MindPeace — Designing for Warm Precision: A Mental Health Platform · Nicole Di Nardo | Product Designer
Mental Health · Dual User Type · Lead Product Designer

MindPeace —
Designing for Warm Precision: A Mental Health Platform

Mental health care has a continuity problem. Patients see a therapist for 50 minutes a week and then go silent. MindPeace was designed to fill that gap — connecting patients and clinicians through structured mood tracking, clinical assessments, and between-session communication.

Role
Lead UI/UX Designer
Company
Case Study
Year
2024
Platform
iOS & Android

Warm precision as
design principle

MindPeace connects patients and clinicians through three core modules designed in Figma with a full design system: structured mood and wellbeing tracking (maximum 4 questions per daily check-in to prevent abandonment), a clinician-administered test and assessment library, and a direct messaging channel for between-session contact.

The visual system had to work across both audiences simultaneously. The brand palette — deep purple paired with warm orange — was chosen deliberately: purple communicates clinical credibility and expertise; orange communicates warmth and human energy.

Key screens: Onboarding · Home (patient) · Daily check-in · Assessment flow · Results view · Clinician dashboard · Flagged patients view · Messaging · Session history · Data transparency screen

Designed for
two users

Sara M.
Patient · 28 · Anxiety disorder
Goals
  • Track mood without it feeling clinical
  • Contact therapist between sessions when needed
  • Understand her own patterns over time
Pain Points
  • Daily check-ins feel like homework if they take too long
  • Clinical language makes her feel like a case, not a person
  • Worried about who can see her data
Dr. Ivan P.
Clinical Psychologist · Clinician User
Goals
  • Review patient progress efficiently before sessions
  • Identify patients who need urgent attention without reviewing every record
  • Export session data for clinical records
Pain Points
  • Switching between tools to find patient data
  • Patients who don't complete check-ins between sessions
  • Consumer apps that clinicians don't trust clinically

Research
findings

Finding / Insight Design Response
Daily check-in abandonment is highest when it takes more than 30 seconds Maximum 4 questions per daily check-in. Full validated scales (PHQ-9, GAD-7) used for periodic formal assessments only.
Clinicians distrust platforms showing 'wellness scores' without transparent methodology Raw data views provided alongside interpreted scores. Clinicians see underlying responses, not just summaries.
The between-session gap is when patients most need contact but clinicians are unavailable Async messaging channel connects patient and clinician outside appointment scheduling — no booking required.
Onboarding drop-off is highest when apps ask too much upfront Progressive disclosure: collect only what is needed for each step. History collected over time, not at registration.
Mental health data privacy is a primary concern for patient adoption Explicit data transparency screen — patients see exactly what their clinician can see, and when it was shared.

From research
to prototype

Weeks 1–2
Research
• User research (patients + clinicians)
• Competitive audit
• Persona development
Week 3
IA & Flows
• Dual information architecture
• Core user flows & user stories
• Assessment flow logic
Week 4
Visual System
• Colour rationale
• Typography system
• Figma design system & component library
Weeks 5–6
Key Screens
• Patient home + check-in
• Clinician dashboard
• Interaction design (assessment flow)
• Messaging
Week 7
Test & Refine
• Usability testing
• Copy review
• WCAG accessibility audit

Every screen
mapped

Patient-side IA

Screen / State Purpose Key Elements & Decisions
Onboarding Setup and progressive consent Name · Assigned clinician · Condition (optional) · Notification preferences — minimal at registration
Home (Patient) Daily entry point Today's check-in prompt · Mood trend sparkline · Upcoming appointment · Quick message CTA
Daily Check-in 4-question mood capture Validated mood scale · Energy · Sleep · Optional notes · target: < 30 seconds to complete
My Progress Personal trend view Mood over time chart · Symptom frequency · Assessment history · Streak indicator
Assessments Clinician-assigned formal tests Assigned test list · Completion status · Start / Continue / Review states
Assessment Flow Test completion Question-by-question · Progress indicator · Save-and-continue · No skipping
Messages Async clinician communication Thread view · Message input · Read receipts · File attachment option
Data Transparency What clinician can see Explicit list of shared data types · Last-shared timestamps · Privacy controls

Clinician-side IA

Screen / State Purpose Key Elements & Decisions
Dashboard Patient roster with triage view Patient list · Last check-in date · Red flags (missed check-ins, high scores) · Search
Patient Detail Individual patient overview Mood trend · Assessment history · Recent messages · Upcoming appointment
Assign Assessment Test allocation to patient Assessment library · Select patient · Set deadline · Optional instructions
Assessment Results Review completed test results Score · Normative comparison · Individual responses · PDF export option
Messages Communication with patients Thread view organised by patient — same model as patient side

Step-by-step
journeys

Patient — daily check-in (target: under 30 seconds)
App open / notification Home prompt Tap 'Check in today' Q1: Mood Q2: Energy Q3: Sleep Optional notes Submit Home (trend updated)
Patient — completing assigned assessment
Home — assessment badge Assessments tab Tap assigned test Read instructions Q by Q answers Review responses Submit Results screen Shared with clinician
Clinician — reviewing flagged patient
Dashboard — red flag Open patient record Review mood trend View assessment results Read recent messages Send message or note Update patient notes

Every choice
justified

Decision Made Why — Rationale Alternative Rejected
Purple + orange palette (not blue/green wellness) Blue/green is the default mental health palette. Purple = clinical credibility + technology. Orange = warmth + human energy. Strategic, not aesthetic. Blue/green — rejected; blends into the saturated wellness app space; fails to signal clinical credibility
4-question daily maximum Completion rate drops sharply above 4 questions for daily tracking. Full validated scales kept for fortnightly assessments. Full PHQ-9/GAD-7 daily — rejected; 7–9 questions daily is clinically impractical
Flagging system for clinicians Clinicians triage by need, not alphabetically. The system surfaces patients requiring attention without daily review of every profile. Chronological list only — rejected; doesn't match how clinicians prioritise their caseload
Shared thread model for messaging One conversation, not two parallel systems. Reduces the clinical distance that patients find alienating. Separate clinician notes and patient messages — rejected; increases complexity
Data transparency screen for patients Mental health data sharing anxiety is real and documented. Active transparency builds trust that passive privacy policies cannot. Privacy policy link only — rejected; no user reads privacy policies

Results that
matter

MindPeace demonstrates how intentional product design — grounded in user research, information architecture, and interaction design — can serve two audiences with fundamentally different needs in the same product without sacrificing either.

< 30s Daily check-in completion target (based on abandonment threshold research)
4 max Questions per session — full PHQ-9/GAD-7 reserved for periodic assessments
2 Parallel experiences: patient mood tracking + clinician triage dashboard

Screen-level design

High-fidelity screens

Clinician dashboard

Brand system

Colour Palette
Primary
#5D2CA8
Secondary
#F7931E
Neutral
#9E9E9E
Dark
#1A1A1A
Light
#FFFFFF
Positive (Bg)
#4CAF50
Warning (Bg)
#FFC107
Danger (Bg)
#F44336
Typography — DM Sans
Light
ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTU VWXYZ
Regular
ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTU VWXYZ
Medium
ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTU VWXYZ
Semi Bold
ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTU VWXYZ
Bold
ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTU VWXYZ
Iconography — Lucide Icons
home
Home
hub
Network
library_books
Resources
search
Search
event_note
Bookings
person_outline
Profile
Navigation Bar
home hub library_books search event_note person_outline
Border Radius
0px — Tables
8px — Cards
16px — Panels
32px — Nav bar
50% — Avatars
Spacing Scale
8px
12px
16px
24px
32px
48px

Product design case study exploring the dual-user challenge in clinical mental health platforms. Full process from user research, user stories, and information architecture through wireframing, Figma prototyping, and responsive design for mobile and desktop — not implemented in production.

The colour decision taught me that visual identity choices in healthcare products are strategic before they are aesthetic. Blue and green are the default wellness palette — and every app that uses them blends into the same category. Choosing purple (clinical credibility) and orange (human warmth) was a deliberate positioning decision that would have been impossible without first mapping the competitive landscape. I now start every brand-adjacent decision with a competitive colour audit.

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