Project Overview

Anise Health addresses the mental health resource gap in Asian communities, where stigma and lack of representation often hinder access to care. They offer affordable tele-mental health services, connecting Asian Americans with culturally sensitive therapists and behavioural coaches.


This project focused on designing an inclusive mobile app to replace the complex, document-heavy web experience. The app streamlines the sign-up process, ensuring users are matched with the right professional and have access to ongoing mental health support and resources.

How did I add value?

I worked with two lead product designers in the end-to-end design process to pilot their first mobile app! Although the team managed their services through a website, they wanted to move to mobile platform that users could conveniently access.

Project Overview

Anise Health addresses the mental health resource gap in Asian communities, where stigma and lack of representation often hinder access to care. They offer affordable tele-mental health services, connecting Asian Americans with culturally sensitive therapists and behavioural coaches.


This project focused on designing an inclusive mobile app to replace the complex, document-heavy web experience. The app streamlines the sign-up process, ensuring users are matched with the right professional and have access to ongoing mental health support and resources.

How did I add value?

I worked with two lead product designers in the end-to-end design process to pilot their first mobile app! Although the team managed their services through a website, they wanted to move to mobile platform that users could conveniently access.

Timeline

Timeline

July 2023 - March 2024

July 2023 - March 2024

Team

Team

2 product designers
3 product managers
12+ developers
4 marketing experts

2 product designers
3 product managers
12+ developers
4 marketing experts

Skills

Skills

User Research
A/B Testing
Rapid Prototyping

User Research
A/B Testing
Rapid Prototyping

Thus, I asked…

Thus, I asked…

How might we design the mobile app to be intuitive with features that seamlessly integrate into user's daily lives?

How might we design the mobile app to be intuitive with features that seamlessly integrate into user's daily lives?

What was the final solution?

What was the final solution?

The most meticulous process was ensuring the data visuals were relevant and easy to understand. I decided to have three rounds of client feedback and daily stand up withs the developers to ensure the designs were optimized.

The most meticulous process was ensuring the data visuals were relevant and easy to understand. I decided to have three rounds of client feedback and daily stand up withs the developers to ensure the designs were optimized.

Improving the education and transparency on product features

Improving the education and transparency on product features

Rather than assuming desktop users understand the mobile app, consistent onboarding is provided for all users. Product tours and tooltips highlight unfamiliar features.

Rather than assuming desktop users understand the mobile app, consistent onboarding is provided for all users. Product tours and tooltips highlight unfamiliar features.

Inclusion of useful shortcuts to reference documents on-the-go

Inclusion of useful shortcuts to reference documents on-the-go

Users mainly use the mobile app to read important documents on-the-go. To simplify access, notes can be locked to prevent edits and pinned to the homepage for quick referencing.

Users mainly use the mobile app to read important documents on-the-go. To simplify access, notes can be locked to prevent edits and pinned to the homepage for quick referencing.

Scheduling, documentation, and reminders made simple

Scheduling, documentation, and reminders made simple

To reduce the need for multiple task management apps, users can now access an integrated calendar with weekly and hourly views, allowing one-click creation of reminders, events, and quick notes.

To reduce the need for multiple task management apps, users can now access an integrated calendar with weekly and hourly views, allowing one-click creation of reminders, events, and quick notes.

Accessible templates with more relevant editing capabilities

Accessible templates with more relevant editing capabilities

Users are drawn to Notion for its robust customization options. To enhance the mobile experience, templates are featured prominently, encouraging users to create notes without needing a desktop.

Users are drawn to Notion for its robust customization options. To enhance the mobile experience, templates are featured prominently, encouraging users to create notes without needing a desktop.

What did I learn about our users?

What did I learn about our users?

I interviewed 25 Asian Americans to better understand their experiences with mental health care. I found that there were a number of pain points that need to be addressed in the design of our app.

I interviewed 25 Asian Americans to better understand their experiences with mental health care. I found that there were a number of pain points that need to be addressed in the design of our app.

Finding the right therapist is tedious

Finding the right therapist is tedious

Finding the right therapist is tedious

Good mental healthcare requires significant time and money to ensure to right fit, which is a luxury many users can't afford

Good mental healthcare requires significant time and money to ensure to right fit, which is a luxury many users can't afford

Good mental healthcare requires significant time and money to ensure to right fit, which is a luxury many users can't afford

Scheduling can be difficult to manage

Scheduling can be difficult to manage

Scheduling can be difficult to manage

Therapists and users may have limited availability. resulting in scheduling conflicts that can disrupt continuity of care.

Therapists and users may have limited availability. resulting in scheduling conflicts that can disrupt continuity of care.

Good resources are costly and scarce

Good resources are costly and scarce

Good resources are costly and scarce

Users have specific cultural considerations or needs, which makes the right therapist challenging or expensive to find.

Users have specific cultural considerations or needs, which makes the right therapist challenging or expensive to find.

Negative experiences can be discouraging

Negative experiences can be discouraging

Negative experiences can be discouraging

Mediocre mental health care experiences deter users from wanting to seek help, especially if they are costly.

Mediocre mental health care experiences deter users from wanting to seek help, especially if they are costly.

What do our users need?

What do our users need?

Tailoring patient intake to find a suitable therapist for their needs

Tailoring patient intake to find a suitable therapist for their needs

Provide affordable resources that can improve continuity of care

Provide affordable resources that can improve continuity of care

Improve the scheduling process so conflicts are minimized

Improve the scheduling process so conflicts are minimized

What did our brainstorming and ideation look like?

What did our brainstorming and ideation look like?

Together with two other product designers, we defined the size, font, iconography, and colour palette for our mobile app, aligning everything with the theme of "Asian spices" and using 25 unique vector icons. This approach ensured a consistent experience with our web platform, which shares a similar theme. Once the visual elements were set, I led the design of the user flow for onboarding, event browsing, and appointment scheduling.

Together with two other product designers, we defined the size, font, iconography, and colour palette for our mobile app, aligning everything with the theme of "Asian spices" and using 25 unique vector icons.

This approach ensured a consistent experience with our web platform, which shares a similar theme. Once the visual elements were set, I led the design of the user flow for onboarding, event browsing, and appointment scheduling.

What did user testing reveal?

What did user testing reveal?

During initial testing, users felt onboarding could be more concise, prompting us to shorten it from five steps to three. Users also had questions about last-minute cancellation policies, leading us to incorporate booking policies after scheduling. Additionally, based on survey feedback, we refined event categories to include online podcasts, videos, and other free resources that users want.

During initial testing, users felt onboarding could be more concise, prompting us to shorten it from five steps to three. Users also had questions about last-minute cancellation policies, leading us to incorporate booking policies after scheduling. Additionally, based on survey feedback, we refined event categories to include online podcasts, videos, and other free resources that users want.

How did we measure success?

How did we measure success?

We tested our prototype with our beta users and asked them to provide feedback in a survey. Additionally, we measured their activity on our web platform and mobile app to compare their engagement, progress, and any impact on continuity of care.

We tested our prototype with our beta users and asked them to provide feedback in a survey. Additionally, we measured their activity on our web platform and mobile app to compare their engagement, progress, and any impact on continuity of care.

Reduced onboarding time by 25%

Reduced onboarding time by 25%

Compared to the lengthy intake form online, the mobile process was much quicker for users

Compared to the lengthy intake form online, the mobile process was much quicker for users

75% more likely to recommend

75% more likely to recommend

Most users responded well to the mobile app, indicating they would 'likely' or 'most likely' recommend

Most users responded well to the mobile app, indicating they would 'likely' or 'most likely' recommend

30% more users attended consults

30% more users attended consults

Missed appointments became less frequent and users were more likely to attend initial consultations

Missed appointments became less frequent and users were more likely to attend initial consultations

Improved user engagement

Users spent an extra 5 minutes on our platform browsing free resources and events.

What did I learn?

What did I learn?

As a junior designer on my first project, this experience was an invaluable learning opportunity. I enjoyed collaborating with experienced designers and a team deeply committed to creating an exceptional user experience. I learned the importance of listening to users, as we made numerous iterations and changes based on their feedback.

As a junior designer on my first project, this experience was an invaluable learning opportunity. I enjoyed collaborating with experienced designers and a team deeply committed to creating an exceptional user experience. I learned the importance of listening to users, as we made numerous iterations and changes based on their feedback.

How can we onboard our therapists and professionals efficiently?

How can we onboard our therapists and professionals efficiently?

How do users respond to the community-based resources we provide?

How do users respond to the community-based resources we provide?

How can we foster a larger feeling of community on our app?

How can we foster a larger feeling of community on our app?

thanks for stopping by

© celine keomany

thanks for stopping by

© celine keomany

thanks for stopping by

© celine keomany