Self
Year
2024
TYPE
Mobile
SCOPE
end-to-end
CONTEXT
Mental Health
DURATION
6 months
OVERVIEW
Self is a mental health app designed for young adults, aimed at making emotional awareness more accessible. The project combines deep research, intuitive interface design, and a full set of original illustrations to create an experience that is welcoming, behavior-focused and purpose-driven.
CHALLENGE
Most emotion-tracking tools reduce feelings to simplified daily check-ins, encouraging users to log “I felt good” or “I felt bad” without depth or context. The challenge was to design a system that allowed users to register emotions in a nuanced way – capturing intensity, energy levels, and related daily activities – rather than relying on shallow categorization.
At the same time, the project required responsibility and rigor. Because it addressed mental health, the solution had to be grounded in psychological research while integrating naturally into users’ routines, avoiding friction, overload, or a clinical tone that could discourage engagement.
PROCESS
Conducted extensive research, including user interviews, articles, and consultations with psychologists to ensure conceptual accuracy.
Studied emotion theories, which informed the structure of 48 emotions organized into four energy–valence categories.
Iterated through low-fidelity, high-fidelity, and multiple versions (v1 – v3), followed by testing, refinement, handoff, and App Store launch.
Designed the full visual system, including original pointillism-based illustrations, accessible colors and text styles.
SOLUTION
Self allows users to log emotions in depth by selecting from 48 research-based emotional states distributed across four categories: low energy and good mood, low energy and bad mood, high energy and good mood, and high energy and bad mood. Each emotion is represented by a custom illustration, reinforcing recognition and emotional literacy.
Beyond tracking, users can attach daily activities, written reflections, photos, and audio entries to each record, creating contextualized emotional logs. The app also offers daily cognitive-behavioral therapy–inspired exercises that can be completed within the platform, transforming it from a passive tracker into an active learning tool. Accessibility features – including haptics, adaptive typography, contrast control, microinteractions, and subtle animations – ensure the experience remains inclusive and responsive.
IMPACT
Self reframed emotional tracking from a simplified daily log into a structured and theory-based system. By translating psychological models into interactive and visual features, the project encouraged deeper emotional literacy and pattern recognition over time.
The result is a product that bridges research, design, development – and a little bit of art – making complex emotional concepts tangible and usable in everyday life. Developed end-to-end, Self became a fully implemented product published on the App Store and recognized at the Apple Developer Academy's Graduation Day in 2024 (Brasil), combining academic theory and practical digital application.
