Improving therapy through UX
Overview:
At Carleton University, I worked as a user experience researcher while completing my master's in Human-Computer Interaction.
The goal of this project was to enhance the novel and rapidly growing field of online therapy by applying UX design principles. I explored how virtual reality could make therapy more effective and accessible through intuitive and iterative design before implementing it to 70,000 daily users.
Role:
UX Research, Prototyping, Wireframing, Iteration, Data Visualisation, Data Analysis, Presentation, Design Thinking, User Research, Bodystorming, Storytelling
Duration:
March 2023 - January 2025
Tools:
Figma, Miro, Unity, Blender, MS Office
Background:
I was selected for Carleton University's highly competitive master's program, admitting only 15 applicants each year. My design skills were crucial in securing this opportunity, where I worked as a UX researcher. I focused on improving the design of an online therapy platform, aiming to enhance its effectiveness and accessibility for users.
Problem Statement:
Improve the therapist’s avatar design and therapeutic environment design to enhance the effectiveness and accessibility of online therapy and create a more engaging and supportive experience for users.
I led the entire design process for this project, overseeing all stages from research to implementation throughout the project lifecycle.
Design PRocess
Literature review of therapy outcomes & color theory: Analyzed academic papers on effective therapy session outcomes and studied color theory to create intuitive, context-driven designs.
Surveys & interviews with therapists and VR users: Collected insights on design constraints and user needs to ensure the solution addressed real-world challenges and was contextually relevant.
Bodystorming & design exploration: Used ideation techniques to conceptualize avatars and environments, encouraging creativity and practical solutions during the early design phase.
Prototyping & iterative design: Developed wireframes and prototypes for the avatars and virtual world, refining the design through user and stakeholder feedback to address pain points.
Pilot testing & final optimization: Conducted pilot tests with a small user group before launching to 70,000 daily users, ensuring the design was optimized for performance and user experience.
Surveying to capture both quantitative and qualitative insights, guiding a well-rounded design approach.
Avatar design iteration through data-driven user feedback
Results and Insights:
Design Variations: We discovered that different design approaches elicit varying effects in patients, demonstrating how therapy can be made more effective through design.
Increased Engagement: Enhancing accessibility and intuitiveness increased the number of users, proving the value of seamless interactions.
Enhanced User Experience: These design improvements also resulted in better quality ratings, further improving the overall user experience.
Proven Impact: Achieving industry standards and publishing on platforms like Steam, which boasts over 132 million monthly active users, and VRChat, with around 70,000 concurrent users, underscores the reliability of our results. This demonstrates that our design improvements enhance the user experience for a broad audience.
Data analysis showed significant differences between the designs and their effectiveness in therapy
Partients’ comfort levels with the new design