Tools used
Figma, FigJam, Chatgpt tl;dv AI Meeting Assistant
UX/UI Case Study
Coach: Susana Passinhas, Personal Project
WORK IN PROGRESS, MORE COMING SOON…..
If you want to know more about the my Design Process, feel free to reach out
under my email dguerrero83@gmail.com or via LinkedIn
Key Highlights
✨ Problem: Young adults aged 18–25 often struggle to understand the root causes of their mental health challenges due to a lack of personalised tools, emotional safety, and fragmented support, making it difficult to build meaningful, sustainable coping strategies.
✨ Solution: An AI-Powered Personal Mental Health Assistant Platform.
✨ Status of the project: Currently in the Visual Design and Prototype. Data collection, Data analysis, Ideation and Information Architectur developed. Desk research, interviews, and usability testing will be conducted to inform every step, to ensure user needs.
✨ Some Features:
Emotion-Aware Chatbot : Detects mood through language, prompts, or voice to guide support pathways.
Mood Check-Ins & Journal : A quick daily check-in or emotion logging feature to understand emotional patterns.
Therapist & Coach Recommendations: Curated access to mental health professionals depending on the user’s profile or history.
Research
Globally, young adults between 18 to 25 are facing significant mental health challenges, with studies indicating that approximately 27.1% experience moderate to severe depression, 47.1% suffer from anxiety, and 27% report stress levels of similar symptoms. The factors are: financial instability, job-related stress, and societal pressures, leading to absence from work or school and reduced productivity. Additionally, low self-esteem is frequently associated with these mental health conditions, further impacting young adults' overall well-being. Consequently, there is a need to quickly set up specific support systems to help this vulnerable group with their mental health needs.
RESEARCH GOALS
- Understand how young adults aged 18 to 25 identify and manage mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, and self-esteem issues.
- Identify the main causes and contributing factors to mental health challenges in young adults, such as stress, life transitions, and social influences.
- Identify the types of support systems (family, friends, mental health professionals) young adults rely on when facing mental health struggles.
- Collect feedback about the coping strategies and resources that young adults use to manage mental health challenges, such as physical activity, therapy, social support, and online platforms, in order to better meet their needs.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
This research aims to explore the factors contributing to mental health challenges in young adults, particularly focusing on depression, anxiety, and self-esteem among individuals aged 18 to 25 worldwide. Also to understand how young adults experience and cope with these challenges, whom they turn to for support—whether parents, friends, or mental health professionals—and what tools or strategies they use to manage their well-being.
Qualitative Research (Interviews)
Intersting points:
- Young adults think that MH problems can’t or won’t happen to them
- They don’t have a good understanding of what f.e. a Panic Attack is
- Some of them used to believe they can’t suffer from depression
- They tend to go first to bes friends or Parents if there is good relation, not to therapy
- Some of them realize what they had because teacher or parent told them
- Some are aware that a lot of the Social Media Content is not real and not good for them but they still see it
- Some of the use Social Media to cope depression
Insights
Insight 1 – Challenges
In high-pressure academic and work environments, young adults are expected to constantly perform at peak levels, young adults (18–25) Push themselves through burnout and panic without pause, despite clear signs of chronic stress and emotional exhaustion, they feel compelled to maintain productivity
Insight 2 – Contributing Factors
With ubiquitous social media feeds presenting idealized lifestyles, comparison becomes constant young adults (18–25) Scroll endlessly and measure their worth against curated online personas, even though this heightens anxiety and self-doubt, they struggle to disconnect
Insight 3 – Coping Strategies
When stress peaks, many young adults seek immediate relief through lifestyle changes young adults (18–25) adopt healthy routines (exercise, diet, digital-wellness apps), yet they often abandon these practices under time pressure or mental fatigue
Insight 4 – Support System
In moments of crisis, turning to others can ease the burden of mental distress, young adults (18–25), reach out to friends, family, or professionals for support as final resource, but stigma, cost, and slow responses deter many from seeking help consistently
How might we?
Context: Many young adults feel lost when their stress or low mood strikes, unsure what truly triggers their distress.
How might we help young adults identify and understand the root causes and triggers of their mental health challenges in a personalized, non-judgmental way?
Problem Statement
Young adults aged 18–25 often struggle to understand the root causes of their mental health challenges due to a lack of personalized tools, emotional safety, and fragmented support, making it difficult to build meaningful, sustainable coping strategies.
Ideation
In the ideation phase, I explored how to support young adults in identifying the root causes and emotional triggers of their mental health struggles in a non-judgmental, personalized way. Through product and digital concept brainstorming, I considered tools that feel intuitive, stigma-free, and integrated into daily routines. Ideas ranged from mood-tracking journals and emotion-based playlists to gamified reflection tools and safe digital communities. The goal was to imagine interventions that don’t feel clinical or overwhelming, but instead invite self-discovery and emotional validation. This creative exploration was grounded in empathy and shaped by real emotional pain points faced by young users.
The Archetype: The Spiral Surfer
To humanize the user experience, I created the archetype of "The Spiral Surfer"—a young adult navigating emotional highs and lows, seeking balance and understanding. She craves tools that help her make sense of her feelings without needing to decode clinical language, and she wants to be heard before being advised. Her behaviors reflect a relatable tension: she seeks support but often feels burdened or judged when accessing help. This persona helped anchor design decisions in real emotional needs—highlighting the importance of emotional safety, consistency, and low-barrier engagement. The Spiral Surfer became a guiding lens for designing with compassion and authenticity.
User Journey
This journey follows a young adult from recognizing emotional distress to building long-term habits with a mental health platform. Early stages are marked by confusion, isolation, and overwhelm, especially during the search for solutions. As users move into engagement, they face decision fatigue, unclear value, and too many tools. Success comes when the experience feels safe, personalized, and emotionally validating. Key opportunities include simplifying choices, offering adaptive guidance, and creating a consistent, stigma-free support system.
Sitemap
User Flow
Select the mood and watch suggested therapy video
This user flow outlines a simple, supportive path for users to receive mood-based therapeutic content. Starting with onboarding, users either log in or register, then check in with their current mood or emotion. If immediate support is needed, they are routed to a call with a specialist. Otherwise, users are guided to a personalized dashboard with therapy resources tailored to their emotional state. From there, they can select their mood—such as anxiety—and explore related options like meditation. The journey ends with a calming, targeted therapy video, making the experience feel intuitive, emotionally attuned, and stigma-free.
Wireframes
Current Phase & Next Steps
I am currently in the Hi-Fidelity design phase, where the visual and interactive details of the experience are being refined to reflect the final product.
The next steps include conducting usability testing and gathering user feedback through interviews and surveys. These methods will help validate the user flow, ensure it aligns with real user needs, and uncover any friction points before moving toward implementation.