Mental Health App for Gen Z
A mental health app designed specifically for Gen Z, going beyond surface-level solutions to offer meaningful, personalized support.
Most mental health apps stick to generic tools like meditation or sleep sounds but Gen Z needs more than that. This app takes a deeper approach, shaped around the real emotional, academic, and social pressures young people face today. Backed by research and built with empathy, it understands that Gen Z's mental health challenges are unique — and their support should be too. With honest tools, relatable content, and a tone that feels real, the app helps users take care of their mental well-being while staying on top of their daily lives and long-term goals.
Challenges
01
How to Ensure Gen Z Feels Heard, Not Judged?
02
How to Keep Users Engaged During Emotional Low Points?
03
How to Build a Personal Connection Without Being Intrusive?
Imagine having a quiet companion in your pocket—one that understands your world, senses your stress, helps you stay grounded, and gives you real control over your anxiety
right when you need it most.
I used the Double Diamond approach to stay focused and creative—starting by exploring all the possibilities, then zooming in on what really matters to Gen Z. It helped me stay grounded in user needs while refining the design
into something that could actually make a difference.
Secondary Research
50%
Of younger generations are experiencing mental health challenges, with many showing symptoms significant enough
to be categorized as distressed or struggling. This means they are dealing with five or more clinically significant symptoms affecting their well-being.
Social media impact
Gen Z has grown up with social media, which can contribute to low self-esteem and constant comparison.
70%
Gen Z individuals believe their mental health requires significant attention and improvement. (Recent study by Ogilvy shows).
Loneliness and isolation
Despite being digitally connected; Gen Z often experiences feelings of loneliness and isolation.
61%
Gen Z have a medically diagnosed anxiety condition and out of those with anxiety, 43 percent said they experience a panic attack at least once a month if not more frequently.
User Interviews (Primary Research)
"Users feel alone, and my problems feel too heavy."
Users often feel isolated and emotionally overwhelmed.
"Sometimes just need to hear that I’ll be okay."
A little reassurance goes a long way.
"Want to open up, but I don’t want to be judged."
Judgment keeps many from talking about what’s really going on.
"Just want to feel better—fast."
They seek quick, effective relief when anxiety hits.
"I’m trying to be emotionally stable, but it’s hard."
Users want growth, but need support that’s easy to stick with.
"In a panic attack, I forget everything I learned."
Coping tools are hard to access when they need them most.
"Therapy is great, but I can’t afford it for everyday struggles."
Cost is a big barrier to regular emotional support.
After identifying key pain points through user interviews, I dove into medical and psychological research to better understand how to support users effectively. I explored best practices for mental health care—studying research papers, watching psychologist-led sessions, and even speaking directly with doctors. This process gave me a deeper understanding of how real emotional struggles play out, and what actually helps. These insights shaped the design with empathy, accuracy, and care.
Medical Research
Persona
Empathy Map
To gain a deeper understanding of the user's mindset and behavior, I developed a detailed empathy map.
This visual tool allowed me to capture what users think, feel, say, and do — uncovering underlying needs, pain points, and motivations. By stepping into their shoes, I was able to identify emotional drivers and behavioral patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Shaping the Solution
Competitive Analysis
Site Map
User Flow
It helped me streamline the app’s navigation, prioritize the right features, and create an experience that feels natural for users. Mapping the app’s architecture gave clarity on how users move through the product, leading to a design that’s not just user-friendly but also emotionally supportive when they need it most.
With the sitemap in place, I brought the experience to life through a user flow—mapping out exactly how users would move through the app to achieve their goals. This helped ensure that every interaction felt intuitive, purposeful, and aligned with what users actually need in moments of stress or uncertainty.
Design System
Your well-being matters. This app lets you track your emotions, journal your thoughts, and receive uplifting, AI-powered suggestions based on your mood. At the heart of it is AI Healer—a self-therapy chat that gently guides you through overthinking, helping you explore your feelings and discover
clarity within yourself, without judgment.
The more you understand your mind, the easier it is to feel in control. Learn through short, animated videos and easy-to-digest content made for Gen Z so you can better understand your thoughts, handle challenges, and build real emotional strength, one topic at a time.
Seamless Watch Integration-
More than just tracking, your watch becomes a real-time support system. It monitors anxiety levels, recognizes when things start to spike, and steps in with timely reassurance, gentle reminders, and personalized interventions to help you regain control in the moment.
A Safe, Supportive Space-
Built through deep research and testing, this feature creates a judgment-free environment that gently encourages users to seek help. It acts as a protective layer—offering reassurance, reducing hesitation, and providing the hope and guidance needed to prevent harmful actions and connect with professional support when it matters most.
More than just tracking—your watch helps manage anxiety in real time. It detects rising stress levels, offers calming reminders, and delivers personalized support when you need it most. With simple mood check-ins each morning,
it tailors your daily experience based on how you feel.
Automatic Anxiety Detection & Control
Your watch is more than just a tracker—it detects anxiety attacks through heart rate and oxygen levels, stepping in right when you need it. As anxiety flares, it proactively guides you back to control. Powered by science-backed research, these features offer reliable, effective support to help you feel calmer, faster.
User Testing
Through A/B testing with 50 users, 42 favored the second design. The feedback was clear: the first design was deemed too cartoonish and overly colorful, which made it feel more suited for children. The second design, however, was appreciated for its clean, familiar aesthetic, offering a calm, mature experience that felt less distracting and more aligned with the app's supportive and serious tone.
Some users mistakenly thought the "Every" option was scrollable, leading to confusion between it and the assurance reminder scroll. Additionally, there was a lack of clarity around the relevance of the term "Every."
For this screen, I tested two key things:
First, I carefully picked animations to create a calming, warm feeling for users something that could make them feel supported and cared for. I asked users to think aloud as they interacted with the screen and share how each animation made them feel. The feedback was great, users said the animations made them feel calm, friendly, and at ease.
Next, I focused on the placement of the button. This button is crucial—it's the one users will press when they’re feeling their worst. So, I ran an Anthropometrics test to make sure it’s in the best spot, making it as easy as possible for users to click when they need help the most
