Overview
My Role
Duration
UX/UI Designer, Unity Developer
3 months
The Goal
1. Leverage technology to address real-life problems and deliver innovative solutions that improve people's lives
2. A mental health-focused product that offers resources to promote mental well-being
The Problem
The Outcome
How might we use modern technology
to effectively support emotion management and
promote mental well-being?
BraceU is a user-centred mobile application designed to help individuals monitor and regulate their moods through a combination of mood tracking and tailored virtual reality (VR) venting experiences. It offers a simple and intuitive interface for tracking and analysing mood patterns and personalised VR experiences designed to promote relaxation, mindfulness, and creative expression.
End Result
01. Mood Check-in
BraceU mobile application gives users a smooth mood check-in process and ends with a pop-up window kindly inviting users to check out a tailored VR experience base on their emotions today
02. View Recommended VR Experience
While venting and conducting coping strategies in real life is a good option, sometimes it's not possible or convenient, and that's where VR comes in. VR venting provides a safe and private space for users to release their emotions and express themselves without worrying about judgment or consequences.
03. VR User Interface
The mobile and VR accounts are seamlessly connected, and users will be prompted with the tailored daily VR experience that they can begin venting with immediately. In case they want to explore more options, a Store page is available for them to browse and install all the available VR experiences. Additionally, a Favourites page allows users to quickly access previously liked and bookmarked VR experiences on the mobile app.
04. Experience in VR
A trailer demo scene of the "Dynamic venting in a natural forest park" VR experience that users can preview.
Research
Secondary Research
Let us start with some self-care questions, how do you feel today? Do you still remember how do you feel yesterday? Last Week? Last month? Mood tracking is a powerful tool that can increase self-awareness and improve mental health, it helps you identify patterns, which then after a period of time, can inform you of the development of effective coping strategies.
So what is a coping strategy? Coping strategy refers to the actions or techniques that people use to manage or reduce the negative effects of stress, anxiety, and other difficult emotions or situations. Coping strategies can take many forms, such as engaging in physical activity, relaxation techniques, or creative activities.
Competitive Analysis
Insight • Mobile and VR Product Limitations
Mood-tracking apps often fail to deliver truly effective solutions for users, while health-related VR products tend to address issues that are limited to a narrow user group, making them less applicable to the general user population
User Interview
Insight • VR Expectation - No Serious Therapy
I conducted 5 one-on-one interviews and received 92 online survey responses to understand user expectations for VR venting. Surprisingly, users didn't expect serious mental health consulting in an immersive 3D environment, as face-to-face and 2D online experiences fulfilled their needs. Instead, users expressed a desire for more physical venting-related activities.
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How might we use immersive VR technology to effectively support users in managing their emotions and promoting mental well-being?
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Ideation
The initial idea is that BraceU is a VR-only product, where the mood check-in and venting all happen in VR. Thus I had an initial low-fi of the VR design as follows.
From user testing, the feedbacks include a mix of complaints about:
1. Daily mood check-in through the VR headset is painful as it's not easily reachable
2. How is the recommended venting experience relate to mood check-in exactly?
3. Why not just start venting immediately?
Mobile App Information Architecture
To address initial design challenges, I incorporated a Mobile Application as a stepping stone to the VR experience, accommodating users without VR headsets. The mobile app includes a comprehensive mood analysis system, providing deeper insights into emotional patterns and tailoring VR venting recommendations for users.
Medium Fidelity Mobile Wireframes
Iteration
After the mid-fi wireframes, I conducted usability tests with 4 individuals. My goal is to test the clarity of the whole user flow from mood checking to VR experience recommendation.
Design Change 1 • Removal of Help Page
Based on user feedback, the Help Page initially included in the product for accessing professional help proved to be lengthy and less effective, so the page was deleted and the focus was emphasised to highlight BraceU's unique VR venting experience instead of duplicating existing professional help methods.
Design Change 2 • VR Venting Recommendation
Before
After
The inclusion of the Help Page recommendation after Mood Check-in has led to confusion among users, as some interpret it as a call button
The VR venting experience following the Mood Check-in offers users a more personalised and informative user journey
Design Change 3 • VR Scene Preview
Before
After
The presentation of information feels cluttered with excess content. Additionally, the visibility of the "View All" option could be enhanced to draw more attention
Minor adjustments to the font size and weight were made to draw attention to the "View All" option
Branding
Logo Design
Final Design
BraceU, with an emphasis on "U", features a unique logo design depicting two "hands" in a hugging gesture, symbolising support and care.
Iterations
Previous Designs
Reflection
Through this project, I gained valuable experience in designing for both mobile and VR platforms, allowing me to develop a strong understanding of how to create cohesive and engaging experiences across multiple devices. I learned to navigate the unique design considerations and constraints of each platform while maintaining a consistent and user-friendly interface.
01. Selecting the right platform
Platform choice can significantly impact user engagement, accessibility, and overall product performance. VR user interface design varies a lot from other platforms as it should be more immersive and avoid large amounts of text.
02. Setting the right branding tone
Setting the right branding tone is a crucial aspect of product development. It plays a pivotal role in shaping the perception and connection users have with a product.
