UCI Now

Accessing Mental Health Services Through Existing School App

Project Overview

We aimed to improve the accessibility of mental health services for students at UC Irvine by redesigning the existing app. The goal was to create a more user-friendly method for students to book appointments and access mental health resources.

Figma Prototype

Role

UX Researcher
UX Designer
User Testing
Information Architect

Tools

Figma
Figjam
Google Suite

Team

A team of 8 researchers, and I was the sole UI designer.

Problem

Mental health services were available, but the current app's execution was poor, making it difficult for students to access these resources. Our goal was to simplify and streamline this process.

Solution

Optimize the user experience by simplifying the process of locating and accessing healthcare services offered by the school's student health center. This involves streamlining the path to the center and implementing a user-friendly booking system for appointments.

Impact

98% of participants able to locate the student services tab.
Able to seamlessly navigate to the student health portal.
Users efficiently found and scheduled appointments.
Design solutions proved effective.

Before

Research and Insights

We began by conducting interviews and surveys with students to gather qualitative and quantitative data. Through this research, we identified two primary user groups with distinct needs and challenges.

Before

Problem Statement

We want to understand if mental health aid is accessible to college students on campus and how to improve access to existing services.

Research Findings

Focusing on two user groups we were able to conclude that mental health resources are offered to students, however, execution is poor and there needs to be an iterated system for students to access aid.

How might we provide convenient and accessible mental health services for college age students in order to encourage the use of those resources?

Personas

We created personas like Jamie and Karen to empathize with our users and guide our design decisions. Jamie, for instance, needed a straightforward way to navigate from the app to the Student Health Services and book an appointment.

Competitive Analysis

Analyzing competitors helped us identify areas for improvement and opportunities for innovation. This analysis guided our ideation phase.

Ideation and Sketches

During ideation sessions, we brainstormed solutions to the identified problems. Initial sketches were created to visualize a user-friendly pathway for booking appointments. These sketches evolved into testable prototypes.

Initial Sketches

User Journey Map

We mapped Jamie's journey to ensure a seamless experience from opening the app to booking an appointment. This map was crucial for developing a testing plan to validate our designs.

Goal: Easily navigate from UCI Now app to Student Health Services, where he can find and book an appointment

Prototype and Testing

We used moderated remote testing to gather feedback on our prototype. Users were tasked with completing specific actions on both the original and redesigned app. The results showed significant improvements in navigation and booking efficiency.

Style Guide

We aimed to stay on brand with the institution by following their established style guide.

Design Decisions

Key design decisions included simplifying the navigation, implementing a dedicated Student Health Services tab, and refining the booking system to be more intuitive. These changes were based on user feedback and research findings.

Link to Full Figma File

Usability Testing

Our redesign led to a 98% success rate in users locating the student services tab, seamless navigation to the health portal, and efficient appointment scheduling.

Next Steps

1
Create a universal student services app to allow students to conveniently book an appointment with an on campus mental health professional or other student health services
2
Provide tele-health mental health services options, specifically for college aged students & promote schools services via weekly newsletter or email
3
Create online communities for students to join and meet, to talk peer to peer and for students to provide anonymous  reviews or feedback for received services
4
Address social stigma regarding mental health by continuously discussing mental health and promoting school services.

Final Thoughts

This project was a deep dive into UX design methodologies and best practices. Through collaborative ideation, user-centered design, and iterative testing, we created a solution that significantly improved access to mental health services for UC Irvine students.

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