Homeroom: Educators and Mental Wellness

Where support and community comes first

Client Name
Homeroom
Tools
Figma
Google Workspace
Team
User Researchers
UX Designers
UI Designers
My Role
User Research
UX Design
Wireframing/Mockup
Visual Design
Usability Testing
Sitemap
Timeline
Overall: 3 Weeks
Discovery & Research: 1 week
Design & Testing: 2 weeks
About

Educators are the foundational leaders of knowledge in our country. Though they deserve to feel celebrated, many are feeling overwhelmed, unappreciated, and burnt out. On top of that, many educators don’t have access to mental health resources and support systems. After a flood of media coverage and personal conversations surrounding the challenges faced by today’s educators, our team felt compelled to help solve some of the issues.

Problem

Teachers are increasingly overwhelmed and burnt out due to numerous responsibilities, including counseling, mentoring, serving as subject matter experts and first responders, in addition to their regular duties. This extra workload takes a toll on teachers, who often struggle to find resources and support to cope.

Solution

We believe that a mobile application that facilitates community building among educators will provide a supportive atmosphere, reduce feelings of loneliness, and ultimately enhance their overall mental health and well-being.

User Research
  • What are the underlying causes of burnout among educators?
  • What is the current availability of mental health resources for educators?
  • What is the connection between educational funding and the mental health of educators?
  • What is the current state of support systems for educators and how do they affect their mental health?
Survey

In our pursuit of understanding the mental health experiences of educators and their current support systems, we created an online survey and distributed to individuals in the profession, received 67 responses.

The results of the survey confirmed our hypothesis, with 95.5% of respondents reporting that their mental health had been negatively impacted by their profession.
46.3% of educators felt they had access to mental health resources, indicating a significant gap in available support for their mental well-being.
User Interview

To gain a more in-depth understanding of the experiences of educators, we conducted 9 user interviews. The findings revealed that many educators felt isolated and overwhelmed, with feelings of intense anxiety and a lack of time for self-care. These insights emphasized the importance of a sense of community among educators as a crucial factor in their support and well-being.

User Testimonials
"Teaching is hard, and there's never an opportunity to process things. I feel like I have no one to talk to, and that can be very isolating!"
- from User Interviewee
"I have developed such bad anxiety, sometimes it feels like I can't breathe!"
- from User Interviewee
"I am a person who needs help and support. I just can't do it all, alone. It's too heavy!"
- from User Interviewee
Affinity Diagram

According to user research, educators reported feeling isolated and overwhelmed, and shared feelings of anxiety.

Having a support system of
colleagues and peers in the field helps educators to manage their stress and feel supported in their role.

The full version of the Affinity Diagram can be accessed by clicking on the button on the side.

Empathy Map

By creating an empathy map, a comprehensive overview of our users and their experiences was obtained. The pain points and challenges faced by educators were identified using this tool, which helped to inform the design process and ensured that their needs were effectively addressed by our solution.

The full version of the Empathy Map can be accessed by clicking on the button on the side.

Competitive Analysis

The research on competitors proved to be more challenging than expected. We analyzed teacher-focused apps, mental wellness apps, and community-building apps.

Our findings indicated a market void as none of the competitors offered a buddy system aimed at enhancing mental health and community among educators.

Hence, we began to conceptualize ideas to address this gap.

Sitemap

The primary objective was to enhance the user experience, which we achieved by developing a sitemap that emphasized the most crucial features. This would enable users to easily navigate the platform and locate the mental health resources they needed.

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

The design process began with Low-Fidelity wireframes, where we placed a strong emphasis on building a user-friendly user experience that highlighted the platform's key functions. As we moved on to more refined designs, we continued to prioritize user experience and usability to create an interface that was both functional and intuitive.

Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

In the mid-fidelity stage of our design process, we made significant adjustments to our wireframes based on user feedback and usability testing. Our primary objective was to create a user flow that was both intuitive and easy to use, with a focus on optimizing the platform's core features.

Usability Testing

As part of our design process, we conducted usability testing on both low and mid-fidelity prototypes to understand how users were interacting with our designs.

Usability testings led to the identification of three main areas of concern:

  • Users expressed a desire for direct interaction with the mood tracker from the homepage.
  • Users requested a simpler method of communicating with newly connected buddies.
  • The busy design was perceived as overwhelming by some users.

Based on user input, three key areas for improvement were identified:

  • The need for more accessible interaction with the mood tracker.
  • Easing the process of messaging new connections.
  • Streamlining the design to reduce visual clutter.

We took the feedback into consideration and used it to create a refined mock-up.

"Message" Button & Padding
Mood Tracker
Key Takeaways
Accessibility
The selection of fonts and colors should be deliberate and carefully considered. They should not only reflect the brand's tone, but also ensure accessibility for all users.
Simplicity
Prioritizing simplicity and minimalism is essential for users with cognitive disabilities who can become easily overwhelmed by the layout of the design.
Predictability
Familiar interfaces are favored by users. Incorporating recognizable symbols into the design reduces the need for users to learn new concepts, making the experience more intuitive.
What I Learned

We initiated this project with the intention of addressing the pressing issue of educators struggling with their mental health due to their work. Our efforts have resulted in valuable lessons and insights that we believe are worth sharing.

We hope to improve the overall well-being of educators through our work. By sharing our findings and learnings, we aim to raise awareness and provide helpful resources for educators struggling with mental health issues. Our ultimate goal is to create a positive impact and help alleviate the stress and strain faced by those who dedicate their lives to shaping the future generation.

Next Steps
01
Perform follow-up user testing to confirm that the design solutions have effectively addressed the users' pain points.
02
Transfer design to the development team for the implementation.
03
Have a positive impact on the lives of educators and support their well-being, both in and outside of their work environment.
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