Building a culturally aware mental health MVP in 2 weeks
Team
Solo project (Freelance)
My role
UX research
UI design
Usability testing
Frontend development
Marketing materials design
Timeline
June 2025 (2 weeks)
Link
Background
A clinical psychologist in India, wanted to enhance online visibility for her private practice - Sattva.
Challenge
To establish a trustworthy and engaging digital presence that connects with a culturally diverse audience.
Impact
Full story
Aparna is a clinical psychologist in India who offers online therapy and workshops. Her practice, Sattva, relied mainly on word-of-mouth to reach clients.
With no digital presence, Sattva, was hard to find or trust. She approached me to help create not just a website, but a digital space that reflected her calm, human, and culturally attuned clinical approach.
Designing for value, trust and cultural empathy
I needed to find out what would differentiate Sattva from the rest of the practices in such a crowded market. Research indicated that many lacked a cultural or emotional connection - weakening trust, the foundation of therapy. This shaped our north star: lead with client value, build trust early, and reflect cultural empathy.
I unearthed 3 key insights for resonating with Indian audiences:
1. Nature-inspired imagery to evoke calm and connection.
2. Service packages to convey clear value.
3. Client-focused messaging that prioritizes value over brand promotion.
Nature inspired imagery in moodboard
Research showed client focussed messaging and clear value in the service packages resonate with Indian audiences
Testing homepage concepts
I designed two homepage concepts : A, with a general wellness focus and subtle nature imagery, and B, with a strong value focus and original nature imagery. A 5-second test revealed that Concept B resonated more, due to its clear value messaging and distinctive visuals.
Concept A: General wellness focus with subtle nature imagery
Concept B: Strong value focus with original nature imagery
Refining concept B for instant engagement
Concept B was the clear winner. However, feedback indicated the need for a more immersive experience to better capture user attention. I refined three key elements:
Enhanced nature imagery for immediate impact
Streamlined messaging for clearer communication
Improved navigation links for easier usability
Concept B with enhanced imagery, streamlined messaging and improved navigation links
Among several challenges in this project, two stood out.
Delivering a high quality, accessible experience at speed
Ensuring holistic product delivery beyond design
1. Delivering a high quality, accessible experience at speed
I used AI tools to quickly explore ideas, but the prototypes didn’t meet user needs for quality, accessibility, and performance which are important for building trust. The challenge was to improve the product step by step without losing these qualities. To do this, I balanced working fast with paying close attention to detail and decided to hand-code the final version to ensure a high-quality, inclusive experience.
Poor performance and accessibility in earlier version using AI
Improved performance and accessibility in the hand-coded version
2. Ensuring holistic product delivery beyond design
Design success depends on more than visuals and interaction - it requires technical execution like SEO optimization, accessibility compliance, and reliable deployment. The challenge was integrating these elements early to enhance product discoverability, inclusivity, and real-world performance, ensuring the product truly serves its users end to end.
Keyboard navigation showcasing visible focus states on the homepage for improved accessibility.
Site launched in two weeks
One week post-launch, the site shows strong visibility and positive client feedback. I’m monitoring session bookings to track conversions. Upcoming improvements include SEO optimization and enhanced accessibility across devices.
Key learnings
Empathy is not just a phase in design. It defines the product’s core value.
Expanding my full-stack delivery skills helped me better understand product impact across design, technology, and marketing. This will enable stronger collaboration with developers and stakeholders in the future.
