Designing Support When It’s Hardest to Ask for Help

Designing Support When It’s Hardest to Ask for Help

Overview

NuMind is a mental health support app that empowers students to manage their emotional well-being through structured self-reflection, real-time encouragement, and insightful progress tracking.

NuMind is a mental health support app that empowers students to manage their emotional well-being through structured self-reflection, real-time encouragement, and insightful progress tracking.

Contribution

UX/UI

Research

Ideation

User flows

Branding

Prototyping

Team

Nancy Zheng,

Sheffield Wong

Nancy Zheng,

Sheffield Wong

Duration

48 hours (designathon)

48 hours (designathon)

Year

2023

2023

The problem

The design challenge

The design challenge

Despite many universities offering a wide range of mental health resources, students continue to struggle.

Despite many universities offering a wide range of mental health resources, students continue to struggle.

We discovered that students weren’t lacking resources, they were lacking clarity, emotional capacity, and trust in the tools available to them. And when emotional overwhelm hits, even opening an app or filtering through support options can feel like too much.

We discovered that students weren’t lacking resources, they were lacking clarity, emotional capacity, and trust in the tools available to them. And when emotional overwhelm hits, even opening an app or filtering through support options can feel like too much.

“I know my school has support. But I don’t know what’s right for me or if I even have the energy to try.”

- Student

So we asked:

So we asked:

How might we leverage technology to promote mental health awareness and provide accessible support for students in need?

How might we leverage technology to promote mental health awareness and provide accessible support for students in need?

The solution

NuMind: Progress made with every word

A self-realization resource converting negative thoughts into a nurturing positive mindset.

Daily guided reflections

Gain emotional clarity through structured, CBT-based journaling

The daily check-in guides users through a 5-step flow to untangle emotional patterns:

1

Emotion Selection – Choose your current emotional state

2

Describe the Feeling – Briefly journal what triggered that emotion

3

Context Breakdown – Reflect on who, what, and where contributed to the feeling

4

Deeper Exploration – Guided question to dig further into the “why”

5

Insight Generation – Users receive a takeaway or realization from their entry

Real-time support via chatbot

Engage in meaningful, supportive conversation whenever it’s needed

  • The Mini-Me chatbot acts like a calm, wiser version of yourself. It provides:

  • Provides immediate encouragement and support anytime

  • Guides users through exercises to reframe negative thoughts

  • Contextual suggestions for verified school resources

Mood tracking & progress insights

Monitor emotional trends and track growth over time

  • Tracks streaks, total check-ins, and average mood

  • Allows users to view previous journal entries

  • Offers visual progress summaries to motivate consistency

The solution

NuMind: Progress made with every word

A self-realization resource converting negative thoughts into a nurturing positive mindset.

Daily guided reflections

Gain emotional clarity through structured, CBT-based journaling

The daily check-in guides users through a 5-step flow to untangle emotional patterns:

1

Emotion Selection – Choose your current emotional state

2

Describe the Feeling – Briefly journal what triggered that emotion

3

Context Breakdown – Reflect on who, what, and where contributed to the feeling

4

Deeper Exploration – Guided question to dig further into the “why”

5

Insight Generation – Users receive a takeaway or realization from their entry

Real-time support via chatbot

Engage in meaningful, supportive conversation whenever it’s needed

  • The Mini-Me chatbot acts like a calm, wiser version of yourself. It provides:

  • Provides immediate encouragement and support anytime

  • Guides users through exercises to reframe negative thoughts

  • Contextual suggestions for verified school resources

Mood tracking & progress insights

Monitor emotional trends and track growth over time

  • Tracks streaks, total check-ins, and average mood

  • Allows users to view previous journal entries

  • Offers visual progress summaries to motivate consistency

Research findings

Students struggle to access help, even when resources exist

Students struggle to access help, even when resources exist

We conducted 11 surveys and 2 interviews with university students to understand their mental health challenges and their experiences with school-provided support.

We conducted 11 surveys and 2 interviews with university students to understand their mental health challenges and their experiences with school-provided support.

11 surveys

2 interviews

Pain points we heard

“Procrastination stresses me out. I feel smaller and smaller the longer I wait.”

- Student

“I don’t know what resources are actually helpful.”

- Student

“I’d rather talk to a friend — but I don’t want to feel like a burden.”

- Student

Four recurring stress themes stood out:

Four recurring stress themes stood out:

Academic stressors

Career uncertainty

Relationship dynamics

Time management

While time management frequently came up as a stressor, we quickly uncovered a deeper issue. The real problem wasn’t a lack of support, it was that support felt irrelevant, overwhelming, or invisible.

While time management frequently came up as a stressor, we quickly uncovered a deeper issue. The real problem wasn’t a lack of support, it was that support felt irrelevant, overwhelming, or invisible.

So we reframed the problem:

So we reframed the problem:

Why are students’ mental health still suffering despite having access to school resources?

Why are students’ mental health still suffering despite having access to school resources?

Our second round of research helped us dig into why students avoid these tools:

Our second round of research helped us dig into why students avoid these tools:

  • Resources felt too generalized

  • Students lacked clarity on which tool was right for them

  • Support wasn’t emotionally accessible during high-stress moments

  • Many resources lacked transparency or professional validation

  • Resources felt too generalized

  • Students lacked clarity on which tool was right for them

  • Support wasn’t emotionally accessible during high-stress moments

  • Many resources lacked transparency or professional validation

Even high-quality support can go unused if it feels distant, impersonal, or hard to access in the moment it's needed most.

Even high-quality support can go unused if it feels distant, impersonal, or hard to access in the moment it's needed most.

Target audience

Finding out more about who we’re designing for and their behaviours

Finding out more about who we’re designing for and their behaviours

We identified the main characteristics and needs of our target audience that we wanted to reflect in our design through the use of a persona, empathy mapping, and categorizing pain and gain points.

We identified the main characteristics and needs of our target audience that we wanted to reflect in our design through the use of a persona, empathy mapping, and categorizing pain and gain points.

Analysis

Key takeaways based on users’ pain points

Key takeaways based on users’ pain points

1

Students struggle to process their emotions and want to feel more in control

Students struggle to process their emotions and want to feel more in control

2

Students don’t know what resources are available and suitable for them

Students don’t know what resources are available and suitable for them

3

Existing resources seem pointless due to them being vague and generalized

Existing resources seem pointless due to them being vague and generalized

Defining the problem to focus on the struggles of the user:

Defining the problem to focus on the struggles of the user:

1

Students try to keep their mental health in check by finding a readily available mental health resource that’s right for them, but there’s a lack of confidence in the suitability and benefit of each, ultimately leading them to avoid using resources unless it’s their last resort.

Students try to keep their mental health in check by finding a readily available mental health resource that’s right for them, but there’s a lack of confidence in the suitability and benefit of each, ultimately leading them to avoid using resources unless it’s their last resort.

2

3

Ideation

Approaching a solution based on pain points

Approaching a solution based on pain points

We envisioned a space that’s:

We envisioned a space that’s:

  • Conversational (like talking to yourself when you're calm)

  • Private, reflective, anonymous

  • Action-oriented without pressure

Solving pain point #1

Students struggle to process their emotions and want to feel more in control

Students struggle to process their emotions and want to feel more in control

Reflection questions

Users can express themselves authentically anonymously and privately

Users can express themselves authentically anonymously and privately

Chat With Chatbot

Log My Feelings

Welcome back Zoe!

Today

Recommended resources

Don’t forget to log your feelings

9:41

SOS

SOS button

Provides immediate access to essential resources and support services

Provides immediate access to essential resources and support services

9:41

SOS

choose your mini me

Next

Mini-me avatar

Visual metaphor to serve as a mirror to explore their inner thoughts and emotions

Visual metaphor to serve as a mirror to explore their inner thoughts and emotions

Solving pain point #2

Students don’t know what resources are available and suitable for them

Chatbot prompts

  • Guides students through reflection

  • Walks with you through activities, so you’re not alone

  • Suggests personalized support based on how you’re feeling

Solving pain point #3

Existing resources seem pointless due to them being vague and generalized

Existing resources seem pointless due to them being vague and generalized

Relevant resources

  • Only shows resources reviewed by licensed professionals

  • Pulls directly from the student’s school, so it feels trustworthy

UI design

Design system & style guide

Design system & style guide

NuMind

Designs and flows

The final product

Onboarding and setting up Mini-Me

nuMind

Progress Made with Every Word

Get started

Next

9:41

SOS

choose your mini me

Filling out reflection questions

Chatting with Mini-Me Chatbot

Tracking progress and editing settings

Reflection

If I had more time...

If I had more time...

More user feedback

With just 48 hours, we couldn't fully test or iterate. I would’ve gone back to validate assumptions, refine the flow, and make sure the experience met real student needs.

With just 48 hours, we couldn't fully test or iterate. I would’ve gone back to validate assumptions, refine the flow, and make sure the experience met real student needs.

Community engagement

Not all students want to reflect alone. I’d explore ways for users to connect even anonymously to share thoughts or support. It would make the app more inclusive.

Not all students want to reflect alone. I’d explore ways for users to connect even anonymously to share thoughts or support. It would make the app more inclusive.

Deeper progress insights

We built monthly summaries, but I’d expand this to show long-term trends and emotional milestones. Seeing growth over time can help users stay motivated.

We built monthly summaries, but I’d expand this to show long-term trends and emotional milestones. Seeing growth over time can help users stay motivated.

What did I learn?

Take risks

Take risks

We shifted focus from time management to accessibility. It felt risky mid-way, but following the data made the solution more relevant and effective.

We shifted focus from time management to accessibility. It felt risky mid-way, but following the data made the solution more relevant and effective.

Take breaks

After hours of hitting a wall, we took a short break and came back with one of our best ideas. Pausing helped us reset and think clearly.

After hours of hitting a wall, we took a short break and came back with one of our best ideas. Pausing helped us reset and think clearly.

Stay curious

Asking better questions helped us see the real problems. Instead of assuming, we stayed close to what students actually needed and designed from there.

Asking better questions helped us see the real problems. Instead of assuming, we stayed close to what students actually needed and designed from there.

Result

Winner winner chicken dinner

Winner winner chicken dinner

nancyzheng.

Made with a stash of Sour Patch Kids and an over heating laptop

Made with a stash of Sour Patch Kids and an over heating laptop

@2025 Portfolio by Nancy Zheng

@2025 Portfolio by Nancy Zheng