Priya Singh
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Pause – A Mental Health Companion for Hustle Culture
<p id="isPasted"><strong>The Idea Behind It</strong></p><p><br></p><p>We live in a world that romanticizes hustle — back-to-back meetings, inbox zero, always-on culture. But somewhere between Google Calendar reminders and Slack pings, burnout creeps in. And for people like Rhea, a 26-year-old product manager at a startup, it hits hard. She doesn’t have the time — or mental bandwidth — to sit through a 30-minute therapy session on her phone. She just needs a moment. Something light, stigma-free, and beautifully simple.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>That’s where Pause comes in.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>The Problem:</strong></p><p>There’s no shortage of mental health apps. But most of them feel clinical, overly structured, or too intense for someone who’s just looking to check in with themselves. High-achieving professionals often delay reflection until it’s too late — mainly because the tools out there are either too heavy or not designed with their lifestyle in mind.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>User Persona:</strong></p><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li>Rhea, 26, works in product</li><li>Smart, organized, but stretched thin</li><li>She's emotionally aware but not in a dramatic way</li><li>Wants something that fits into her 5-minute coffee break, not a 5-week course</li><li>She hates mental health content that feels like self-help propaganda</li></ul></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Design Philosophy</strong></p><p>The core principle was lightness — not just in weight, but in emotional feel. The design had to be:</p><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li> Subtle but expressive</li><li> Friendly, not preachy</li><li> Fast, non-distracting, and easy to return to daily</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Design Decisions</strong></p><p>✳️ Components</p><ul style="list-style-type: circle;"><li>Mood Selector: A central ring that responds visually to touch — the more intense the emotion, the stronger the hue shift</li><li>Journaling Cards: Pre-loaded prompts like “What gave you energy today?” — designed to reduce the pressure of a blank page</li><li>Breathing Timer: A soft-loop animation with optional vibration to guide mindful breathing in 60 seconds</li><li>Streak Tracker: Visualized as orbit lines, where each “planet” represents a day you checked in</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Fonts</strong></p><p>Satoshi: Clean, modern, neutral — used for UI clarity</p><p>Playfair Display: Added just enough human warmth for headers and affirmations</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Colors</strong></p><p>Calm backgrounds: Pale beige, misty blue, and desaturated green</p><p>Gradients that reflect your current mood — warmer tones for joy, cooler for calm, muted for sadness</p><p>No bright reds, no harsh contrast — nothing that spikes cortisol</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Wireframes & Flow</strong></p><p>Home Screen: Center ring (mood input) → Prompt appears based on mood → Option to journal or skip</p><p>History: A space-like layout — your reflections orbit around a center point, giving a visual sense of emotional rhythm</p><p>Settings: Lets you choose preferred check-in time and enable voice-to-text or quiet mode</p><p><strong><br></strong></p><p><strong>✨ Final Touches That Made It Feel Human</strong></p><p>Microinteractions: Tapping the mood ring gives a slight vibration and ripple — not loud, just affirming</p><p>Voice-to-Text Journaling: Perfect for people who reflect better by speaking</p><p>Zen Badges: A soft form of encouragement — you’re not penalized for missing a day, but rewarded when you show up for yourself</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Outcome & Reflection</strong></p><p>Pause isn’t trying to be your therapist. It’s that quiet friend who just asks, “How are you, really?” once a day and then listens without judgment.</p><p>It was designed to fit into your day like brushing your teeth — effortless, daily, and grounding.</p><p><br></p><p>This project taught me that design for mental health isn’t about features — it’s about feelings. And if people leave the app feeling just 1% lighter than when they opened it, I’d call that a win.</p>
