Moodifi
Moodifi
Project: Mobile App Design, Capstone Project
Role: UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer
Tools: Sketch, Figma, Adobe Photoshop
Problem
Although many of us know that it’s important to take care of our mental health, we often neglect it and put it on the backburner. This happens for a variety of reasons, from not having enough time in the day to not knowing where or how to start. In addition to making it a priority, many find it difficult to build a consistent and daily habit of checking in on their mental health.
How might we help people find time to take care of their mental health?
How might we help people develop mental health habits that stick?
How might we help people maintain a positive mindset?
Solution
Moodifi aims to solve these problems by providing a quick and easy way for people to check in on their mental health. The goal of this mobile app is to help people get started on taking care of their mental health through daily gratitude journaling and mood tracking. Users are encouraged to build both self-awareness and a positive mindset through small consistent efforts. To further strengthen these habits, the app is designed as a gamified experience with “levels” for users to unlock and look forward to.
Research
Secondary Research
First, I started with secondary research to learn more about the common barriers that prevent people from taking care of their mental health. These barriers include:
High cost and insufficient insurance coverage for traditional therapy
Limited options and lack of accessible mental health professionals
Social stigma associated with mental health and mental illness
Not knowing where or how to start
User Surveys and Interviews
After learning about these common struggles, I was excited to gain a more well-rounded understanding of the problem by conducting my own user research. I recruited potential participants and received over 40 responses to my survey. Then, I narrowed down the list and held user interviews with 6 participants that fit into my target audience.
Along with the challenges I had discovered through my secondary research, participants shared a few additional pain points that I found very interesting:
They are very busy and struggle with finding time to take care of their mental health
They find it difficult to build a consistent habit of checking in on their mental health
They have struggled with maintaining a positive mindset, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
I also learned more about the specific mental health activities and techniques that they have tried out. The 2 that stood out the most across all participants were gratitude journaling and mood tracking.
Lastly, I heard about their past experiences with mobile apps, particularly apps that have a focus on health and wellness. I was very intrigued by the idea of gamifying the app, which would go hand in hand with helping users develop mental health habits that stick. Participants mentioned that the apps they typically use on a daily basis are those that find ways to keep them engaged and entertained.
User Quotes
“I’ve tried out both Calm and Headspace but never made it part of my daily routine because I didn’t have the time to fit in a meditation session everyday.”
“At the beginning of the pandemic, I struggled a lot with my mental health. That’s when I tried out gratitude journaling and it’s really helped me shift my mindset to be more positive.”
“I really enjoy apps that help me track my progress and incorporate engaging activities. If it doesn’t, it’s hard for me to build a habit of using it consistently.”
“I like trying out different types of journals. Recently, I finished a gratitude journal that I really enjoyed and am looking for a gratitude journaling app.”
“I enjoy using the Nike Run Club app because you have milestones that you can work towards and different badges you can earn. It makes the app more fun and engaging to use.”
“I enjoy tracking my mood because it helps me reflect on how I was feeling that day and why I felt that way.”
User Persona
With the information I gathered through user surveys and interviews, I created a user persona, Bailey.
User Flows
I created user flows to map out the primary routes that a user, like Bailey, would go through while using the app. Ideally, they would complete 2 check-ins each day, one in the morning and one in the evening.
Morning Check-In
Start Gratitude Journal Entry
Evening Check-In
Mood Tracker
Finish Gratitude Journal Entry
Sketches
Guerrilla Testing
After I created my first round of low-fidelity sketches, I conducted guerrilla testing with 5 participants. In particular, I tested the Morning Check-In route that users would ideally do as one of the first things when they wake up in the morning. Participants were encouraged to give their honest feedback while going through the Morning Check-In, as these results would help to inform future design decisions.
Key Findings
It would be helpful to have an “other” option during the mood tracking process so that users aren’t limited to just the few options that are provided. This would give users more freedom to personalize their entry and explain why their day is going well/not well.
I should include additional clarification on what daily affirmations are during the gratitude journal process. Because not everyone is familiar with daily affirmations, it would be helpful to include further explanation and examples.
Including a progress bar would be helpful so users can see how far they are into the check-in and how much they have left until they’re done.
It would make more sense for users to complete their mood tracker during the Evening Check-In instead of during the Morning Check-In. Since users will ideally complete their Morning Check-In as one of the first things they do after waking up, not much would have influenced their mood yet at this point.
Wireframes
Keeping in mind the feedback I received from the guerrilla testing, I started wireframing and implementing changes to my designs. In addition to finalizing the Morning Check-In and Evening Check-In, I designed Moodifi’s 3 other primary features:
Past Entries - Users can look back on and edit their past entries.
Dashboard - Users can better understand how and why their mood changes over time by exploring the data.
Level Map - Users can view what level they’re currently on and what they need to do to unlock the next level.
Wireflows
Next, I created wireflows for the 2 primary routes, the Morning Check-In and the Evening Check-In. These help to illustrate how the wireframes would flow and interact with each other.
Branding & Style Guide
I chose Moodifi as the name of the app to show that we are capable of “modifying our mood” by shifting the way we perceive things. Through gratitude journaling and mood tracking, users are taking small steps every day to make long-term positive changes to their mental health.
I wanted to create a pleasant and positive experience for users, which is why the 2 primary colors are a light yellow and a light blue. These colors are bright and uplifting but also soft and soothing at the same time. All of the UI elements are rounded to create a softer, friendlier, and more approachable experience.
Final Designs
After multiple rounds of usability testing and several iterations, I finalized the high-fidelity mockups, showing what the app would look like in the morning compared to in the evening. I also created an interactive prototype.
Moodifi in the morning
Moodifi in the evening
Usability Testing
First Round of Usability Testing
Once I created the Moodifi prototype, I conducted the first round of moderated usability tests. By observing participants and their initial impressions while working through 5 specified tasks, I was able to identify their pain points and uncover some usability issues.
Key Findings
3 out of 4 users were unsure which tasks had been completed already on the Level Map page.
3 out of 4 users were confused on if tasks needed to be completed in a linear order in order to move onto the next task listed on the Level Map page.
2 out of 4 users were confused on how to return to the previous page from the Level Map page.
3 out of 4 users were unsure about what the different colors represented on the Calendar page.
Iterations
The usability test results provided valuable insight for me to make improvements to Moodifi. The two pages that needed the most significant changes were the Level Map page and the Calendar page:
Second Round of Usability Testing
After implementing the feedback I received from the first round of moderated usability tests, I updated the Moodifi prototype and conducted a second round of testing with a different set of participants. Similarly to the first round of testing, participants were asked to complete the same 5 tasks.
Key Findings
3 out of 5 users could not tell that the Level Map page was scrollable.
2 out of 5 users could not tell that the Dashboard page was scrollable.
3 out of 5 users had concerns with the color palette, mentioning that they usually associate green with positive rather than negative
2 out of 5 users mentioned that it would be helpful if the app had a lighter background in the morning and a darker background in the evening to help differentiate them.
Iterations
Once again, I received very helpful feedback and got started on my next round of iterations. This time, I adjusted the Moodifi color palette and implemented these changes across the entire app.
As for the Level Map page, I indicated that it was scrollable by having part of the next task/level peek into the screen instead of having the screen end with a clean break. Similarly for the Dashboard page, I adjusted the spacing in between each section so that the next section would peek into the screen.
Next Steps
In the future, I would like to pursue these iterations on my designs to continue improving Moodifi.
Onboarding
First, I would like to build out the user’s onboarding process. Onboarding is very crucial to a user’s experience with an app and helps set them up for success. This is particularly important for Moodifi, since this is where users would have the first opportunity to set reminders that align with their schedules.
Reward System
Next, I would like to design Moodifi’s reward system. As of now, users can see what level they’re currently on and what they need to do to get to the next level. This gamified experience encourages them to continue checking in on their mental health with Moodifi. However, I would like to implement rewards that may further incentivize users to continue gratitude journaling and mood tracking on a daily basis. We would like to explore possible partnerships with other apps that are focused on mental health and provide services such as virtual therapy, guided meditations, and etc.
Mental Health Resources
Lastly, I would like to implement a feature of the app that’s dedicated to providing mental health resources for users. This could include helpful tips, informative articles, information on mental health organizations, and etc. As mentioned earlier, I discovered that a common barrier which prevents people from taking care of their mental health is not knowing where or how to start. I hope that in the future, Moodifi can help provide this resource for users who struggle with this issue.
Reflection
Through this project, I learned that user research is the foundation of any design process. If you don’t take the time to understand who you’re designing for, your product will most likely fail to satisfy your users’ needs and expectations. After I spoke with participants that fit into Moodifi’s target audience, I realized the problem that needs to be solved may not necessarily be the same problem I had initially hypothesized.
Prior to these user interviews, one of my ideas was to design a virtual therapy app focused on making mental healthcare more accessible and affordable for users. However, once I dug a little deeper, I realized that providing virtual therapy wouldn’t address and solve my users’ primary concerns. Instead, Moodifi users are more interested in simply getting started by building a consistent habit of checking in on their own mental health and maintaining a positive mindset. They aren’t necessarily ready yet for the time commitment that comes with going to therapy.
I also learned how important it is to conduct multiple rounds of usability tests and iterations on my designs. During both rounds of usability testing, I received extremely valuable feedback from participants that helped me make significant improvements to the final prototype. Overall, designing Moodifi from initial concept to final prototype was a very rewarding experience. I learned how essential each and every step of the design process is to creating a successful product.