SOLIS
Conceptual Stress Assistant & Mental Health Education App
Premise
How do we provide assistance to those suffering from mental breaks and be better equipped for future attacks?
Although the stigma of mental health has become a more accepted topic in the last few years, designated care and education has persistently been difficult to find. After testing existing relaxation and mental health-oriented apps, I found users ran into four major pain points.
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General, surface-skimming information.
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Plain UI, medical in tone and appearance.
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Lack of physical response or feedback.
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Synchronous to social media.
With these points in mind, I gathered user data from friends, mental health professionals, and members of the local design community to study the intended user personas.
Timeline
March - May 2023
Role
UI/UX Designer/Prototyper, CAD Designer, Rendering Artist
Tools
Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, Blender
User Personas
After conducting interviews with friends, students, former colleagues, and mental health counselors, I visualized two personas that represented the primary user.
Andrew
Pain points: Suffers from low-lying anxiety, often has a cloud of thoughts that dissuade him from getting things done.
Has tried looking up information online but has stopped trying because the same general results keep coming up.
Goal: Would like to find ways to focus and sort out the storm in his mind without running into dead ends.
Lisa
Pain points: Works intensely throughout the work week and is affected by sudden buildups that can become a panic attack.
Anxiety often leads her to scroll mindlessly and spending time on social media exacerbates her stress.
Goal: To be able to work through the immediate intensity of a panic attack. Having several options for management would give her peace of mind as anxiety always looms in the background.
Sketching
My goal was to keep the UI clean and simple. The feeling of a “medical” or “required” solution was avoided. Exploration of different graphical themes to drive the direction of the app was key.
Lofi Wireframing
The user's mindset was considered through various lenses; a user suffering from depression would navigate differently than one experiencing a panic attack. I was drawn to the idea of a simplified UI that provided outlets for information through nested components and micro-interactions.
Branding
I opted to use gradients of the main and secondary brand colors for the background, cards, taskbar, and various widgets to give these elements a 3D sense as opposed to a flat appearance. The goal was to envision a surreal environment to capture the user's interest.
Final Concept
Design System
SOLIS was built on a spacing system that also utilized the golden ratio. The core metrics of 14, 22, 36, and 58px are used as the building blocks that construct each page. Primary elements such as cards and other widgets are created in relation to one another or the screen via the golden ratio.
Launch
Before arriving at the login or landing page, SOLIS invites the user to join in for a meditative breathing exercise, cooling them down before moving on.
Login and Signup
The visual elements chosen for the login and signup screens are designed to introduce the user to the world of SOLIS, settling them into a calmer state.
Navigation
The taskbar sprite transports the user between the four main landing pages: Meditate, Rescue, Enrich, and Cosmos. These pages signify a focus on reflection, assistance, knowledge, and community.
Meditation
Calming exercises to soothe racing minds.
Each exercise focuses on a method of healing: haptic response, visual tracking, soothing sounds, etc. Users can set their favorite activities to return to in times of need.
Rescue
Personalized emergency relief at your fingertips.
Users will complete a brief questionnaire that gauges their stress. The app recommends two activities that targets it or offers to dial a safe outreach number if the situation has escalated to an immediate crisis.
Enrich
Approachable access to education and counseling
Enrich is a curated collection of articles and video content created by leaders such as behavioral therapists to emotional counselors. Content is categorized based on self-awareness and personal growth and prompts the user to apply these learnings to their own progress.
Cosmos
A galaxy of outreach, community, and support.
Cosmos is a channel for users to connect with loved ones through interactions that shy away from toxic habits. Users can post sparks, instances where they overcame obstacles or moments that were genuine and schedule activities together.
Final Thoughts
Finding peace in a disorienting digital world.
Embarking on this project initially brought about a wave of curiosity as I knew I would be designing away from existing references. I felt confident in knowing that I possessed a researched understanding of the problem's context and user goals and that I was crafting a solution for a problem I have personally encountered.
Through user research, I amplified my comprehension of human behavior and vision. I burgeoned in the creative freedom to craft novel solutions. By embracing the exploration and design process, I pushed the boundaries to my own understanding of visual language and found myself enveloped in seeking innovative answers to overlooked questions.
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