UX Case Study: Halo Talk - Empowering College Students Through AI Support
Design a user-friendly and engaging UX for a virtual therapist tool tailored to college students, incorporating AI-driven emotional support, an easily navigable volunteer program database, and a secure donation system to support mental health organizations
My Role
UX Designer
Project Duration
3 Weeks
Client
Teqwon Norman
Sector
Mental Health, Education, Technology
My Role
As the UX Designer, I was responsible for the entire product design lifecycle within a condensed two-week sprint. This involved conducting rapid user research, developing initial concepts, creating wireframes and interactive prototypes, and conducting usability testing with college students to refine the platform's design and functionality.
Challenge
Facing the escalating mental health crisis among college students, the project aimed to develop Halo Talk, an accessible and innovative AI-powered virtual therapist platform, within a tight two-week timeframe. The goal was to address the lack of personalized and easily accessible mental health support for students.
Process
Rapid Research & Empathy: Quickly gathered insights through surveys and interviews to understand the target users' mental health challenges and preferences.
Problem Definition & Ideation: Identified the core needs for accessible mental health support and conceptualized the Halo Talk platform as a solution.
Design & Prototyping: Developed wireframes and prototypes focusing on intuitive UI/UX, ensuring the platform was user-friendly and engaging.
Usability Testing & Iteration: Conducted fast-paced usability testing sessions, incorporating student feedback to refine the platform continuously.
Visual Design & Implementation Prep: Finalized the visual design with a focus on calming aesthetics and prepared for handoff to development.
Key Features
AI-driven emotional support chat, offering personalized interactions.
Privacy-first approach, ensuring user data protection.
Resource hub with educational materials on mental health.
Community engagement tools for volunteering and donations.
Lessons Learned
Efficiency in UX Design: The tight timeline emphasized the importance of efficient decision-making and prioritization in the design process.
User Feedback is Crucial: Even within a short project duration, user feedback was invaluable in guiding the design direction and ensuring the platform met actual user needs.
Adaptability: Flexibility and rapid adaptation to feedback and findings were critical in achieving a user-centered design within the limited timeframe.
Conclusion
As the UX designer for the Halo Talk project under Teqwon Norman, I had just 3 weeks to turn an innovative concept into a user-friendly platform designed to support college students' mental health. This intensive period demanded rapid research, design, prototyping, and testing phases. I engaged directly with potential users through interviews and surveys, synthesizing their insights into the platform's design. The development of wireframes, interactive prototypes, and final visual designs was a highly iterative process, informed by continuous user feedback. Balancing the urgency of the timeline with the project's ambition to offer a meaningful, empathetic AI support system was challenging but incredibly rewarding. This experience reinforced the importance of user-centered design, especially when dealing with sensitive issues like mental health, and highlighted the critical need for privacy and data security in digital health solutions.