How can we challenge mental health stigmas in
the context of the workplace?

A mental health gym that broadens the
cultural perspective of what mental health can
be through the lens of emotional intelligence.

Overview

The Global Service Jam is a design challenge convened by a network of volunteer service design enthusiasts, all driven by a mutual passion for advancing the service design discipline and enhancing customer experiences. The challenge operates with no dedicated team and operates on an extremely minimal budget.

Challenge

Transforming the World in a Mere 48 Hours

Opportunity

How can you effectively narrow down the scope of a project while simultaneously harnessing UX design methodologies to expedite design decisions when collaborating with individuals you've never previously encountered?

Role

UX Design

Skills

Research
Personas
Prototype

Collaboration with

A team of 5

Grasping the Problem Landscape

With a mere 48 hours at our disposal, we faced the urgent need to swiftly immerse ourselves and determine which aspect of the problem space we should address. Together as a team, we formulated assumptions that brought to the surface our collective understanding of what emotional intelligence signified to us.

Confident and Minimal Risk

We divided into smaller groups and created our individual sets of questions and assumptions, jotting them down on post-it notes.

We then organized these assumptions on a 2x2 grid, with our attention directed towards the assumptions we were quite confident about and the questions that presented minimal risk for exploration.

1.5 Hours and 12 User Interviews Down the Line

Initially, as a team, we collaboratively crafted a discussion guide that paved the way for the formulation of user interview questions.

Subsequently, we split into smaller groups, with each of us reaching out to two individuals for user interviews. Our aim was to collect an extensive pool of user interview data to better shape and inform our persona development.

Creating an Affinity Diagram from User Interview Data

We separated into smaller teams and documented all the information we gathered from our interviews, laying the groundwork for persona development.

We then grouped the post-it notes together to identify commonalities and patterns in our user research, with a specific focus on extracting insights related to:

1. Self-perception and perception of others

2. Experiences of being misunderstood

3. Coping mechanisms involving avoidance

Behavioral Variables and Persona Development

After aggregating all the data, we proceeded to categorize our users into broader groups, scaling from extreme to less extreme behaviors. This process eventually led us to define two distinct personas:

1. Lily, 46, a working mother with three children.

2. Joe Sharn, 28, a Sales Manager who is single.

We then regrouped and further linked our personas to "I WANT" and "I NEED" statements, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the type of service required to support our users in their endeavors to cultivate emotional intelligence.

What if...

In our concluding generative session of the evening, while everyone still possesses energy but may be feeling a bit giddy, we make an attempt to brainstorm and envision what the experience and service might look like.

With only 6 hours remaining and a prototype urgently required...

Freak-Out-Park comes into existence. With our ideas meticulously outlined, we initiate the creation of a storyboard. Our ultimate goal primarily caters to Joe's requirement of having a discreet space to express his emotions without anyone seeing, allowing him a safe outlet.

Prototype V1

We set out into the quite outdoors and begin to shoot the V1 prototype of Freak-Out-Park. 

My involvement in the Service Jam ATX proved to be an enriching experience, where I took on roles as an interaction designer, researcher, and a collaborative team member.

This event provided me with the unique opportunity to establish common ground with a team comprised of unfamiliar faces while rekindling connections with those I hadn't collaborated with in some time. It also allowed us to navigate the design process swiftly and effectively, making the most of our limited time. Our approach combined both generative group sessions and individual contributions, ensuring not only the generation of extensive data but also a sense of inclusivity and empowerment for every team member.

Additionally, I deeply valued our ability to address a delicate subject matter in a considerate and thoughtful manner. The end result was a prototype with a playful tone, yet every decision was underpinned by intent and research findings gathered from our participants.