Happy Heads
Empowering kids mental well being through engaging self care and positive habits.
Timeline
January 2024
My Role
Product Designer
PROBLEM
Children today live in a very stressful environment making it challenging for them to maintain a healthy mental state.
In today's high-stress environment, children are increasingly grappling with the detrimental effects on their mental health.
Academic pressures, technology overload, family conflicts, bullying, and the rapid pace of modern life all contribute to an alarming rise in children's mental health challenges.
Happy Heads - It empowers children with accessible resources to foster emotional resilience and well-being in navigating modern challenges.
Accessible Resources
Happy Heads, a user-friendly mobile app, provides children with easy access to a comprehensive library of resources focused on improving mental health and well-being.
The app's intuitive interface and navigation ensure that children can effortlessly explore and utilize the resources independently.
A standout feature of the app is the self-care checklist, which allows children to track and prioritize their self-care activities which helps them to improve and maintain a good mental health by encouraging regular engagement in positive habits.
Accessible Resources
Happy Heads features a comprehensive self-care checklist that encourages children to prioritize their mental well-being through a range of activities.
The checklist provides a structured approach for children to engage in self-care practices, including mindfulness exercises, creative outlets, physical activities, and social interactions.
By offering a diverse selection of self-care options, the checklist promotes a holistic approach to mental health, empowering children to choose activities that resonate with their interests and needs.
Gamification
Happy Heads incorporates a gamification element to engage and motivate children in their mental health journey.
Through the streak tracking feature, children can monitor their progress and build a streak by completing self-care activities consistently.
The app rewards children with badges or achievements for their streaks, encouraging them to maintain their commitment to self-care and fostering a sense of accomplishment and motivation.
Journal Entry
Happy Heads includes a journal entry feature where children can express their thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a private and secure space.
The journal entry feature encourages self-reflection and emotional expression, providing a therapeutic outlet for children to process their feelings and experiences.
Children can document their daily experiences, track their progress, and gain a deeper understanding of their emotions, fostering self-awareness and promoting emotional well-being.
WHITE PAPER RESEARCH
A way to improve mental health
Starting with white paper research, I started to draw from research articles on child mental health, mindfulness, stress and anxiety - when I stumbled upon various eye-opening statistics
Meditation: A 2017 study published in the journal "Pediatrics" found that mindfulness meditation can help reduce anxiety and depression in children and adolescents.
Water: A 2018 study published in the journal "Nutrition Reviews" found that dehydration can lead to mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety, and depression. The study also found that drinking enough water can help improve mood and cognitive function.
Reading: A 2019 study published in the journal "Pediatrics" found that children who read for pleasure for at least 30 minutes per day had better cognitive skills than children who did not read for pleasure.
Exercise: A 2020 study published in the journal "Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health" found that exercise can help reduce anxiety and depression in children and adolescents.
COMPETETIVE ANALYSIS - THE GAP
Transforming children's mental well-being with a unique self care checklist
Happy Heads stands out from other brands with its comprehensive self-care checklist, offering a wide range of tailored practices for children's emotional well-being. This unique feature ensures a holistic approach to mental health, empowering children to cultivate positive habits and build long-term emotional resilience.
FINAL PRODUCT
Design
Home Screen
A rotating carousel that features 3-4 daily affirmations daily.It helps in providing positive reinforcement and motivation.
The screen is organized into a grid layout with various sections for different features - Self care Checklist, Meditation, Journal, Mood Tracker, Water Tracker,
Bright and colorful blocks with illustrations to make the interface engaging and kid-friendly.
Use of pastel colors to create a calm and inviting atmosphere.
Main navigation elements are easily accessible at the top (hamburger menu) and through distinct, large buttons for each feature.
Self Care Checklist
Each item has a checkbox on the left side for tracking completion.
When a user completes a task, the checkbox associated with that card transforms into a vibrant green color.
The visual feedback of the green checkbox provides a sense of accomplishment and motivation for users to continue their self-care journey.
Clean and minimalistic design for easy readability.
Ample white space to avoid clutter and enhance focus on each self-care activity.
Clear, legible font with bold headings for each item and lighter text for descriptions.
Meditation
Visually appealing and child-friendly design encouraging kids to engage in meditation for their overall well-being
Minimalist layout reduces cognitive load and promotes a stress-free environment. It enhances visual hierarchy and intuitive navigation.
Intuitive buttons for starting and stopping the meditation session. Progress bar displays the current progress of the meditation session, showing how much time has elapsed and how much remains. which can be motivating and encouraging.
Easy navigation with a back arrow and settings icon for additional options.Dual-tab design for immediate meditation access and long-term habit tracking.
Journal
New Entry Button positioned at the bottom right corner, the plus button is easily accessible and follows a common design convention, making it intuitive for users to start a new entry without much searching
By showcasing streaks, this tab provides a sense of accomplishment and encourages users to maintain their writing habit, leveraging gamification principles.
The integration of images with journal entries enhances visual engagement, making the interface more appealing and personalized.
Ensures that all text, including dates and titles, is easily readable, improving accessibility for all users.
Mood Tracker
The visual representation of emotions and the use of different colors for each emotion ensures that children, including those with reading difficulties, can easily distinguish and select their current mood.
The immediate color feedback on selecting an emotion ensures that the interaction is both fun and confirming, enhancing the overall user experience and also reducing the cognitive load on the child.
Instead of the conventional green-marked streaks, this tab displays dates colored according to the emotion recorded on that day. This unique approach allows children to quickly understand their emotional patterns over time.
Incorporates two horizontally scrollable tabs mirroring the design language used in other sections of the app for consistency and ease of use.
Water Tracker
The filling water drop and bubbling animation gamify the water tracking experience, making it more enjoyable, encouraging consistent use and helping children reach their hydration targets
The intuitive design ensures that children of various age and abilities can easily understand and interact with the tracker. The clear plus and minus buttons make adjustments straightforward.
The horizontal scrolling mechanism used for tab navigation is consistent with other sections of the app, maintaining a unified user experience.
The statistics tab offers insights into long-term water consumption patterns, helping children understand and improve their hydration habits. Visually appealing and child-friendly design encouraging kids to engage in meditation for their overall well-being
Exercise Tracker
Warm Up, Main Workout, and Cool Down sections provide a logical flow, promoting balanced exercise habits.
Exercises displayed prominently to ensure users can quickly see what exercises to perform Users can mark exercises as completed, providing a sense of progress and accomplishment.
The clean and uncluttered interface focuses on the essential elements, reducing cognitive load and making the app more accessible.
Checking off tasks creates a rewarding experience, encouraging users to complete their routines.
Find a Therapist
Upon opening the "Find a Therapist" tab, children are prompted to enter a parental password, ensuring that access to therapist information is controlled by parents. This feature reinforces security and ensures that sensitive information is only accessible under parental supervision.
This feature shows up only verified and reputed therapists, ensuring parents can trust the professionals recommended by the app.Each therapist profile includes essential details such as name, specialization, experience, and contact information.
Users can apply various filters to narrow down their search based on criteria such as location, specialization, availability, etc.The list can be sorted by factors like distance, ratings, or experience, helping users find the most suitable therapist quickly.
Displaying reviews and ratings from other users adds a layer of credibility and helps parents in choosing the right therapist and making informed decisions.
CONCLUSION AND LESSONS LEARNED
What I'd do differently next time
In reflecting on my experience with the Happy Heads project, there are several key insights and areas where I could have approached things differently to further enhance the app's impact.
Conduct extensive user research with children in the target age group to gain deeper insights into their specific needs, preferences, and challenges related to mental well-being.
Incorporate more interactive and immersive elements, such as mini-games or animations, to make the app experience even more engaging and enjoyable for young users.
Implement regular user feedback sessions and usability testing throughout the design and development process to gather valuable insights and opportunities for refinement.
Explore partnerships with mental health professionals or organizations to incorporate expert guidance and resources within the app, enhancing its effectiveness and credibility.
Continuously iterate and improve the app based on user feedback and evolving needs, ensuring that it remains a comprehensive and relevant tool for children's mental health.
Like what you see ?
Then let's get in touch !
Email 📩 : samridhiitri@outlook.com