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JOANNA RIVERA

Mental Sphere

Mental Sphere

MARCH 2023

Google UX

Design Project

Designing an experience that is seamless, inclusive, and
captivating to support the care for users.

Mental Sphere is an app created to help users reconnect with their
inner self by accessing meditation guides and other healing practices.
Mental Sphere aims to positively affect users by providing them with
guided meditation exercises, support groups, their own journal,
ambient sounds, and more. The app wants to help users achieve a sense
of peace and tranquility while listening to beautiful tunes and guides.

​

As part of Google’s User Experience Designer Certification course,
I researched and designed Mental Sphere.

The lack of localization and international support in mobile applications hampers

user engagement, prevents the promotion of mental well-being on a global scale.

How can we use utilize technology to support the development of healthy habits?

Problem

Solution

An interactive app that serves as a mental health hub. The platform will serve as a

reliable support system, providing valuable information, exercises, and tools in multiple

languages. With a global perspective, the application offers a diverse array of resources

depending on the users region.

My Role

UX/UI Design, UX Research

Mar. 2023 - Jun. 2023

Timeline

Solo Project

Team

Figma, Miro, Google Sheets

Tools

OVERVIEW

Design Outcome

The project delved into various methodologies, including affinity diagrams, personas, and competitive
analysis. For the development of Mental Sphere, my focus was on adopting a goal-directed design
approach. I started off with asking key questions, as I sought to gain a comprehensive understanding of
user needs and preferences.

RESEARCH

Interviews & Affinity Diagram

To begin the investigation, I conducted interviews to gain valuable insights into the experiences, needs, and

preferences of the users. In addition, I created an affinity diagram to separate the research findings into

groups to categorize the key goals for improvement.

I interviewed 5 people through zoom, each with various ages, abilities, and backgrounds who had a hard time

focusing and managing their time. I found that:

  • Users preferred having a clear and simple interface and accessible design such as closed captions, adjustable font size, or various languages

  • Some people need engaging visuals and sounds that enhance the meditation experience; others wanted no visual effects

  • Some users had confusion about what the meditation track feature entails; requested needing more information about specific tracks

  • Customization options for session length and specific meditations were highly valued by users

Users prefer clear and accessible designs, with customization options for session length and specific

meditations, while the users preferences for visual and audio enhancements vary.

Competitive Analysis

From the analysis, I learned that:

  • Opportunities to increase user engagement by adding social features that allow users to connect with others who have similar experiences or interests.

  • Enhance the user experience by adding more interactive features, such as quizzes or games, to help users engage with the app and learn about mental health.

  • Integration with Apple Health and other apps, making it easy for users to incorporate meditation into their daily routines

  • Engaging and interactive app design, with a focus on music and storytelling

Therefore, I aim to develop a global mental wellness app that can cater to the diverse needs of individuals worldwide, and provide personalized recommendations based on their unique preferences and circumstances.

Personas

DESIGN

After thorough deliberation, I determined the essential core functionalities that will serve as the building blocks of the app:

User Journey

This experience map visualizes the ideal user experience, specifically for our user persona, Minh. Minh Nguyen is an international student studying abroad in the U.S. This map will serve as our guide as we design the product, particularly the first prototype.

Stress from adapting to a new country and culture pressure to perform well in school stress from social media

Ideation

Following the creation of my prototype using low fidelity wireframes, I proceeded to present my prototype to a group of five participants, aiming to gather substantial feedback that would be instrumental for my future design iterations.

User Feedback

I created the following wireframes on figma for potential users to review and provide feedback:

Improvements

There were two major improvements in my design

After receiving feedback from six peers, I dedicated a week to constantly refining my design, leading to significant improvements:

Challenges

Lack of localization and international support

To address this challenge, I implemented a localization feature within the Mental Sphere app. This feature allows users to select their preferred language and customize their app experience accordingly. Additionally, I incorporated international support by researching and incorporating meditation practices and healing techniques from various cultures around the world. This ensures that users from different countries and backgrounds can access content that resonates with their cultural preferences, promoting a more inclusive and personalized experience.

Through extensive user research and testing, I ensured that the app's navigation and features are easily understandable and accessible to users of all ages. I also paid special attention to inclusive design principles, considering the needs of users with disabilities and incorporating accessibility features such as adjustable font sizes, color contrast options, and voice-guided navigation. By prioritizing user feedback and continuously refining the app's design, I aimed to provide an inclusive and enjoyable experience for all users.

Inclusivity

Designing the interface with a clean and uncluttered layout was crucial in minimizing distractions and creating a visually calming environment. I opted for a minimalist design approach, using ample white space, a simple, intuitive navigation system, and a three-toned green, blue, and coral color scheme. This approach eliminates unnecessary visual noise and allows users to focus their attention on the content that matters most - the features

Staying focused

Final Product

SCREENS + INTERACTION DESIGN

The Style Tile

Reflections & takeaways

During my first UX case study project, I had the opportunity to design a mental wellness app using a goal-directed design approach as part of the Google UX course. This approach focused on understanding users' goals and designing a solution that aligns with those objectives. Here are my key takeaways and reflections from this project:

Wireframes

I drew out wireframes of the main pages on my iPad using some of the features in ideation phase

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