Clara
A mental wellness platform built to simplify emotional self-care and connect users with real support
Role
Product Designer
timeline
Sept 2024 – Jan 2025
1 in 5 people struggle with mental health — yet most wellness apps feel more clinical than calming. Clara was my attempt to change that.
The problem
Finding mental health support shouldn't feel like a second job.
When I started exploring therapy options, I hit the same walls most people do — long waitlists, steep costs, and apps that felt cold and overwhelming the moment you opened them. The tools that were supposed to help, often made things harder.
I wasn't alone in this. Talking to others revealed a pattern: people weren't avoiding mental health support because they didn't care. They were avoiding it because the experience of seeking help felt worse than the problem itself.
The real design challenge wasn't building another wellness app. It was building something that felt safe enough to open on your worst day.
What the Research Revealed
I spoke to users, ran surveys, and stress-tested competitor apps. Three things kept coming up, no matter who I talked to.
🧭
Simplicity Wins
People don't abandon wellness apps because they lack features. They leave because the experience feels like work. Every interaction needs to feel effortless.
🎯
One Size Fits Nobody
Generic content kills engagement. Users wanted an app that responded to how they actually felt — not a fixed library of meditations they'd scroll past.
🚪
Lower the Barrier
Cost, scheduling friction, and stigma kept people from professional help. The app needed to lower that barrier and not just acknowledge it exists.
Who We Designed For
Stressed, self-aware, but too busy to act on it. Emily knew she needed help but couldn't find an app that felt right for her. Everything was either too complex, too generic, or too expensive. She just wanted something that understood her without overwhelming her.
28 — Marketing Coordinator, San Francisco
"I don't need 50 features. I need the right three, done well"
Emily Johnson
Stress & Anxiety
Mood Tracking
Needs Simplicity
Ironically, Sofia spent her days supporting others wellbeing at work while quietly burning out herself. Privacy mattered to her. Speed mattered to her. She needed something she could open between meetings and not just a 45-minute guided program.
42 — HR Manager, Sydney
"If it takes more than 2 minutes to feel the benefit, I won't come back"
Sofia Martinez
Burnout
Quick Relief
Needs Privacy
The Decisions That Shaped Clara
Most apps ask you to explore before they understand you. We flipped that. Clara's onboarding isn't a form — it's a conversation. Five simple questions that shape everything the user sees next.
"If the app doesn't feel personal from the first screen, users won't trust it enough to come back for the second."
Lo-Fi Wireframes
Mood question — testing the swipe dial concept before adding any color or motion.
Health goals — validating copy and options before any visual design investment.
Sleep slider — does a vertical scale feel intuitive? Testing structure before styling.
Mood question — Replaced clinical terms with words people actually use. "How are you feeling?" not "Select your mental state."
Sleep slider — emoji scale makes severity instantly legible without reading a label.
Health goals — warm copy, inclusive options, selected state feels encouraging not clinical.
Refined into final design
3 Decisions That Made the Difference
Key Decisions
01
Emotion-first language
Replaced clinical terms with words people actually use. "How are you feeling?" not "Select your mental state."
02
Progress over pages
A visible "2 of 5" counter made the assessment feel finite — reducing drop-off at the most critical moment.
03
Answers shape the home
Every onboarding question directly influences the homescreen. The app earns trust by remembering what you told it.
Online Therapy
Professional help, one tap away
Book, reschedule and join sessions without leaving the app.
Mood Check-in
A check-in that feels human
A swipeable dial instead of a dropdown — emotional, tactile, and fast.
Calming Playlist
Sound as self-care
Curated audio for the moments between therapy and daily life.
Home Screen
Your day, personalised from minute one
The homescreen reflects what users told us in onboarding — their mood, their goals, their pace. No two users see the same home.
Four moments that define the Clara experience — each screen solving a specific user need identified in research.
Final Design
View PrototypeWhat We Learned
Did It Work?
Testing Clara with real users gave us honest answers — what landed, what didn't, and what comes next.
100%
Onboarding Completion
Every tester completed all 5 steps
4.4/5
Ease of Use Rating
Across all usability test participants
<30s
To Feel Oriented
Users found their way within 30 sec
What Worked
Simplicity was felt immediately
Users described the interface as "calming" and "easy to navigate" within the first 30 seconds. Design intent translated directly into experience.
🧘♂️
Assessment felt personal, not clinical
Every tester completed the full 5-step onboarding with zero drop-off by validating the conversational approach over a traditional form.
🎯
Therapy access felt approachable
Users who previously found therapy intimidating said the booking flow felt "low pressure" and "like talking to a friend."
💬
What We'd Improve
Onboarding needs clearer signposting
First-time users wanted more guidance on what each feature does. A short tooltip layer on first launch would significantly reduce confusion.
🗺️
Mood tracking needs more nuance
Every tester completed the full 5-step onboarding with zero drop-off by validating the conversational approach over a traditional form.
📊
Reminders felt passive
Users wanted smarter nudges — notifications that respond to their mood history rather than fixed daily reminders.
🔔
If Clara were to evolve...
What's Next
01
AI-driven meditation
Recommend sessions based on mood history and emotional patterns — not a fixed library.
02
Gamified consistency
Badges and streaks for mood tracking, meditation and therapy attendance to build lasting habits.
03
Advanced mood analytics
Deeper insights into emotional patterns over time — helping users understand their triggers before they hit.
That's a wrap on Clara
Whether you want the full story... or Just want to say Hello
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