Introduction
Mental health challenges are increasingly prevalent, yet access to reliable and user-friendly resources remains limited. To address this gap, I collaborated with a small team to design and develop an innovative self-diagnostic app aimed at empowering individuals to screen their mental wellness effectively. My role focused on crafting intuitive and secure experiences while adhering to compliance standards like HIPAA.
Role
UX Designer
Industry
Healthcare
Duration
3 Months
Problem Statement
The growing need for accessible mental health tools presented a unique challenge: How do we design a self-assessment and diagnostic app tailored to the needs of users in the US market while ensuring it is both intuitive and secure?
Key Question
How might we create an app that effectively addresses the unique mental health needs of users, ensuring accessibility, user-friendliness, and trust?
The Design Process
01
Research and Discovery
Conducted user interviews and surveys to understand common pain points and unmet needs around mental wellness tools. This included gathering insights into user expectations for privacy, usability, and recommendations. Also analyzed competing apps in the market to identify gaps and opportunities while working closely with stakeholders to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations from the outset.
03
Prototype and Design
High-fidelity prototypes were created to test navigation flows and refine key design elements. Prioritized an inviting color scheme, clear typography, and intuitive layouts to make the app feel approachable and user-friendly. Key features, like secure PIN login and streamlined self-assessment tools, were carefully designed to enhance user confidence and trust.
02
Define and Ideate
Based on the research findings, developed detailed personas and user journey maps to represent user goals and challenges. These helped shape the low-fidelity wireframes that became the foundation of the app’s structure. During this phase, established a design system that focused on consistency, accessibility, and scalability while meeting security requirements.
04
Test and Refine
Usability testing sessions with a diverse group of users to gather feedback on the app’s functionality and experience. This iterative process ensured that the app not only met HIPAA requirements but also delivered a smooth, intuitive journey for users. Feedback helped us improve accessibility and refine features like saving self-assessment results for future reference.
UI Design and Prototyping
Using Adobe XD, created detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes, prioritizing an inviting and user-friendly interface. The design incorporated a warm and approachable color scheme and typography that aligned with the app’s mental health focus.
Also developed high-fidelity prototypes showcasing the app’s core features, such as:
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A dynamic home dashboard for easy navigation of essential tools.
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Secure user account features to ensure HIPAA compliance.
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Integrated self-assessment modules and personalized care recommendations.
Throughout the design process, I conducted iterative design reviews with the team to refine prototypes and ensure the final output met user needs and expectations.
Key Features and Design Highlights
Centralized Dashboard
The app provides seamless access to essential features, such as mental wellness screening tests and care options, creating a user-friendly environment for mental health management.
HIPAA compliance features and secure data handling are integrated, allowing users to set a PIN for their accounts. This ensures sensitive information remains protected and builds user confidence in the app's reliability.
Personalized Assessment Results and Insights
The app delivers instant results from self-assessment tests, offering actionable recommendations, including critical alerts for seeking care when necessary.
Features like the ability to save results for future reference and an intuitive layout enhance user engagement and make it easy for users to navigate and act on their results effectively.
Impact and Insight
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Successfully launched in the US market with a 95% HIPAA compliance readiness score.
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User satisfaction increased significantly, with a 30% improvement in client ratings post-deployment.
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Integrated over 20 iterative improvements based on feedback, enhancing both usability and compliance.
Challenges we faced
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Simplifying complex HIPAA compliance forms and regulations into screens that are easy to navigate and understand for users.
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Collaborating within a small but cross-functional team, which included a project manager, design lead, and myself, to tackle multiple priorities.
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Leveraging each team member's expertise to ensure that the app remained compliant, secure, and user-centered.
Reflection
This project reinforced the importance of balancing user needs with technical and regulatory constraints. It was an opportunity to innovate in the mental health space and design a solution that genuinely impacts users' lives. The process honed my skills in collaboration, user-centered design, and compliance integration, while emphasizing the value of iterative feedback in creating a meaningful product.
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