Dev Tools · 4h ago
Mental Health Apps Need Calm Design, Not UI Trends
A new framework by designer Kat Homan helps evaluate whether trendy UI patterns harm mental health apps' goals of reducing cognitive strain and building trust. Many popular design choices prioritize attention-grabbing over creating a refuge for distressed users. The framework offers a structured way to align visual and interaction decisions with therapeutic needs.
Meridian48 take
This is a useful corrective for an industry that often prioritizes aesthetic novelty over user vulnerability, though the framework's real-world adoption remains to be seen.
Read the full reporting
Designing For Distressed Users: Why Mental Health Apps Shouldn’t Follow Every UI Fashion →
Smashing Magazine
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