Self-help App for young girls

Improving the usability and personalisation of a self-help app for girls and young women in collaboration with Tjejjouren Väst.
User Research
Self-help App
Case study

A non-profit organisation had a problem understanding their users and why their self-help app wasn’t being used?!

This project focuses on understanding the underlying problems, creating design guidelines, and redesigning the existing app in order to create a better user experience that meets the user's needs.

The Challenge

How to get the app to be used

The main challenge was to improve the user experience and help Tjejjouren Väst understand why their app wasn’t being used. They needed deeper insight into their users' needs, behaviors, and motivations. My goal was to create clear design guidelines and a new interface that would actually support the people it was meant for — girls and young women aged 10 to 25. The app also had to feel safe, personal, and supportive in a wide range of situations, even in the most vulnerable moments.

About the client:

Tjejjouren Väst is a non-profit organisation that works to support and strengthen girls and young women. They offer online chat support with volunteers, through their website, and their self-help application - Stella.

The Solution

A full app redesign that truly puts users first

A full app redesign that truly puts users first

This wasn’t just a visual refresh. It was a complete rethink of how a self-help app could better support girls and young women when they need it most. Backed by in-depth user research, the redesign focused on creating a safer, more personal, and more intuitive experience. From strategy and structure to visuals and tone, every part of the app was reimagined to better fit the users’ needs, behaviors, and emotions.

The solution included:

  • A new app structure based on two key support needs: in-the-moment relief and long-term growth
  • Full redesign of the interface to feel warm, relatable, and easy to navigate
  • New onboarding flow that builds trust and lowers barriers to entry
  • Personalized features like emotion check-ins, goal setting, and diary entries
  • A community space designed to connect users safely and meaningfully
  • Thoughtful content design to reduce overwhelm and avoid triggers
  • A flexible design system to guide consistency and future development
  • Usability testing with the target group to validate and fine-tune design decisions

The Process

The overall approach

This project followed a classic design process, from user research to prototyping, testing, and final design. The main focus throughout was to keep the user at the center of every decision, both big and small. It was an iterative process with constant learning, and every design choice was shaped by real user insights.

User Study

After getting a better understanding of the current app as well as the market, by conducting competitor analysis, I started the big User Study! The following methods were used to identify the users' needs, behaviours and goals.

Online survey

  • 87 respondents
  • 13-25 years old
  • 25 closed and open questions
  • Users & Potential users

Semi-structured interviews

  • 7 Participants
  • 17-25 years old
  • 30-60 minutes
  • All in Person
  • Users & Potential users

Usability test

  • 7 Participants
  • 17-25 years old
  • 60-90 minutes
  • All In person
  • Users & Potential users

Personas and user journey

I know personas are out, but it did make sense in this project! So I created 3 Personas and User Journey Maps. The first step was mapping out the different personality traits that were found in the user study. I then found patterns and grouped the users together to find the most relevant personas and user journeys to represent the users.

The Solution

Design System

The design system provides clear direction for what should be included and how it should be designed, ensuring consistency across the app’s features, visuals, and interactions.

The Result

A final Usability test with all positive experiences! 

A final usability test was conducted on the high-fidelity prototype. The aim was to evaluate and test the final design concept, functionality and usability.

Users:

All the users interacted with the prototype using a phone, while they were given tasks and questions as they were moving along. Each interview took between 30-90 minutes.

  • 8 participants
  • 11-20 years old
  • All in person
The onboarding

Participants described the onboarding as easy and fun. They especially liked the use of icons and idols, which made the app feel more personal and likeable.

First impression

When opening the homepage, participants said they felt calm and welcomed. They appreciated both the colors and the imagery. Everyone was able to quickly navigate and find the key features, just from the homepage.

Library

All participants agreed that the Library was great. It was easy to understand how to save content, personalise the experience, and revisit what they had already read and learned.

Exercises

Participants liked that they could pick an exercise randomly, especially when feeling stressed. They appreciated that each exercise had a clear start and ending, which made it easier to follow and complete.

Community

Everyone responded positively to the Community feature. They liked how it was well-organised, and many highlighted that it felt like a valuable and important part of the app.

Profile

All participants liked the Profile section and its features. The settings were easy to understand, and users especially appreciated that they could change the background picture to make it feel more personalised.

Would you use the app or recommend it to a friend?

Every single participant said yes.

"YES ! I need this, and I want it now!"

The feedback was clear: users not only saw the value in the app, but they were excited about it! 

Conclusions: A More Meaningful Experience

The results from user testing strongly indicate that the new interface significantly improved the user experience. It was consistently described as usable, accessible, and personalised, words that reflect a deeper connection between the design and the needs of the target audience.

This improvement was achieved by designing:

  • A completely new interface
  • A thoughtful and cohesive design system
  • Updated features and navigation patterns
  • Visual and functional elements that match user needs

Importantly, involving users throughout the process led to a more user-centred app — one that is not only functional, usable, and reliable, but also convenient, pleasurable, and meaningful to the people it’s made for.

Project Goals Achieved

The conducted tests confirm that the solution successfully fulfilled the core aims of the project:

  • Improve the user experience of a self-help app designed for girls and young women
  • Provide Tjejjouren Väst with valuable insight into their users’ needs, behaviors, and motivations
  • Map out what and how to improve in the existing service to deliver greater value
  • Formulate design guidelines and build a new user interface that enhances how users engage with the app Stella

Final Reflections

This project meant a lot to me, not just because it was my first end-to-end, independent UX/UI project, but because it focused on an issue I care deeply about. Designing something that could genuinely support young girls and women through difficult times felt meaningful, and I poured myself into every part of the process.

I learned so much about mobile design patterns, inclusive personalization, and just how much I love working in this space. The users were always at the center of every decision, and that human-first approach is something I’ll always carry with me.

The most challenging part was hearing about the trauma many users had experienced. It pushed me to be more thoughtful in how I designed, especially when trying to strike a balance between personalization and inclusivity for a user group spanning ages 10 to 25.

Overall, this project strengthened my passion for UX/UI and showed me the kind of work I want to keep doing: design that feels personal, thoughtful, and rooted in care.

Final thoughts:
The wellbeing of girls and young women must be a priority, not just in design, but in the healthcare system as a whole. It's not enough to provide basic functionality or surface-level support. They deserve real care, real tools, and a system that meets them where they are. Something more than just functional. Something meaningful.

Short heading here

Let’s save the world, or at least create your next dream project.