Josh McCabe

Interaction design student #ixdbelfast

[joshmccabe]

Mood project prototype

[joshmccabe]

Reinventing the Check-in page

After having a discussion about the layout of our app, for example how it flows etc. we deciding we needed to change the check-in page mainly how you answer the questions provided.

So instead of typing every answer, which can be tedious and long. We added yes/no options and rating system.

here is the results:

[joshmccabe]

COLOUR SCHEME ON MOOD

Then I added are colour scheme to are wireframes:

[joshmccabe]

MOOD COLOUR SCHEME

For the color scheme of the ‘MOOD’ app we wanted to keep the colour of the user interface very soft and easy on th eyes and also making it easy to read to meet with are user persona’s. 

So we went with soft pastel colours and found a scheme called Mysterious spring by julia_arda, which has very soft greens which we wanted to use.

However we didn’t want to use the red on julia_arda scheme as we found the red to be a very negative colour, so instead we went for a yellow gold colour which is found on vimeo variant scheme by athenaemily.

[joshmccabe]

MOOD ADDITION

Afer getting feedback from my peers and looking over the user personas again to see, what the user needs are. I decided to add a daily check with 5 questions which are easy but very important questions that make you think more about what I can do to improve my mental wellbeing.

Here are the questions:

1. How am I feeling today?

2. What’s taking up most headspace?

3. When did I last eat a whole meal?

4. Am I tired?

5. What will I engage in today that will bring me joy?

Then I added a quote to moviate them:

I am a priority, I am allowed to take care of myself.

[joshmccabe]

MOOD Digital Concept

After doing some wireframe, I began creating the final wireframe on adobe XD.

Here is the result:

[joshmccabe]

MOOD WIREFRAMES

Following on from looking at metal health apps, I wanted to see how we will design it by looking at more apps an how they show there information.

After looking at these mental heath app concepts I began sketching for are app called mood.

Here is the wireframes:

[joshmccabe]

Mental Health Apps

After doing alot of research about mental health during Covid-19, I wanted to see what apps are out there that can help with mental health. Furthermore I wanted to see what types of tools they use to help.

All apps below have been approved by the NHS :

https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/be-mindful/

BE MINDFUL

Be Mindful is an online course for reducing stress, depression and anxiety. It guides you through the elements of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). 

Who is it suitable for?

Be Mindful is for anyone aged 16 years or older who would like to work at improving their mental health and enjoy the benefits of mindfulness practice. The course is suitable for beginners to mindfulness as everything is introduced and explained as the course progresses.

How does it work?

The course is all about practising mindfulness, a mind-body approach to life that helps us relate differently to experiences. Mindfulness involves paying attention to our thoughts and feelings in a way that increases our ability to manage difficult situations and make wise choices.

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Stress & Anxiety Companion

Stress & Anxiety Companion helps you handle stress and anxiety on-the-go. Using breathing exercises, relaxing music and games designed to calm the mind, the app helps you change negative thoughts to help you better cope with life's ups and downs. 

Who is it suitable for?

Stress & Anxiety Companion is for people with mild to moderate anxiety or stress.

How does it work?

Stress & Anxiety Companion uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help you change the way you think and feel about things.

Use the app to help manage your stress and anxiety at home or on the go with breathing exercises, relaxing music and games.

The app helps you identify your anxiety and stress triggers and transform negative thoughts into positive ones.

You can turn your positive thoughts and statements into feelgood photo cards, which can be shared with family and friends.

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Thrive

Thrive helps you prevent and manage stress, anxiety and related conditions. The game based app can be used to relax before a stressful situation or on a more regular basis to help you live a happier, more stress-free life.

Who is it suitable for?

Anyone wanting help and support to take better control of their emotions.

How does it work?

Thrive uses games to track your mood and teach you methods to take control of stress and anxiety. Learn relaxation techniques like meditation and deep-breathing to help you cope better with stressful situations and manage negative thoughts.

The app's Mood Meter lets you track your mood, the emotions you feel and the situation you were in at the time. It then reminds you of how you reacted on a previous occasion to make your feel better.  

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Calm Harm

Calm Harm is an app designed to help people resist or manage the urge to self-harm. It's private and password protected.

Who is it suitable for?

Calm Harm is designed for people who are trying to manage urges to self-harm.

How does it work?

Calm Harm is based on the principles of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). DBT is a type of talking therapy that's often effective in people with mood disorders.

The app provides tasks that encourage users to distract themselves from urges to self-harm and help manage their "emotional mind" in a more positive way.

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Cove

Create music to capture your mood and express how you feel with the Cove app. Instead of words, create music to reflect emotions like joy, sadness, calm and anger. You can store your music in a personal journal, or send them to someone and let the music do the talking.

Who is it suitable for?

Cove is for anyone who wants to express through music what they might struggle to say with words.

How does it work?

Cove is like a mood journal, except instead of using words to express how you feel, you use music.

To create music, choose from six different moods – calm, struggling, longing, playful, clouded and gentle.

Once you've selected your mood, you can easily add and remove different musical effects.

Store your music in a private journal to revisit at any time. Add some personal thoughts and tags.

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Sleepio

Sleepio is an online sleep improvement programme for people living in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. It has been clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep through the night, and give you more energy during the day if you follow the programme correctly.

The programme is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia (CBTi). You can use it to learn cognitive techniques to help tackle the racing mind and behavioural strategies to help reset sleeping patterns naturally, without relying on sleeping pills.

Who is it suitable for?

Sleepio is for anyone in over 18 living in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, who has difficulty getting to sleep or sleeping through the night.

How does it work?

Complete the Sleepio course online at a time and pace that suits you.

You start by setting goals and taking an in-depth questionnaire. Sleepio then builds a programme for you.  

Each week you log in and meet "The Prof", your virtual sleep expert.

The Prof helps you address your thoughts and worries about sleep, your daily schedule, your lifestyle and your bedroom.

There are 6 core sessions, and a daily sleep diary that helps you track your progress.

Sleepio has been tested in rigorous clinical trials, and evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

[joshmccabe]

How Covid-19 is affecting older people’s mental health

Some older people told us that they are feeling down, have lost pleasure and purpose in their lives, and feel as if every day is the same. We were sometimes told that there is nothing for them to look forward to and sadly a proportion even questioned whether their life is worth living.The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on older people’s mental health. Older people with pre-existing mental health conditions have seen an increase in the severity of their symptoms, while others are struggling for the first time. 

A Study done by 

https://www.ageuk.org.uk

Anxiety 

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased anxiety, with older people saying they are worried about contracting COVID-19, about the wellbeing and safety of their family, and about the future. For some older people, the anxiety has been debilitating, leading to panic attacks and physical symptoms which are having a profound impact on their day-to-day lives. 

- One in three (34%) older people agree that their anxiety is now worse or much worse than before the start of the pandemic. 

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COVID-19 related anxiety

Older people have clearly heard the messages about their increased vulnerability to COVID-19 and many are now very anxious about leaving the house. We heard that older people are worried the public aren’t following the guidelines and are scared that they will contract COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die. Many face a double-edged sword where they are afraid of leaving the house but at the same time cannot cope with the loneliness and isolation at home. 

- 31% of people 70 say they feel unsafe or very unsafe when outside of their home due to the pandemic. 

- 45% of people aged 70+ say that they are either uncomfortable or very uncomfortable leaving their house because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Low mood and depression

Some older people told us that they are feeling down, have lost pleasure and purpose in their lives, and feel as if every day is the same. We were sometimes told that there is nothing for them to look forward to and sadly a proportion even questioned whether their life is worth living.

- The proportion of over 70s experiencing depression has doubled since the start of the pandemic.

- More than one in three over 60s (36%) say they are feeling less motivated to do the things they used to enjoy

[joshmccabe]

How Covid-19 is affecting younger people’s mental health

Following on, I wanted to learn how big of an impact covid-19 actually had on younger people, so I began digging and I found a website called:

 https://youngminds.org.uk

And they did a survey from march 2020 to autumn 2020 showing how mental health has effected young people each season.

March 2020 survey

On the march survey they asked younger people if their mental health got worse or better because of the pandemic and remember around this time schools first closed in the uk because of covid-19.

This is the result:

32% agreed that it had made their mental health much worse

51% agreed that it had made their mental health a bit worse

9% agreed that it made no difference to their mental health

6% said that their mental health had become a bit better

1% said that their mental health had become much better

Summer 2020 survey

On the summer survey they asked the same question but this time, they are used to staying home and understand covid-19 much better.

The results reveal that:

80% of respondents agreed that the coronavirus pandemic had made their mental health worse. 41% said it had made their mental health “much worse”, up from 32% in the previous survey in March. This was often related to increased feelings of anxiety, isolation, a loss of coping mechanisms or a loss of motivation.

87% of respondents agreed that they had felt lonely or isolated during the lockdown period, even though 71% had been able to stay in touch with friends.

Among more than 1,000 respondents who were accessing mental health support in the three months leading up the crisis (including from the NHS, school and university counsellors, private providers, charities and helplines), 31% said they were no longer able to access support but still needed it.

Of those who had not been accessing support immediately before the crisis, 40% said that they had not looked for support but were struggling with their mental health.

11% of respondents said that their mental health had improved during the crisis, an increase from 6% in the previous survey. This was often because they felt it was beneficial to be away from the pressures of their normal life (e.g. bullying or academic pressure at school)

Autumn 2020 survey

On the autumn survey they asked the same question again but this time, schools have been opened again.

The findings show:

69% of respondents described their mental health as poor now that they are back at school; this has risen from 58% who described their mental health as poor before returning to school.

40% of respondents said that there was no school counsellor available to support students in their school

Only 27% had had a one-to-one conversation with a teacher or another member of staff in which they were asked about their wellbeing, by the time they completed the survey.

Almost a quarter of respondents (23%) said that there was less mental health support in their school than before the pandemic, while only 9% agreed that there was more mental health support.

Inconculsion I found this research to be quite interesting as mental health can effect everyone and can effect younger people in different ways depending on the situration.

[joshmccabe]

Anxiety

After doing the problem and solutions, I wanted to learn more about a specific area in mental health that interested me and is very common. Which is anxiety.

So I began researching all about anxiety and writing about it in my sketch book.

Below is the result of that:

[joshmccabe]

Problem and Solutions

After creating a mind-map, I got a better understand on how many vulnerable groups that are at greater risk because of COVID-19. Then I wanted to have an idea on what are the problems of sum groups and there soluations, 

so I choose three which interested me:

Over-weight people

Asthmatic people

Mental Health

Here is my worksheet:

[joshmccabe]

Covid-19 Vulnerable Groups

To start of this project I wanted to find out more about vulnerable groups maining based around covid-19.

What are vulnerable Groups?

Vulnerable groups are a collective of people, how have a higher risk of covid-19 ,doing much more harm than someone not in that collective of people.

MINDMAP

Then I began creating a mindmap, which will show me  all groups that are at high risk of covid-19 doing harm.

[joshmccabe]

NEW PROJECT

Today we were given a task by Big Motive (https://www.bigmotive.com/) Which are a business based in N.Ireland Belfast. That collaborate with progressive teams to create digital products and services that transform organisations and business.

The task they given us is to identify a vulnerable group within the population, research their specific needs and challenges and develop ideas for a new digital service that can support better health advice and care.

The digital service could be:

A website 

An app

etc

This project is very interesting because of The ongoing transformation of public services has highlighted the increasing ‘digital divide’ between Millennials (who possess a high level of digital literacy) and large groups of the population who struggle to access essential services. This problem has been compounded by the restrictions imposed by the Department of Health in response to Covid-19.

[joshmccabe]

Sherlock Holmes prototype

[joshmccabe]

Sherlock Holmes wireframes

After doing the style tile for the project, I began start doing some wireframes on my notebook just so I can get some inspirations after getting an Idea I started sketching more detailed wireframes.

Notebook sketching: 

Detailed sketching:

[joshmccabe]

IXD303

Research: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/joshmccabe/search/ixd303/

Prototype: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/joshmccabe/search/prototype/