Welcome to Week 2
Last week was all about setting foundations: kickoffs, first conversations, and framing two very different briefs. This week is where things started to get real. Research took centre stage, and for the first time, I began to see the shape of what HYD and GetActive might become.
I also tried something new. After pulling together my research for each project, I used Google’s NotebookLM to turn it into a podcast. The tool created a conversational summary of my findings — clear, natural, and surprisingly engaging. Sharing those podcasts with clients proved far more digestible than sending over 40-page research reports. It’s something I’ll be doing on every project from now on.
Monday – From Kickoff to Framing Research
Coming out of last week’s kickoffs, I knew this week had to focus on grounding the projects in evidence.
For HYD, I began fleshing out the Feasibility & Viability Report. That meant scanning the market: competitors like NotOK and BetterHelp, opportunities around emotional safety, and the risks of trying to do too much. The challenge was framing HYD as neither too narrow (just three trusted contacts in a crisis) nor too broad (a therapy platform it was never meant to be).
On GetActive, the day was about defining research questions. The client had a long wishlist of features, but I needed to identify the big unknowns: What motivates users to get moving? Where do other apps fall short? How do we encourage without nagging?
The team admitted they were eager to “just start designing.” I reminded them that without grounding in research, we risked sprinting in the wrong direction.
Tuesday – HYD: The Viability Report
Tuesday was dedicated to finishing and sharing HYD’s Feasibility & Viability Report. This was the first tangible artefact of the project and a huge step forward.
Highlights included:
- Competitor mapping that revealed how crowded crisis-response apps are, but also how little focus there is on preventing crises in the first place.
- User risks: would HYD feel intrusive or even patronising if not handled carefully?
- Opportunities: a calm, supportive product that reinforces safety and grounding, rather than amplifying stress.
This report shifted the conversation with the client. Instead of a narrow panic-button app, we began to see HYD as a digital wellbeing companion.
Artefact: HYD Feasibility & Viability Report.
Wednesday – HYD: Doomscrolling and Digital Wellbeing
On Wednesday, I dove into the doomscrolling research report I’d put together. It was a sobering read. The research outlined how endless exposure to negative news feeds contributes to rising anxiety and stress levels. It made a clear case for why HYD needs to address not just crisis moments but the triggers that lead people there.
This work raised powerful design questions:
- How do we detect doomscrolling behaviour without crossing privacy boundaries?
- What kinds of prompts actually help — grounding, distraction, or something else?
- How do we avoid creating a product that feels like it’s lecturing the user?
Personal reflection: Reading through case studies of doomscrolling’s impact was heavy. Designing for people at their most vulnerable isn’t light work, and it reminded me of the responsibility that comes with building in the mental health space.
Attached here is the full report that I created delving into doom scrolling and it’s impact on mental health, from which came an idea from me to incorporate a good news feed or ‘joy scrolling’ into the platform which the client absolutely loved.
Thursday – GetActive: Research Foundations and Early Sketches
By Thursday, it was time to shift gears back into GetActive.
I pulled together their research report, which combined behavioural science, competitor reviews, and surveys around wellness app use. A few key insights stood out:
- Users drop off when apps guilt-trip them with streaks.
- Push notifications often create fatigue instead of motivation.
- What works is small, human wins — celebrating progress without over-gamifying it.
Armed with this, I sketched paper wireframes and flow maps. These weren’t polished artefacts but conversation starters: what should onboarding look like? How do we introduce users to intention-setting without overwhelming them? Where does community belong?
The client kept circling back to badges. I reframed: “Let’s focus first on how we make progress feel real, not how we decorate it.”
Listen here to the podcast that I created using the research material I created for GetActive. As a deliverable, this has proved to be incredible. The clients on this project were able to really participate in the research phase due to it.
Friday – Synthesising Research and the Podcast Experiment
Friday was about synthesis and innovation.
I pulled all the research threads together, across both HYD and GetActive, and asked myself: what do these insights mean for next week’s design work? This is when I also introduced clients to something new — the research podcastsI’d created using NotebookLM.
Hearing their research as a dialogue was a game changer. Clients said it felt easier to absorb, less formal, and much more engaging. It turned dense data into a natural story.
For me, it was a breakthrough too. UX research often struggles to land with non-design stakeholders; this approach bridged that gap. It’s something I’ll repeat on every project.
By the end of the day, both projects had a stronger research foundation than they did just a week ago. Next, we’d start translating those insights into ideas and potentially some flow maps.
Attached below you can see some of the features ideas that I gathered at this early stage.
Elsewhere This Week…
Of course, HYD and GetActive weren’t the only things on my plate:
- Following on from last week, after a review of the estimates from both of those companies and a meeting to discuss, both of those needed to be updated with changes to the scope.
- Helped devs debug a form validation issue on another client build.
- Sat in a leadership sync to align on UX strategy for upcoming pitches.
Looking Ahead
Next week marks a big milestone: moving from research into design.
- HYD: translating doomscrolling insights and the viability study into first wireframes and flow maps.
- GetActive: building on paper sketches to create more structured prototypes.
Week 2 gave us evidence. Week 3 is where we start turning that evidence into experiences.
