User, Challenges & Context
The project target online-therapy users who require immediate therapy support for sudden emotional situations or distressing events. Although online therapy nowadays overcomes time and distance, it is still bound by a pre-scheduled timeline. Patients might just experience a confrontation with their boss at work or have an emotional breakout right at night, for which they require timely guidance and solutions for their emotions. Their spontaneous need was a challenge to be managed by existing therapy-system that were restricted within schedule. How this project should provide online therapy users with flexible and self-controlled access to therapy solutions, addressing their immediate need for emotional support, is the core question of this project.
Project Solution
My Space
Reflecting is an essential part of therapy
Reflection plays a vital role in the healing and improvement process of therapy. Expert advice suggests that patients benefit from continuously reflecting on what they have learned in sessions and the insights provided by their therapist. It is when patients actively practice and recall what they have learned within the therapy session when encountering emotional challenges that they are truly affected and improved by therapy. This behaviour of reflection shapes their habits and enhances their emotional coping abilities. However, therapists cannot always be present to accompany the patients, and relying solely on notes may not suffice for thorough reflection.
My Space
Introducing "My Space" on our app—an immersive and private environment designed to facilitate post-therapy reflection. This feature allows users to store notes and videos, combining them with augmented reality (AR) technology to create a personalised experience. Notes and videos can be seamlessly integrated into the user's space, merging the therapeutic experience with their own life and memories.
Avatar Message
Empowering Healing in the Moment: On-Demand Therapy for Immediate Emotional Support
he development of online therapy brings a revolutionary solution to cope with the limitation of distance and time. However, it's important to acknowledge that patients often face emotional triggers in their day-to-day lives, which may require immediate release, someone to talk to, and timely professional guidance. Unfortunately, the conventional pre-planned booking schedule of therapy might not provide the flexibility needed to address these sudden surges of emotions.
Avatar Video Message
To enhance therapy communication, this APP has created a channel that bridges the gap between therapists and patients at any time, enabling the two sides to leave avatar recording messages. This channel not only facilitates communication but also allows individuals to express their feelings simultaneously. Furthermore, in cases where immediate support is required, patients could browse through the platform of available therapists and initiate a therapy session right away without delay. This instant session could come with the option for patients to choose to engage in sessions using avatars, eliminating concerns about familiarity with the therapist. This comprehensive solution enables patients to choose and access the precise therapy solution when they need it, eliminating constrains of appointment scheduling.
Meet Therapist in Avatar Character
Efficiency Meets Empathy: Gain Your Ideal Therapeutic Connection
Many individuals may experience a sense of awkwardness during their initial video session with a new therapist, especially when discussing deeply personal and intimate feelings. While this process is crucial for establishing a strong therapeutic relationship, it can sometimes be time-consuming and inefficient, potentially delaying the resolution of urgent issues. Furthermore, the effectiveness of therapy can only be truly assessed after giving it a try. Unfortunately, the high cost of changing therapists and the time investment required may lead patients to continue with a therapy approach that may not be the best fit for them. This can result in a loss of faith in therapy as a solution, when in reality, it could simply be a matter of the therapist's style not aligning well with the patient's needs.
To address the challenges of initial therapy sessions, this innovative app offers patients the opportunity to engage in therapy sessions using personalized avatars. By choosing an avatar character, patients can express their emotions and interact with their therapist while remaining completely anonymous. This unique approach acts as a protective layer, allowing individuals to comfortably express their feelings during their first conversation with the therapist, eliminating the typical awkwardness that often arises. Additionally, it provides the freedom for patients to connect with therapists they don't know personally, enabling them to solely focus on the specific problems they want to address. With Therapeutic Avatars, patients can embark on their therapeutic journey with confidence, authenticity, and a renewed sense of freedom.
Find Theraphist anywhere
UX Research & Methods
This project has adopted “Lean UX” as the design method, ensuring the very quality of primary research, targeting the accurate problem in the firm, and ensuring that project solutions could be tested and validated.
Purpose & Approach
This project aims to offer users a platform that offers flexible and self-controlled therapy solutions, addressing their immediate need for emotional support in an alternative way to traditional online therapy sessions. Based on findings from primary and secondary research, the project incorporates augmented reality (AR) and Avatar technology into the platform to enhance users' therapy experience. The objective is to assist users in reflecting on what they have learned during therapy sessions through immersive AR experiences. Additionally, the project aims to provide an anonymous therapy option using Avatar technology, expanding the range of therapy choices available to patients.
What is EmoCare ?
EmoCare is a platform that provides flexible and self-controlled therapy solutions, addressing users' immediate need for emotional support through the integration of augmented reality (AR) and Avatar technology, achieving self-reflection and anonymous therapy experience.
