The Problem:
Due to the pandemic, young adults who have become isolated, lonely and scared are not able to gain the therapy they need and build valuable connections.
The Solution:
GROUPZY: A social media app with a focus on mental health, providing moderated chat rooms, group therapy via zoom/chat room and low cost 1-on-1 therapy with a licensed professional. The aim is to provide safe social support for mental health concerns while still being able to social distance.
Approach & Deliverables:
Work in a two week sprint with a collaborative team to produce a website or mobile application based on social media in the world today. Provide a high fidelity clickable prototype based on thorough user research and analysis, usability testing, feedback and iterations.
Research
30% of adults feel unable to get the support that they need
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience some sort of mental illness
90% of the general U.S. population agree that peer support helps to manage mood disorder symptoms
User Interviews
We wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the pain points associated with mental health and social media, both as separate subjects and collectively as the interactive effects of social media on mental health. We interviewed 6 people from various backgrounds who all share a passion for mental health in some way. We asked a variety of questions regarding their personal perceptions about therapy versus the general population, their social media habits and thoughts about mental health related mobile applications and websites.
Stakeholder Interviews
We reached out to three mental health professionals to gain insights into the viability of a social media mobile app/website focused on mental health, specifically with group chat rooms. We asked questions regarding the safety for the users and the extent of professional moderation needed for such an app. All stakeholders felt that the app would be viable if produced effectively, however safety and anonymity were major concerns.
Analysis
After our research phase was complete, we synthesized the data into our problem statement and theorized on a solution. We organized our user interview insights into an affinity diagram and empathy map in order to gain a deeper understanding of our users' pain points and generate innovative solutions for their needs.
Problem Statement:
Due to the pandemic, young adults who have become isolated, lonely and scared are not able to gain the therapy they need and build valuable connections.
How might we...?
How might we help young, isolated adults achieve social interactions and build trusted peer connections in order to alleviate mental health concerns?
Competitor Analysis
With a large variety of websites focused on mental health and remote therapy/telemedicine, we completed a competitor analysis to ensure we would be delivering a competitive product that was not already on the market. We discovered that not only were all of our competitors costly, but none encompassed both 1-on-1 therapy options along with group chat rooms. We based our design of our product around these findings.
Ideation
Following the analysis of our research, we sorted our data into a feature prioritization matrix to determine what elements would provide the best value to the customers while mutually benefitting the company.
Feature Narrative
To create a website or mobile app experience that allows users to build trusted peer connections regarding mental health concerns, access cost effective therapy and obtain an outlet for discussing positive mental health habits. The key feature components are:
- Chat Rooms - An easy and free way for users gain social connections and support in moderated chat rooms with a focus on specific mental health concerns. Two factor verification is required in order to create an account for the safety of all members.
- Group Talks - Online Group therapy with a licensed professional via video conferencing or chat dialogue allows users to dive deeper into their metal health healing and would reach people that are lacking connection and accountability for recovery.
- 1-on-1 Therapy - Cost effective 1-on-1 therapy with a licensed professional customized to user's specific needs based on a personal assessment allows users to access a more private therapeutic setting and more direct care.
User Flows
We used our user flows as the guideline for how our users will flow through the app to complete their tasks. We wanted to keep the path simple and intuitive to give the users a streamline experience to enhance our customer retention rates.
Design
After determining the user flows for the three main tasks, we started with sketching ideas for the onboarding and account creation, chat rooms, group therapy and booking 1-on-1 therapy sessions wireframes. We then combined our sketches into the most effective low fidelity prototype and performed five quick guerilla tests to determine usability and pain points.
User Testing
We performed usability testing with 5 potential users to gain a better understanding of the website flow and ease of use. We asked our users to perform 3 tasks:
- Sign up for an account and create the questionnaire
- Discover personalized chat rooms
- Book a 1-on-1 session with a suggested therapist
Usability Testing Feedback
After completing the usability testing, we discovered that our users were weary of uploading an ID and photo verification without any incentive. We reorganized our onboarding and account creation to allow potential users to take the personal assessment first before creating the account. This allows users to see suggested therapists before inputting any personal data.
Website Style Guide
High Fidelity Website Prototype
For the group project, we focused on creating a social media based website with a concentration on mental health therapy. We chose a dark blue as our main color with lighter blue accents to appeal to a younger crowd that we determined would be the target audience.
Feedback and Iterations
Based on quick usability testing and project presentation, we determined that our color scheme was too one-color heavy. We also were given feedback that a website might not be appropriate for our target audience due to the higher demand for mobile apps. Our future progressions included additional security features to allow for a younger target audience and a mobile app design.
Mobile App High Fidelity Prototype
After the completion of our group project, I took feedback from the instructors and peer review to create a high fidelity prototype for mobile application. I based my design loosely on the website prototype while keeping the same three main tasks. I opted for dark mode in lieu of the dark blue background for a more polished and cohesive look, while limiting the blue tones to a few accents.
