Journalife

Design Lead

Aug 2023 - Dec 2023

Team: Heejun Kim, Vincent Joubarne, Ryan Chastain, Kyle Rubens, Miguel Astorga

Journalife a journaling app, evolving into a dynamic platform powered by AI. Offering personalized feedback, challenges, and resources, it goes beyond traditional journaling. The app features a unique chat bot for interactive reflection. With added gamification, including challenges and rewards, Journalife ensures an engaging experience, making self-discovery both enjoyable and motivating for users.

CONTEXT

The demand for mental health services is stronger than ever, with nearly 6 in 10 (56%) Americans seeking or wanting to seek mental health services either for themselves or for a loved one.

WHY CAN'T STUDENT GET MENTAL HEALTH

Barriers to obtaining mental health services are too high and students are not able to get their needs satisfied by the current resources. Failing to provide the support necessary for them to get the help for their health and well being

WHY DON'T STUDENTS TRUST AI ?

Students' distrust in AI stems from fundamental concerns. Privacy issues, such as potential misuse of personal data, and the opacity of AI decision-making processes leave students feeling disempowered and uncertain. The fear of biases within algorithms impacting the potential loss of the human connection in favor of AI-driven efficiency heighten these concerns.

INSIGHTS ON COLLEGE STUDENT MENTAL WELLNESS & AI APP:

Our survey (23 Respones) and interviews (10 students) for a mental wellness app revealed key concerns among college students, emphasizing the demand for accessible mental health resources. Varied satisfaction levels among users underscored frustrations with ineffectiveness, time commitment, and cost. Avoidance of services due to barriers like cost, time, and social stigma highlighted the need for cost-effective, low-commitment solutions with a privacy focus. Stress, anxiety, and life challenges emerged as the most requested features, reflecting the primary concerns of students. Privacy concerns, particularly with AI chatbots, indicate a skepticism toward AI's effectiveness in recommending resources. App development should prioritize addressing these key concerns—cost-effectiveness, low time commitment, and privacy—with a focus on stress, anxiety, and life challenges to resonate most with students.

Survey Results (Click image to see all responses/questions)

User Personas (Click image to see all responses/questions)

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

1.Other apps that impliment gamification are often extremely pricey.
2.Some have too much customization or too little customization.
3.For the most popular gamified mental health apps, cute mascots were very common.
4.For the most popular gamified mental health apps, cute mascots were very common.
5.Overall most of these applications can be overwhelming and complicated.

Competitive Analysis (Click image to see all responses/questions)

USER JOURNEY

1.The user will have mostly negative emotions from mental health for the majority of the Journey
2.User pain points skepticism in AI, time consumption, and payment
3.User will feel their emotional high when they check off a task and earn points towards their battlepass
4.Users will feel happy to come back to unlock more customization for their charater

Competitive Analysis (Click image to see all responses/questions)

JOURNALING - REDUCING STRESS, ANXIETY, AND MORE

One impactful solution we explored is journaling, a proven method to reduce stress and anxiety while fostering self-reflection. With the flexibility to take just 5 minutes or more, it provides a cost-effective and accessible way to reflect on negative emotions, creating a helpful narrative of oneself. Journaling aligns with our focus on addressing key concerns—cost-effectiveness, low time commitment, and privacy—making it a resonant and beneficial choice for students.

Journal Flow

Context Research & Challenges Journaling
AI Tasks
Battle Pass
AI Chat Bot
Conclusion

TASK - IMPROVE LIFE STYLE TO REDUCE STRESS & ANXIETY

Our next feature centers around task generation, inspired by the behavioral activation (BA) approach, where deliberate engagement in certain behaviors triggers positive emotional states. Built on studies showcasing its efficacy in reducing depression symptoms, these personalized tasks aim to reinforce positive behaviors and break detrimental habits. Encourages users to understand the link between their behavior and mood. Tasks align with our focus on addressing key concerns—cost-effectiveness, anxiety, stress, and life challenges.

AI Task Flow

USER'S TRUSING AI TASK

In response to user distrust in AI handling information, we've integrated a feature providing source citations and explanations for each task, promoting transparency and building trust. Additionally, users have the option to create tasks without AI intervention, offering a gradual introduction to our app and building trust at their own pace. These measures prioritize transparency and user autonomy, fostering a secure and confident user experience.

Context Research & Challenges Journaling
AI Tasks
Battle Pass
AI Chat Bot
Conclusion

Battle Pass - Affordability

To enhance user engagement, we implemented a battle pass system where users earn cosmetics based on the challenges they complete and the number of journal entries they submit. This dynamic feature serves as a motivational tool, encouraging users to consistently return to the app. Informed by the feedback of an additional 20 students interviewed on campus, we explored various payment models to ensure the battle pass system was optimal. While our ideal scenario is to keep the app free, the introduction of a hypothetical payment model became necessary for sustaining the app's development and growth. The battle pass system emerged as the most resonant approach, striking a balance between user satisfaction and the app's financial viability. The app remains free, but users have the option to access premium cosmetics through the battle pass.

Battle Pass Flow

GAMIFICATION

Introducing gamification was a strategic move to address the challenge of consistency in journaling. By implementing a game loop, users are incentivized to return regularly, motivated by the allure of earning cosmetics through completing challenges. This gamified approach not only adds an element of enjoyment to the journaling process but also fosters a sense of accomplishment, encouraging users to engage more consistently. The combination of challenges and rewards establishes a dynamic system that not only enhances the user experience but also ensures that users keep coming back for more, creating a sustainable and engaging environment within the app.

Context Research & Challenges Journaling
AI Tasks
Battle Pass
AI Chat Bot
Conclusion

AI CHAT BOT - REDUCING STRESS & ANXIETY & CREATING AI TRUST

We seamlessly integrated an AI chatbot into our app, elevating user experience with empathetic and supportive interactions. The chatbot offers friendly advice and engages in thoughtful conversations, adapting to users' unique speaking patterns for a personalized and natural dialogue experience. This adaptability is crucial, addressing users' need for an empathetic and non-judgmental environment, fostering unconditional positive regard in psychological terms. Users can freely express their feelings, receive advice, and grow, feeling a sense of control—a significant stride in overcoming initial user distrust of AI. The empathetic patterns also mitigate the uncanny valley effect, creating a more genuine connection. Through the battle pass and cosmetics, users establish a deeper connection, as studies indicate that connection fosters trust. AI, particularly in the form of an empathetic chatbot, has been extensively researched and proven as an effective intervention.

AI Chat Bot Flow

Context Research & Challenges Journaling
AI Tasks
Battle Pass
AI Chat Bot
Conclusion

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our project wasn't a linear process, requiring multiple retracements and refinements. We learned to design with intention, adjusting our scope to align with user-based decisions. Despite facing time constraints, we couldn't conduct usability testing for the final solution. Our journey highlights the importance of flexibility in the design process, emphasizing adaptability and iterative learning.

Context Research & Challenges Journaling
AI Tasks
Battle Pass
AI Chat Bot
Conclusion