Oasis
Interaction Design
Oasis, designed for Apple Watch, helps manage anxiety with automatic interventions and personalized solutions. When an elevated heart rate is detected during periods of inactivity, Oasis launches discreetly and offers users a variety of interactions; soothing videos, tactile feedback, simple games, and meditative sounds.
This app offers both long and short-term solutions, supplements existing cognitive behavioral therapy, and makes mental healthcare more accessible for all.
Peace of mind within arm's reach.
01 a quick look
Tools & Skills
- Product design
- UX design
- Interaction design
- Accessibility research
- Video production
- InVision
- Adobe CC
OPPORTUNITY
Nearly one-third of adults in the US experience anxiety. The majority do not receive treatment. Anxiety impacts me, many of my friends and family, and our society as a whole. I set out to design a behavioral intervention that is convenient, discreet, and puts timely mental healthcare within reach, wherever you are.
Process
I started by identifying three key user experience goals for this app: timeliness, personalization, and privacy. With these goals in mind during my ideation process, I was able to prioritize features and fully envision a seamless, stress-free experience.
I combined existing Apple Watch features like heart rate detection and automatic notifications with carefully designed sensory interactions in four categories: watch, listen, touch, and play. The entire experience is customizable via app settings on the user’s iPhone. Users can also track their progress over time, which makes it a perfect companion to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Finally, I created a video prototype of the app, demonstrating key features.
Impact
Although this was an independent project, I would love the opportunity to develop this app fully in the future. My next step would be implementing a working prototype on Watch, then conducting usability testing to understand how it matches up with the needs of real users.
There is nothing quite like Oasis on the market right now, and it has the potential to make a huge difference for individual mental healthcare and wellbeing.
If you’re interested in developing this app with me, I’d love to hear from you!
02 Oasis in action
03 origin story
Anxiety impacts nearly one-third of adults in the US, including me.
Wearables like Apple Watch are a perfect fit for an anti-anxiety app because they’re connected to the user–both physically and emotionally–in a way that smartphones typically aren’t. My own watch displays floating jellyfish on the screen, and I’ve started to rely on it when I’m stressed and need to recenter a bit.
I love the idea that something as simple as a calm video or a sound on my wrist can help me through challenging moments of my day. Essentially, I’ve designed the app that I wish existed.
