Solace
Check in, breathe out—personalized support when you need it most.
• Team: Project Manager, Software Engineer
• Duration: 6 Months
• Tools: Figma, Adobe Illustrator
01 My Role
As the UX designer on this freelance project for a startup, I collaborated closely with a product manager and software engineer to bring Solace to life. This was a first-time product launch, so I was responsible for designing the user experience from the ground up—starting with research, user flows, and wireframes, and moving into high-fidelity prototyping. I translated user needs into actionable design solutions, ensuring that the app was not only intuitive and accessible but also emotionally attuned to the realities of crisis support.
02 Problem
Mental health apps are often passive, impersonal, or difficult to navigate—leaving users overwhelmed or unsupported in moments of need.
How might we design a mental health platform that is both personalized and accessible, helping users stay emotionally aware while offering meaningful support when they need it most?
03 Product Glimpse
Here is a brief overview of the final website for Solace:
04 Process
At each step, while following the double diamond design process, I worked to identify clear goals and frame my design decisions based on user needs, feedback, and iteration.
05 Research
To ground the design in real user needs, I began by gathering both quantitative and qualitative data to uncover emotional pain points, behavioral patterns, and unmet expectations in existing mental health tools.
You can find the detailed research results and analysis here.
• Identify limitations in existing mental health apps.
• Online survey (21 participants)
• User interviews (6 participants)
during high-stress moments
• Users want short, actionable support
• Many tools don’t explain why certain
exercises are recommended
– Online Survey
To validate initial assumptions and identify broader patterns in user behavior, I distributed a 13-question screener survey to digital mental health communities across Reddit, Discord, and peer support forums. A total of 21 participants responded.
• Lack of immediate crisis options, need for quick, accessible support when in distress (32.4%)
• Apps not intuitive or easy to use when they needed support (38.2%)
• Need of personalized support that adapt to their current emotional conditions (41.2%)
• Wanted clear explanations for why certain support options were suggested (41.2%)
– User Interviews
I wanted to turn to users and hear firsthand what their emotional self-care process looked like. I conducted interviews with 6 participants between the ages of 18–34, all of whom had previously experienced moments of emotional overwhelm and had explored (or avoided) digital mental health tools. The following were the key insights:
• Lack of immediate options
• Discomfort speaking on the phone during high-stress moments.
• Emotional support that’s accessible without logging in, navigating menus, or reading walls of text.
– Key User Needs
– Competitor Gaps
Most existing mental health apps lacked either personalization, accessibility, or clarity around their support tools.
A key insight from this analysis was that users were often forced to navigate a one-size-fits-all experience during moments of emotional vulnerability. Additionally, few platforms explained why certain exercises were being recommended—leaving users feeling disconnected from the process.
06 Analysis
To translate research insights into actionable design direction, I mapped out the user journey, reframed project objectives, and revisited the original problem statement—ensuring every design decision stayed rooted in what users actually need.
– User Journey Map
To better understand how users navigate emotional overwhelm, I created a user journey map based on real experiences shared during interviews. This helped visualize key moments of friction, hesitation, and unmet needs.
This journey helped me realize that what users like Alex need isn’t just “another mental health app”—they need frictionless support that meets them where they are, AI personalization that adapts to how they’re feeling, and above all, clarity that explains why a specific action or tool is being recommended.
Contrary to my initial assumption, users weren’t searching for more features—they were searching for more understanding. That insight became the foundation for Solace’s core design pillars: minimal effort to engage, support that feels made for you, and always knowing the “why” behind what you’re guided to do.
– Objective Definition
Solace needs to be more than a crisis response tool—it must become a seamless, supportive part of a user’s emotional routine. Our goal is to create:
– Back to the Problem
How might we design a mental health platform that is both personalized and accessible, helping users stay emotionally aware while offering meaningful support when they need it most? Revisiting our research findings, we evaluated whether Solace addresses the real problems users face during moments of emotional distress.
07 Design Brainstorming
Building on insights from research and analysis, I began structuring the product architecture and translating core features into interactive flows. This phase focused on defining a clear user path, prioritizing simplicity and emotional accessibility. I created wireframes, mapped out the app structure, and developed low-fidelity prototypes to visualize how users would move through Solace.
– App Structure
App structure was created to establish a clear direction for how users would navigate the platform. It helped define the relationship between key features—like daily check-ins, AI-guided crisis support, and post-session tools—and ensured a smooth, intuitive flow from entry to support.
– Starting the Design
After defining the app structure, I began translating core features into low-fidelity wireframes. These early sketches served as the foundation for Solace’s user experience—visualizing how users would move through check-ins, receive AI-guided support, and access post-crisis tools. Focusing first on the core flows, I aimed to keep interactions minimal, intuitive, and emotionally accessible from the start.
08 Design Research
With a focus on improving user engagement, we tested two different mood check-in options in Solace to compare user interaction, time spent, and satisfaction levels.
You can find the detailed A/B testing results and analysis here.
– A/B User Testing
We conducted a study to compare two versions of the mood check-in feature:
• Version A: A simple slider with mood categories
• Version B: Color-coded mood shapes with more detailed prompts
– Results
• Time spent on the app
• Mood tracking feature usage
• User satisfaction (rated 1-5)
• Version B users spent 7-8 minutes on average, while Version A users spent 5-6 minutes
• 60-80% of Version B users engaged with the mood tracking feature, compared to 15-40% in Version A
• Version B received higher satisfaction ratings (4.5-4.9/5) compared to Version A (3.0-4.0/5)
– The Decision
The results clearly favored Version B, with higher engagement, time spent, and user satisfaction. Based on the data, we chose Version B for the final design, incorporating the color-coded mood check-ins and the mood tracking calendar for a more engaging and reflective user experience.
09 Final Designs
The final design brings together all core features into a cohesive and emotionally intuitive interface. Each interaction was designed to feel simple, calm, and supportive, with clear visual hierarchy and minimal friction. The product reflects the needs surfaced through research: quick access in moments of overwhelm, personalized support, and clarity behind every recommendation.
– Daily Emotion Check-in
In the final design, the Daily Emotion Check-In was refined to feel even more intuitive and emotionally supportive. Users select their mood from a simplified, visually guided interface, with optional journaling to reflect on their day. The check-in not only triggers personalized guidance but also contributes to a mood history that helps the app adapt over time. This feature serves as both a daily emotional touchpoint and a foundation for long-term self-awareness—designed to be accessible in just a few taps, even on difficult days.
– Guided AI Crisis Support
In the final design, the crisis support flow was streamlined to reduce cognitive load and offer immediate, personalized assistance. When users indicate they’re in distress, Solace assesses their selected emotion and guides them through a tailored coping strategy—such as deep breathing, grounding, or visualization exercises. Each recommendation includes a brief explanation to help users understand why it was chosen. At any point, users can escalate to additional support options like contacting a trusted person or viewing nearby crisis centers. The experience is structured to feel calm, clear, and human—especially when users need it most.
10 Reflection
Designing Solace was both a professional challenge and a deeply personal experience. Creating a product that supports users in their most vulnerable moments required not only thoughtful UX, but also emotional sensitivity, empathy, and restraint. Every design decision—down to the tone of a prompt or the order of a flow—had to be intentional and respectful of the user's mental state.
One of the biggest takeaways was learning how to balance structure with softness—offering clear guidance without making users feel boxed in. I also gained a deeper understanding of how to design for trust and emotional safety, particularly through transparency in AI recommendations and minimal friction during distress.
Collaborating with a product manager and software engineer helped me grow as a communicator, especially as we translated user insights into features for a product with no existing foundation. Seeing users feel supported—even in prototype testing—was a powerful reminder of the impact thoughtful design can have.
This project reinforced my belief that digital products don’t just solve problems—they hold space. And that space, when designed with care, can make all the difference.