Welcome to
My mobile web design project
When it comes to mental health care, there's still a lot of work to be done. Enter TheraMusic, a mobile website designed for a UX design project, where music and therapy combine to redefine the way we approach mental health care.
The initial idea was to create a website that promotes general preventative mental health care, but as the project evolved, the focus shifted to a more niche area, music therapy.
In this case study, we will explore the evolution of the project, the challenges encountered, and the design decisions that resulted into a unique and impactful website that provides music therapy resources to those in need.
Background
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a mental health crisis worldwide.
Despite the rise in demand for mental health services, many individuals lack access to support, highlighting the need for preventative mental health care solutions.
Problem
This mental health crisis has left many people struggling with anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation.
The current reactive approach to mental health care leaves people without the tools they need to proactively manage their mental health and prevent crises from happening.
Solution
Developing a personalized and accessible preventative mental health care solution, we can help people manage stressors and prevent crises. This approach will reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, increase access to support, and ultimately lead to better mental health.
Goal
To find the most useful and relevant information on preventative mental health care for young people to deliver a platform with free, enjoyable and valuable content, to help better their lives, improve their knowledge, and normalize mental health care.
Objectives
Identify what challenges users face in their lives that results in poor mental health.
Gain insights into the types of preventative mental health care resources that individuals find most valuable and effective.
Understand what type of content that users would read, practice, and benefit from.
Competitive Analysis
Initially, competitive research was conducted on preventative mental health care platforms because of the original direction of the project.
The aim was to understand the current offerings in the industry and identify opportunities for improvement.
Reach Out
Online mental health service.
Offers a range of resources and tools for individuals seeking preventative mental health care.
Addresses multiple aspects of mental health such as physical health, relationships, and lifestyle, etc.
Relies on information-based resources, which may not provide enough engagement and interaction for some users.
Being based in Australia may limit its reach and may not be as relevant or effective for different cultures.
HeadSpace
A meditation app.
Offers a wide set of resources, including guided meditations, sleep exercises, and mindfulness exercises
Has a user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for individuals to navigate and find the resources they need.
Provides a personalized experience, allowing users to track their progress and receive tailored recommendations based on their specific needs and goals.
Operates on a subscription model, which may not be accessible or affordable for some people seeking preventative mental health care.
Primarily relies on audio resources, such as guided meditations, which may not provide enough interaction or engagement for some individuals.
As the project evolved and the focus shifted to music therapy, the competitive research was then refined to include only music therapy platforms, allowing for a more in-depth analysis of the specific market and competitors.
Competitive Analysis
Insight Timer
Meditation app
Large library of content: Insight Timer has a large library of content, including guided meditations, music tracks, and talks, which can provide users with a wide range of options for their music therapy experience.
User-generated content: The platform allows users to upload their own content, such as guided meditations or music tracks, providing users with a diverse set of options for their music therapy experience.
Limited music therapy focus: While Insight Timer has a large library of content, it is not solely focused on music therapy and may not provide users with the specialized resources they need.
No personalized feedback: meaning that it does not provide any tailored content to users
Listen For Life
Music foundation
Specialized focus on music therapy: sets it apart from other mental health platforms that offer a broader range of services.
Experienced music therapists
Limited content library
High cost: The platform may be more expensive than other mental health platforms, which could make it inaccessible to some users.
Lack of user community: Listen for Life does not have a large and active user community, which could limit users' opportunities for social support and connection.
By conducting research on both preventative mental health care and music therapy platforms, I was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the industry and create a user-centered solution that addresses the needs of the target audience.
User Research
5
participants (aged 18-25)
10
Interview Questions (in-person)
These 5 questions are an overview of the main topics that were discussed in the interviews.
All relevant areas are explored and most important information is gathered.
What is your knowledge and perception of the mental health care system, both in the US, globally, and culturally?
Have you or someone you know experienced mental health issues, and if so, how has it affected your life?
What are your self-care routines for mental health, how long have you been doing them, and what benefits have you seen?
Are there any tools or programs you use for mental health, and what do you like or dislike about them?
If there was a website for preventative mental health care, what are the 3 most important topics you would like it to cover?
100%
experienced anxiety, lack of motivation, and stress caused by social media and/or unemployment.
100%
would like to see tips, routines, and methods for preventative mental health care
faced challenges with focus and productivity
3/5
100%
felt social connection and sense of community is important for mental health
100%
felt mental health care was stigmatized and a
low priority culturally.
Define
The Define phase was a turning point in the TheraMusic project!
I gained a deep understanding of the needs and pain points of the target users, and refined the project goals accordingly.
I used a variety of techniques, like affinity mapping to spot patterns in user feedback, card sorting to organize information, and creating key personas and user flows to guide my design decisions.
Affinity Map
I created this affinity map to organize and consolidate my user research and grouped related ideas to identify any patterns and themes that emerge.
The 7 categories were:
Thoughts on preventative care
Struggles
Self-Care Routines
Most helpful tools
Important topics for education
Stress factors
Tips and advice
Participants shared similar struggles with anxiety, lack of motivation, and stress related to social media and unemployment.
I discovered that staying present and mindful, meditating, engaging in physical activities, and social connections were the most important factors for participants to leading a healthier lifestyle.
This information will inform my content strategy, allowing me to create informative and enjoyable resources, such as meditation guides, that directly address their concerns and needs.
Insights
Taking preventative steps is important to many
There is a lack of education and normality surrounding mental health care
Most young adults have dealt with stress, anxiety, and lack of self esteem and would like ways to better handle these
There aren’t many resources or tools used for preventative care
There aren’t many platforms that have organized, useful and relevant content for young adults
Personas
To better understand the needs, preferences, and motivations of our target audience, I have developed two personas that represent different individuals who would engage with the platform.
How might we create an affordable and easily accessible platform that offers personalized exercises to help young adults manage their anxiety symptoms, develop confidence through positive self-talk and self-reflection, and motivate them to engage in self-care practices to prevent mental health problems?
User Insights Drive Redesign
Here, we’re about to dive into the card sort.
My initial idea of promoting general preventative mental health care took a surprising turn thanks to an insightful card sort. This exercise allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the user's needs and preferences, ultimately leading to a shift to focus on music therapy.
Let's dive into the details of this exercise and how it helped shape the design direction.
I had created 2 card sorts.
During the first card-sorting process, I discovered an insight that completely changed the direction of the project.
Users were struggling to organize the vast amount of information presented to them for the general preventative mental health care website. However, through testing, I learned that traditional mental health resources were overwhelming and not engaging enough.
They have also expressed an interest in music therapy as a form of treatment. It aligns perfectly with the platform’s mission and values, leading me down a new path to explore music therapy as a potential niche area. This form of therapy could provide a more engaging and unique experience for users, and potentially improve their mental well-being.
The Power of Music Therapy
Emotional Regulation
Music has a unique ability to evoke and regulate emotions. It can help individuals manage stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms by providing an emotional outlet and promoting relaxation.
Mindfulness and Relaxation
Music therapy techniques, including guided imagery and mindfulness exercises, can promote relaxation and mindfulness. These practices can enhance self-awareness and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Since I realized that music therapy could be the missing piece to promote preventative mental health care, I dove deeper into the profound impact that music therapy can have on the human mind.
Stress Reduction
Listening to calming music or engaging in music-making activities can reduce the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the body. This can lead to decreased feelings of stress and improved overall mental well-being.
Motivation and Engagement
Engaging with music therapy can motivate individuals to participate in self-care practices regularly. The enjoyment and therapeutic benefits of music can encourage sustained engagement in preventative mental health activities.
Self-Expression
Music therapy allows individuals to express their emotions, thoughts, and experiences through music, even when words may fail. This can be particularly beneficial for those who find it challenging to articulate their feelings verbally.
Cognitive Stimulation
Music therapy can stimulate various cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. It can be especially valuable for individuals with cognitive impairments or conditions like dementia.
User Goals
These goals served as a compass throughout the project, guiding the design decisions and ensuring that TheraMusic would be a transformative and impactful platform.
Young Adults with Anxiety:
Manage and alleviate anxiety symptoms effectively.
Access resources that are affordable and easily available.
Find personalized music therapy exercises to calm and relax.
Young Adults Seeking Confidence:
Develop self-esteem and confidence through guided exercises.
Foster positive self-talk and self-reflection.
Access a platform that supports their personal growth journey.
Young Adults with Lack of Motivation:
Feel motivated and inspired to engage in self-care practices.
Prevent mental health problems through regular engagement.
Access a platform that provides motivation and encouragement.
In order to create a seamless and intuitive user experience, these strategic tools provided a clear blueprint for the design phase and ensured that TheraMusic delivers an engaging and user-centric experience that aligns with its core objectives.
Site Map
Task Flow
User Flows
Design
Let’s move forward to the design phase!
By shifting my focus to music therapy, I'll be able to tap into a more targeted audience seeking therapeutic benefits through the power of music. With a more focused audience, I can tailor the design and messaging to better meet users’ needs, leading to higher user engagement.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Home
Home
Music Display
Sign Up
Log in
Questionnaire
Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Home
Navigation Menu
Questionnaire
Music
Mood Board
The mood board is a perfect representation of the brand's values and mission.
The use of dark blues and light purples, along with images of nature, the night sky, creates a soothing and calming atmosphere that aligns with the platform's focus on mental wellness.
The incorporation of words like creativity, transformation, abundance, and compassion effectively communicates the vision to help users unlock their full potential and achieve emotional and mental wellbeing.
Together, these elements make for a powerful and cohesive visual representation of the brand.
Color Palette
Primary/Secondary
Light Pastel Purple
#B8A7D1
The light purple is associated with creativity and spirituality, which is helpful in creating a sense of mindfulness, introspection and a creative outlet for users.
Liberty
#5C5FAA
Darker purple is associated with those values as well, and can also help convey the transformative power of music therapy
Moonstone Blue
#79A4C5
Light blue is associated with calmness, can help convey a peaceful and soothing environment
Neutrals
Deep Koamaru
#32385C
Dark blue is a great background color, and can establish trustworthiness, intelligence, stability
Eggshell
#F4E8D9
Eggshell is a neutral color that can convey a sense of calmness and warmth
Typography
Both fonts are a sans serif font.
Quincy is used for headlines, it will be the biggest font
and can help present a modern brand.
As for Quicksand, it will be used for body text. Its organic shapes and soft lines could help convey friendliness, approachability, and warmth. This font can help give the impression of a caring, compassionate brand.
Logo Design
The name TheraMusic communicates the brand's focus on music therapy.
The use of a regular font for 'Thera' and a script font for 'Music' creates a visual contrast that emphasizes the brand's creative and expressive nature.
The combination of a leaf and a music note in the logo image is a representation of the healing effects of music on the mind and body. The leaf symbolizes growth and renewal, while the music note signifies harmony and balance, both of which are key elements in music therapy.
Icons
Home Page
Navigation
Music Category
Music Display
Creating a Playlist
Questionnaire
Sign Up/Sign In
Payment Plan
Usability Testing
This is a crucial step to ensure that the website is not only visually appealing but also easy to use for my target audience. Through usability testing, I can gather feedback and make last improvements.
maze.co was used for unmoderated usability testing
There were 8 participants and 3 tasks
Create a playlist
Complete questionnaire
Go through sign up process
Success Metrics
7 people successfully completed the tasks via expected or unexpected paths.
The average amount of time to complete 2 out of 3 tasks were low, and 1 task had a high average time
2 out of 3 tasks had a low mis-click rate
Overall, there was positive feedback for all 3 tasks
Visuals were aesthetically pleasing
Positive emotional connection to brand
Interface is intuitive, easy to navigate, and content is memorable and easy to understand
Design Improvements
After receiving and analyzing the feedback from users, I made some adjustments to the design and functionality.
These changes were aimed at improving the overall user experience and ensuring that the website meets the needs of its target audience.
To shorten the playlist creation process, I placed the ‘Add’ icon on the small music display screen.
I added a search bar on the music category page for users to find exactly what they’re looking for faster.
I added more questions to the questionnaire, and added more mental health related questions in order to have more accurate results to better help users.
Final Thoughts
This project has been an incredible journey of exploration, design, and innovation, with a focus on promoting preventative mental health care through music therapy. Through extensive research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and user feedback, I have optimized the platform to effectively meet the needs of my target audience.
My determination to create a platform that deeply connects with young adults on an emotional level has resulted in a visually appealing website that is easy to navigate and provides valuable resources for mental health support. The final product showcases an intuitive interface, a curated music library, and a range of resources aimed at helping individuals cultivate confidence and enhance their mental well-being.
Throughout this journey, I have learned the significance of empathy and user-centric design, recognizing the value of incorporating user feedback to continually improve the user experience. The collaborative process with the target audience has been instrumental in shaping the platform into its current form, ensuring it meets the needs and expectations of its users.
