Overview
Challenge:
Design a product/service that supports novice therapy-going users to work through their feelings in between two therapy sessions at any time.
Goals:
1. Understand the market and user to identify the market gap
2. Create a feature list and Product Roadmap
3. Design the MVP
4. Test clickable prototype
5. Plan a go to market strategy with metrics
Process:
We used the double diamond process. We started with user interviews, followed by synthesis and defining the problem with journey mapping and persona archetypes. Product prioritisation matrix, low fidelity wireframes and high fidelity wireframe iteration for user testing and go to market strategy with a working prototype in 15 weeks
Team and my role:
I spearheaded the research and ideation sessions for the team. Also, designed the low fidelity and high fidelity wireframes as I was the only product and brand designer on the team. I learnt to strategise, edit and make decisions from our content lead - William Collie and to get things done from Lovell Casey.
Video of the case study:
Problem
"In the early stages of therapy, I felt so lost. I felt alone. I felt abandoned."
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​Mental health care is inaccessible for many—organizations are understaffed, diverse providers are scarce, and affordability remains a challenge. The pandemic accelerated digital therapy, bringing teletherapy, mental health apps, and AI-powered tools into the mainstream. Most mental health solutions assume users understand their emotions and needs, catering primarily to self-aware, action oriented individuals. However, early-stage therapy users who have lower self-awareness and need more guidance—are often overlooked. This gap led us to investigate type of users. ​​
Research method:
We conducted 10 in-depth interviews (60 minutes each) with users from the USA and India, exploring their emotions, beliefs, struggles, coping mechanisms, and perspectives on therapy, mental health tools, and technology.
User Archetypes
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Expanded Target audience
​We initially assumed our users were early-stage therapy seekers (0-6 months in therapy). However, as we spoke to them, we realized self-development enthusiasts—people in therapy for over a year—were also looking for structured tools to understand their patterns and needs.The real gap? A tool that balances accessibility and flexibility for novice users—those new to therapy, considering it, or seeking support between sessions.
Insights:
1 / Users valued expressing emotions, listening to themselves, reflecting on thoughts and experiences and feeling smart.
2 / They were looking for self-awareness enhancement, perspective on their terms, anytime, anywhere.
3 / They were willing to learn, wanted to get better but didn't know how, struggled to find a way, relied on who understood them.
WELCOME
Welcome visitors to your site with a short, engaging introduction. Double click to edit and add your own text.
Ideation:
A thought reframing tool
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Expressing like Journaling
Perspective from Therapy
Journaling already provides awareness, reflection, and expression—the core benefits of therapy. The missing elements? Reframing and perspective/guidance.
Many digital therapy models are direct translations of traditional therapy, like chatbot conversations, which feel impersonal and ineffective.
In control of receiving the advice
We considered integrating LLMs but found that users distrust AI-driven mental health chatbots. They didn’t want unsolicited advice—they wanted control./
Product Definition:
From
To
A space to express, reflect, inquire, receive guidance and track progress ​​​​where our AI reflection tool sets us apart
A space to express, reflect...
Information architecture for no-code MVP
We started by making a feature list and product roadmap. Using the RICE method, we prioritised the must haves for our minimum viable product. We also mapped out information architecture to understand connections between all the screens and elements. Using our guiding light, IA, we started with low fidelity screens and iterated with user feedback till we landed to a user experience that was captivating and seemless.
Outcome:
Journ is not a chatbot! It's a reflection tool that analyses behaviours only when asked
Journ is a self actualisation tool that encourages free-flow expression. Users can speak or type their thoughts, with gentle journaling prompts to help them get started. Journ is not only an outlet, but also a natural, non-intrusive reframing tool. These entries are saved as editable journal notes that can be revisited to reflect, or shared whenever they’re ready...no pressure, just space.
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Our reflections aren’t unsolicited or robotic. During research, users told us they test their friends’ responses because they value comfort and instant understanding. That insight led us to give users the choice to select the type of reflection they want—not just get feedback thrown at them.​ They can choose from multiple layers of perspective: Overview, highlights, deeper insight into specific sentences/thoughts, suggestions on how to reframe or shift perspective.
1. Time-bound app use
Users are in control of the time they can spend on this app with a timer
2. No unsolicited advice
User is in control of choosing when and if they want to reflect on their expressions
3. Different types of advices
Reflection is multi layered with an ability to get an overview or go in depth to reframe
Types of reflections:
1. Highlights
This feature allows to investigate the meaning of their feelings.
2. Overview of emotions
A user can understand overall mood, tone.
3. LLM Guidance for perspective
In case of any burning questions, users can get real-time guidance or explanation
Sunrise and sunset - are when emotions peak and are best times for journaling.
Inspired by this, we designed a homepage that changes visuals based on the time of day—morning, afternoon, or evening—using calming nature scenes to create a sense of rhythm and grounding. It’s easy to lose track of time while app-hopping, so this subtle shift reminds users of the present moment and supports their circadian rhythm.
Visual Design:
User Testing:
"Is this real? Are you planning to launch? I need it today."- one of the users
Our riskiest assumptions were:
Will people use our application?
Will they want to receive advice?
Will they pay for it?
We recorded a product walkthrough of our application from adding an entry to receiving guidance to show it to our users along with a week long google doc test. This user testing considered of a google doc link with a simple jouornaling prompt. We sent the link to the users everyday with a new prompt and asked them if they would like to receive guidance on their previous entries. We received most 'yes' and 'yes' for throughout the week which validated our concept. However, we didn't have enough time to test willingness to pay.
Editing and reflecting
Adding an entry
click on the music icon to enable sound for a complete app walkthrough
Reflection:
​We initially assumed our users were early-stage therapy seekers (0-6 months in therapy). However, as we spoke to them, we realized self-development enthusiasts—people in therapy for over a year—were also looking for structured tools to understand their patterns and needs.The real gap? A tool that balances accessibility and flexibility for novice users—those new to therapy, considering it, or seeking support between sessions.
