


TIMELINE
March 2025 - April 2025
SKILLS User Research, Interface Design
SOFTWARE Figma
TEAM
Selena Liu, Keira Shen,
Fay Ma, Lydia Li, Annie Huang
Ikigai
Ikigai was a product idea we dreamed up and designed as a submission to UW's Dempsey Startup Competition. It promotes crafting as a form of mental health support with the mission of fostering creativity and community. Due to the competition deadline, we had an extremely limited project timeline of about a month.
Problem Space
Limited Alternatives to Therapy
Access to mental health support is often restricted due to reasons such as cost, location, and time constraints. 45% of individuals with clinical-level mental health risks do not seek help in the U.S. with one of the reported reasons being a preference for self-help. While traditional therapy can be effective, it isn't one size fits all—not everyone has the means or availability to pursue it. There is a growing need for a solution that is both easy to use and low-cost.
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Stress Due to Digital Overload
In a digital wellness survey conducted in 2024, 76% of people believed they spent too much time on their phones and 73% believed that it was negatively affecting their mental health, with these numbers being even higher for Gen Z. Overconsumption often leads to an increase in stress levels, mental burnout and lower attention span. Many find it challenging to find healthier, more fulfilling alternatives that provide relaxation.
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“I Used to Be Creative” Dilemma
Research shows that burnout strips away creative energy due to feelings of stress and lack of motivation. Thus, many individuals who once enjoyed creative activities find themselves unable to engage in artistic hobbies. The frustration of not knowing where to start and feeling disconnected from one’s creative side can further contribute to burnout, leading to an unhealthy cycle.

User Research Results
We conducted a survey with 35 respondents and 3 interviews. We sought to identify what features our users would seek in a potential solution.
Prototyping
We went through a couple stages of revisions from wireframing to prototyping to establish the branding/features before reaching our final product. The initial and final versions of the home page are shown below as an example. We chose warm colors and soft textures to encourage a sense of calm for the user.
HOME PAGE


Lessons Learned
While this was an extremely quick project, it was a valuable experience working with a diverse team and ideating not only a design, but also a business plan that we submitted to the competition. ​
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Some insights that I gathered personally:
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When it comes to products that have more niche audiences such as this one, having an eager user group is key. If you are wanting to reach a group of users that is smaller in quantity, the need has to be significant enough for the product to be impactful.​
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​Working on a diverse team is really special. We had a computer science major, industrial design majors, and human centered design majors. Everyone brought a different set of skills and perspectives to elevate the project.
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Don't be afraid to take a risk and trying something new. Working on a project for a startup competition was intimidating to me, and although we didn't go far, it was still worth the learning experience. You never know how something might turn out and what you might learn until you try.
