UXL BLUEPRINT DESIGNATHON - NOVEMBER 2023

Promoting mental health awareness and providing accessible support for university students

TIMELINE

48 Hours

TYPE

UXL Design

Competition

TOOLS

Figma

Pen & Paper

TEAM

Solo

0 → 1 Designer

Overview

While advancements in technology had opened new doors for addressing mental health challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic saw a rapid decline in mental health & underscored the importance of accessible mental health resources. Additionally, the stigma around seeking help also remains a significant barrier, making it clear that innovative, inclusive solutions are more necessary than ever. Mindscape is a mobile app I created for the Blueprint Designathon, which is a tech-driven solution that connects students to mental health support and increases mental health awareness.



🏆 This project earned me 3rd place as a solo participant among numerous teams

THE CHALLENGE

HMW leverage technology to promote mental health awareness and provide accessible support for students in need?

RESEARCH AND EMPATHISE

Understanding the mental health struggles of university students

To understand the needs of students, I conducted 4 interviews, sent out a survey (primary research) and analyzed online reports, articles, and forums (secondary research). These insights gathered helped define the problem space and empathize with the target users; university students aged 18-24

Academic pressure & financial stress is consistently stated as the top factors negatively impacting the mental health of university students.


SOURCE: SURVEY

"I feel too overwhelmed during times of mental distress, often don't know how to deal with it and feel hesitant to reach out for help"


SOURCE: USER INTERVIEW

The majority of students are comfortable using smartphones and digital tools for everyday tasks.


Students indicated that they would prefer using their phones for initial help-seeking, as it feels less intimidating and is easier to access.

With the research data, I created an empathy map to capture what students think, feel, say, and do within the context of mental health

DEFINE GOALS

How can student pain points convert to actionable design goals that improve mental well-being and ease access to professional help?

User Pain points

  1. Lack Awareness and Education

Design Goals (High-Low priority)

Help students gain a better understanding of mental health issues and healthy coping & prevention strategies tailored to their situation using a conversational LLM AI Bot trained on a database of commonly faced issues by university students

Help students track their mental health daily to increase self-awareness and support ongoing improvement.

  1. Stigma around mental health

Combat stigma by providing an easy to access mental health resources and promoting introspection via a mobile app while strictly maintaining confidentiality

  1. Require Professional Support

While promoting mental health education and encouraging self-tracking can empower students, professional help is often necessary or recommended. This mobile app will connect students with the university’s existing network of licensed therapists to ensure they receive proper support when needed.

IDEATION

User Flow for mobile app: Mindscape

WIREFRAMING

Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

DESIGN GUIDE

Establishing a visual identity

FINAL SOLUTION

Mindscape — High Fidelity Prototype

  1. Lack Awareness and Education

  1. Stigma around mental health

Combat stigma by providing an easy to access mental health resources and promoting introspection via a mobile app while strictly maintaining confidentiality

  1. Require Professional Support

While promoting mental health education and encouraging self-tracking can empower students, professional help is often necessary or recommended. This mobile app will connect students with the university’s existing network of licensed therapists to ensure they receive proper support when needed.