BRAINSTRONG MOBILE APPLICATION
TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
BRAINSTRONG IS A MOBILE APPLICATION THIS DEALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH. THIS APP HELPS EDUCATE ON MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MENTAL HEALTH SUCH AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, THOUGHT TRACKING AND MORE! IT’S TIME TO FINALLY START ADDRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH!
THE TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for BrainStrong is really anyone looking to improve and track their mental health. BrainStrong is mainly geared towards young adults ranging from the ages of 18-30. Research shows that young adults between these ages struggle the most with mental health issues. Research also shows that this age range is more likely to download and use a mobile application to help with a topic such as mental health. This target audience is good for a mobile application because they are very tech savvy and familiar with this technology.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCING MENTAL HEALTH
Studies show that over 70% of young adults struggle with mental health issues yet under 20% of those people seek any type of help. If this is such a widely shared struggle for most people, why is it not talked about more and addressed by society? Most people are simply just uneducated on the topic and sometimes don’t even realize their struggling. Research shows that it best to keep your mental health in check by finding a balance of being mindful and conscious about the thoughts and worries you are having. With mental health being such a personal topic many times people are scared or embarrassed to seek help. BrainStrong is a great starting point for someone to use as a tool to help with their mental health as they can use it in privacy on their own phone. BrainStrong was designed to help users balance their thoughts and keep their mental health in check by working on it on a regular basis.
WHAT USERS ARE LOOKING FOR IN A MENTAL HEALTH APP
This data was gathered by anonymous polling done from students at Rochester Institute of Technology. These students ranged from a wide variety of age, demographic and mental health status. This research was conducted using 300 different students on campus.
What People Are Saying
“YES I WOULD DEFINITELY USE A MOBILE APP. I THINK THIS WOULD BE A SUPER EASY AND CONVENIENT WAY TO ORGANIZE MY THINKING.”
“I HAVE A PRETTY EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE ON THE SUBJECT OF ANXIETY. I’VE BEEN DEALING WITH GETTING IT IN CHECK FOR SOMETIME.”
“I TRY NOT TO LET MY THOUGHTS GET ME ANXIOUS AND CAN USUALLY CONTROL THEM PRETTY WELL BUT SOMETIMES I JUST CAN’T.”
“I MOSTLY GET ANXIOUS IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS AND OVERTHINKING MY ACTIONS AND HOW OTHERS WILL PERCEIVE ME.”
APPLICATION COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
TAKING A LOOK AT A DIVERSE RANGE OF OTHER MENTAL HEALTH APPLICATIONS TO SEE WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT IS NOT WORKING. SOME APPS ARE SIMILAR IN CONTENT AND SOME ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BUT HAVE NICE DESIGN.
DESIGNING THE FINAL PROTOTYPE
LOADING SCREEN
This is the Brainstrong loading screen. This introduces the user to the brand logo as well as the overall style of the app. While the user is on the loading screen waiting for the application to finish launching, the BrainStrong logo will animate and appear to be radiating outward. This subtle design element will help let the user know the screen is not frozen and the app is in fact just loading and be ready to go shortly thus enhancing the user’s experience.
SIGN UP PAGE
Once the app is finished loading and ready to launch the user will be directed to the initial sign up page. Here the user will be able to create a free BrainStrong account. Having a personal account allows the user to have maximum customization of their account as well as track their process and set long term goals for using the application.
LOGIN SCREEN
Now that the user has an account, from here on out they can click that they have an account and be directed to the login screen. This screen makes sure the users profile is protected and will only be able to be accessed by the user or anyone the user shares their login with.
INITIAL APP QUESTIONNAIRE
On the users very first time logging in and using the app they have to answer a few short and easy questions first. These initial questions will help BrainStrong know what it is the user is looking to get out of the app which helps us direct the app to best suite the users needs. This again makes for more user customization and allows the app to directly cateor to the users wants and needs in the most efficient way possible.
MAIN HOMEPAGE
This is BrainStrong’s Main Homepage. This page is the first screen the user will see when they login to their account once it is finished being set up. The Homepage breaks the app up into 5 main categories being Education, Thought Tracking, Relaxation, User Stories and Outreach.
THE EDUCATION PAGE
When the user clicks on the Education tab they will be directed to this page. Under the Education page the user will be able to gain knowledge and insight behind the actual science of mental health. Research shows users are more success to have improved mental health when they have a firm understanding on the topic of mental health itself. This page helps educate the user on the problem at hand and hopefully help them start to understand their own mental health. When working on your mental health it is very useful to know the science behind what it is you are actually experiencing and how to most effectively treat it.
SYMPTOMS PAGE
If the user clicks the Symptoms tab on the Education page they will be directed here. This is part of the education page and helps inform and educate the user on different aspects of mental health, specifically here teaching them about the different symptoms of anxiety.
HAMBURGER MENU
Always available on all pages is the Hamburger Menu in the top left corner. If the user clicks on this Hamburger Menu they will open up this drop down navigation bar. This will help direct the user around the app and always give them full control over easy navigation of the app.
NAVIGATING HOME
If the user is done visiting the Education page and wants to go visit a different page they can hit the home button on the Hamburger Menu and they will always be immediately redirected back to the Homepage. Once here they can make the choice to visit one of the other pages.
THOUGHT TRACKING LOG
If the user selects the Thought Tracking Tab on the Homepage they will be directed to this page. One of the most common and most successful mental health practices therapist and counselors suggest when experiencing anxiety is creating a thought tracking log. This exercise requires carrying a journal with you and then logging whenever you start to experience anxious thoughts. This exercise suggests you write out the anxious thought, put down the worst case scenario, record your feelings and reactions and then challenge that thought with logical clear thinking. With this tab the user is able to instantly track and save their thoughts, all without having to carry a journal around with them.
APP NAVIGATION
Again, once the user is done logging their thoughts they can save them to their virtual journal where they can go back and revisit them at any point. Same as before if the user clicks on the Hamburger Menu in the top left corner they are able to access full navigation to the entire app.
RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
Either from the Homepage or Homeburger Menu, if the user selects the Relaxation Techniques tab they will be directed to this page. There are tons of different relaxation techniques and meditation practices that are scientifically shown to reduce anxiety and help improve mental health. BrainStrong has a wide range of techniques and practices, some are best for using in the moment of stress, anxiety and panic and some are best to use long term on a regular basis to help keep you mindful and your mental health in check.
THE DEEP BREATHER
If the user is looking at the different relaxation techniques and selects the Deep Breather they will be directed to this page. The Deep Breather is another very popular relaxation technique with a high success rate recommended by many therapists/counselors. This technique allows the user to set the timer for any desired time. They can also customize the breath count to make it as short or as long as they desire. Once they hit play the timer will begin and the exercise will begin directing the user when to inhale and when to exhale. The character will also be following this breathing pattern helping the user get on the same pace and really concentrate on their breathing. The goal of this exercise is to help user slow their heart rate as well as slow down their thoughts by having them solely concentrate on their breathing. This technique is proven to help users in short term panic while also being proven to help users lower their baseline anxiety over the long term.
BACK TO RELAXATION PAGE
Once the user completes their Deep Breathing exercise they can return back the the Relaxation Techniques Homepage to select a different exercise if they please. Once back to this main page the user has several other relaxation techniques to choose from.
The muscle relaxer
Another very popular and effective relaxation technique is the Muscle Relaxer. With this exercise the user can set the timer for any desired amount of time they please. Once the user hits play they will be instructed to flex very certain muscles and parts of their body for 10-20 second incromates. The character diagram will glow red in the parts of the body the user needs to flex. Again, this helps let the user know exactly what they’re supposed to be doing while also helping them focus on the task at hand enhancing the users experience. This exercise helps lower the users baseline anxiety while also helping them relieve some physical symptoms and sensations that come along with anxiety and stress.
The brain distractor
Another relaxation technique the user can select is the Brain Distractor. This is another very popular relaxation technique with a high success rate. On this page the user will have a wide range of simple images to click on and select.
Concentrating thoughts
Once the user selects an image to use for the Brain Distractor they will be directed to this page. The user can then select a difficulty level to use while performing this exercise. They can choose from beginner which is 3 minutes, moderate which is 5 minutes, or expert which is 7 minutes, the longer the time the more challenging the exercise is to complete. Once the user selects an image and sets a time/difficulty level they can hit play and the timer will begin. The user then must only look at and describe the selected image for the entire time that is set. The user cannot think or talk about anything else the entire time, only observe and describe every little detail of the selected image. This exercise is designed to do exactly what the name hints at, distract your brain. This helps the user clear out any anxious or negative thoughts they might be having an in a sense rewire or jumpstart their brain for a second.
returning back home
When the user is finished with practicing Relaxation Techniques they can always use the Hamburger Menu and return back to the main Home Screen. Here the user has the easiest and best way of navigating throughout the app in its entirety.
USER STORIES PAGE
From the Homepage or the Hamburger Menu if the user selects User Stories they will be directed to this page. This page consists of actual Brainstrong users personal and real experiences with mental health. This page is meant to act as a forum where users can go and see what others are experiencing. One of the issues with mental health problems is that people tend to feel very isolated and alone. This page is meant to prove that you are not alone and many people are going through similar experiences. Research shows that people find comfort in knowing they are not alone and what they are experiencing is “normal”. This page also gives you the ability to post their own stories and experiences for other users to see. The user can post their own stories by clicking the feather pen icon in the bottom corner.
posting a user story
If the user selects to post their own story and clicks on the feather icon at the bottom right of the screen they will be directed to this page. Here the user can type out their own stories and experiences with mental health for other users to read. The user has the ability to post what they have written immediately by hitting the post button. They also have the ability to save the post to their drafts so they can come back and post later. Lastly the user has the option to hit cancel and discard the post all together if they so please.
THE OUTREACH PAGE
One last function of the BrainStrong app is the Outreach page. Here, users have the ability to chat with a trained member of the BrainStrong team. This page acts as almost a virtual consular and allows the user to talk through any issues or specific problems they might be experiencing. This function allows BrainStrong users to have direct connection to licensed and trained mental health professionals at any time.
BRAINSTRONG VIDEO PROTOTYPE
This is a prototype of the app and what it would be like to experience using. This helps show more of the flow of how things would move and how they would exist online. This also helps show how things would be clickable and how the user flow would work.
