Myditation AppMental Health for Students
A student-centric mental health app designed to help students manage stress and anxiety during demanding semesters, with comprehensive usability testing of BetterMe Mental Health app.
Introduction
An app that helps remind seniors (specifically 75 years or older) to take their medicine daily. For this project I worked alongside with Sofia, Xiaoli, & Baidiya.
Goal
To keep the users (specifically seniors) aware of the amount of doses per day and also prevent them from missing one.
My Role
UX Designing
User experience design and research methodology
Interface Design
Visual design and interaction patterns
Interaction & Prototype
Prototyping and user flow design
Project Management
Coordination and project oversight
Participants
Our usability testing involved 4 participants from SFU students and the broader community, providing diverse perspectives on the BetterMe Mental Health app experience.
Each participant completed 20-25 minute usability testing sessions, providing valuable insights into the app's effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction.
Challenges
- • Apps like these are very limited, and not directed towards seniors
- • The few apps that offer these are very outdated
- • There are too many different steps which can then lead to confusion
Problem Statement
Our users are mostly students who need to manage their stress and anxiety because they are overwhelmed during the middle of the semester.
Current State-of-the-Art Applications
The current landscape includes applications such as BetterMe (subject of our usability test), Headspace, Calm, Ten Percent, Sensera, Balance, and Youper. While these apps provide valuable resources, they face critical issues:
Costly Subscriptions
Most existing applications are premium and come with significant cost, making them inaccessible to many students.
Lack of Niche Focus
These apps cater to a broad audience, missing the opportunity to serve the specific needs of students.
Limited Free Options
While some offer a free version, they are often limited in features, making them less effective.
Privacy Concerns
Users are increasingly concerned about the privacy of their mental health data.
To address these issues, we propose the following strategies:
Personalization Features
Develop a robust system that allows users to customize their experience, tailoring resources and tools to their specific needs.
Niche Market for Students
Implement a free version of the app available exclusively to students with valid IDs, ensuring accessibility.
Local Data Storage
Design the app to securely store user data locally on their device, minimizing privacy concerns.
Usability & Accessibility Focus
Prioritize design for usability and accessibility, ensuring an intuitive and inclusive experience.
Conclusion
By focusing on the specific needs of students and addressing the current limitations in the mental health app space, our project aims to provide a valuable, accessible, and personalized resource for managing stress and anxiety during the demanding middle of the semester.
Overview
This document outlines the test plan and presents the outcomes of a usability assessment carried out for BetterMe Mental Health. The objective is to engage a minimum of four users in the test to evaluate the attainment of usability objectives, encompassing effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction.
Usability Tasks
App Setup
Have the user open the app for the first time and complete the app set up without creating an account.
Every user goes through this process at least once
Deep Breath Exercise
Get users to try the breath feature for two minutes, then customize haptic feedback and voice type.
Tests core exercise and customization interface
Search Activities
Have users quickly navigate between activities in different locations, completing partially then finding the next one.
Tests aesthetic and navigation speed
Relaxing Sounds
Have the user play some relaxing sounds in the mixing sounds feature, using interface to play only one sound.
Tests clarity of mixing sounds feature
Key Observations
Major Issues Found:
- Participants spent 3-7 minutes searching for specific activities, finding it the most difficult task
- Confusion between "Single" and "Course" widgets in the Discover tab
- Inconsistent sound settings between "Sounds" and "Sleep" tabs caused confusion
Additional Issues:
- Font size too small for some participants with no customization options
- App setup took 6-8 minutes (35% of test duration) due to lengthy survey
- Participants appreciated graphics and animations but found navigation confusing
- Redefine the "Discover" tab by combining "Single" into "Courses"
- Categorize exercises by mental health issues (anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia)
- Ensure consistent sound controls across all tabs
- Fix volume control bug that pauses sound when adjusting
- Add Settings menu for font size, volume, and dark/light mode
- Provide widget on homepage for favorite activities
- Implement dynamic adaptability in setup survey based on user responses
In this usability test, our team evaluated the BetterMe application through a series of representative task scenarios to assess its usability and acceptability. We selected tasks that encompassed a range of functionalities, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation within the limited time available for each participant.
Throughout the test, we employed usability metrics, including task completion success rates, error rates, and subjective feedback collected through questionnaires. Key observations revealed notable insights about navigation challenges, inconsistent interfaces, and accessibility issues.
Key Takeaways
- • Participants appreciated graphics and animations but found navigation confusing
- • Inconsistent sound controls across tabs caused significant user confusion
- • App setup process was too lengthy and lacked dynamic adaptability
- • Font size and accessibility options were insufficient for diverse user needs
- • Clear categorization and consistent interface patterns are crucial for user success
Overall, the usability test provided valuable insights into the strengths and areas for improvement in the BetterMe: Mental Health application, offering a foundation for enhancing user experience and functionality in our proposed Myditation app.
Ready to discuss UX research?
Let's work together to create user-centered designs that address real user needs and improve mental health accessibility.