Happy Path
Overview
As part innovate 48 hackathon, my team and I chosen the following prompt: Design an innovative AI-powered mental health app MVP for the U.S. market with an integrated AI Therapist, offering personalized support and education for a diverse user demographic.
The image to the right is the full brief we were given during the competition:
Research
In the initial phase of our exploration, our team conducted a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape within the mobile application domain, specifically targeting the mental health sector. Our objective was to gain a thorough understanding of the existing solutions and identify gaps in user experience and functionality. Through this process, we concentrated our efforts on evaluating three key applications: Wysa, Breeze, and Finch.
The insights we identified were that a significant challenge facing our competitors revolves around:
Cultivating consistent user engagement
Promoting habit formation
These issues are primarily due to:
The high subscription fees associated with these services.
The cumbersome interaction required with app notifications.
Such factors contribute to a significant imposition on the user’s time, detracting from the overall user experience and engagement with the application.
Design
In response to the identified challenges within the market, we decided to take a four-prong approach we thought was unique and tackled the brief’s requirements in an innovative way:
Notification System - An innovative approach to tackling user app retention by creating a unique notification system that allows users to track their moods without having to do directly into this app.
AI Mental Health Companion - The second step was to create an AI companion that took the form of a reassuring mascot.
Mood Journal - This unique feature allows users to customize their interaction based on their current emotional state, effectively serving as an empathetic bridge between the technology and the user.
Educational Resources - A singular place for users to find additional resources such as articles and exercises.
Notification System - An innovative approach to tackling user app retention by creating a unique notification system that allows users to track their moods without having to do directly into this app.
AI Mental Health Companion - The second step was to create an AI companion that took the form of a reassuring mascot.
Educational Resources - A singular place for users to find additional resources such as articles and exercises.
What made Happy Path unique?
The standout for feature we wanted to introduce was the combination of features and unique notification interaction system. Given that a large percentage of users fall off between the notification and opening of an app, we wanted to find a unique way to overcome that issue.
Additionally, we wanted to create an AI companion that focused on helping direct resources and recommending concepts, but to avoid taking the place of a licensed professional.
Lastly, we integrated a feature for users to chronologically track their mood fluctuations and access a comprehensive suite of resources within a unified platform.
This multifaceted approach not only enriches the user experience but also fosters a supportive and resource-rich environment for users to explore and benefit from.
