UX Research & Design Project for Wellbeing Platform
During my time working on a product focused on the wellbeing, organisation, and productivity of neurodiverse students, I led several user research projects that shaped the direction of our app. One particular project focused on the wellbeing section of the app, which, based on user feedback, wasn’t resonating as we’d hoped. My role was to understand why and to find a way to improve it so that students would engage more with this important feature.
Understanding the Problem:
During user interviews, I asked students to rank their favourite to least favourite features of the app. To my surprise, the wellbeing section frequently ranked as the least favourite. This was concerning, as the app’s wellbeing resources were intended to provide support during moments of stress or anxiety, especially for neurodiverse students who often face unique challenges.
This led me to conduct further research, digging deeper into why our students weren’t engaging with the wellbeing features and what would make them use the app more frequently. Through focus groups and additional surveys, I gathered detailed insights into their needs and preferences.
User Feedback and Solution Planning:
Students explained that the existing wellbeing offerings didn’t suit their needs, particularly during moments of stress or crisis. They expressed that reading through text-based blog posts was challenging in those situations. Many of them requested more diverse content formats, particularly audio and video options, which would allow them to engage with wellbeing content in a more accessible way.
Armed with this feedback, I presented the findings to the senior leadership team, and we quickly set out a plan. We split the suggestions into two categories—‘easy wins’ and ‘long-term goals’—to ensure we could quickly address immediate user needs while working towards more extensive updates. Together, we came up with a technically feasible solution that would significantly improve the wellbeing section.
Designing a New Wellbeing Platform:
With a plan in place, we began developing a brand new wellbeing platform within the app, dedicated solely to offering a range of supportive content for students. Our goal was to create a space that would feel accessible, calming, and highly useful in moments of stress.
One of the most important updates involved diversifying the content formats available. Students specifically requested audio and video options for our wellbeing blog posts, explaining that when they were stressed, reading wasn’t an easy option for them. We responded to this feedback by converting all 75 of our existing articles into audio format, and we created as many video versions as we could before the launch date. These changes allowed students to absorb the wellbeing content in ways that suited their needs, especially when feeling overwhelmed.
Another significant addition was the creation of guided meditations. Many students expressed a desire for simple, calming audio content they could listen to when feeling anxious or stressed. To meet this need, I designed and recorded five guided meditations, ensuring they were short, easy to follow, and accessible for neurodiverse users (example video below).
Design and Accessibility Considerations:
Given that a large percentage of our user base is neurodivergent, I prioritised accessibility throughout the design process. I used brand colours, keeping the visuals consistent but calming, with simple illustrations and animations to enhance the user experience without overwhelming them. Additionally, I included subtitles on all video content to support users with different needs and preferences. These steps ensured the platform remained both on-brand and accessible, helping students feel supported no matter their situation.
Launch and Early Success:
The updated wellbeing platform has now been released, and the initial response from students has been positive. Early feedback indicates that they are engaging much more with the new audio and video formats, and they also like the new guided meditation feature.
Moving forward, we plan to continue monitoring user satisfaction. We’ll retest our CSAT scores next year and conduct further detailed feedback sessions to assess how students are benefiting from the new platform. Our aim is to keep improving the wellbeing offerings and ensure that they continue to support our neurodiverse users in meaningful ways.