Mindhouse
Client - Self-Initiated
Challenge - How to address the hesitation of individuals to seek mental health care.
Outcome - Ideating a mental health product, and navigating the stages of research, validation, prototyping, and testing.
Scope - Innovation I User Research I Product Design I Prototyping I Road Mapping I Idea Generation I Iterative Experimentation
Team - Erica Ales, Juan Hernandez, Jinney Kho, Luke Rolka
Role - Design Strategist - Operational Forecasting
01 Introduction
The First Step Towards Self-Discovery
For those who would like to learn more about themselves now and on their life’s journey, Mindhouse is a concept self-awareness app that is a supportive companion to take along.
Mindhouse emerges from a deep understanding of the barriers preventing individuals from seeking mental health care. Recognizing the hesitation and skepticism many face, we embarked on a mission to address these challenges head-on. We initiated the project by acknowledging a prevalent gap: those seeking mental health support commonly encounter confusion regarding the initial steps.
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Contribution
I played a crucial role as a design strategist in this team, particularly in shaping the concept during the Game Design and Game Prototype phases. Alongside that, I took charge of operational projections, planning tasks such as staff hiring, and collaboration with mental health professionals. I also handled financial forecasting for the app, aligning this with market sizing and revenue/cost projections outlined in a strategic roadmap.
02 Context
Exploring the Meaning of Self-Awareness
Nearly half of all people who could benefit from some form of mental health care don’t do it. Mindhouse is designed not to address mental health ailments but to provide awareness and education for individuals exploring a new interest in self-awareness. For those who eventually take the first step, several factors can impede the momentum.
At its core, Mindhouse strives to gently guide users towards the notion of "saying is believing" and recognizing the potential benefits of human
mental health support. By encouraging users to articulate their aspirations and desired life outcomes, Mindhouse removes barriers and empowers individuals to take the crucial first step on their mental health journey.
03 Approach & Research
Mental Wellness with Research-Driven Insights
By conducting extensive research and 20 rounds of deep qualitative interviews, we identified specific target personas: "The Navigator", a seasoned therapy-goer who values a bond, trust, and quality of care; the "The Self-Diagnosed", who navigates the overwhelming process of mental health support, relying on online reviews and encouragement from their support network; and our target audience "The Mental Health Curious," who desires to explore their emotional well-being but feels overwhelmed by traditional care options.
Informed by our insights, Mindhouse depicted a mental health journey aligned with our main persona's desires. It offers a user-friendly platform for logging emotions and visually grasping patterns that contribute to self-awareness.
Similar to how Duolingo helps users learn a new language, Mindhouse empowers individuals to develop the "language" of personal growth over time, enabling them to track and reflect on complex emotions and themes that might otherwise be daunting.
To make sure our idea was on the right track, we talked to mental health professionals who saw a version of our prototype. Including them in the design and development is important to guide the product in a helpful direction. They said Mindhouse could be useful for expressing emotions, similar to sand tray therapy. This matched our idea that the app could be like a garden for people to plant their emotional thoughts.
04 Output
Crafting Change in the Digital Realm
For those who would like to learn more about themselves now and on their life’s journey, Mindhouse is a self-awareness platform that is a supportive companion to take along.
Rooted in evidence-based mindset change psychology, the digital experience of Mindhouse is thoughtfully crafted. Users embark on a journey alongside a companion character, immersing themselves in daily narratives and game-like environments that foster self-awareness.
Part of the result is a product roadmap for Mindhouse, including key phases such as Game Design, Game Prototype development, Programming, Testing, and Marketing. Additionally, we projected staff hiring and collaboration with mental health professionals. This product plan also involved market sizing and revenue/cost projections, ensuring a well-rounded approach to Mindhouse's development.