Support that starts quietly.
ROLE
TIMELINE
TEAM
TOOLS
01 WHAT IS HUSKYHUSH?
CONTEXT
Many universities offer mental health resources. Many students still don’t use them.
HuskyHush explores how to reduce the emotional and structural barriers that prevent students from taking the first step toward support.
Rather than designing another resource directory, we focused on something more nuanced:
What if the real barrier isn’t access — but emotional safety?
PROBLEM
→
Students don’t seek support because reaching out feels overwhelming.
SOLUTION
→
A safer first step toward support
HuskyHush is an anonymous peer support platform designed to lower the emotional barrier to seeking help. By connecting students with certified peer supporters through private text sessions, the platform prioritizes emotional safety, autonomy, and gradual pathways to care.
02 THE RESEARCH
INTERVIEWS
Our team conducted three in-depth, 30-minute interviews to better understand how UW students perceive, find, and decide whether to use mental health resources on campus.
Affinity diagram synthesizing themes across interviews
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Diagram comparing strengths and limitations of existing platforms
KEY INSIGHTS
Students don’t know where to start.
Participants described UW’s mental health sites as confusing and unclear. Even when they searched for help, they weren’t confident they were in the right place.
Therapy feels crisis-oriented.
Most students associated campus mental health services with severe situations like suicide hotlines. Many felt their stress was “not serious enough” to qualify for support.
Peers feel safer than professionals.
Every participant said they turn to friends before considering formal counseling. Peer conversations felt more relatable, less intimidating, and emotionally safer.
DESIGN QUESTION
We initially were focused on broadly increasing awareness of mental health resources. After research, we narrowed our focus:
How might we design a collaborative, low-pressure platform that helps UW students confidently take the first step toward support?
Instead of building a better directory, we began exploring low-pressure entry points.
03 THE IDEATION
CONCEPT 1: ANONYMOUS PEER SUPPORT CHAT
Storyboard for concept 1
Description
A fully anonymous chat space where students can connect with verified peer supporters to discuss stress, academics, or personal challenges.
Why?
Students consistently said they turn to friends before professionals. An anonymous peer system could replicate that comfort while maintaining privacy and accountability.
Strengths
Low emotional commitment
Peer relatability with institutional credibility
Familiar text interactions
Weakness
Moderation and safety concerns
Potential misuse of anonymity
CONCEPT 2: INTERACTIVE RESOURCE MAP + BUDDY SYSTEM
Storyboard for concept 2
Description
A guided questionnaire that recommends campus mental health resources and pairs students with a trained “buddy” to help navigate appointments.
Why?
Students expressed confusion about where to start and uncertainty about which services fit their needs.
Strengths
Clear, personalized guidance
Connects digital discovery to physical services
Encourages follow-through
Weakness
Requires operational infrastructure
Higher coordination and staffing complexity
CONCEPT 3: IDENTITY/EXPERIENCE-BASED PEER WORKSHOPS
Storyboard for concept 3
Description
Small, facilitated peer groups matched by shared identities or experiences (e.g., international students, first-generation students, specific majors).
Why?
Students said they feel more comfortable opening up to people who can relate to their background and lived experience.
Strengths
Builds community
Reduces isolation
Supports belonging
Weakness
Requires trained facilitators
Physical location requirements add logistical overhead
Anonymous Peer Support Chat
After evaluating feasibility and emotional impact, we selected Anonymous Peer Support Chat.
While all three concepts addressed gaps in the mental health ecosystem, Concept 1 most directly targeted the core barrier:
The hesitation before reaching out.
Directly reduces stigma
Requires the lowest emotional commitment
Aligns with existing student behavior
Serves as a bridge to formal care
04 THE STRUCTURE
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
We mapped the core flows before designing screens to ensure clarity and reduce cognitive load.
Primary goals
• Talk to a peer supporter
• Manage past and upcoming chats
• Discover campus events
• Maintain user privacy
Top-Level Navigation
Find Peer Support
Chatroom
Profile
Events
Information architecture diagram
05 INITIAL DESIGN
PEER SUPPORTERS
CHATROOM
PROFILE
UPCOMING EVENTS
06 CONCEPT TESTING
OVERVIEW
We conducted three 20-minute concept tests with UW students to evaluate clarity, desirability, and perceived intuitiveness of the first HuskyHush design.
Affinity diagram synthesizing themes across concept testing
KEY FINDINGS
Users value peer-based support.
Participants responded positively to the anonymous peer model.
Navigation required clearer structure.
Users wanted a more defined flow between browsing supporters, filtering options, and booking sessions.
Commitment needed confirmation.
Participants expected reassurance after scheduling a session.
Event exploration needed more detail.
Users wanted enough information to assess whether an event was relevant before committing.
07 SECOND ITERATION
WHAT CHANGED
Created a dedicated filters screen to reduce clutter and support intentional matching
Built a complete booking flow with time selection and optional notes to increase clarity and user control
Added a confirmation screen to reassure users and reinforce commitment
Created a detailed event page with date, time, location, and description to support informed decisions
FILTER
BOOK A CHAT
CHAT CONFIRMED
EVENT PAGE
08 INTERACTIVE PROTOTYPE
WHAT I DID
Developed a lightweight design system including color, typography, spacing, and reusable components
Styled key screens to reinforce emotional safety and clarity
Prototyped core flows to test interaction logic
Refined hierarchy to reduce cognitive load
SCREENS
FLOWS
Filter the list of peer supporters based on user's needs
Use the app to book an online text appointment with a peer supporter
Use the app to RSVP for mental health events on campus
09 REFLECTION
TAKEAWAYS
Designing for mental health means designing for hesitation.
• Emotional safety must be intentionally designed
• Clear structure builds trust
• Confirmation moments reduce uncertainty
• Peer relatability lowers stigma
This project strengthened my ability to translate research into intentional system decisions.
NEXT STEPS
Usability Testing
• Test core flows for clarity and confidence
• Identify friction in booking and event registration
Refinement → Final Product
• Iterate based on testing insights
• Polish visual system and interactions
Demo Video
• Capture end-to-end flows
• Demonstrate how structure reduces hesitation