Chorus is an iOS app that helps millennials streamline their wellness journey by integrating personalised holistic therapies, nurturing the harmony of their mind, body, and soul.
Overview
Project Type: Academic
Duration: 8 weeks (July - August 2023)
Roles: UX Researcher, UI/UX Designers
Tools: Figma
Platform: iOS
Project Brief
Throughout an immersive 8 week journey at BrainStation's UX Design bootcamp, I gained valuable experience in human-centred design by working on a project that focused on the needs of real people and crafted an end-to-end digital design solution.
Defining The Problem
The Problem I Saw
I’ve always viewed wellness through a holistic lens - something dynamic that spans across the mind, body, and soul. Yet, the challenge of integrating effective self-care practices into daily life often left me lost amidst a sea of choices.
Millennials often confront uncertainty in self-care, with roughly 18% expressing this concern compared to just 4% among older generations. The surge in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) signals a growing desire for self-empowerment in managing well-being. However, the profusion of options often triggers analysis paralysis, making it hard to choose the right path.
The Landscape
After understanding the problem space, I headed into secondary research to further understand the nuanced challenges and preferences that shape millennials' engagement with holistic self-care practices. Here are a few snippets from the main findings:
The number one top priorities reported by millennials in 2021 was mental and physical wellbeing
Millennials are 40% more likely to seek out alternative or natural health options opposed to traditional medical treatment.
48% of millennials say they face “analysis paralysis” when deciding how to manage their mental wellbeing needs
Getting to Know My Target Audience
To gain deeper insights into the challenges and preferences surrounding holistic self-care practices for millennials, I conducted a series of in-person and over-the-phone interviews with individuals aged 27-34. The purpose was to uncover:
How millennials incorporate self-care into their daily lives.
What obstacles they encounter in their pursuit of holistic well-being.
Why are they motivated to engage in self-care practices.
The interviews were conducted in a relaxed and open environment to encourage candid discussions and genuine perspectives.
Uncovering User Insights
Affinity Mapping
My interviews unveiled fascinating insights into the current landscape of self-care among these individuals, shedding light on their challenges and aspirations. Here are some excerpts from these conversations.
Pain Points
"I struggle to find self-care practices that resonate with my specific needs."
"Balancing social life, work, & self-care often feels like I have to choose just 2/3.”
"Balancing social life, work, & self-care often feels like I have to choose just 2/3.”
"When my self-care slips, I feel guilty and stressed, like I can’t get back on track."
"It's hard to maintain a routine, especially when times get tough."
"Self-care feels overwhelming to me. I don’t feel I’m ever doing it ‘right’.”
Motivations
“My mental health is my top priority as it impacts my overall quality of life.”
“ I practice self-care to be happy, feel alive, and truly enjoy my short time here.”
"I want to connect with myself on a deeper level and find inner peace."
"Self-care is essential because no one truly knows what I'm feeling except for myself."
"Mental wellbeing is the filter for my life; when it's off, everything is thrown off."
Behaviours
“I prioritise sleep & use a sleeping meditation app to stay calm and present."
"Running, stretching, and using my sleeping app are my self-care go-tos."
"I like holistic approaches to health, like aromatherapy - they help me relax more."
"Journaling helps me put my thoughts onto paper and establish a daily routine."
"I have a humidifier with essential oils. It transports me to a different place."
Key Themes & Insights
The following themes and insights were derived from the Affinity Map —
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Many millennials grapple with feelings of isolation and stigma regarding their mental health struggles, and believe they're alone in their journey. They yearn for a more understanding and empathetic world that embraces open conversations about mental well-being.
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Many millennials find the plethora of self-care options overwhelming and often struggle to align practices that address their mind, body, and soul, causing routine slips and guilt.
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Millennials frequently find it challenging to maintain a consistent self-care routine due to the demands of social life, work, and other commitments. Despite these hurdles, they remain motivated by their deep conviction that self-care is essential for their mental well-being and overall happiness.
Selected Theme: Overwhelmed by Choices
I chose to hone in on this theme, as it closely aligned with the challenges millennials shared in interviews, making it a pivotal area that demanded a solution.
Persona in Focus
Following interviews and affinity mapping, it was time to create a persona. Meet Juliana, a 27-year-old navigating the complex world of self-care and wellness. In her own words, "I want to take charge of my wellbeing, not drown in options. Give me a path, not more noise."
Design Question:
Viewing the world through Juliana's eyes, I posed myself a question as inspiration to develop a digital solution for her needs:
How might we help millennials maintain a meaningful wellbeing routine, reimagining self-care to reduce overwhelm and foster lasting commitment?
Mapping The User’s Journey
With this design question in mind, I created an experience map to visually depict Juliana’s current journey within the problem space of self-care, particularly in dealing with overwhelm caused by multiple apps addressing different needs.
Identified Opportunities
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to facilitate time management
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to receive guidance and expert advice
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to effectively track holistic progress
Selected Area of Intervention: Combining Therapies
My intervention strategy focused on combining mind, body, and soul therapies in order to best target Juliana's needs. This choice was driven by the potential to simplify her self-care journey, prevent overwhelm, enable tracking, and facilitate personalised wellbeing practices.
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Ideating The Solution
User Stories & Epics
User stories were created based on the persona and the selected theme/insight. They were then sorted and grouped under the following epics:
#1
Security & Reminders
The “Track Mood and Therapies” epic had the most user stories and was therefore selected. The user stories within the epic were then broken into tasks which helped inform the design. The following are the epic’s corresponding user stories.
(User)
#2
Community Engagement & Support
(Action)
As an Overstimulated Millennial, I want to…
(Benefit)
#3
Set Goals & Review Recommendations
#4
Track Mood & Therapies
so that…
Task Flows
After creating the user stories, I was able to identify the key features of my app. Given the scope of this project is limited to an MVP, I focused on the main features that would deliver value through a Preliminary & Primary Task Flow.
Set Personalised Wellbeing Goals
Preliminary Task Flow: The app prompts Juliana with a series of onboarding questions, creating personalised wellbeing objectives from her current struggles and aspirations.
To view full Task Flow Diagrams, please click here.
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Begin Therapies & Submit Feedback
Primary Task Flow: The app offers Juliana a selection of 3 holistic therapies. She completes one and submits feedback. A week later, after entering a mood journal, her routine updates accordingly.
Bringing The Solution to Life
Playing With Ideas
After creating multiple exploratory sketches, I came up with the following solution sketches that aligned with the users' needs:
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Solution Sketch #1
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Solution Sketch #2
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Solution Sketch #3
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Solution Sketch #4
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Solution Sketch #5
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Solution Sketch #6
Digitising Sketches
With my sketches to guide me, I could start designing wireframes (*Note: these mid-fidelity prototype screens are version 1 of 3).
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Wireframe Screen #1
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Wireframe Screen #2
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Wireframe Screen #3
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Wireframe Screen #4
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Wireframe Screen #5
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Wireframe Screen #6
Testing The Solution
Usability Testing
I conducted two rounds of user testing each revealing usability issues which I then prioritized into solutions for the next prototype version.
Round 1 User Testing
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Round 2 User Testing
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V3 Educator Feedback
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Crafting a Visual Identity
Setting the Stage
I initiated the brand development process by carefully curating a list of adjectives intended to resonate with the app's users:
Alternative
Equilibrium
Awakening
Evolving
Holistic
Synergy
This succinct yet impactful list played a crucial role in shaping the mood board and guiding the development of the app's high-fidelity designs.
Gathering Inspiration
To bridge the gap between conceptual ideas and tangible design, I sought inspiration for the user interface. This process involved exploring how visual elements and overall aesthetic could be translated into the digital realm, shaping my app's visual identity.
Here's a glimpse of the elements I considered:
Colour
Typography
Shape
Pattern
Illustration
Texture
Call Me By Your Name
In the process of brainstorming names for the app, I explored options like "Flourish," "Ensemble," "Symphony," and "Symmetry”. I decided on the name chorus for its deep resonance with the app's core concept - just as different voices in a chorus blend to create a harmonious melody, chorus symbolises the unity mind, body, and soul—all coming together to form a complete & balanced state of well-being.
I then went on to explore various wordmark ideas, typographic scales, and logo combinations:
Typography & Colour Palette
Font Choice: Chorus embraces modernity and approachability with a sans-serif font. The bold logo font exudes strength and stability, while the thinner body text font maintains readability with a contemporary touch.
Colour Palette: I wanted the palette reflects Chorus' essence. Greens signify growth and harmony. Matte black adds sophistication and structure. Earthy browns bring warmth and grounding, echoing nature's healing. Golden hues inject vibrancy, symbolising positivity and enlightenment, resonating with chorus’ holistic ethos for a fresh, invigorating wellbeing experience.
Primary Colours
Secondary Colours
Neutral Colours
Functional Colours
Wordmark Selection
In creating the chorus wordmark and logo, I aimed to capture the essence of the app – a practical, balanced, and self-aware well-being approach. The bold font symbolises clarity and sincerity in guiding users, while the three circles, distinct yet connected, represent the interdependence of mind, body, and soul.
These elements stand as a testament to my design philosophy: acknowledging the interdependence of these aspects in fostering overall well-being.
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Mobile Application Icons
High Fidelity Prototype
The high-fi prototype was the culmination of research, user input, UI and mood board inspiration, and multiple rounds of feedback based iterations.
Additional Platforms
Marketing Website
To spread awareness, generate excitement, and educate users about chorus' unique advantages, I've crafted a responsive marketing website. This website is optimised for both desktop (MacBook Pro 14") and mobile (iPhone 13 Pro).
Reflections
Key Learnings
Patience Pays Off
Rushing to find a solution can lead to frustration and wasted effort. Taking the time to thoroughly research and understand the problem space can save you time and energy in the long run.
Simplicity is Key
In a world full of complexity, simplicity often shines the brightest. Streamlining your design and removing unnecessary elements can greatly enhance the user experience.
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
Don't settle for the first idea that comes to mind. Iteration is key to refining and improving your designs. Each round of iteration brings you closer to a solution that truly works.
Future Steps
Expand Therapy Flows
Due to time constraints, I couldn't fully develop all three therapy flows, a critical aspect of chorus' value proposition. Fleshing out these flows would provide users with a more comprehensive and enriching experience.
Education & Buying Hub
The app would benefit from an educational section about different therapies and a buying hub for related equipment. These additions would empower users with knowledge and convenience in adopting a holistic approach to self-care.
Community Building
Incorporating a community page that shows local therapy offerings and connects users with similar interests would help users foster a sense of belonging and support, aligning perfectly with chorus' goal of creating a nurturing well-being ecosystem.
