Designing an App to Manage Anxiety
UX/UI Design
Case Study
iOS App
Nadya Shchetinina
Maria Isabel Yugueros
UX/UI Designer
User Research
Visual Design
Brand Identity
User Flows
Prototyping
4 weeks
Figma
Procreate
Adobe Photoshop
Ironhack
2025
Welcome to my case study. Here, I share the journey behind this Project, the challenges me and my Team faced, the ideas we explored and the creative process that shaped the final solution. The purpose of this Case Study is to give insight into our approach, the decisions we made, and the impact we aimed to create.
For this project, we were asked to select a wellness theme and to develop an app based on that concept.
Our team unanimously decided to focus on a wellness area directly linked to mental health. Through our research, we discovered that:
Our team unanimously decided to focus on a wellness area directly linked to mental health. Through our research, we discovered that:
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Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions, affecting 1 in 14 people worldwide.
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Disorders like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and Panic Disorders can significantly impact daily life.
- A mental health awareness grows and stigma decreases, the demand for accessible anxiety management tools continues to rise.
Anxiety affects millions, but finding the right coping tools can be challenging. These numbers make it clear: Anxiety isn’t just an individual issue — it’s a widespread challenge in need of better solutions. That’s exactly what we set out to address with our solution, which we named noworries.
People seek personalized coping strategies.
Loved ones struggle to offer effective support.
Managing anxiety requires a mix of habits, therapy and movement.
These insights became the foundation of our design approach, guiding every decision moving forward. Next, we dive into the core problem we aimed to solve.
This is where noworries can make a difference. Our app tailors anxiety relief techniques to each user, providing engaging activities and real-time support that evolve with their needs. Now, let’s take a step back and look into the insights gathered from our secondary research.
Anna is a 30-year-old creative individual from Vienna, Austria. She is not married and has no children. Passionate about music, reading, and meditation, Anna first encountered anxiety during her university years, largely triggered by stress and lack of sleep. Over time, she has developed coping strategies such as breathing exercises, dancing, and meditation. However, she continues to struggle with finding mental health tools that truly resonate with her personality and interests.
“I need something that fits my personality, not just one-size-fits-all solutions.”
Goals
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Manage anxiety during moments of crisis.
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Discover anxiety management methods that align with her personal interests.
- Feel understood and supported by her loved ones, especially during emotionally challenging times.
Frustrations
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Lacks immediate and effective tools to manage anxiety when it intensifies.
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Struggles to find anxiety relief methods that reflect her lifestyle and preferences.
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Often feels misunderstood when seeking emotional support from close connections.
Anna, who has been feeling anxious for days, decides to join her friends at the cinema. However, as the film begins, she senses a panic attack coming on. Feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to calm herself, Anna leaves the cinema in distress. She begins to search for tools to manage her anxiety, but nothing seems to work. The resources she finds don’t resonate with her, leaving her feeling even more isolated.
Frustrated and still anxious, Anna continues to search, hoping to find something that truly speaks to her needs.
Throughout this experience, Anna is grappling with thoughts such as:
- "Why am I feeling this way over something so simple?"
- "I don’t know what to do."
- "I can’t find something that resonates with me."
- "I need something that really speaks to me. There has to be something out there that works for me."
Regain calm and control during real-time crises.
Find personalized, interest aligned coping methods and assistance in emergency moments.
Provide accessible, enganing tools for immediate relief.
Overall, the experience proved easy to navigate, though we identified key areas for improvement:
Registration Button Visibility
Users struggled to find the registration button due to its size and placement.
Registration Process Length & Layout
The process felt too long and inefficient.The layout didn’t effectively utilize available space.
Solution
The high-fidelity design simplifies the flow with clearer buttons and grouped information, reducing the number of screens for a smoother experience.
Personal Interests Registration
Users found the steps and questions excessive, leading to frustration and a sense of wasted time.
Solution
We streamlined the process by prioritizing only the most relevant steps for personalization, improving efficiency and reducing frustration.
Home Page Information Hierarchy
Key elements were not clearly prioritized, making navigation less intuitive.
Solution
We reorganized content to highlight the most important elements, guiding users more effectively.
Clarity of ‘Plan of the Day’ and ‘Recommended for You’ Sections
Users found these sections unclear due to a lack of context and supporting information.
Solution
We adjusted the order and size of elements based on user needs, ensuring better clarity and usability.
Notifying a loved one, or coping techniques during high-stress moments.
Continue designing and testing alternative flows, including error states, empty states, and edge cases to cover diverse user interactions.
Incorporate accessibility adjustments, focusing on readability, contrast and intuitive navigation to meet WCAG standards.
noworries