The project followed a user-centered design approach, grounded in real-world challenges faced by youth dealing with emotional struggles and substance abuse. I began by identifying a gap in accessible, culturally-sensitive mental and spiritual support tools.

• Problem Discovery:

  Through informal interviews with friends and online communities, I gathered personal stories highlighting discomfort with public counseling and the need for more private, relatable guidance.

• Research & Strategy:

  I conducted a competitor analysis to understand how existing apps approach mental health, spiritual wellness, and AI integration. This helped identify opportunities to differentiate EnlightenME with deeper personalization and cultural nuance.

• Design Exploration:

  Using the Double Diamond method, I mapped out the core issues, ideated multiple solutions, and refined the concept through:

  • User stories to define key use cases.

  • Crazy Eights to explore a wide range of design directions quickly.

  • Low-fidelity wireframes to structure core flows.

• Iteration & Validation:

  After the first usability test, I received critical feedback on tone, readability, and feature relevance. I revised the interface, improved content structure, and polished layouts based on that.

• Prototyping:

  In the final phase, I created high-fidelity prototypes with micro-interactions to simulate real user journeys, crafted in Figma, with visual support from Illustrator and Photoshop.

• Final Testing:

  I conducted a second round of usability testing to validate the updated designs and gauge emotional resonance, usability, and cultural inclusivity.

The final deliverable was a high-fidelity, interactive Figma prototype featuring:

• A customizable AI spiritual guide interface

• Culturally personalized user onboarding

• Content curation engine tailored to emotional and spiritual needs

• Journaling and progress tracking features

Key takeaways:

• Received a 3.0 / 4.0 grade, with positive feedback on the emotional tone and AI concept.

• Testing revealed areas to refine—especially in typography choices, spacing, and content readability—to make the design more accessible and intuitive.

• Gained deeper understanding of balancing innovation (AI integration) with sensitivity (mental health & spirituality) in UX.

• This project reinforced the importance of inclusive design, continuous feedback loops, and designing with empathy for emotionally vulnerable users.