DIVE STUDIOS  /  2021

Authentic, vulnerable story-telling and wellness platform that makes people feel less alone and supported through life's journey.

As the first designer, I led overall strategy and owned design execution for the mobile and web app. I partnered closely with the engineering, product, marketing, partnerships, and content production teams to craft one-of-a-kind experiences. I teamed up with the CEO to create pitch decks to raise seed funding and sign deals with a diverse set of musicians and creators. I also got to experience managing one amazing designer who became a wonderful thought partner.

This was truly a rewarding and challenging opportunity where I got to build the foundation for an early-stage product that has positively impacted so many individuals including myself.

Check out Mindset →

THE CHALLENGE

To create a digital safe space that normalizes the discussion of mental health and wellness through raw, authentic storytelling

The Problem

Mental Health Pandemic – There has been a 93% increase in the number of people seeking help for depression and anxiety since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.¹

Lack of a platform – Existing social media and content platforms are not conducive to enabling honest conversations between artists and their fans, particularly regarding their relationship with mental health and wellness.²

(1,2) National Institute of Mental Health 

Statistics

30% of people ages 18-25 reported
to have experienced mental illness in 2019. ⁴

1 in 5 Adults were reported to be living with mental illness in 2019.

70% of people with symptoms of anxiety and depression report loneliness and isolation as a top contributing factor. ⁶

(4,5,6) Mental Health America

Goals

Our goal is to create a platform that normalizes conversations about life experiences that are not usually discussed, especially for younger generations. It's a step towards unraveling the stigma revolving around mental health and has already benefited so many people across the world.

The wish is that anyone is able to find comfort and support in these stories through relatable topics and help them connect more deeply with others. It is not only about letting listeners better understanding who these artists/creators are but also allowing them to apply some learnings to their life as well.

THE EXPERIENCE

Poignant, relatable, immersive audio and video experiences 

Story collections that let you dive deep & feel all the feels

Immersive, autobiographical audio collections that let you get inside the minds of influential artists and creators. These stories allow fans to connect with and understand the individuals who they admire and look up to in ways they have never imagined or experienced before. On the flip side, this gives artists a therapeutic outlet and platform to tell their authentic and unfiltered stories.

Collections are typically 8-14 episodes long and are either audio or video-based. I had the dream opportunity to work with the content production team to help with content and branding.

Examples of content include origin stories, greatest challenges, mental health, highs & lows, success & failures, and much more.  

A variety of boosters for any time of the day

MOBILE APP

The app has evolved from 4 pilot collections at the time I joined to now having over 18+ story collections. Since there weren't many collections, in the beginning, the app went through many iterations to adapt to the availability of content. Below, you will be able to see a snapshot of the mobile app excluding some new features that have not been fully developed yet. 

WEB EXPERIENCE

I defined the information architecture and created multiple versions of the website to support our different development phases (MVP to v1). I oversaw the creation of the initial web app and managed an incredible designer (Bii T.) who worked with me and the engineers to bring the latest version to life.  

USER REVIEWS

The Mindset app continues to positively impact fans who convert into ambassadors for the platform. It is truly heartwarming to read through the reviews and see how much the content has made a difference. The Android and iOS app stores both have over a combined 8k+ reviews averaging 4.8 stars.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

A dream come true

Since I was a fan of the artists on the platform before I joined, it was a dream come true to help bring this app to life. This has been one of the most exhilarating and gratifying projects that I have been part of that was able to flex my creative muscles and tug at my heartstrings at the same time. I was able to work on this at its infancy and witnessed the hypergrowth that the app went through. It was my first time helping a start-up at this phase and it is unbelievable how quickly a team across the globe can create something together. 

The app continues to see growth day by day (now over 200k+ users) and sustains a high app store rating (4.8 average). I am still consistently listening to all of the new touching content :).

Core Team