SHYBYE - Empowering Individuals with Social Anxiety
Project Overview
SHYBYE, an independent volunteer project, addresses the unmet need for specialized apps targeting social anxiety. Initiated by a team of UX designers and developers after a design hackathon, the project aims to offer innovative solutions for individuals grappling with social anxiety. The team's objective is to create an easily accessible and engaging tool to help users manage symptoms and boost social confidence.
Goals and Objectives
​The primary goal of SHYBYE is to develop an affordable, accessible, and engaging tool to help individuals with social anxiety manage their symptoms and improve their social confidence and skills. The app features game-like elements to simulate real-life social scenarios and motivate users to engage consistently.
Market Analysis
The team conducted a competitive analysis, evaluating existing apps addressing social anxiety. Key findings included:
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Content Quality: Ensuring content for activities is substantial.
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Gamification Elements: Identifying a lack of game aspects in existing solutions.
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Incentivization: Recognizing the importance of incentivizing users to engage regularly.
Project Details
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Industry: Mental health and well-being
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Project Duration: Ongoing
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Role: UX Designer, Researcher
Research
Extensive user research was conducted to understand the needs, goals, and preferences of individuals with social anxiety. This included:
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Surveys: Gathering insights on users' public speaking practices, frequency, and general feelings about social interactions.
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Interviews: Conducting in-depth interviews to gain qualitative insights into users' experiences.
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Personas: Creating detailed user personas to guide the design process.
Problem Identification
The challenges addressed during the design process included:
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Gamification UI System: Developing gamified solutions tailored to social anxiety.
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Questionnaire Pages: Designing a user-friendly questionnaire with personalized categories.
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Daily Reminder Feature: Balancing motivation and time constraints.
Design Process
Brainstorming and Ideation
Collaborative sessions using FigJam resulted in the identification of key features, including Landing Page, Login Page, Questionnaire Pages, Home Page, and Profile Page. Graphic designers were involved to enhance visual elements.
Design System /Components
User testing revealed positive responses to aesthetics but identified concerns with gamification challenges. Continuous iteration and user feedback guided the refinement of challenges to be engaging yet not overly demanding.
Final Design- Design Rationale
The final design elements, including colors, layouts, and features, were grounded in user research. The gamification system was refined to strike a delicate balance, providing an engaging yet sensitive experience.
Technologies and Tools
Key tools used in the design process included FigJam for collaboration, Figma for wireframing and prototyping, and various graphic design software for visual enhancements.
Outcome and Reflection
SHYBYE remains under production, with continuous efforts to refine the gamification system based on user feedback. Positive outcomes include improved visual appeal and ongoing dedication to delivering a holistic solution.
Personal Reflection
The project highlighted the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and user-centric design. Learning experiences encompassed the delicate nature of designing for sensitive audiences and the impact of graphic design on user engagement.
Key Takeaways
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Collaborative Roadmapping: Utilizing tools like FigJam proved instrumental in keeping the team aligned and organized.
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Gamification Sensitivity: Recognizing the delicate balance required in designing gamification challenges for a sensitive audience.
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Adaptability: Shifting from a website to responsive design demonstrated the importance of adaptability in the design process.
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Graphic Design Impact: Integrating graphic designers positively influenced the visual appeal of the app, enhancing user engagement.