Figma, InVision, Miro, Google Forms
We’re Not Really Strangers is a global community that centers around empowering meaningful connections. They are widely known for their card games that bring people together and deepen relationships. Their quotes and contents have been shared across social media platform because it draws out vulnerability in people in an uplifting way. With this solid branding and identity, We’re Not Really Strangers currently also has a subscription SMS called Emotional Hotline.
According to an article by The Brink, “New research from Boston University School of Public Health reveals that the elevated rate of depression has persisted into 2021, and even worsened, climbing to 32.8 percent and affecting 1 in every 3 American adults.”
I wanted to design an app version of We’re Not Really Strangers as a mental-health app that encourages and guides people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities through their mental health journey. Problem What kind of positive reminders are desired by users and when are the reminders desired?
Empathize => Define => Ideate => Prototype => Test
I began this project by conducting secondary research on the impact of mobile phone reminders on self-care. I found that a two-week use of reminders improved the self-care of the users.
"The reminders approach could be designed to increase self-care and to encourage [users] to take time for themselves, empowering them to take an active role in meeting their needs" - Informatics, 2022
I wanted to know what types of people would find value in this app and what they would want from a self-care app.In order to find out, I surveyed 9 people asking about their current mental state and mobile device usage.
- 44% of participants check their phones all the time
- 75% of participants use phone reminders
- 56% of participants are not content with themselves
- 44% of participants would find the positive reminders helpful Key Insights (pain points): (big) 100% All participants had some kind of worry 67% Participants found notifications annoying due to ads
With a better awareness of the potential users, I adopted the point of view accordingly.
I created an empathy map to gain a comprehensive understanding of our potential user's thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.
I composed a storyboard by organizing the data from the survey and empathy map to demonstrate how potential users might find the app helpful.
After personifying our potential users and finding opportunities for the app in their lives, I began brainstorming and exploring ways to address the problem statement.
Considering that the potential users found notifications bothersome, I developed a user flow that allows users to customize their reminder frequency.
(Conceptual Design, Not Final Product)
To validate that the prototype solves the problem statement, I conducted Usability Testing and Survey.
I sent out another Google Form to the 9 participants and instructed them to go through the clickable prototype. Then I asked them to answer some survey questions based on their experience.
Based on the survey responses, I am able to conclude that the initial app design was successful, though not complete. Users did not struggle to navigate the prototype and I was able to discover what types of reminders and when users would want them.
Due to the time constraint, this project was limited in planning, designing, and feedback. Using the feedback that users provided, I would like to refine the UI design of the app. Because it was a strategic north star brainstorming design, the prototype has lots of refining to be done. I would also like to survey more people to explore more potential users and make iterations that could allow the app to be appealing to more people.
Designing the app version of We're Not Really Strangers was a creative endeavor for me. It got me to strategize ways to align business goals with human needs. I was absorbed in empathizing with potential users which helped fire up my brainstorming during the design process. Although I was able to design a prototype, one piece of feedback stated that the participant struggled with the direction of the survey. I learned that organizing the research plans clearly for the participants is just as important as the final product.