UX research to understand how users feel when using apps to help them deal with anxiety.
The problem
Hypothesis
Objectives
Users need an accessible mobile app to help them track and deal with anxiety, but it is difficult to find an app that covers all their needs.
To conduct research to learn about users' behaviors and feelings on current products and understand their needs.
I hypothesize that by gathering data on users' emotions and behaviors, we can gain valuable insights into the challenges faced by current products and identify opportunities for improvement.
Methods
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Emphatizing users and opinions about current products: 1-on-1 interviews
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Learning about user behaviors: survey
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Learning about current products features: competitive research
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Understanding users IA priority: card sorting
Empathizing and defining
User interviews
1-on-1 in depth user interviews with 4 users allowed me to discover the typical user behaviors when facing discomfort, stress and anxiety and their relationship in those moments with mobile apps.
Here are the main outtakes:
Desire to share with others
Users claim that one major strategy when facing anxiety is trying to explain the problem or situation they are facing to others. A diary included in the app could solve this issue.
Social disconnection
discomfort
Users also try to avoid using the mobile phone in stressful or anxious moments. However, this social disconnection makes them feel more anxious. Including a "community" section could be helpful.
Emergency button
Users claim the need for an emergency button that exists in apps used in other countries. Thus, whenever someone is facing an extreme situation, this button would connect the person to a certified psychologist via phone call.
Surveys and behavioral archetypes
In order to gather quantitative data about users behavior, I designed a survey of 8 different types of questions.
Here are the main outtakes:
80%
has experienced anxiety before
33%
has been diagnosed with
an anxiety disorder
80%
has felt overwhelmed when experiencing anxiety and using the mobile phone
How often do you feel anxious?
There exists a huge variability on user archetypes.
There are users who never feel anxiety whereas others often suffer from it.
50%
has used a specific mobile app to deal with anxiety
The users that used mobile apps to deal with anxiety rated their usefulness with a mean of 2 out of 5.
Competitive research
For this part of the case study I decided to explore top rated health apps and compare the key features and see what problems they address.
The majority of apps required payment subscription, only two of them offered a daily tracker of emotions and one app offered daily reminders to track emotions. None of them offered a diary section in which users could write down their daily experiences and feelings or an emergency button to directly connect to public psychological systems that offer emergency services for those living an extreme situation.
My background in psychology made me analyze whether breathing exercises were included in the apps analyzed, since they are scientifically proven and efficient exercises to quickly calm down and relaxe. It was interesting to check that only 3 out of the 5 apps included them.
Card sorting
The previous research processes helped uncover meaningful insights of user behavior and feelings when using specific apps to deal with anxiety and stress.
One critical area I focused on was information architecture (IA), which plays a vital role in ensuring usability.
Thus, I conducted a monitored card sorting activity with 3 users to define the optimum IA for them taking into account the insights I gathered from my earlier research.
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The card sorting activity uncovered both commonalities and differences in how users categorized elements.
Key findings include:
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All users classified the exercises cards in the section "Exercises".
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Daily and monthly emotion tracking features were consistently grouped together.
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Profile, Community and the Search button were typically classified in the same group.
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The Emergency button was, in some cases, singled out as its own distinct group.
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Research outcomes
1
The survey revealed that users often experience dissatisfaction when using apps designed to help manage their anxiety. This highlighted a clear opportunity to design a product that effectively addresses the pain points present in current solutions
2
User interviews revealed the need of including various elements within an app that helps deal with anxiety and stress, such as a digital diary to write down thoughts, worries and daily experiences or an emergency button that quickly connects you with mental health professionals.
3
Given users' dissatisfaction with existing mobile apps, along with the other issues identified, prioritizing perceptive accessibility is essential. The design should focus on calming colors, intuitive iconography, and user-friendly typography that cater to users in agitated or anxious states.
4
Competitive research outlined the need for an app with a more holistic approach. The design should integrate key features such as tracking systems, resources for specific situations, a personal diary, and a community space for users to connect with others facing similar challenges.
5
Card sorting defined the starting point for designing the information architecture of an app that addresses the problems identified with existing apps.