Thrive
2025
Spearheaded design for a Mental Healthcare App
WINNING PITCH
DESIGN
STARTUP
ROLE
Design Lead
TIMELINE
Oct 2024 - Present
TEAM
1 PM, 2 Engineers
tools
Figma
OVERVIEW
Innovation in our immediate community
The HBCU Business Pitch Competition, hosted during the Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Alabama, is an annual Event that challenges student entrepreneurs from HBCUs to create innovative solutions addressing real-world problems. Partners included Microsoft, Verizon, Innovate Alabama, RCX Sports Foundation and many more. In Fall 2024, I competed as the lead designer on a team of four. We pitched an app that bridges the gap in accessible, empathetic mental health support through AI-powered companions, and a community-driven approach.
Students Create AI Assisted Mental Health Platform
Four Alabama A&M students clinched first place and a $10,000 prize in the Alabama Collective x Innovate Alabama HBCU Business Pitch Competition...
Alabama A&M University
Nov 2024
MY ROLE
I primarily led the translation of findings into tangible solutions. I was responsible for layouts, design cues, and final visuals. As UI and Visual Design Lead, my key contributions included transforming research insights into user-friendly designs, structuring screens, and crafting the final look. I owned the end-to-end design journey, building the platform’s brand identity, defining its visual language, and designing the core user flow, with an emphasis on empathy, clarity, and cultural relevance.
Ehi (Design Lead)
Seun (PM)
Timi (Engineer #1)
Yori (Engineer #2)
PROBLEM
A Critical Gap in Mental Healthcare
Minorities including both students and the working class encounter counselors and systems that don’t understand their culture, don’t speak their language, and often dismiss the realities of their lived experiences. The result? A growing gap between those who need care and those who actually receive it, leaving thousands of people to struggle in silence.
THE CHALLENGE
How Might We Support Minority College Students Facing Cultural Barriers in Accessing Mental Health Care?
SOLUTION
A curated Platform for tailored support
The HBCU Business Pitch Competition, hosted during the Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Alabama, is an annual Event that challenges student entrepreneurs from HBCUs to create innovative solutions addressing real-world problems. Partners included Microsoft, Innovate Alabama, Fearless, RCX Sports Foundation and many more. In Fall 2024, I competed as the lead designer on a team of four. We pitched an app that bridges the gap in accessible, empathetic mental health support through AI-powered companions, and a community-driven approach.
CORE FLOWS
Comprehensive
Mental Health Assessment
We designed the mental health assessment to feel comprehensive but not overwhelming, using short prompts, clear progress cues.
PERSONALIZATION
Choose your coach
Users are abler to choose a coach style they connect with, creating a more approachable experience that encourages daily follow-through. This allows for support to feel even more personal and consistent
Onboarding to thrive
Seamless Sign-In
Designing Thrive’s onboarding to be fast, intuitive, and welcoming, reducing forms to simple steps and using clear, supportive interactions. The flow balances efficiency with empathy, making sign-in feel less like like an invitation into a safe space.
RESEARCH
Researching the mental health landscape and the current market
We went deep into understanding the shortcomings of popular mental health platforms, and the broader mental health struggles in our community. I conducted desk research, reviewed articles, reports, and statistics to better understand the state of mental health amongst youth, highlighting its gaps and opportunity for innovation.
USER SURVEYS
Understanding the Problem
I conducted sent out a survey, sampling the viewpoints college students had towards healthy eating, how they made decisions about their food, and what goals they had for their eating and spending habits.
Based on this analysis, Thrive was designed to stand out by combining the best of both worlds, the credibility and structured guidance of platforms like Headspace with the social connection of apps like Tbh while adding a unique layer of culturally relevant, AI-powered coaches. This approach ensures students not only access professional-level support but also feel seen, understood, and connected.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
mapping what already exists
I conducted a competitive analysis to understand the pros and cons of current mental healthcare platforms, focusing on how they facilitate access to support, personalization of care, and their incorporation of emerging technologies.
Based on this analysis, Thrive was designed to stand out by combining the best of both worlds, the credibility and structured guidance of platforms like Headspace with the social connection of apps like Tbh while adding a unique layer of culturally relevant, AI-powered coaches. This approach ensures students not only access professional-level support but also feel seen, understood, and connected.
FROM THIS I CONCLUDED…
Mental health struggles among minorities are not just about awareness, they are about access and usability.
This begged the questions of:
How might we reduce the friction and complexity of finding culturally competent mental health support?
How might we make mental health care feel approachable, personalized, and sustainable?
…leading me to the high-level objectives that guided my design of Thrive.
DESIGN
Designing a supportive and accessible experience
I designed Thrive’s core flow with students and first-time users in mind, introducing them to key features in a way that feels approachable and culturally relevant. The goal was to create a space that supports mental well-being without overwhelming users. By adhering to intentional design constraints, I was able to set a clear and focused direction:
THRIVE IS
A space for exploring mental health resources that reflect diverse experiences
A guide for taking small, meaningful steps toward better mental well-being
THRIVE IS NOT
A replacement for professional therapy or crisis-level care
A burdensome tool that adds more stress to People's daily lives
First, I created a user flow for Thrive. I approached the user flow from the simple perspective of somebody wanting to easily access culturally aware mental health support or find a community
ILLUSTRATION
Choose your coach
Inspired by Duolingo’s playful approach, I designed a set of AI coaches in Figma. Each coach has a unique name, avatar, and trait, guiding users with empathy and encouragement as they build healthier habits over time.
SYNTHESIS
User Personas
I developed four distinct user personas to represent the diverse ways minority college students might engage with culturally tailored mental health support. These personas helped me map design decisions to the AI coaches: Empathy, Kindness, Compassion, and Sympathy, illustrating how each coach could uniquely address the challenges students face as they navigate the cultural shift of higher education and the lack of accessible, identity-centered wellness resources.
Isabel Johnson, 18
Freshman
biology
Atlanta, GA
Goals
Needs
Pain Points
Adjust smoothly to college life and build genuine friendships
Emotional validation when feeling homesick
Struggles with self-doubt when comparing herself to peers
Coach Match: Emily [Empathy]
Design Decisions
How can I create clarity and delight in the coach selection screen?
The coach selection screen is a key moment where users form their first bond with Thrive. My first iteration (left) introduced the core idea but felt static and less engaging. In the second iteration (right), I refined the layout and added playful visual elements to make choosing a coach feel more intuitive and inviting.
Before: No Background
This first version introduced the idea of coach selection but felt flat. The layout lacked hierarchy, and the design didn’t create a strong sense of personality or engagement.
After: Vibrant Background and cTA
This iteration created a stronger sense of personality and focus. The coach is centered, supported by playful elements, and the layout feels more dynamic.
RECOGNITION
A great success!
We won the HBCU Business Pitch Competition as well as the grand prize of $10,000. We were then interviewed and featured in our school, Alabama A&M University's Newspaper, where we shared how we pitched Thrive at the Alabama Collective × Innovate Alabama HBCU Pitch Competition, and our mission to make mental health care more accessible through technology.
ColorStack AAMU
2025
Leading a community of Technical talent as Co-President
LEADERSHIP
DESIGN
Coming Soon