HappyUps: AI powered mood tracking app
A mental health app that helps you track your daily mood, receive AI-powered emotional support, and access emergency assistance when needed.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
2024
Healthcare
Founding UX designer
Overview
A well-experienced doctor (Megha1) from Sri Lanka, interested in therapy and mental health counseling, noticed an increasing number of people seeking his help. While some patients reached out directly, many hesitated due to the stigma surrounding mental health in Sri Lanka. Recognizing this growing need, he partnered with 1BillionTech to create a digital solution that would make mental health support more accessible and stigma-free.
Problem
Mental health remains a critical yet stigmatized issue in Sri Lanka, contributing to nearly 2,000+ mental health-related deaths annually. Many individuals who struggle with their mental well-being either hesitate to seek help due to social stigma or lack access to immediate support.
Approach
The approach involved defining the problem, setting goals, and selecting methods. Research included 11 papers, 12 interviews, a competitive analysis, and think-aloud sessions with 32 users. Insights guided low- and high-fidelity designs, each followed by feedback. Evaluation included expert reviews, user testing, and two iterations.
Personas
Userflow
Research Findings
No immediate support: Current solutions lack real-time intervention for individuals in urgent need of assistance, leaving critical gaps in emergency support.
Lack in Personalization: Most apps do not adapt to the unique needs of users or provide localized suggestions, limiting their effectiveness for individuals.
AI Emotional Support: AI-driven emotional support is helpful, but it cannot fully replace the nuanced care and judgment of human intervention in critical situations.
Final Design
1. Daily Mood Tracker
6. Dashboard
Dashboard for monitoring user activity, providing support, and intervening during emergencies.
“ HappyUps turned an abstract idea into a meaningful product that people actually want to use. The process was deeply user-focused, and the end result isn’t just well-designed, it genuinely helps users reflect on their emotions and seek support when they need it. ”
Suran
Megha1
35%
Improved onboarding process
4.5*
User Satisfaction
100%
Design System Utilization
Outcomes
This project began just before I moved to Sweden, and I continued working on it remotely. We successfully launched the MVP of HappyUps in January 2025. The client now uses the app to better support his patients and simplify his daily workflow. It became an effective tool for both practitioner and users. Based on the positive response and feedback, we initiated Phase Two, which is now under development.
Learning
This was my first experience designing for mental health, and it offered deep, valuable learning. I collaborated with psychiatrists, users, and the client to understand real challenges. In Phase Two, I incorporated academic practices from my MSc such as reviewing scholarly articles, choosing suitable research methods, and conducting ethical, consent-based user interviews which greatly improved the research and design process.