Empathie - Cultivating Inclusive & Accessible Mental Wellness For Asian Americans

Based on over 50 interviews, we learned that credibility can be based a mental health professional's education or shared understanding and upbringing of cultural experiences. Time spent in finding and going to therapy or reading books are perceived as energy-draining.

Addressing the scarcity of diverse therapists, I enlisted licensed Asian American therapists to create original mental health content, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in support.

Our dedicated team established a streamlined educational framework for effectively conveying mental health concepts and strategies. Through rigorous user testing cycles (see next section), we continuously refined our learning content.

To swiftly gather feedback from 50 users within 1-2 weeks, I developed and tested a no-code app over three iterations, adhering to the constraints of Glide app's guidelines. Prior to implementation, we brainstormed and refined a streamlined structure to host our introductory mental health content.

Our user evaluations revealed exceptional results in achieving common user goals, like self-awareness and anxiety reduction. Utilizing the Sean Ellis test, we surpassed our target goal by 17%, confirming a strong product-market fit. This pivotal milestone enabled us to develop a scalable mobile app, capable of handling advanced features (customized notifications, ML personalization, etc.) beyond the capabilities of the previous app.

In collaboration with our CTO, we strategically identified key features based on insights from a Kano Model feature prioritization survey involving 100 participants during previous private beta testing. By analyzing demographic data, we discovered that our product resonated most with Asian Americans who possess intermediate knowledge of mental health strategies, rather than beginners.

Ann Kim (Product Designer @ Empathie) led usability testing and minor improvements over time. I collaborated with Sophia Lee (Content Design intern) to create the UX writing below while I co-created illustrations (Briana Tran, freelance Graphic Designer). To ensure technical and UX feasibility, I worked closely with our CTO, considering the limitations imposed by Flutter, the iOS/Android platform's developer guidelines.

Collaborating with the PM intern and advisor, I drove the product vision and principles — prioritizing inclusivity, approachability, simplicity, accessibility, and insightfulness. To guide our MVP and future iterations, I led a design sprint involving our engineering lead, Clinical Director, and a team of designers to develop a compelling vision.

Leveraging Briana Tran's initial illustrations, I spearheaded the development of our comprehensive illustration library and took charge of crafting a cohesive design system for our mobile app.

Starting as a mere idea, I initially doubted my ability to cultivate a team and develop a product from scratch. Yet, in a mere six months, the founding team expanded to three members, while our overall team grew to encompass over 18 talented individuals spanning marketing, design, product, engineering, and clinical fields (including therapists).

We were honored to receive the Hack for Mental Health award from Microsoft and secured a place in Berkeley Skydeck's incubator, along with winning several grants. Notably, we partnered with my former employer, Dropbox, for a mental wellness event specifically tailored to our Asian affinity group.

Throughout this transformative journey, I learned to embrace my strength in challenging the norm and embracing my authentic self, unafraid of the perceived foolishness of my ideas. Amidst tears, insecurities, and fears of failure, I allowed my unwavering passion for creating tangible change to propel me forward. Those who supported us could feel the intensity of my passion, ultimately finding themselves moved by its undeniable force.

During my intense 1.5+ year journey as a full-time entrepreneur, primarily dedicated to my design bootcamp business at Product Design Fam, the weight of financial uncertainties and anxieties took a toll on my mental well-being. Simultaneously, I discovered a powerful truth about myself — I thrive when immersing myself in the realms of design and product development, rather than spreading my focus across business, legal matters, and seeking funding opportunities.

Although Empathie, our venture, received accolades and recognition, the recent economic downturn had a profound impact on our team members' priorities. Acquiring the necessary startup funding has become increasingly challenging, directly impeding Empathie's potential for success.Through these experiences, I have grown and learned invaluable lessons, both personally and professionally. They have sharpened my passion and unwavering commitment to pursuing design excellence while reinforcing the importance of financial stability for sustainable growth.