bayan. — A Case Study
Role: UX Designer | Skills: UX/UI Design, Visual Design, Wire-framing, Prototyping, User Testing
bayan. is a community-care app. Bayan (buy-unh) is a Tagalog word meaning town, nation or people. In the Philippines, the Bayanihan Spirit is an outlook of mutual help and concern. It is a response to both individual and community needs — the idea that things are easier to do if everyone shares and works together.
INTRODUCTION
The following is research and development on the creation of a community care mobile app that would help people who struggle with anxiety or self care, such as difficulties reading internal signals or those who experience executive dysfunction. The app would help guide the user through making decisions by facilitating a space where users can share helpful tips on preventative measures and suggest kind ways to take care.
THE PROBLEM
While there are many great apps that help people mind their mental health through meditation, I think it would be helpful to explore alternative ways of coping in a simple and fun yet productive way though community care. This app is not meant to be a replacement for professional or medical help but instead an additional tool for users to find ways that help them deal with the various challenges that people face every day. My hope is that the app would actively affect people in different positive ways and help them to feel part of a community.
THE OPPORTUNITY/SOLUTION
This would be a mobile app. The end user would be anyone who is mindful of self-care and interested in ways of improving. Sometimes people find themselves staring at their phone, feeling discouraged and overwhelmed — my hope is that this app would help people use that time in a constructive and positive way.
USER INTERVIEW SCRIPT
Do you have a mobile device and if so, which one do you use?
How do you care for your mental health?
How would you rate your overall health?
Who do you have for support?
What do you do to nourish yourself?
What do you do for fun?
What are your health goals?
What is your occupation?
How do you feel about your job?
How do you deal with stress?
DOMAIN & COMPETITORS
This project is inspired by online self-care resource You Feel Like Shit
Similar Products include:
While thinking about different aspects of self-care while designing this app I have come across some great references and discussions like this wonderful self compassion video, this post, this poem and this article. In response to the last post, I saw a comment discussing how “relying on unpaid care-giving or domestic labour, even from your community, reinforces the fact that this kind of labour is less valuable” and framing self-care in reference to domestic tasks — one of my goals is to find an approach that acknowledges this.
SCENARIOS
Two scenarios for users that my project is targeting:
Rae is a high profile real estate executive who has just been laid off from her job in a small city. She is trying to focus on finding full-time employment but is finding it difficult because she doubts herself after having been laid off.
Martin is a social worker in a big city who is very conscious of his mental and physical health. He commutes to work via public transit and is often on his mobile device, mindlessly browsing — he wants to use his time more productively.
USE CASES
Persona — Rae
User Goals — Focus on finding full-time employment without getting distracted.
Basic Course/Flow — Rae is at home by herself on a Monday morning after having been laid off. She is having trouble focusing on looking for jobs. Instead, she cleans her house and puts away her laundry, trying to find productive distractions. After finishing up, she checks her phone and goes on Instagram. An hour later, she has caught up on her entire feed as well as the Instagram feeds of several strangers. She feels guilty about wasting time.
System Response — Instead of going back on Instagram, Rae downloads the app to try something new. She signs in and begins answering simple questions asking about her day such as whether or not she has eaten (she has), if she has had a drink and is hydrated (she always carries a bottle of water with her), if she feels well rested (she slept for eight hours), whether she would prefer to be by herself or with others at the moment. Rae realizes that she is feeling a bit isolated after having been used to being around lots of people at her job and texts her best friend to ask if she can meet her for lunch. After an inspiring lunch with her best friend, Rae goes home and writes a cover letter for a job that she is excited about.
USER PERSONAS
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
USER FLOW (as modeled after You Feel Like Shit)
FIRST PRESENTATION
USER TESTING
Usability Testing Scope — Finish One Question Flow
Scenario — You want to use the app to feel better and check in with yourself, perhaps read some advice on productive coping methods.
Conditions — You already have an account and your goal is to finish one question flow.
Key Findings
Change organization of icons — flow first, then help/advice section & final about section
More clarity when using for the first time — on-boarding needed
Need an indicator of how many questions you have answered/have left
Need an indicator/final page to indicate you have completed the flow/give positive feedback
Introduction for first time use of different sections ie. giving/receiving advice
Update contrast, some images difficult to see depending on device
Expand on what to include in the statistics section
REVISED PERSONAS
FINAL REVISION
The strength of this app is its focus on community — rather than self — care. Brigid Delaney wrote about the popularity of self-care in the 2010s and pointed out “While looking after yourself is great, self-care is still an idea rooted in a neoliberal tradition of looking out for ourselves, rather than seeing ourselves, our health and our fates as inextricably linked to our fellow human beings. Wouldn’t it be great if this decade we took the self out of self-care and strived instead for communal care?” Keeping this and user feedback in mind I focused on creating a familiar experience that emphasized being part of a community and reaching out for help — working together to help one another feel and do better.
FINAL PROTOTYPE