Maya, 23
Final-year student · high-suppressor
“I'll deal with it after deadlines.”
Goals
Stay on top of work without spiralling.
Frustrations
Notices stress only once it's physical.
Behaviour
Copes by distraction; avoids "wellness" apps.
A reusable component layer that sits on top of the foundation. Each block maps to a beat in the narrative arc — frame the work, set the stakes, show the research, define the problem, defend the decisions, then reveal the solution and reflect. Drop them on the warm-dark case-study canvas and the story assembles itself.
The first screen has ten seconds to communicate what the project is, your role, and that it's worth scrolling. Then give scanners a map.
A single sentence that says what it is and why it matters — with one idea carrying the accent, never the whole line.
A one-line caption orients the reader to what they're looking at.
Impact up front is the single most powerful move — before-and-after numbers, validation scores, and a one-glance summary for the impatient reader.
A short paragraph framing the space — who it's for, what was broken, and the sharper question behind it. Two to three sentences, no jargon.
A second paragraph can add the constraint or the twist that made the brief interesting, setting up the work to come.
Prove you explored the problem space rather than jumping to a solution. Data points with sources, the methods you ran, what you found, and the real human voice underneath.
All 8 rejected manual logging — they couldn't name their state in the moment.
Passive detection became non-negotiable. No logging anywhere — not even optional.
→ Zero mood loggingSuppression was the dominant pattern — pushing feelings aside.
Home surfaces the detected state with a gentle "Does this feel right?" check.
→ State confirmationI don't want another thing to check. I want something that just knows when I'm not okay.
Who you're designing for, what their day actually feels like, and the problem framed sharply enough to design against.
“I'll deal with it after deadlines.”
“I don't really know how I feel.”
People feel stress they can't name, at moments they can't predict — yet every tool asks them to notice, open and log exactly when they're least able to.
The opportunity isn't a better check-in. It's removing the check-in entirely — meeting people on the body, in the moment, with no effort required.
How might we offer support without asking someone to open an app?
How might we help in the moment a spike happens, not hours later?
How might we make the first action effortless at someone's lowest?
How might we…help people notice stress before it escalates — with no self-reporting?
Where you stood in the market, and the forks where you traded the obvious option for the one the research demanded.
| Capability | App A | App B | Wearable C | This |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passive sensing | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| In-the-moment help | — | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| No logging required | — | — | — | ✓ |
| On-device privacy | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Architecture, flows, the screens themselves, before-and-after proof, and the closing reflection. The most powerful reveal is a design that failed testing and got fixed.
A detected spike triggers a single pulse. One squeeze starts the breathing guide — the screen is entirely optional, so the lowest-capacity moment still has a way in.
The reflection feature scored 3.8/5 — my weakest result. Even "lightweight," it asked for a little too much attention, too close to the moment. I'd strip it to a single glanceable pattern and make any depth strictly opt-in.
The future of mental-health design isn't more features — it's less friction. My job is to know exactly how little to ask.