Info
One of the greatest difficulties faced by AUB students is having access to mental health professionals. Many times, they cannot speak with someone immediately and this can lead them to feelings such as depression or anxiety. An app with help available at all times would make life easier for students looking for help and advice. There would be always possibility of speaking to professionals through live chat or booking appointments. The mental health and wellbeing charities (like Mind) would provide 24/7 support for students.
Role
This project was a part of my final major project for my university degree. I worked on it independently, conducting research, creating wireframes and designs, and developing the final product. I found the process of working on the entire project from start to finish to be very rewarding. It was also a great way to learn new skills and consolidate what I had already learned.
A “safe space” doesn’t have to be a physical location. It can be something as simple as a group of people who hold similar values and commit to consistently provide each other support and respect.
The app is designed to be engaging and interactive. It features personalised charts, tools for building good habits as well options like tailoring your news feed according interests or sharing experiences with professionals through chat!
When researching these mental health products, I constantly looked at some important points; namely how they were designed, the enrolment process, tone of voice, colours and what kind of messages came across as a result. I think these aspects can have an impact on someone’s psychological well-being so I found it important to consider for my product as well. Additionally, I discovered physical products such as breathing exercise devices for when people are feeling stressed out - they make it easier on people by helping them take deep breaths until eventually, sleep takes over once again.
In order for my research not only to focus on what mental health tools there are but also to explore other possible solutions, I researched fitness apps as they are the opposite of the mental health apps. They make people share their thoughts with others and become part of a community rather than encouraging being alone.
