Mentalight is a mental health therapy platform to provides LGBTQ+ university students with Pre-Diagnosis Assistance and Art community to build and strengthen their support systems after experiencing an unhealthy relationship.
Problem Discovery
LGBTQ+ students struggle to recover from unhealthy relationships.
The Trevor Project reports that nearly 57% of LGBTQ+ students have faced emotional abuse. Those with strong social support attempted suicide at less than half the rate of others, highlighting the urgent need for more community support, particularly for queer students in unhealthy relationships, whether platonic, romantic, or familial.
Problem Discovery
Persona
ROLE
UI/UX Designer
TOOLS USED
Illustration by Icons8
We listened to queer students stories, and experiences on their personal support systems, and how they formed community.
SOOKI
I know that people say everyone should use therapy, but sometimes they just need a trusting relationship like a friend or mentor. It can be difficult to find that in your daily life.
Partner with the University Health System to deliver treatment more efficiently.
Helps students screen for affordable mental health options.
How might we assist LGBTQ+ university students in finding psychological treatment best suited for their needs?
Feature Strategising
Drawing from user research insights, our goal is to develop features that help LGBTQ+ university students find psychological treatment tailored to their specific needs.
1.
Ming
Viv
Style Guide
Wireframe
Style Guide
Final Design
LAUR
Graduate Student
Being surrounded by a queer community after growing up in an unsupportive environment has made all the difference to my mental health
Pain point
Transgender Woman
Junior Undergraduate
New York
Lack of Queer Community at College
Affordable
“I think sharing queer artwork is incredible [...] especially for people who are going through hard times, sharing their art, as a universal language, is therapeutic'“
Alana
Pre-Diagnosis
Professional pre-diagnosis provides users with potential diagnoses and assistance.
Secondary Research
What Works
“I like the community being centered around the LGBTQ+ Community. I'm not aware of any current online platforms for groups for people like me and wish there was something like this”
Community Concept Development
Prototype
22
“ I am overwhelmed with all the resources online, I would like to have some form of starting point to find support “
Taylor, who was raised in a small town, faced difficult familial dynamics after disclosing their gender identity. They faced rejection and disdain from some family members. Taylor only receives therapy on campus, and building trust with a therapist takes time. Taylor has found a small community of friends through their classes but would like to expand their friendships with more students similar to themselves.
Frustration
Figma
TEAM
Haley Kim
DURATION
15 Weeks
Taylor Ramirez
Opportunities
(They/Them)
Convenient and Efficient Health Care
Find Queer Student Community
2.
Concerns
UX Researcher
Adobe Photoshop
Harsha Pillai
Undergraduate Student
Pain point
Financial Struggles
Find more students who are expressing their stories, and being able to connect with them.
Community Forums
Moderated platform to post questions, seek advice & share stories with other users.
“The only issue with the Pre-diagnosis exam, that I and other people would have is that we don't know for sure how accurate it is”
“People would be skeptical if the app is associated with the school, they might not feel comfortable sharing all their feelings”
Evelyn
Viv
Art Community
Illustration
Illustration by Icons8
We conducted secondary research with new participants focused on our features, including pre-diagnosis and community forums. The expert pre-diagnosis provides users with possible diagnoses and assistance, while the monitored platform enables users to inquire, receive guidance, and exchange experiences with others.
Ming
Mentalight's pre-diagnosis feature guides LGBTQ+ university students by offering potential diagnoses based on a survey assessing daily habits, emotional well-being, sleep patterns, and social support. In collaboration with Folx Health doctors, Mentalight provides users with tailored diagnoses and a list of recommended therapy treatments after processing their test information.
Buttons
Improvements
“It would be nice to have an educational aspect to this app [...], it makes credible information more accessible”
“Consider having moderation, since anyone can download it. Have some requirements to join the community”
Illustration by Icons8
Developed low-fidelity interactive prototypes that emphasizes Mentalight’s core functionality and user flows for LGBTQ+ university students seeking mental health support. By presenting these early wireframes to stakeholders, I gathered essential feedback to refine the platform's features and interactions. As the wireframes progressed, I increased their fidelity, creating more detailed designs that became the foundation for the final product. This iterative process allowed us to identify potential issues early, ensuring a more intuitive and user-friendly experience for all users.
Art Community
Colors
Community Forums
Mentalight offers a moderated art community platform where LGBTQ+ students can join forums, ask questions, share stories, and seek advice. Powered by Trevorspace and its moderators, users can engage in safe, supportive discussions, helping them feel more connected while receiving feedback from fellow LGBTQ+ students.
Developed a sketch prototype for Mentalight to facilitate rapid user testing, aimed at validating the concept for LGBTQ+ university students. The prototype enables users to explore pre-diagnosis, offering potential diagnoses and support, and engage in a community space where they can ask questions, seek advice, and share their stories with others.
Pre-Diagnosis
Typography
Pre-Diagnosis
Pre-Diagnosis
Nymph Yang
Storyboarding
Carol Tian
Illustration by Icons8
Concerned about Lack of Representation
Supports LGBTQ+ students with Pre-diagnosis testing and Art community