Overview

Overview

Osmind is a startup that focuses on mental health. Their platform connects TRD (treatment resistant depression) sufferers with healthcare professionals, informational resources, and online community support.

I was recruited to help the company with their overall branding and the UX for their community support tool. 

Because their users deal with really difficult mental health issues, they wanted the brand to feel warm and friendly, but not playful. 

Osmind is a startup that focuses on mental health. Their platform connects TRD (treatment resistant depression) sufferers with healthcare professionals, informational resources, and online community support.

I was recruited to help the company with their overall branding and the UX for their community support tool. 

Because their users deal with really difficult mental health issues, they wanted the brand to feel warm and friendly, but not playful. 

The company requested that I use blue in the color palette, but I wanted to complement the blue with an orange to bring in a feeling of warmth. For typography I chose a round sans serif that would feel friendly and could be easily implemented on their site. Since the client wasn’t big on illustrations, I used positive and calming imagery. 

The company requested that I use blue in the color palette, but I wanted to complement the blue with an orange to bring in a feeling of warmth. For typography I chose a round sans serif that would feel friendly and could be easily implemented on their site. Since the client wasn’t big on illustrations, I used positive and calming imagery. 

The community support tool was still in very early stages, so my first task was to recruit TRD patients that I could interview. We wanted to find out how these patients use online platforms for support, and any pain points or successes they had.

The community support tool was still in very early stages, so my first task was to recruit TRD patients that I could interview. We wanted to find out how these patients use online platforms for support, and any pain points or successes they had.

“[The forums] can get cult-like. Misinformation that just isn't scientifically accurate gets passed around as gospel.”

“You don't really get a chance to talk to people who are living their lives or actively recovering, so it's hard to see a future for yourself or a reflection of yourself.”

There were 2 main things that people said they wanted and weren’t getting from their current online communities:

1. Trustworthy and abundant information that is relevant to them.
2. A place to have conversations that feel relatable, positive, constructive, and inclusive.
   

Because trustworthiness is very important here, moderators would be really key in fact-checking posts and helping mitigate the spread of misinformation. A resources section would also be necessary so that people can look through a vetted database of information, and not rely solely on other users to get answers about their conditions. 

“[The forums] can get cult-like. Misinformation that just isn't scientifically accurate gets passed around as gospel.”

“You don't really get a chance to talk to people who are living their lives or actively recovering, so it's hard to see a future for yourself or a reflection of yourself.”

There were 2 main things that people said they wanted and weren’t getting from their current online communities:

1. Trustworthy and abundant information that is relevant to them.
2. A place to have conversations that feel relatable, positive, constructive, and inclusive.

Because trustworthiness is very important here, moderators would be really key in fact-checking posts and helping mitigate the spread of misinformation. A resources section would also be necessary so that people can look through a vetted database of information, and not rely solely on other users to get answers about their conditions.