Designing a mental wellness app for job seekers — A UX/UI case study

Overview of our mental wellness app concept.

Project Overview

This case study showcases my fourth project at the Ironhack bootcamp, which turned out to be the most comprehensive and challenging one so far. Our mission? Design a health-related app as part of a competition launched by The Daily Health Conference, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting wellness worldwide (while also aiming to grow its membership base).

Together with Stéphane, my UX/UI teammate, we decided to tackle a topic that resonated with us: mental health support for job seekers and career changers. This issue affects a large number of people and can have serious psychological consequences, making it a crucial area to address.

This project pushed us beyond the fundamentals. In addition to delivering a high-fidelity prototype, we incorporated additional steps into our Design Thinking process, such as UX Strategy and Empathy Mapping.

On a personal level, I had to adapt to working with a new teammate while also gaining insights into the reflexes I’ve developed over the past six weeks — and identifying areas for further improvement.

This case study is a deep dive into that experience.

Duration: 2 weeks
Team: 2 UX/UI Designers
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Zoom, Notion
Methodology: Design Thinking

Empathy

UX Strategy

Our first step was to establish a clear UX Research Strategy — a completely new experience for me. We used the Lean UX Canvas to structure our approach, defining business problems, user needs, and hypotheses.
I found the hypothesis section particularly challenging, as formulating precise and testable assumptions without being too broad wasn’t easy. However, this step helped us refine our concept and gave more structure to a phase I usually find less engaging.

Market Research

Next, we conducted market research. We knew our topic affected many people and was a major source of stress. However, I hadn’t realized the full extent of its psychological and health-related impact. Some key insights we discovered:

• 53% of job seekers experience a loss of identity.
• 53% report increased anxiety and depression. (Source: Fuze HR)
• 19% of those unemployed for over a year undergo mental health treatment. (Source: Banyan Treatment Center)

Seeing these numbers firsthand reinforced how real and urgent this problem is.

Quantitative Research (Survey)

To gain fresh insights, we designed a survey targeting job seekers and career changers. However, despite sharing it within our network, we only received 23 responses — far from what we had hoped for. This was frustrating, but also a learning experience in anticipating survey distribution challenges.

Still, the results highlighted key struggles:

• 75% cited financial stress as their biggest challenge.
• 75% struggled with motivation and self-confidence.
• 67% found emotional support (friends, family) most helpful in managing stress.

To improve for next time, Stéphane and I joined dedicated online groups to reach a wider audience.

Qualitative Research (User Interviews)

Crafting neutral and balanced interview questions was harder than expected — I noticed that my previous research was influencing how I framed them. To counter this, we balanced negative questions (What daily challenges do you face?) with positive ones (What does a great outcome look like for you?).

We conducted eight interviews, and I absolutely loved this part of the process. I often took on the observer role, and I was truly grateful for the openness of our participants. Hearing their personal stories firsthand made the issue feel much more real and human — something statistics alone could never capture.

Empathy Map & Affinity Diagram

Creating my first Empathy Map was an interesting experience. Since we had just finished the interviews, everything felt fresh and intuitive, making it easier to step into our users’ shoes.

For the Affinity Diagram, I was now familiar with the process from previous projects. The most recurring themes were:

• Uncertainty
• Support
• Financial Stress

User Persona & User Journey Map

At first, I focused too much on Leana’s current situation — being laid off and job searching. I realized a strong persona needs to reflect who she is beyond her struggles. Every detail had to be intentional, like her passion for piano, which gave insight into her personality rather than being random.

For the User Journey Map, we mapped a key frustration: applying for jobs and receiving no responses. (pictured bellow) I initially overlooked the importance of a timeline, but adding specific moments made her journey feel more real and helped us pinpoint where our solution could truly help.

User journey map to identify friction points

Define

Problem Statement

We crafted two problem statements — one from the user’s perspective and one from the stakeholder’s perspective.

For users, we needed to be specific — not just “job seekers,” but “recently laid-off individuals in their 30s living in Western countries.” Our statement:

Recently laid-off individuals in their 30s, living in Western countries, need a way to stay confident and feel supported because they currently rely only on themselves or friends/family for daily motivation in their job search.

For stakeholders, I initially misled Stéphane by focusing on our product rather than their existing one. We corrected this and framed it around The Daily Health Conference’s mission:

The Daily Health Conference was created to promote health and wellness. However, its current offering does not meet users’ emotional support needs or align with their digital habits, leading to low engagement and retention.

Ideate

Crazy 8’s

We used the Crazy 8’s method, sketching one idea per minute for 8 minutes. For the first time, I felt genuinely inspired — my 8 squares were filled before the timer even stopped!

We then prioritized our ideas using the MoSCoW Method (Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, Won’t-have). It was frustrating to let go of some ideas, but I realized it was better to focus on essentials and save extras for future iterations.

Our must-haves:

• A community channel for emotional support.
• Relaxation activities like meditation.
• Personalized routines to maintain motivation.
• Reminders to keep users engaged and prevent isolation.

We also created our first MVP Statement:

At the bare minimum, our product will provide a supportive community where unemployed individuals can connect, share experiences, and encourage each other.

I noticed that having a clear MVP statement kept us focused and prevented us from overcomplicating the user flow.

User Flow & Sitemap

With so many ideas, defining a cohesive user flow was tough. I kept asking myself: “How will testers navigate this? What tasks will they complete? Will they get lost?”

We decided to focus on a key emotional moment:

1. The user feels alone before a job interview and opens the app for support.
2. They enter a discussion channel.
3. They read a post recommending meditation.
4. They try the suggested meditation.
5. They like it and add it to their routine.

This step was challenging, so we took a break and revisited it the next day with fresh perspectives. I learned that stepping back can lead to better decisions.

Once the user flow was clear, creating the sitemap became much easier. It provided a structured overview, improving collaboration between Stéphane and me.

Prototype

Methodology

For the lo-fi prototype, defining the pages was easy since our user flow had already mapped out the structure. We tested the 8-page lo-fi prototype without interactions, presenting it verbally to 5 testers. Stéphane and I alternated roles — one observing, the other conducting the interview.

Working with someone else on Figma was a challenge for me — I love design and struggle with delegating. But we found an efficient process: we each designed two pages, compared, aligned on style, and then split the rest. I focused on the Home Page, Meditations, and Pop-ups, while Stéphane handled the Community and Profile pages.

For the mid-fi, we prioritized interactions and integrated user feedback. After usability testing, we refined our design and moved on to branding. We built a mood board based on our values of support, motivation, and relaxation, choosing calming yet motivating orange tones and gradients. Finally, we made adjustments based on feedback, and the design evolved as follows:

Home Page

Our homepage provides access to app features and a personalized routine. During concept testing, users suggested reordering sections — placing the routine first made more sense, as it helps users start their journey before exploring other features.

During usability testing, users were initially drawn to “Journaling” instead of the “Community” feature they were instructed to test. This was due to how the UI visually emphasized their current task within the routine. We adjusted this in the hi-fi version.

Iterating on the homepage — from basic wireframe to polished UI.

Community Pages

We debated the header design, ensuring users could easily navigate back and understand where they were within the three community levels:

1. Global Community (list of topics)
2. Topic Page (list of posts)
3. Post Page (with meditation suggestions)

We received positive feedback, particularly about the emotional support aspect of this feature.

Enhancing the community experience step by step.

Meditation Pages

Our first meditation page design was quite basic. After researching competitors, I added a mood tracker to customize session recommendations based on how users feel. This received great feedback.

From lo-fi to mid-fi, testers suggested adding a timer and allowing users to choose their instructor, which we implemented.

Designing a seamless meditation experience.

Add to Routine Pop-up

Initially, clicking “Add to Routine” opened a pop-up and switched the background to the Profile page, creating a poor user experience. Testers pointed this out, so we refined it for the hi-fi version.

Now, users stay within the session, and pop-ups allow quick interactions without disrupting their focus. The Profile page transition happens only when users click “View Routine,” improving flow consistency and making the feature more seamless.

I also improved my Figma skills, especially with clickable buttons and component organization. I built a component library, which streamlined updates and maintained consistency. Based on usability feedback, I simplified the day selection to avoid overwhelming users, making the interface cleaner. Seeing this progression gave me a big confidence boost!

Fine-tuning the “Add to Routine” feature for better usability.

You can click on this link to view the hi-fi prototype.

Key Learnings

This project was an insightful challenge. From dealing with limited survey responses to sensitive interview topics, I learned to adapt and refine our approach.

One of my biggest takeaways was collaborative design. Working with Stéphane made me realize how crucial flexibility is — I tend to have a clear vision and push for it, but balancing that with open-mindedness is key. Aligning our styles wasn’t always easy, but it taught me to embrace different perspectives.

Beyond teamwork, I sharpened my Figma expertise, strengthened my UX research approach, and gained a deeper appreciation for iterative design.

The next steps? A desirability test, more refinements, and exploring gamification features and podcast integrations to further enhance engagement.

Conclusion

This project helped me deepen my skills and develop stronger design reflexes. I now fully grasp the bootcamp’s method of constant practice through new projects — each experience reinforces key concepts and builds confidence.

One thing is certain: I’ll never get bored in this field. While the methodology remains consistent, each project brings new challenges and surprises. This continuous learning process is exactly what I love about UX/UI design.

Thank you for reading!