Mood Tracking App

Challenge

Evaluate the Moodlytics mobile app, which aims to help those in need of self-service emotional tracking and treatment because it seems to be falling short of user expectations and long lasting results.

350

million people of all ages suffer from depression.

 

75%

of depressed patients report barriers to receiving psychological care.

 

74%

is the dropout rate of standalone intervention for depression.

User Research

Methods used:
Heuristic evaluation and usability testing

Tools used:
Google Forms, A-Z Screen Recorder, Adobe Experience Design (XD)

Moodlytics app

We conducted an in depth heuristic evaluation of the current product, Moodlytics. This evaluation led us to the following preliminary findings:

  • Balance upselling vs. overall user experience

  • Display mood analytics on the homepage

  • Keep navigation consistent

  • Reorganize moods and add color coding

We also conducted 4 usability tests with 5 tasks, and our primary findings were:

  • Aesthetics are outdated and childish

  • Lack of guidance and tips makes the experience confusing

  • The major functions of the application are easy to navigate

  • Ease of use is neither particularly difficult nor easy

Research insight

We believed adoption of this application had been low because of one particularly severe usability issue.

Moodlytics primary feature to “Select a Mood" lists over 40 different moods in no particular order, which led participants to give up before ever finding the most applicable mood.

Prototyping and Testing

Methods used:
Prototyping and AB testing

Tools used:
A-Z Screen Recorder and Adobe XD

We created an updated mobile application in Adobe XD and conducted a comparison study of 40 participants. This study evaluated how quickly it took participants to select a mood in the original app versus the prototype.

The t-test we used to analyze the study's data found a statistically significant difference between the two apps. Participants who used the prototype application took almost half as much time to select a mood than participants who used the original application.

 
 

Conclusion

This research sought to address a common illness in our society. While treatment for depression is available, doctors can only assess their patients while they’re together. A mood tracking application could help patients take control of tracking their progress between appointments.

The prototype we created would simplify how users can log their mood and provide more comprehensive trend data directly on the homepage, thus removing barriers from obtaining the help and support they need.

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