NEKO: Building Connection to Therapists with Chatbots
Developing a Mental Health management and support platform for connecting young people to therapists with AR Assistants.
Young people often struggle with anxiety, lacking the skills to understand and manage their emotional responses due to inadequate coping mechanisms.
For this project, our solution aimed to provide mental health support to young users through augmented reality assistants to connect users with resources and therapists tailored to their needs. Using the 2020 pandemic as a framework allowed our solution to focus on understanding the unique challenges and needs that were further highlighted during this time.
contributions
design consultation, web design, ui/ux design, research, design strategy, social media
Tools
figma, illustrator, after effects, indesign
duration
sept 2021— june 2022
What is NEKO?
NEKO is a guided AI-based tech support tool that helps connecting young people talk aboput their mental health concerns and allows them to open up to their problems and to connect to technology issues. Often times Mental Health is often a difficult subject to approach, which was especially heightened during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well, so we really weanted to researrchj how mental health applicatiosn and how they were built anmd how to give people the confidence to encourage youngeer people to talk to someone.
Exploration of Goals for NEKO
My vision for NEKO is to create a platform that encourages people to have more open and honest conversations about mental health. By doing so, you hope to destigmatize mental health issues and create a more supportive community where people can express their feelings without fear of judgment or shame.
According to the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 Pandemic lead to a 25% overall increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. Particularly, there is a need to highlight these resources, such as articles, webinars, and providing interactive tools, to educate users about various aspects of mental health, which we wanted to explored potentiality of chatbots, as a means to help individuals recognize signs of mental health issues in themselves and others, promoting early intervention and treatment.
Goal #1: Promote Early Detection and Management of Mental Health Issues Among Youth
By offering educational content, interactive tools, and a supportive community, NEKO aims to empower young people to take charge of their mental well-being. Our goal is to foster resilience, promote mental health literacy, and facilitate early intervention, thereby contributing to the overall well-being of youth.
Problem Space #2 :Equip Therapists with Effective Tools for Connection:
Provide therapists with a convenient and accessible platform to connect with individuals seeking mental health support. By offering features such as private messaging, video conferencing, and appointment scheduling, NEKO aims to streamline the process of providing mental health services. Our goal is to make it easier for therapists to reach out to those in need, thereby enhancing the availability and effectiveness of mental health support.
initial research
Scenario Mapping
To continue analyzing the problem and determine all considerations, we decided to building into Scenario building based on secondary research conducted on the field.
I started off by leading into building insights into understand the objective, target users, questions, and task overviews that prompted into various groups.
Problem/Opportunity Spaces:
From here, we looked into leveling different ages, backgrounds, and levels of comfort with technology, reasons of usage for application, and skills to create questions to further our research.
— How can we drive users to be more open to express with people of their mental health problems?
— How can we drive trust and deliver the proper expectations to help users understand NEKO's features?
I then determined the key takeaways from each section and analyzed these facts to form clear insights.
privacy concerns
Many individuals are hesitant to open up about their mental health due to concerns about privacy. They may fear that their personal information or experiences will be shared without their consent.
stigma
Mental health stigma can make individuals reluctant to discuss their experiences or seek help. They may fear being judged, misunderstood, or discriminated against.
lack of personalizations
Generic mental health resources may not resonate with everyone. Individuals may feel that the content doesn’t address their specific experiences or challenges
innacurate information
Mental health content needs to be accurate and free of misinformation. This is because any inaccuracies or false information can create confusion and mistrust among individuals seeking help for their mental health issues.
User Personas
From there, we then formulated user personas, marking goals, marking pain points, and challenges to detect personalized experiences and concerns. It was especially apparent to mark personality types, as these determine the approach and strategies for engagement on the NEKO platform. Personality types can significantly influence how individuals perceive, process, and respond to information about mental health.
For instance, some users might prefer direct, fact-based content, while others might resonate more with personal stories and experiences.
Journey Mapping
With these key insights drawn, we thenms sectioned the type of experience, specifically highlighting how information would be shared, and how we could ease for users to connect to therapist as soon as possible, and making sure to explain every metric point when possible, so determining these general parts of the papplication, would make it so that the experience is concise, friendly, easy to understand and reduce frustrations as much as possible.
Lofi Wireframe Sketches
In developing NEKO, we recognized the power of branding as a strategic tool to connect with our target audience. We aimed to create a brand that not only stands out but also resonates with the younger generation. To do this, we incorporated vibrant, illustrative elements into our design stystem and used language that speaks directly to their experiences and perspectives. Our branding strategy was to be bold and bright, a stark contrast to the more subdued branding of our competitors. We believed that this approach would not only make NEKO more appealing but also foster greater engagement, ultimately supporting our mission to facilitate open and honest conversations about mental health.
Lofi-Wireframing
Based on our initial wireframes, we realized that the introductory phase of our application is crucial. Therefore, we put a lot of emphasis on it and focused on the general features of our product according to our finalized research. From what I have learned so far, the layout of the application should be user-friendly, concise, and easy to understand. Additionally, it should be transparent about the data points that the users may have to provide. If the users feel uncomfortable in providing certain information, the application should provide an option to skip it.
Final design
Onboarding
In designing the onboarding process for NEKO, we were mindful of the common challenge of low retention rates. Recognizing that users often prefer to avoid engaging with lengthy content, we prioritized delivering information concisely and digestibly. We also made it a point to clearly outline what data is being collected and how the application uses it. By being transparent, we aim to foster trust among our users, which is crucial in building a supportive community around mental health.
Home Page
On our home page, we prominently feature key functionalities such as a scheduling page, a chat interface for interacting with NEKO, a local resources section, and a questionnaire that helps tailor the user’s sessions. Each of these features is designed with the user’s needs in mind, providing a comprehensive and intuitive user experience.
Main Features
SCheduling
Allows users to conveniently book appointments with therapists or sign up for webinars and group sessions. This feature ensures that help is always just a few clicks away.
chat interface
Serves as a direct line of communication between users and NEKO. Whether they have a question, need some advice, or simply want to share their thoughts, users can easily reach out to NEKO.
lack of personalizations
Provides users with information about mental health services in their area. Includes local therapists, support groups, or mental health clinics. By providing this information, we aim to connect users with the resources they need to manage their mental health effectively.
innacurate information
Used to for personalizing the user’s experience on NEKO. By understanding the user’s specific concerns, struggles, and preferences, we can provide more relevant and helpful content.
NEKO's Nest
NEKO’s Nest is an innovative feature we’ve introduced, which is essentially an Augmented Reality (AR) adaptation of our questionnaire. It’s designed to create an immersive experience where users feel as though they’re directly conversing with NEKO. To ensure our platform is accessible to all, we’ve incorporated features such as audio functionality and captioning. This allows users to engage with our content in a way that best suits their needs.
Final Thoughts
Through this project, I gained a deeper understanding of the significance of incorporating accessibility features. We consciously chose to deviate from the concepts implemented in other mental health applications. This decision challenged my team and me to think critically about our target audience. Although our primary focus was on young people, in retrospect, we could have broadened our research to encompass a wider demographic. When it came to brand development, I thoroughly enjoyed the creative process. Crafting various assets, directing the art, and defining the illustration style were particularly rewarding experiences. This project not only honed my technical skills but also enriched my perspective on designing products that cater to users’ needs in a meaningful way. Moving forward, these insights will be invaluable in shaping more inclusive and impactful digital solutions.
Thank you for Reading!