Most of us view technology as something that makes things easier.
For many people however, technology makes things possible.
This is my story of designing YOUniverse—a web app that empowers individuals in a corporate environment who are seeking mental health support, looking to help others, or wanting to increase their awareness.
My Role
I led the design of YOUniverse web app since the outset of the project in July 2024. I worked on this project as Product/UX designer. I was part of a small team with alongside the co-founder and a mental health practitioner. I was responsible for research, UX strategy, Visual Design, UX writing and front end development for YOUniverse.
The Challenge
The YOUniverse centre reached out to us to develop a platform for promoting mental health awareness in a corporate environment. This project involved designing a web app that facilitates access to resources, supports individuals seeking help, and offers solutions through workshops, wellness retreats, and webinars on mental health topics. We aimed to include user-friendly features that encourage engagement, such as community forums, resource libraries, and tools for connecting with mental health professionals. Our goal was to create a safe and supportive space that promotes open discussions about mental well-being in the workplace. With a 3 month timeline we focused on delivering the interface in a more effective and meaningful way.
The Approach
Our limited knowledge of the mental health care field necessitated a quick and comprehensive understanding of mental health service provision. We adopted a collaborative approach throughout the project, dedicating significant time to working alongside a team of psychologists with expertise in workplace mental health management. Throughout the project, we engaged in ethnographic research and employed participatory design methods. This approach was essential for gaining insights into the clinical reasoning and support strategies used in mental health care, as well as understanding the process of prescribing appropriate interventions.
Deep in the Literature
For a more holistic understanding of the challenges faced by mental health professionals, I immersed myself in academic research and literature. My findings unexpectedly highlighted that many individuals felt they lacked access to educational resources and technical support for information and communication technologies (ICT), which are crucial for effectively delivering mental health services in a corporate environment or through a web based platform.
The DISCOVERY : Users need more that just info
Insights from our discovery work revealed several opportunities for a web-based solution to enhance the daily lives of both psychologists and individuals seeking mental health support. While introductory information was important, we recognized that it was just one aspect of providing effective care.
To truly impact individuals' lives, we needed to create a more holistic solution that addressed users’ needs, including:
Support for their specific mental health concerns.
Access to resources for professional development.
Opportunities for professional support and networking.
A community of like-minded individuals offering mutual comfort.
These insights led us to envision a web-based platform at the heart of YOU-niverse.
The VISION : Better Care Through Collaboration
Our vision was to create a safe and collaborative environment where individuals could introduce themselves, seek help, or choose from predefined solutions. This space would not only allow users to express themselves but also enable psychologists to better understand their needs. To evaluate the benefits and limitations of various solutions, we envisioned an evidence-based community review and discussion system. This would empower users to share their experiences and learn from one another, forming a data-driven foundation for our design.
The REQUIREMENTS : Thinking Big, Starting small
Although our vision was to create an environment for a community of people in corporate environment, we discovered that there were too many obstacles that impacted our development timelines to tackle the problem. Our research highlighted that it was critical for our design to be pragmatic and sensitive to the ways in which psychologists worked. We knew that if our solution required heavy time investment from individuals or psychologists or didn't provide an easily perceived tangible benefit, it would fail.
“The combination of a fixed launch date and aggressive scope created an intense environment with many coordination and time challenges.”
The FRAMEWORK : Structuring Content First
Before initiating the design process, we dedicated significant time to understanding workflows and content. This involved extensive task analysis and card sorting exercises. We encountered specific challenges related to labelling and terminology, as we discovered that language varied significantly between health disciplines, psychologists, and the general public. Additionally, mapping out the workflows proved challenging due to the numerous touch-points involving various stakeholders in the mental healthcare and corporate systems.
Visual Thinking on Paper
In order to help understand many of the complex processes involved in choosing and prescribing solutions, I mapped workflows on paper. Doing so helped me to understand the particular points where our system could help minimise some of the pain AHPs experienced as well as highlight opportunities where we could really try to innovate.
Sketching Interfaces
Instead of wireframing, I opted to sketch my designs on excali. I used paper prototyping techniques to bring the designs to life and evaluate them with our users. This helped me work rapidly and led me to consider more ideas. Sketching many concepts helped me form a broader view of the system earlier ensuring a more cohesive design.
Detailed Design
YOUniverse is a web-based tool designed to assist individuals seeking mental health support in a corporate environment. The interface design is an ongoing process, being completed in phases. We are currently testing the first phase while simultaneously ideating and assessing the feasibility for the next phase. Our goal is to finalize the project by the end of this year.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the project with the YOUniverse Centre is currently ongoing as we work towards creating a platform that fosters mental health awareness in the corporate environment. Our efforts have been dedicated to designing a web app that not only provides access to valuable resources but also supports individuals seeking help through workshops, wellness retreats, and webinars on mental health topics. By incorporating user-friendly features such as community forums, resource libraries, and tools for connecting with mental health professionals, we aim to cultivate a safe and supportive space for open discussions about well-being in the workplace. With a focused three-month timeline, we are committed to delivering an effective and meaningful interface that meets the needs of users and encourages engagement.
