Website Design
Whimser
CBT-based approach to help you understand your emotions better and root out cognitive distortions.
Whimser was created by tech industry professionals as a way of dealing with burnout. Research found that other mental health tools encourage mindfulness without defining a path forward. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), however, has proven to be productive and positive. CBT is solutions-oriented and science-backed—and it’s at the heart of Whimser. Acting as a UX Consultant I lead all initiatives pertaining to Product Design including research, strategy, and design for website and mobile application.
Mobile MVP is currently under NDA.
Research:
The large majority of people interviewed were using mental health apps focused on mindfulness. Calm and Headspace were the most frequently mentioned apps by the participants. Despite Calm’s popularity, users found their paywalls to be highly restrictive and found celebrity content to be trivial. Headspace was viewed more positively as a tool to learn mindfulness but was not seen as a reliable therapy tool outside of day to day stress.
Interview participants noted the desire for science based therapy methods from certified professionals.
Competitive Analysts:
Websites for similar applications are focused on lifestyle, offering “nice words” and “happy pictures” rather than focusing on the impact of using the product and the reasoning behind why it’s an effective tool for combating negative mental health. Although competing websites provide a positive outlook, they lose legitimacy by not showing the scientific principles behind their claims.
The website for Whimser is heavily focused on CBT-backed research and offers the answer to why this is an effective therapy technique and how it can impact a person’s mental health.
Branding:
I was provided with early concepts for Whimser’s branding, including colorway and logo. Based on early research I made recommendations to alter initial branding. The logo design showed a fist hitting a thought bubble, representing challenging one’s thoughts. While I found the thought bubble to be an excellent representation of the product, the fist was removed to promote a calm and inviting feeling for users. The typeface, Raleway, was replaced by Baloo Thambi, a rounded typeface that compliments the curves of the logo.
Research showed participants associated the color green with financial companies. A new color pallet was established to provide a more calming atmosphere, with blue being the predominant color featured.
Wireframes:
Stakeholders were interested in a website that was informative but easy to digest for users. The home page was designed to give users a preview of the application and provide a brief explanation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In an effort to increase site traffic through SEO, I encouraged stakeholders to include a “News” page that offers up to date information on Whimser and developments in the field of CBT.
Website Design:
A warm color scheme was implemented across the website’s UI. Large thought bubbles with a blue gradient break up the content and draw the user’s eyes across the page. While the ultimate goal of the website is to encourage users to download the application, the layout and CTA’s encourage learning and further interaction with Whimser.
Final Thoughts:
It was an exciting opportunity to design a website for a mental health startup. Now more than ever, people need tools to bring themselves to a comfortable mental state.
With the MVP under development, website design was limited. Until Whimser has an MVP to conduct user testing, I’d like to expand learning resources beyond the “News” page and include educational materials from certified professionals.