Koko’s Facelift
In a few weeks, the Koko iOS app will automatically update to a new version. Though the core idea will remain the same, the visual presentation and overall user experience will be dramatically different.This version will build upon our recent efforts to adapt Koko for messaging services.
We have been resisting this change for almost a year, for mostly sentimental reasons, but we can’t hold off any longer. This is a bittersweet moment for us at Koko. It’s likely one that might frustrate a lot of you. I am especially fond of the current iOS app, so this is pretty tough for me as well.
Though we now have Koko running on many platforms (including Facebook and Twitter), the iOS app remains my favorite and I’ll be very, very sad to see it go. Our entire team slaved over every detail, every pixel, every interaction. We had thousands of conversations with the Koko community about every nuance of the app and we did hundreds and hundreds of in-person tests. We sweated blood over this thing.
Here’s my reframe: Yes, all of this work went into the app you know now, the app that will change dramatically in a few weeks. But it also helped inform the core idea (a community of people, all helping each other find hope and optimism). This is something that won’t change in the least. Our hope is that the new version will lead to rapid, dramatic improvements, things we couldn’t possibly do on the current iOS app.
The core mission that we’ve all been sculpting over the past six years (yes, the first prototype came out in 2011!) is something that will continue to improve.
Here are three main reasons for the new update:
Safety: Users come to our app for various reasons. Some just want new ways to manage daily life hassles and stressors. Some, like me, have recurrent depression and use the app as yet another tool to help reduce the severity and frequency of depressive episodes. But others come to us at the point of crisis. These individuals can benefit from our app, but they also need life lines and additional services. With our new messenger platform, we have an incredibly rich crisis referral and triage system. We believe we have one of the highest (if not the highest) rates of crisis utilization of any platform on the internet.
Here’s a video illustrating how this works:
This kind of interaction can’t be done on the current iOS app and it’s one of the main reasons for our upcoming transition.
Rapid Improvement: We still have lots to iron out with the new, messenger version of the app. But the speed of innovation will be far faster than anything we could have achieved on the current iOS app. Before, we used to spend weeks or even months of development time before we could release an update of any kind. We had to build mockups, get feedback from designers and community members, and conduct usability tests, only to wait another few weeks for the Apple store to approve our latest changes. With the new version, we can ship new changes in a matter of minutes. This will help us make something really incredible. I can’t overstate how valuable this is.
Community: Many of you who’ve tried the new app have pointed out its relative lack of a ‘community’ feel. Yes, we have lots to do here, but again I’m confident the new platform will help us make huge strides in this area. We already have a program in place that rewards active contributors and long-time users. We also are exploring fun ways to surface special powers and features for long time users (that likely means you, if you’re reading this). You’ll be awarded secret codes and passwords to unlock new features of the app. It’s a bit like the secret menu at In-N-Out Burger. But we still need more ways to connect people to each other. For this, we’d love suggestions. It’s something we’ll continue to work on over time.
Clinical Efficacy: Historically, we’ve focused on transdiagnostic techniques for well-being; that is, we’ve focused on concepts that apply broadly to multiple conditions and severity levels (from everyday stress to paralyzing anxiety). Rethinking stressful situations, for example, is a skill that everyone can use. With the new app version, however, we’ll be able to offer more specialized services, as needed, through many partners. We hope to create a rich web of tools and services that can be easily accessed and surfaced as needed.
As an analogy, services like Google Maps now offer ways to call an Uber or Lyft, right within the maps app. Related services are all seamlessly integrated. You don’t have to download separate apps. With the new app version, we’re working on a similar approach. We’re creating a web for well-being. If, for example, you reveal yourself to be struggling with an eating disorder, we can refer you to more specialized (and free!) services. We do this now with our friends at Crisis Text Line and Recovery Record.
If any of you have questions about this, please send me a message on Twitter, or email me directly.
