Mendy - An Empathetic AI
Role: UI/UX Designer
Duration: January 2024 - May 2024
The Problem
Despite progress in destigmatizing mental health, starting conversations remains intimidating and inaccessible to many adolescents. A solution with minimal barriers to entry is needed to enable seeking support.
A major challenge was designing to be visually pleasing yet non-overstimulating. Given the heavy nature of mental health discussions, a comfortable aesthetic was crucial to ensuring conversations were approachable.
Process & Experience
Given this sensitive context, the approach focused on crafting an environment that minimized distractions to foster an open dialogue.
Simplicity: Actions are limited to essential features to strengthen focus and minimize potential choice paralysis
Recognition Over Recall: Elements in familiar locations makes use more intuitive and lowers the learning curve
Human-Centered Design: Visually resembling a text conversation, the casual interface gives the interaction a more personal feel
Iteration
Insights from potential users showed that the initial interface was too cluttered and unclear. Confusing and obtrusive components were removed or conventionalized to enhance navigation.
Feedback also found that the aesthetic intended to bring delight alienated a core segment of our audience who preferred a more calming experience. To be more inclusive, the background was desaturated and text was limited to black and grey for optimal contrast.
The Takeaway
Discovery: Defining key features through ideation and research early on anchors the design process and expedites development
Scope Creep: A functional application with less features but clear purpose is always preferable to an unfinished, ambiguous system
Iterative Design: Shifting focus during development can be worthwhile if it ultimately leads to a more effective final product
