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BeyondWords: An Art Therapy App for Mental Health
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How might we make art therapy a more accessible alternative for those who struggle with traditional talk therapy?
Problem:
Traditional talk therapy isn’t for everyone.
Many people facing anxiety or emotional overload struggle to put their experience into words. While art therapy offers an alternative, it's often hard to access—and even harder to replicate in digital form.
Goal:
Make emotional expression easier and more accessible.
Design a mobile app that guides users through creative self-reflection using mood-based prompts and simple instructions in a private, nonjudgmental space.
Competitive Analysis & User Research of
Digital Art Therapy for Emotional Support
We analyzed leading art therapy and wellness apps and identified opportunities to improve experience clarity while balancing structured guidance with creative freedom.
To gain deeper insights, we conducted five user interviews with individuals who regularly use wellness or self-expression tools, including those experiencing stress, attention challenges, or creative blocks, as well as therapists who support them.
Key needs that emerged included:
- Guided yet flexible prompts
- Quick and engaging activities
- Support for personalized experiences
Users value calming designs and tools that lower barriers to emotional expression without requiring artistic skill.
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Interviewees and experts revealed a need for support that’s flexible, expressive, and nonjudgmental—especially in emotionally intense or busy moments.
- Users often struggle to verbalize their feelings and seek non-verbal ways to process them, like drawing or engaging with sensory experiences.
- Short, structured activities fit into daily life, but users also want the freedom to explore their creativity at their own pace.
- Users responded positively to simple layouts and clear navigation that reduce overwhelm and support emotional clarity.
- Therapists highlighted the need for both guided and open-ended experiences to support a wide range of users and emotional states.
- Soft color palettes, organic shapes, and imagery helped create a calm, welcoming atmosphere that encouraged users to engage more deeply.
Establishing a Calm, Navigable Foundation
The initial wireframes laid the groundwork for a supportive user journey by focusing on three key flows:
- Mood Check-In : A quick, intuitive entry point for users to reflect on their emotional state.
- Activity Selection: Structured choices that balance guidance with creative freedom.
- Personal Gallery: A private, evolving space for users to revisit their emotional journey.
Refining for Emotional Support and Usability
Building on the initial structure, the final wireframes focused on reducing cognitive load while providing meaningful, user-centered experiences. Key refinements included:
- Daily activities tailored to needs: users can select from four main categories: Release, Flow, Reclaim, and Ground, helping them engage in a way that fits their current state.
- Clear, approachable instructions: each activity has straightforward guidance and an optional reflection question that asks how they felt and where in the body, offering unique insight into their experience.
- Community sharing: users can view and share artwork and reflections, fostering connection and emotional support.
These design choices work together to create a therapeutic, intuitive, and personalized experience that sets the app apart.
Results:
- 80% of users completed more than one art prompt in their first session, indicating strong initial engagement.
- 75% said they would recommend BeyondWords to friends dealing with stress or anxiety.
- 70% of testers reported feeling calmer or emotionally clearer after using the app.
Key Insight:
Guided creative activities, optional reflection, and community sharing let users explore emotions and access a form of healing beyond traditional talk therapy.
