BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Mend is an AI-powered journaling app designed to help users reflect, track emotions, and build mental wellness habits. This semester-long project focused on improving UI and enhancing accessibility, with AI providing personalized feedback to empower emotional growth.

PROBLEM

Mental health struggles are a common issue that is yet often overlooked.

Many individuals don't have the resources, space, or time to focus on their mental health. Mend offers an AI-enhanced journaling experience for self-reflection and emotional growth.

RESEARCH & INSIGHTS

Understanding the Problem

Methods:

• Conducted interviews with 5 participants across different age groups and journaling habits
• Ran a survey with 20+ respondents to validate insights
• Analyzed existing journaling and mental health apps for gaps

Synthesis:

Users want more than a place to log their feelings. They want a tool that provides tailored prompts, tracks emotional patterns, and guides reflection to promote personal growth. Mend addresses this need with AI feedback and a structured journaling experience that encourages consistent use and meaningful self-reflection.

Key Findings:

• Journaling supports emotional regulation and mental clarity
• Users want guidance, structure, and emotional insights

PAIN POINTS

PERSONAS

To understand the needs of our users, we created three personas representing different mental health and journaling habits. Each persona shows how Mend addresses their challenges and supports emotional growth.

Name: Emily D.

Age: 20

Occupation: Student

Goal: Build a consistent journaling habit and use AI to track emotional patterns.

Background: Faces academic pressure and social anxiety. Journals a bit but struggles to maintain a routine.

How Mend Helps:

• Personalized outputs from the AI guide help motivate her daily entries, making journaling easier to start.
• Calendar tracking and AI insights help her recognize emotional patterns.
• Gamified streaks motivate consistency, turning journaling into a habit rather than a chore.

Name: Jason B.

Age: 36

Occupation: Manager

Goal: Manage stress, improve work-life balance, and boost wellbeing.

Background: Long work hours, limited time for reflection. Wants simple tools to manage mental health.

How Mend Helps:

• Quick journaling allow him to reflect in 5-10 minutes.
• AI suggests stress management strategies tailored to his responses.
• Progress tracking helps him balance work and personal wellbeing.

Name: Mary V.

Age: 52

Occupation: Parent

Goal: To create mindful journaling practices that build her emotional resilience.

Background: Recently experiencing empty-nest adjustment. Uses journaling as an emotional outlet, has low vision.

How Mend Helps:

• Guided prompts encourage emotional processing and self-reflection.
• Mood tracking helps her notice long-term trends, improving resilience and self-awareness.
• Screen-reader support ensure accessibility.

FEATURES

• Minimalist & Distraction-Free – Clean design that prioritizes focus for a seamless journaling experience.
• Readable Typography – Fonts, spacing, and contrast enhance comfort and clarity.
• Inclusive Design – Responsive and accessibility-first: high-contrast modes, dyslexia-friendly fonts, screen-reader compatible.
• Calendar Journaling – Track and reflect on entries over time, encouraging consistent engagement.
• Gamified Progress – Badges and streaks keep users motivated and reward growth.

IDEATION

1. Sketch & Explore – Started with pen and paper to draft initial ideas for the logo and layout.
2. Refine the Logo – Polished the chosen concept in Adobe Illustrator, focusing on simplicity and emotional resonance.
3. Select Fonts & Colors – Chose accessible typography and harmonious, calming colors.
4. Test Accessibility – Checked contrast ratios and readability to meet WCAG guidelines.
5. Finalize Palette – Settled on nature-inspired tones to align with the app’s emotional wellness focus.

REFLECTION

Working on Mend taught me the value of designing for real user needs. Research and testing highlighted how simplicity, readability, and accessibility directly impact engagement and emotional comfort. Iterating on feedback helped me prioritize meaningful features over unnecessary complexity, and I saw how thoughtful design can support consistent journaling and emotional wellness. Mend reinforced my goal as a designer: to create experiences that are inclusive, calm, and purposeful.