Kinder World:
Feature Design

A feature design project exploring user needs to improve Kinder World’s mental health support experience, showcased through refined prototypes.

UX Research

UX / UI Design

Kinder World:
Feature Design

A feature design project exploring user needs to improve Kinder World’s mental health support experience, showcased through refined prototypes.

UX Research

UX / UI Design

Project Overview

Kinder World is an existing mental health app where users grow virtual plants while supporting their emotional well-being. For this project, Our team analyzed the app, researched mental health engagement, and conducted interviews to explore opportunities for improvement. From three concept ideas, we developed “Bloom Board,” a community pin board for sharing daily notes and encouragement, refined through wireframes and prototypes, we want to create a more engaging, reflective, and supportive experience.

Kinder World is an existing mental health app where users grow virtual plants while supporting their emotional well-being. For this project, Our team analyzed the app, researched mental health engagement, and conducted interviews to explore opportunities for improvement. From three concept ideas, we developed “Bloom Board,” a community pin board for sharing daily notes and encouragement, refined through wireframes and prototypes, we want to create a more engaging, reflective, and supportive experience.

My Role

UI/UX Designer, Visual Designer

UI/UX Designer, Visual Designer

Tools

Figma, Procreate

Figma, Procreate

Skills

UX Research, UI Design, Ideation, Prototyping

UX Research, UI Design, Ideation, Prototyping

Team

Minh Nguyen, Giao Nguyen

Problem & Solution

Problem & Solution

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

Users are motivated to relax and reflect on their mental well-being, but they struggle to do so consistently in ways that feel engaging and support both self-expression and mindfulness.

Users are motivated to relax and reflect on their mental well-being, but they struggle to do so consistently in ways that feel engaging and support both self-expression and mindfulness.

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

✨ Bloom Board ✨

A daily pinboard where users can leave notes, express themselves, and view others’ reflections. It encourages relaxation and reflection through self-expression, while fostering engagement and positivity in the community.

A daily pinboard where users can leave notes, express themselves, and view others’ reflections. It encourages relaxation and reflection through self-expression, while fostering engagement and positivity in the community.

Skip To Solution

Understanding the Problem

Understanding the Problem

What is Kinder World?

What is Kinder World?

Kinder World is a cozy well-being game designed to bring peace into everyday life. Through quick, two-minute self-kindness sessions, users practice gentle, evidence-based activities while raising unique virtual houseplants in a relaxing, stress-free environment.

Their primary purpose is:

Kinder World is a cozy well-being game designed to bring peace into everyday life. Through quick, two-minute self-kindness sessions, users practice gentle, evidence-based activities while raising unique virtual houseplants in a relaxing, stress-free environment. Their primary purpose is:

Everyday reminder to be kinder to ourselves, no matter how busy life gets.

Help users practice emotional wellbeing by doing daily self-kindness activities.

Create a safe space for users and take a break from real life.

Spread kindness with others in the community.

Research Methods

Research Methods

We conducted secondary research and interviews on mental health and related topics, gaining insights and perspectives that guided our feature ideation.

We conducted secondary research and interviews on mental health and related topics, gaining insights and perspectives that guided our feature ideation.

I conducted an 5 interviews with frequent Uber Eats users. I noted down the main ideas of each answers from the interviews, and grouped them into themes. Each colour represents an interviewee.

Key Insights

Key Insights

  • Users feel more relaxed when they have opportunities to reflect on their lives and plan for the future.

  • Users feel more relaxed when they have opportunities to reflect on their lives and plan for the future.

  • People use a variety of activities to cope with stress, often seeking short-term relief in ways that feel comfortable and manageable.

  • People use a variety of activities to cope with stress, often seeking short-term relief in ways that feel comfortable and manageable.

  • Many users struggle to fully relax because current methods (including similar apps) don’t effectively address their stress or provide guidance.

  • Many users struggle to fully relax because current methods (including similar apps) don’t effectively address their stress or provide guidance.

  • Some users prefer to handle stress independently or turn to other real-life activities, which can reduce engagement with mental health tools.

  • Some users prefer to handle stress independently or turn to other real-life activities, which can reduce engagement with mental health tools.

Gap Analysis

Gap Analysis

📱App’s Intention
🧑User Reality
Gap
📱App’s Intention

Provide daily kindness and safe space for breaks.

vs.

🧑User Reality

Users want reflection and stress relief but struggle to stay engaged.

Gap

Activities feel limited and not meaningful enough.

Provide daily kindness and safe space for breaks.

vs.

Users want reflection and stress relief but struggle to stay engaged.

Activities feel limited and not meaningful enough.

Provide daily kindness and safe space for breaks.

📱App’s Intention

Encourage consistent emotional exercises.

Encourage consistent emotional exercises.

vs.

vs.

Users want reflection and stress relief but struggle to stay engaged.

🧑User Reality

Users cope through short-term, real-life activities.

Users cope through short-term, real-life activities.

Activities feel limited and not meaningful enough.

Gap

App use drops off over time.

App use drops off over time.

Encourage consistent emotional exercises.

vs.

Users cope through short-term, real-life activities.

App use drops off over time.

Feature Ideation

Feature Ideation

IDEA 1

IDEA 1

🌸 📋 Petal Progress

A to-do list feature with mini-game rewards designed to make self-care feel productive and rewarding.

  • Why it matters: Helps users feel productive and motivated to spend time on themselves.

  • Why we didn’t choose it: Task-focused design could add pressure and doesn’t strongly support relaxation or mental well-being.

IDEA 2

IDEA 2

🌼 🐾 Flower Pathway

Enhancements to the existing daily exercises,

including the addition of levels and rewards to encourage continued engagement.

  • Why it matters: Makes existing activities more engaging and game-like.

  • Why we didn’t choose it: Could create stress or pressure to complete exercises daily, which might undermine relaxation.

CHOSEN IDEA

CHOSEN IDEA

🌷 📝 Bloom Board

A pin board where users can leave notes daily and read or reply to others. It is a safe, low-pressure space for users to express themselves while spreading positivity and kindness. Users can form connections by sharing experiences, mindsets, or asking for advice, knowing they’re not alone.

Why this feature?

How do users benefit?

Creates a safe, anonymous space for self-expression, helping users reflect, relax, and relieve stress without social pressure or relationship concerns.

Creates a safe, anonymous space for self-expression, helping users reflect, relax, and relieve stress without social pressure or relationship concerns.

How well does it integrate?

Fits naturally into Kinder World’s visual style, using board-and-note interactions that feel immersive, unlike the other ideas which risked being flat or hard to integrate.

Fits naturally into Kinder World’s visual style, using board-and-note interactions that feel immersive, unlike the other ideas which risked being flat or hard to integrate.

Does this align with Kinder World's goals?

Does this align with Kinder World's goals?

Supports Kinder World’s mission of gentle reflection and relaxation while bringing the sense of community from outside platforms(Reddit & Discord) into the app itself.

Supports Kinder World’s mission of gentle reflection and relaxation while bringing the sense of community from outside platforms(Reddit & Discord) into the app itself.

Design Solution: Bloom Board

Design Solution:

Bloom Board

Intro

By default, the board appears on the side of the main room. Users can drag it anywhere they like or store it in their inventory if they prefer not to use it.

Home Page of App
Home Page of App
Home Page of App
Home Page of App

🍃 Board Room:

🍃 Board Room:

This is the space where users write and pin their notes. Participants on a board are randomized every few days to maintain anonymity.

This is the space where users write and pin their notes. Participants on a board are randomized every few days to maintain anonymity.

Feature Walk-Through

View Full Protoype in Figma

View Full Protoype in Figma

View Full Protoype in Figma

Pinning a Daily Note - Reflect and Express Yourself

Pinning a Daily Note - Reflect and Express Yourself

In the Board Room, users create a personal note by writing, choosing designs, and adding stickers. Once finished, they can place their note on the shared board, where it becomes part of the collective space.

In the Board Room, users create a personal note by writing, choosing designs, and adding stickers. Once finished, they can place their note on the shared board, where it becomes part of the collective space.

Users can create one note per day, with the option to write again after 24 hours. The paper on the board gradually ages over time, eventually disappearing.

Replying to Others -
Share Kindness and Positivity

Replying to Others -
Share Kindness
and Positivity

Users can reply to any note, with the option to decorate their message with stickers. When finished, they send it through the letter box and return to the board to continue exploring.

*Instructions at the top when writing encourage users to give positive messages, while an AI assistant scans for negative language or inappropriate content.*

Checking Replies -
Feel Encouraged and Less Alone

Checking Replies -
Feel Encouraged and
Less Alone

When the user’s note receives a reply, a flower will appear on their note. Tapping the note gives options to edit or delete, while the glowing letter box opens the full list of replies.

Looking at Archives -
Reflect on Your Journey

Clicking the clock icon will lead to the archive page, where past notes are organized by date and can be deleted if desired.

Reflection 🤔

Reflection 🤔

By identifying user needs, app goals, and flows, we ensured our new feature feels intuitive, consistent, and naturally integrated, while meaningfully improving the app experience. Some key takeaways were:

By identifying user needs, app goals, and flows, we ensured our new feature feels intuitive, consistent, and naturally integrated, while meaningfully improving the app experience. Some key takeaways were:

  • Creating flows that align with the app’s context helps make interactions feel natural and satisfying.

  • Identifying areas for improvement through user interviews, hands-on exploration, and understanding the app’s goals is critical before proposing solutions.

  • To adapt ideas to fit an established app requires balancing creativity with consistency, ensuring new features feel natural and integrated.

< Back To Home

< Back To Home

< Back To Home

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Hearted

Hearted

Hearted

© 2025 Jamie Wang

Thank you for visiting:) Let’s connect🌟👉

© 2025 Jamie Wang

Thank you for visiting:)

Let’s connect🌟👉

© 2025 Jamie Wang

Thank you for visiting:) Let’s connect🌟

Contents

Overview

Understanding the Problem

Feature Ideation

Design Solution

Reflection