Designing a healing-centered mobile app to support the psychological well-being of foster youth.
UX/UI designer
UX researcher
Figma
R-Studio
Miro
May 2022 -
May 2023
(12 months)
Wireframes
User Experience
User Interface
In summer 2022, I joined the Foster project at MIT Media Lab, Affective computing team as a research assistant. This project aims to design technology that supports healing and care for foster-involved youth in Mass. My role involved analyzing user research data, contributing to ideation, and designing the branding and the interface of social interactions and daily check-ins.
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In the first stage of our research, I conducted literature review and evaluated 22 user interviews with foster youth to understand their challenges and pain points.
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Foster youth lack necessary supportive connections.
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Inadequate system limits essential information access.
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Transition to adulthood presents significant challenge and stress.
To better understand foster youth's needs, I categorized users into 4 psychographics based on user interviews, which helped me and my research team identify 4 key user needs.
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From the insights I learned from user interviews and psychographics, I brainstormed 2 prototypes with my research team to prototype.
To address the need for peer connection and advice-sharing, I proposed a prototype that's focused on weekly questions feature.
Weekly, users can answer a peer's prompt or submit their own prompt.
WHY: a platform for foster youth to seeking advice from peers.
Responding to a prompt unlocks the related community forum.
WHY: encourages dialogue, engagement, and connection
Forums are archived weekly for users to revisit past discussions.
WHY: providing easy access of peer-sourced information
To address the desire for self-reflection and help-seeking, I proposed a prototype that's focused on daily check-ins feature.
User checks in a highlight (rose), potential (bud), and challenge (thorn).
WHY: a platform for foster youth to reflect on their day.
After daily check-ins, user will unlock peer check-ins feed.
WHY: encourages dialogue and peer support
Users can revisit and reflect on their past posts in memory calendar.
WHY: a place for foster youth to reminisce and recognize growth.
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In the second stage of research, I evaluated 24 interviews to find out what worked and what didn't work for users. I learned that...
user prefer the check-in prototype
Because...
Among those 70.8%
would also like to combine the 2 prototypes
Because...
Some important feature foster youth want to add....
Anonymity
It's crucial to ensure privacy and a safe space
Post Emotion Tags
Helps them articulate feelings and foster reflection.
Content Filter
Prevents triggers and better promotes engagement.
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Pulling from usability test insights, I refined the daily check-in user flow with my reserach team.
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In interviews, 40% of users requested more colors, favoring green. Nearly all preferred a dark mode. Responding to this, I crafted a playful yet calming interface, utilizing green and yellow accents with waves and spheres to evoke a vibrant, serene atmosphere.
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I picked "Sphere" as the app name because it symbolizes a space for connection and support. I then designed multiple logo variations based on the themes of sphere and waves, with the final iteration selected after receiving heuristic feedback from research team.
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After running a 2-week pilot study, I analyzed quantitative using R.
Sphere increased perceived social support by
of users would recommend Sphere to others
users felt more understood with Sphere
For confidentiality reasons I have omitted the actual values for these metrics.
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