The main focus of the project was creating a positive user experience. The final designs are validated with patients who were being treated at the AMC.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a mental illness in which people constantly worry about the way they look and think about their real or perceived flaws for hours each day. The Amsterdam Medical Center (AMC) asked the Amsterdam University of applied sciences for support to create an app that helps patients to visualise their status to prevent relapse.
Research:
- What BDD actually means.
- What kind of applications are already on the market.
- User research (what is it like to live with BDD, what do they need and what do they want).
We have spoken to patients and this was very valuable! Important to know is that a small negative trigger can already cause a relapse. That is why positivity for someone with BDD is very important. Otherwise there can be no growth.
Concept:
It is important to know that the application shows the patient’s progress. This allows the treating doctor to intervene if things do not seem to be going well.
The concept we came up with shows the growth and progress of the patient in a plant. The larger the plant, the better the patient. The patient can use different entrances to let the plant grow. This can be done by means of a buddy system (this way they let friends know how they are doing) or by filling in a questionnaire (known from the treatment).
The buddy system consists of people of your own choice, these can be your parents, friends and BDD patients. In our concept we have chosen BDD patients because they know what you are going through and can support you in this way. We thought it would be easier to ask BDD buddies for help and not your parents, they might worry too quickly.
After we validated the concept with BDD patients and treating doctors, we started with the visualisations. To get to the final prototype we made a user journey, concept model, wireframes and visual design sketches.
