Case Study: Single Breath App

CASE STUDY - SINGLE BREATH APP

February 2021

Introduction | User Research | Definition & Ideation | Prototype & Design | Testing & Iterating

PROBLEM:

Most singles feel that being single and wanting a relationship affects their mental health, yet they rarely feel that is a valid reason to seek help.

SOLUTION:

We designed an app to help single adults improve their mental health

Tools:

XD, Photoshop, InVision, Miro

Team

User Research

Initial Problem Topic

Our group started this project with the topic of mental health. From there we brainstormed multiple different ideas of ways to narrow down our demographic and focus in on one group and dot voted on our favorite topics.

We ended up deciding to make an app for older single adults who are struggling with their mental wellness because this isn’t a group that has been specifically targeted for this problem.

Proto-Persona & Hypothesis

**We created a proto-persona as a prediction for who we thought would be our primary target audience.**

We predicted that it would be a single adult in their mid-thirties or older. This age was also influenced by our team all living in Utah, where the culture makes more single adults feel the need to marry younger.
Our hypothesis was that older single adults would feel pressure if they didn’t have the ability or desire to get married younger, and this could be an overlooked strain on their mental health.

Survey Data

Relationship Status

Age

Gender

Do you think you would be
happier with a partner?

Do you feel that being single (when you don’t want to be) affects mental health?

Did you envision having a family by now?

Have you sought out professional help for your mental health?

Interviews

“I don’t know how talking to a stranger would help”

— Anonymous

“Being alone too much gets depressing”

— Anonymous

“I’ve been single my entire life”

— Anonymous

Affinity Diagram

Found professional aid helpful but difficult to start
Important to take care of yourself, spend time with people you care about, and get help when needed
Most have always been single or for many years
I feel lonely on weekends and going on vacation alone is not that fun.
I know people with mental illness.

User-Persona

Final persona based on our user research.

Definition & Ideation

User Insight

According to our research, most singles feel that being single and wanting a relationship affects their mental health, yet they rarely feel that is a valid reason to seek help. We have also observed that most singles want a relationship and do not actively try to pursue one. We believe this is because of feelings of disappointment and rejection.
Problem Statement

According to our research, most singles feel that being single and wanting a relationship affects their mental health, yet they rarely feel that is a valid reason to seek help.
How might we create avenues to boost their mental health so they feel more fulfilled with their lives and perhaps even better prepared to pursue a relationship?

Storyboard

Illustrations by Tera Grasser

Alisha’s childhood dream was to get married and start a family. As a kid, she thought about her future husband and couldn’t wait to grow up.

She found romance as a teen and young adult, but none of the relationships lasted and she never felt any magical spark.

Now in her 30s, seeing children and other families make Alisha feel a deep pain inside because she feels she is missing out on the meaningful things in life.

Her friends and family try and get her to date but that makes her feel added pressure and she slips into depression and hopelessness. She’s stuck in a loop of feeling bad about herself and not thinking she’s in a good place for a relationship. She feels that time is running out for starting a family.

With the pressure of her “biological clock” and of seeing her other close friends being married with families, Alisha realizes that she’s been spiraling down and is determined to make a change for herself.
She learns of an app called Single Breath and decides to make a change to come out of her funk.

Competitor Analysis

SWOT - Strengths. Weaknesses. Opportunities. Threats

Ideation & Brainstorming

Feature Prioritization Matrix

Initial features decided upon:

Resources Section
Goals
Daily Prompts
Journaling
Progress Tracker

Prototyping & Design

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

Mood Boards & Design Options

Style Guide

Testing & Iterating

Key Learning from User Tests

Why do they want my phone number?
Didn’t know what points are for in the beginning
Didn’t know what mood booster challenge was
Missed name of the app on 1st screen

Iterations Made Based on User Tests

Added a screen to explain what the mood booster is before going into it

Took out the phone number in the sign up process
Added a dropdown to make mood booster deadlines choosable
Added back arrows to pages
Moved mood booster information to the start of the progress tracker

Final Thoughts

FEEDBACK & NEXT STEPS

Build out Resources to help connect to professional mental health services
Add in Journaling section with art therapy options
Have an accountability buddy
Make designs and images more gender neutral
Do more research with a larger and more diverse audience

CONCLUSION

We feel that improving your mental health is important and valid for any reason. We chose to targeting single adults specifically because they feel frequent pressure to be in a relationship which can be frustrating and depressing. Our app works to help them improve their mental health and realize their self-worth with or without a partner.

Disclaimer: Our app is not meant to replace professional counsel, but to promote healthy habits and to provide tools for seeking help.