Building trust
in mental health service app

Building trust
in mental health service app

Building trust
in mental health service app

PROJECT SUMMARY

Ahum is a Swedish company dedicated to improving mental well-being through an online platform and app.

To increase user engagement with their mental health services, we addressed key concerns around privacy and discomfort. This includes organizing targeted workshops for employees, offering an optional personality test for personalized experiences, and sending motivational notifications to boost engagement.

Role (Team of 5):

Design Lead, User Research

Duration :

June 2024 (3,5 weeks)

Website :

Ahum; Works.Ahum

Tools :

Figma, Surveys, Usability testing

Current challenges

Ahum currently struggles with user engagement, relying solely on monthly emails to bring back users. They acquire business customers through cold calls, Google ads, events, and LinkedIn ads. Customer satisfaction is not measured as there is no feedback mechanism, though questions are asked via email after the first session.

Goal - Increase the number of active app users!

UNDERSTANDING THE USER

Overcoming research limitations

A major challenge was limited access to Ahum users. To address this, we asked ourselves:

Why and at what stage is Ahum losing their users?

What is the general attitude toward using these services through work?

Does stigma around mental health prevent users from using these services?

Are there any issues with the app that hinder users from continuing to use it?

After completing each research method, we analyzed the data to draw conclusions and extract key insights. This process helped us pinpoint the core problem and ensured we were addressing it effectively. We categorized the insights into three groups below.

Information about Ahum is not coming to employees

  • Information about Ahum's services may not reach employees, as they rely solely on managers.

  • Introducing Ahum through managers can be challenging due to strained relationships and concerns about app monitoring.

  • Employees overlook onboarding emails resulting in only 10% conversions.

Concerns about workplace mental health services

  • Discussing mental health at work can often be avoided.

  • 42% feel uncomfortable about using this kind of service through their employer due to privacy concerns.

  • Employees with past confidentiality issues are reluctant to try similar services again.

  • 27% reported that work negatively affects their well-being.

  • There is stigma associated with psychotherapy. Only 30% of all respondents used some form of psychotherapy.

Issues with the current app

  • Confusing navigation

  • Unclear icons and titles

  • Slow loading times due to reliance on the web platform.

  • Language inconsistency and poor grammar.

  • Lack of descriptions for self-help guides.

  • Uninspiring user interface and content.

  • The system is insecure, lacking confirmation and assurance that certain steps will be taken

  • Disruptive pop-ups

AN opportunity FOR IMPROVEMENT

HMW demonstrate the value of the app's features to enhance usage while addressing identified pain points and improving user experience?

Behavioral type 1: The Wary

The Wary type has explored self-help and therapy but struggles to stay engaged. They have tried various workplace apps but found them unhelpful or faced privacy concerns.

Challenge: Ensure users feel confident and secure using the app without fearing monitoring. The app must feel relevant to their lives.

To do: Provide clear privacy information, personalize the app to align with user needs, enhance engagement with interactive content, and implement user feedback to ensure they feel heard.

Behavioral type 1: The Wary

The Wary type has explored self-help and therapy but struggles to stay engaged. They have tried various workplace apps but found them unhelpful or faced privacy concerns.

Challenge: Ensure users feel confident and secure using the app without fearing monitoring. The app must feel relevant to their lives.

To do: Provide clear privacy information, personalize the app to align with user needs, enhance engagement with interactive content, and implement user feedback to ensure they feel heard.

Behavioral type 2: The Skeptic

The Skeptic hasn’t used therapy or self-help tools, believing their situation can’t change or is already sufficient. They don’t see a need for mental health improvement.

Challenge: Encourage them to recognize that everyone can benefit from self-improvement, regardless of their situation.

To do: Provide relatable information that highlights the benefits of self-improvement and makes the app feel relevant to their lives.

Behavioral type 2: The Skeptic

The Skeptic hasn’t used therapy or self-help tools, believing their situation can’t change or is already sufficient. They don’t see a need for mental health improvement.

Challenge: Encourage them to recognize that everyone can benefit from self-improvement, regardless of their situation.

To do: Provide relatable information that highlights the benefits of self-improvement and makes the app feel relevant to their lives.

So, what can we do?

Clearly communicate the benefits of Ahum directly to end users through targeted workshops.

Providing clear privacy information and assuring employees of the confidentiality of Ahum's services in onboarding emails.

Finally, personalizing the app to align with users' interests and goals, ensuring intuitive navigation, captivating content, and an easy feedback mechanism that empowers users to share their thoughts with Ahum at any time.

We brainstormed ideas and categorized them into three groups: informing employees about the Ahum's services through workshops, revamping onboarding emails, and enhancing the app itself.

Prioritizing ideas with an Impact-Effort matrix

Impact - Effort matrix is always good to see which ideas are actually worth of doing.

our solution

Our solution is divided into three phases:

Workshops to build trust and ease around mental health

Enhancing the trustworthiness of onboarding emails

App optimization and personalization for encreased engagement

Creating a safe space

To address discomfort around mental health and distrust in managers, we proposed workshops that create a safe space for open discussion and provide transparency on how the app and data collection work, helping users feel more confident in using Ahum's services.

Enhancing the trustworthiness of onboarding emails

To address the low engagement with Ahum's onboarding emails, our new approach focuses on capturing users' attention from the start to boost interaction and drive immediate involvement.

Present Ahum as a trusted service and its benefits

Highlight the confidentiality offered and promote mental health awareness to

reduce stigma.

Highlight the confidentiality offered and promote mental health awareness to reduce stigma.

Clarify who covers the costs and emphasize that Ahum is accessible to all

Use A/B Testing to continuously test different elements of of the email to

identify what resonates best with Ahum's audience and optimize accordingly

We’ve added a direct link to the updated Ahum Works webpage, separating information for managers and employees. By assuring users of secure data handling and providing transparent details on data usage, we build trust and encourage greater engagement with the app.

Boosting user engagement with app optimization and personalization

Optimized navigation for a smoother user experience

Simplified content to enhance clarity and usability

Personalized user journeys through an initial personality test

Seamless feedback integration for continuous improvement

Motivational pop-up notifications to drive engagement

Boosting user engagement with app optimization and personalization

Optimized navigation for a smoother user experience

Simplified content to enhance clarity and usability

Personalized user journeys through an initial personality test

Seamless feedback integration for continuous improvement

Motivational pop-up notifications to drive engagement

We recommend an optional personality test for new users during their first login. This test tailors the experience to individual needs, helping users feel more comfortable and engaged from the start. By directing them to relevant resources, such as guides, exercises, and suitable therapists, we enhance the app's personalization and relevance.

To address user challenges, we propose adding a feedback function to the app. This feature will gather user feedback over time, allowing Ahum to identify patterns and resolve issues quickly. By continuously improving the app based on user input, we enhance the experience and demonstrate Ahum's commitment to valuing feedback and meeting user needs.

Motivational pop-up notifications can remind users about the importance of recovery and boost their interest in the app. Tailored to individual goals, these notifications enhance relevance and effectiveness.

For example, a notification can praise users after completing a task, providing positive feedback that fosters a supportive environment and encourages ongoing app engagement.

Motivational pop-up notifications can remind users about the importance of recovery and boost their interest in the app. Tailored to individual goals, these notifications enhance relevance and effectiveness.

For example, a notification can praise users after completing a task, providing positive feedback that fosters a supportive environment and encourages ongoing app engagement.

Key learnings and recommendations

One of our main challenges was the inability to contact actual Ahum users, prompting us to explore alternative ways to identify where user drop-off occurred.

Surveys revealed that most respondents felt they didn't need mental health support, lacked the time to engage with similar apps, or expressed concerns about privacy issues.

We could only hypothesize that Ahum might be losing users early due to insufficient information from managers and minimal promotion of the service.

Future development suggestions:

While a full app redesign was beyond our scope, we focused on adding features to enhance personalization and engagement. With more time, we would develop a comprehensive solution that incorporates engaging content for a more enjoyable and beneficial experience.

Analytics and A/B testing

Implementing tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar would offer valuable insights into user behavior, enabling precise analysis and improvements. Conducting A/B tests for email campaigns and the app would help identify factors driving user engagement and optimize accordingly.

Usability testing

Our proposed solutions were designed with privacy and user comfort in mind. Future user testing would focus on assessing engagement levels and user satisfaction, particularly in addressing privacy concerns.

This project highlighted the importance of understanding user concerns and behaviors early in the customer journey. By tackling privacy concerns, making information clearer, and making the app personalized and fun, we can get more users to engage and stick around.

We want to change how people see mental health support, turning it from something intimidating into a helpful tool for self-improvement. By creating a positive, supportive space in the app, we believe we can boost engagement and show users the true value of Ahum's services.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

Danijela is a UX/UI designer with a background

in architecture, currently living and crafting experiences in Stockholm, Sweden.

© 2024 Danijela Roksandic

Danijela is a UX/UI designer with a background

in architecture, currently living and crafting experiences in Stockholm, Sweden.

© 2024 Danijela Roksandic

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