The Idea Behind ItWe live in a world that romanticizes hustle — back-to-back meetings, inbox zero, always-on culture. But somewhere between Google Calendar reminders and Slack pings, burnout creeps in. And for people like Rhea, a 26-year-old product manager at a startup, it hits hard. She doesn’t have the time — or mental bandwidth — to sit through a 30-minute therapy session on her phone. She just needs a moment. Something light, stigma-free, and beautifully simple.That’s where Pause comes in.The Problem:There’s no shortage of mental health apps. But most of them feel clinical, overly structured, or too intense for someone who’s just looking to check in with themselves. High-achieving professionals often delay reflection until it’s too late — mainly because the tools out there are either too heavy or not designed with their lifestyle in mind.User Persona:Rhea, 26, works in productSmart, organized, but stretched thinShe's emotionally aware but not in a dramatic wayWants something that fits into her 5-minute coffee break, not a 5-week courseShe hates mental health content that feels like self-help propagandaDesign PhilosophyThe core principle was lightness — not just in weight, but in emotional feel. The design had to be: Subtle but expressive Friendly, not preachy Fast, non-distracting, and easy to return to dailyKey Design Decisions✳️ ComponentsMood Selector: A central ring that responds visually to touch — the more intense the emotion, the stronger the hue shiftJournaling Cards: Pre-loaded prompts like “What gave you energy today?” — designed to reduce the pressure of a blank pageBreathing Timer: A soft-loop animation with optional vibration to guide mindful breathing in 60 secondsStreak Tracker: Visualized as orbit lines, where each “planet” represents a day you checked inFontsSatoshi: Clean, modern, neutral — used for UI clarityPlayfair Display: Added just enough human warmth for headers and affirmationsColorsCalm backgrounds: Pale beige, misty blue, and desaturated greenGradients that reflect your current mood — warmer tones for joy, cooler for calm, muted for sadnessNo bright reds, no harsh contrast — nothing that spikes cortisolWireframes & FlowHome Screen: Center ring (mood input) → Prompt appears based on mood → Option to journal or skipHistory: A space-like layout — your reflections orbit around a center point, giving a visual sense of emotional rhythmSettings: Lets you choose preferred check-in time and enable voice-to-text or quiet mode✨ Final Touches That Made It Feel HumanMicrointeractions: Tapping the mood ring gives a slight vibration and ripple — not loud, just affirmingVoice-to-Text Journaling: Perfect for people who reflect better by speakingZen Badges: A soft form of encouragement — you’re not penalized for missing a day, but rewarded when you show up for yourselfOutcome & ReflectionPause isn’t trying to be your therapist. It’s that quiet friend who just asks, “How are you, really?” once a day and then listens without judgment.It was designed to fit into your day like brushing your teeth — effortless, daily, and grounding.This project taught me that design for mental health isn’t about features — it’s about feelings. And if people leave the app feeling just 1% lighter than when they opened it, I’d call that a win.
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