Week 3 —Let the interviews begin
This week we finally got to speak to potential users of our future product!
It hasn’t been easy recruiting individuals to speak with. So far, we’ve spoken to six individuals; including a young professional working in NYC, a college undergraduate, two graduate students, a young mother, and a clinical director at MHA-NYC.
Honest talk
First of all, I’m super grateful that our interviewees have been so open to sharing their experiences and feelings around their own mental health. Many of them hadn’t shared this information with their own close friends, so I’m glad they trust that we’re putting this information to good use.
One of the topics we cover in the interview is the stigma that exists around mental health; and I found it interesting that it does feel more vulnerable to talk about our own mental health compared to our physical health. In line with this, we also noticed a trend that because the stigma exists, people hesitate to reach out for help to avoid being a burden to others.
Coping my own way
Many of our interviewees pointed to a physical manifestation as the sign that they knew they were feeling anxious or stressed. Certain physical environments contributed to these stressful situations; alongside uncertainty over their future in career, school, and relationships. We also noticed a variety of methods people use to get themselves out of stressful and anxious situations; from music therapy, to physical exercise, and self-dialogue (out loud or internal).
In the process of reaching out to recruit interview candidates, we’ve began the process of affinity diagramming- a process where observations taken from interviews are organized to identify emergent themes.
I’m pretty excited for turning these insights into design ideas. Until then- I’m realizing how much more we still have to learn in the large, complex galaxy of mental health.
