Desk research
Insights
Competitive analysis
User personas
Task flow
Wireframing
User testing
Usability testing
Visual design
Prototyping
1 in 5 children suffers from a mental health or learning disorder, and 80% of chronic mental disorders begin in childhood.
Children’s Mental Health Report, Child Mind Institute
ThinkBetter is a tool for kids to practice cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) outside of sessions while increasing emotional self-awareness, managing thoughts and feelings, and dealing with negative behaviors.
ThinkBetter provides an integrated platform for kids, their parents, and therapists to set treatment plan goals and achieve them while tracking progress along the way.
The therapist assigns homework for the kid through the tablet app; the kid practices CBT and relaxation exercises at home with parental assistance; then the therapist reviews the thought records with the kid during the next session using the web app.
Gamification is implemented to engage and motivate kids to complete homework assignments and improve their skills. Game mechanics such as avatars, progress bars, and badges are used in a learner-centered setting.
UX designer
Product designer
Visual designer
Adobe XD
InVision
I started by reviewing existing information to gain a better understanding of the child therapy field and identify any gaps. I read peer-reviewed scientific journals, news articles, and research reports that helped define my approach for how to innovate the therapy experience.
I investigated the top competitors to identify advantages and opportunities for ThinkBetter.
To inform all design decisions with a consistent focus I created personas based on two main types of users: kids and parents.
After defining and prioritizing the essential features, I designed the app’s structure to make it simple and intuitive to navigate. I created a task flow to optimize users’ ability to accomplish a task with the least amount of friction.
Scenario: Sophie wants to complete a CBT thought record that was assigned as homework.
Upon opening the app, the user would see a dashboard containing therapist and appointment info, treatment plan goal and progress, achievements, exercises, and a homework overview with a CTA to start. The user would go through every step of the CBT thought record and submit it at the end.
I tested a low-fidelity prototype with a psychologist to validate the features, wording, and flow of completing a CBT thought record since this would be a tool used in conjunction with in-person therapy.
Then I conducted usability testing with two kids and their parents, which provided additional valuable feedback for an improved design iteration.
I designed ThinkBetter to be intuitive and minimal with friendly rounded shapes and illustrations. The palette of vivid and pastel colors expresses an uplifting, encouraging, and soothing mood suitable for therapy; typography is highly legible and approachable; and UI elements are bright and fun.
App icon
Colors
Typography
UI Elements
