Blossom
Nov. 2023 - Feb. 2024
Timeline —
Role —
User Research Interaction Design Mobile UI Design
Individual Project
Collaborator —
Tools —
Figma Blender Adobe Set
Using aesthetic interactions that engage people with multiple senses, including visual, audio, and olfactory, students can immerse themselves in a serene virtual garden where they can grow and nurture beautiful virtual flowers. By engaging with nature in a virtual space, students can find a moment of peace and rejuvenation, improving their overall mental health and academic performance.
“Blossom Tranquility is an innovative Mixed Reality project designed to help college students manage stress and promote mental health.”
01. Problem Background
This collage represents my inspiration. As a college student, I am aware of the various factors that contribute to stress, including academic pressure, relationship challenges, career concerns, and financial worries. So I thought of a way to alleviate or solve the problem.
01. Context
In US, mental illness is becoming a serious problem
44% of college students have symptoms of depression.
Pandemic Impact: 2020 and 2022, the number of students that participated in counseling or therapy increased from 30% to 37%.
15% reported having considered suicide.
Focused driving force
Anxiety towards academic path, life, career.
The loss of a loved one / relationship problems.
Overstimulation and technology overload.
Why students refuse to seek professional help?
Receiving counseling is sign of weakness: takes courage to address problem areas and examine painful feelings.
Don’t know when should go to counseling (think the problem is not serious enough to go to see counselor).
Hard to schedule a time, waiting for too long.
Limited funding.
02. Problem & User
Campus space limitations: Most therapy rooms are located in the Student Wellness Center, but…
Limited availability: many campuses have a shortage of therapy rooms.
Lack of privacy: students may not want conversation therapy, preferring a more personal calming space.
Limited flexibility in scheduling: might only be available during standard office hours.
02. Research + Ideation
How to help?
Foster empowerment and self-control by helping individuals take charge of their lives, enabling them to make decisions, decorate, and arrange their surroundings with confidence.
Provide a safe space for rest and anonymous self-expression.
Provide an easy, low-cost, and quick solution to soothe emotions effectively.
01. Ideation
“How might we create an intermediate and easy way to help college students rest and process emotions before serious illness?”
Horticultural therapy+ MR: Use virtual plants garden as a way to help people take control of their lives.
Plants: Caring plants is one of the easiest & efficient way to gain control / Plants are accessible and easy to obtain.
Sense of purpose and accomplishment.
Reduce stress and improve mood.
MR technology has no environmental limitations / Immersive environments that provide safe, controlled setting.
02. Solution Benefits
Early Intervention: Students use these platforms to express concerns before they reach a crisis point.
Anonymity: The anonymity can encourage students to express their most honest feelings.
Personalized Experience: Students can customize the platform to create the experience they most comfortable with.
I conducted an extensive survey of CMU’s college students to get their perspective and received 60 valuable responses.
57% report that their daily stress level is relatively high (4 out of 5).
97% says that the academic workload is one of the sources of their stress
03. Questionnaire + Interview
74% prefer a private and intimate space to relax and reduce anxiety.
65% believe that plants have a positive effect on their emotions.
66% believes that being around plants positively impacts their mood (4 out of 5).
I also interviewed a friend majoring in psychology, gaining valuable professional insights on stress reduction.
Multi-sensory synesthetic design: visual + sound + smell.
Add the process of control and cultivation.
Natural Sound: Movement of different plants, raindrops falling on plantain, the wind in a pine
04. Sound Design Idea
Low Frequency Sound: Stimulate the release of serotonin and other mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain
Low Frequency Sound: Stimulate the release of serotonin and other mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain
05. Therapeutic Flowers
06. User Journey
03. Therapy Space Design
Here is a detailed explanation of how to integrate multisensory design into the space.
Demand-Controlled Ventilation: Sensor counts the number of people in the room and adjusts the ventilation.
Disposable Scent Pads: Essential oil and instructions will be provided to guide the student to place a few drops on the pads.
Sound Insulation Panel: Adding a soundproofing panel blocks ambient noise and allows for different therapy sounds.
Projector for MR: With a headset, students can use hand gestures to interact.
The therapy space can be situated in various locations such as student lounges, library discussion rooms, dormitories, classrooms, or wellness centers.
01. Detail Explanation
02. Exploded Diagram
04. APP + MR Design
The app contains four main function:
Reserve the visiting time of the space
Check my garden
Graduation Gift
Professional Help
01. APP Design
This is the sketch of my envisioned garden that the students will develop.
02. Garden Sketches
With MR technology, students can enjoy their personalized therapy garden anywhere they want. They have the freedom to customize the number, type, and density of flowers, as well as select various settings to create their ideal calming environment.
The image showcases the modeling process.
03. MR Setting Modeling
During the planting process, users first select a basic environment and then customize the plants and flowers they want to grow.
04. MR Interface
In this scenario, equipped with an MR headset, Sally immerses herself in a virtual gardening experience in her college library, where she can design and interact with a personal garden. As the virtual plants appear around her, Sally feels a sense of calm and satisfaction from creating her own natural space.
05. Scenario
