mynd
UX Research, Interaction Design, UI Design & Visual Storytelling
mynd was my final year project for my degree in Interaction Design, where I focused on creating a digital solution to educate young people about mental health. Mynd combines an iOS app with a physical activity pack to support teens, parents, and mental health professionals. The project was awarded the IDI Graduate Design Award 2019 and contributed to me graduating with First Class Honours. Through research, illustration, and high-fidelity prototyping, I designed a solution that simplifies complex topics, engages users, and encourages open conversations about mental wellbeing.
Project Overview
Mynd was designed to help young people understand the symptoms, effects, and coping strategies of common mental health disorders, whether for their own use or to support friends and loved ones. The project includes an iOS application and a physical activity pack aimed at people aged 11 to 16.
Through close collaboration with CAMHS and Aware NI, I combined expert knowledge with my design skills to produce a high-fidelity, award-winning prototype. Mynd also supports parents and mental health professionals, allowing them to monitor progress, track daily and weekly mood logs, and identify early signs of distress. The ultimate goal of Mynd is to reduce stigma, educate young people, and enable open conversations about mental wellbeing.
Problem & Goals
Many young people lack awareness of mental health disorders and the coping strategies available to them. Current resources online are often lengthy and difficult for younger audiences to digest. There is also a disconnect between teens, their parents, and mental health professionals, which can prevent early intervention and support.
The goals of this project were to provide an engaging, accessible way for young people to understand mental health disorders, to enable parents to track their child’s wellbeing and progress, to support mental health professionals with clear, monitored insights, and to use illustration and interactive design to simplify complex topics. The ultimate aim was to reduce stigma and encourage open conversation about mental health.
Users & Research
The primary users were young people aged 11 to 16, particularly those at school facing stress or personal challenges. Parents and mental health professionals were included as secondary users because they needed insight into the young person’s wellbeing.
I conducted user research with three groups. Thirty questionnaires were distributed to young people between 11 and 16, ten questionnaires were given to parents of children in this age range, and five questionnaires were completed by therapists or mental health professionals.
Key insights included that young people need digestible, visual content, parents require monitoring tools and feedback on progress, and professionals want clear, consistent logs to track wellbeing trends. From this research, I created user personas that captured behaviors, needs, and goals. These personas helped me step into the shoes of each audience and design accordingly.
Mapping the Experience
I developed a site map and user flows early in the process to define the structure of the app. This included a Learn section where each mental health disorder is represented by an illustrated character, a Coping section teaching positive mental health strategies, and a My Mynd section for daily and weekly mood logging.
Mapping these flows ensured a smooth, logical progression through the app for both young users and parents. It also highlighted where interactions needed special attention to ensure clarity and accessibility.
Ideation & Concepts
Sketching was central to my ideation process. I explored multiple layout concepts, interaction ideas, and character designs on paper before moving to digital wireframes. Inspirations came from platforms such as Dribbble and Tumblr. The sketches allowed me to iterate ideas quickly, test visual concepts, and communicate them with stakeholders.
I also explored ways to illustrate mental health disorders in a manner that was both informative and approachable. This ensured that the content was digestible for younger users without oversimplifying sensitive topics.
Visual Exploration
Using the insights from sketches and research, I explored colour palettes, typography, and illustration styles. My aim was to create a design that felt clean and modern while remaining approachable and reassuring.
I experimented with different ways of representing symptoms visually, balancing playful illustration with serious content to ensure accessibility and empathy. These explorations informed the final high-fidelity screens and interactions.
Final Designs
I translated sketches into low-fidelity wireframes in Sketch to test layouts and usability before moving to high fidelity. Feedback sessions allowed me to refine user flows and identify potential pain points early.
The high-fidelity designs incorporated a carefully curated colour palette, clean typography, and illustrations that communicated mental health concepts effectively. The app is intuitive and approachable, designed to encourage repeated engagement.
Prototyping & Interaction
I created a clickable prototype to test the app’s usability, navigation, and engagement. Micro-interactions and animated transitions were designed to make the experience feel responsive and friendly, particularly for young users navigating potentially sensitive content.
Testing
Testing included feedback from students, parents, and mental health professionals. Insights from testing led to adjustments in navigation and content readability, improved clarity in mood logging and coping exercises, and refinement of illustration styles to balance approachability with seriousness.
The iterative process ensured the app was both usable and meaningful for all audiences.
Collaboration & Constraints
I worked closely with CAMHS and Aware NI to ensure content accuracy and sensitivity. Constraints included designing for an audience aged 11 to 16, creating interactions suitable for iOS, and balancing playful illustration with the serious nature of mental health topics.
Ongoing collaboration with stakeholders informed every design decision, from high-level flows to illustration details.
Impact & Results
Mynd was selected as the winner of the IDI Graduate Design Award 2019 for the best UX/UI graduate project in Ireland. Being shortlisted against six other students, the project was recognised for its innovative approach, clarity of communication, and potential impact.
The project demonstrates how user-centered design, illustration, and digital interaction can educate young people, support parents, and provide actionable insights for mental health professionals.
Reflection & Learnings
This project remains one of my proudest achievements. I learned how to translate complex, sensitive information into accessible visual content, conduct research and testing with multiple user groups, balance playful illustration with serious topics, and work closely with experts and stakeholders to validate design decisions.
If I were to iterate further, I would explore gamification and personalization features to increase engagement and support ongoing mental wellbeing tracking.