A Mental Fitness App Design

Project: Psyche Fitness App

Role: UX & Visual Designer
Focus: Mental wellbeing, Self-care systems, UI Design, Research
Duration: 3 months
Tools: Research methods, XD, IA mapping, Persona modeling, Wireframing

Context

Mental fitness in India is often overlooked due to stigma, lack of access, and insufficient awareness. This project began with a simple but urgent question:
How might we make mental well-being tools more approachable, accessible, and personalized for different kinds of users?

My Role

From field research to interface design, I led the project from end to end. I mapped mental health needs across different life stages and translated insights into a digital platform that supports users with tools tailored to their mental state—without medical labeling or emotional overwhelm.

Problem

Despite rising awareness, mental health remains inaccessible and stigmatized. The current ecosystem is fragmented—either expensive, clinical, or too generalized to feel personal. People often “search and scroll” in distress without finding what they need at that moment.

Key Insight: People know something is wrong, but they either don’t know how to cope, don’t feel safe enough to share, or can’t afford therapy.

Process

01. Field Research

Through in-depth interviews and empathy mapping across multiple personas—from overwhelmed homemakers to students facing high pressure—I uncovered key emotional patterns:

• Overthinking, fear, mood swings

• Lack of safe space, motivation, and guidance

• Shame in seeking help

“I know I should get help, but I don’t know where to go—and I’m afraid of being judged.”

02. User Segmentation

I defined 3 tiers of users based on their mental coping capacity:

• Level 1: Aware but struggling to sustain stability

• Level 2: Needs motivation and personalized guidance

• Level 3: Unaware or emotionally paralyzed—needs urgent help

03. Personas

Each persona had unique pain points, from career pressure and relationship anxiety to emotional numbness. Their shared need: someone to listen, guide, and not judge.

Solution

Design a digital platform for mental fitness—approachable like a friend, helpful like a guide, and smart enough to adapt to different mental states.

Key Features:

• Guided onboarding to detect mental state through tone-sensitive questions

• Personalized suggestions based on persona tier—affirmations, tools, talk, or action

• AI-based buddy for emotional check-ins

• Self-paced support kits for journaling, breathing, reminders

• Therapist connection option when needed, no pressure

UI Design Principles:

• Calm and friendly tone: Soft colors, simple interface, human voice

• Minimal but warm layout: Blue hues for trust, smooth transitions

• Zero overwhelm: No jargon, no overload—just safe guidance

Outcome

The final design imagined a mentally safe UI—like a wellness companion rather than a clinical app.

• Mapped three user journeys based on coping tiers

• Created modular wireframes for affirmations, reflection, therapist connection, and emergency tools

• Defined system architecture around needs, not diagnosis

Reflection

This project taught me that mental well-being design isn't about features—it’s about feeling safe.

Sometimes, users don’t need a solution. They need a pause, a reminder, or someone to say “you’re okay.”

As a designer, I carry this insight into everything I create. Because real impact begins where empathy meets clarity.