Nue.Life • Innovating Mental Wellness Through UX Design

PROJECT
Nue.Life's Ketamine Therapy App & Subscription 
January 2021 - March 2022

TEAM
Development Team @ Nue.Life, Leandro Henflen

ROLE
Head of Design
Design Sprint Workshop facilitator
Lead Visual Design
Building & Maintaining Components
Prototype

Nue.life, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, is a private mental wellness company that specializes in healthcare and mental wellness monitoring solutions. It focuses on mental health treatment and aims to enhance brain function, performance, and longevity through evidence-based and scientifically proven mental health treatments and products. As of now, Nue.life has raised a total of $28 million in funding.

The company has made significant strides in mental wellness, delivering over 90,000 treatments for various conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, among others. Specifically, Nue.life has treated 650 patients who were resistant to other forms of treatment, with over 60% of these patients experiencing a "clinically significant" reduction in symptoms after just six sessions of their ketamine therapy​​​​.

Executive Summary

Nue.Life embarked on a groundbreaking journey to revolutionize the psychedelic drug therapy sector through a user-centric mobile app. This case study delves into the meticulous process of validating the founding team's hypotheses and transforming them into a tangible product. Spanning from January 2021 to March 2022, the project was not just about app development; it was about crafting a digital solution that extended the clinic-based ketamine therapy experience into users' homes, ensuring accessibility and continuity amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ideation & Design Process of the Nue.Life App

The ideation and design process for the Nue.Life app was a rigorous, collaborative journey that focused on creating a user-centered solution to deliver psychedelic therapy through a mobile platform. This process was characterized by several key phases, each contributing uniquely to the final product's development.

Framing the Challenge

The process began with a deep dive into understanding the unique challenges and opportunities presented by psychedelic therapy in a digital format. Through one-on-one interviews with the founding team, physicians, and potential users, the project team could frame the problem accurately. This initial phase was crucial for aligning the project's goals with the needs and expectations of both the service providers and the end-users.

Design Sprint and Prototype Thinking

Leveraging an adapted version of Google's Design Sprint and Prototype Thinking methodologies, the team embarked on an 8-week intensive phase. This approach allowed for rapid ideation, prototyping, and testing, ensuring that the app's development was both agile and user-focused. The use of Miro/Figjam facilitated effective workshop sessions, allowing for real-time collaboration and ideation among team members scattered across different locations.

Weekly Sprints: Each week, the team focused on two main design sprints, each culminating in a new prototype. This fast-paced schedule ensured continuous progress and allowed the team to explore a wide range of ideas and solutions.

User-Centric Activities: Activities like "Problem Statement" definition, "How Might We" brainstorming, and user flow targeting were integral to each sprint. These activities ensured that every design decision was made with the user's needs and experiences in mind.

Sketching and Storyboarding: Ideas were quickly sketched out and then refined into storyboards, outlining how users would interact with the app's features. This visual representation was key to envisioning the user journey and ensuring a seamless experience.

Rapid Prototyping and User Testing

Using Figma, the team developed interactive prototypes that were then tested with a group of 5 to 7 users twice a week. Lookback played a critical role in these sessions, enabling the team to observe user interactions and gather feedback in real-time.

Iterative Feedback Loops: The insights gained from each testing session were invaluable. They provided direct feedback on the app's usability, design appeal, and functionality, informing the subsequent iterations of the prototype.

Feature Prioritization: Through continuous testing and feedback, the team was able to prioritize the app's features effectively. This process led to the decision to streamline the app, focusing on the seven most impactful features out of the initial eighteen proposed by the founders.

Collaboration and Integration

A key aspect of the process was the close collaboration between the design team and the developers. Regular check-ins ensured that the prototypes were not only user-approved but also technically feasible and aligned with compliance standards.

Branding and Aesthetic Design: Alongside the functional aspects, branding elements were woven into the app's design, ensuring that it was not only effective but also visually engaging and aligned with Nue.Life's brand identity.

Final Review and Validation: Before moving to the development phase, the team conducted a comprehensive review of the design, validating it against the project's objectives and the insights gathered from user testing.

Outcome of the Ideation & Design Process

The ideation and design process culminated in a streamlined, user-validated app that was ready for development. This phase not only ensured that the app met the needs of its target audience but also that it was prepared to navigate the regulatory landscape of mental health and psychedelic therapy. Through a disciplined, user-centric approach, the team successfully translated complex therapeutic processes into a simple, engaging digital experience, setting a new standard in the field of mental wellness apps.

Framing the Problem:
One-on-one interviews with the company's executives and team leaders laid the groundwork for defining, understanding, and prioritizing complex business challenges. Simultaneously, we formed a cohesive team, streamlined operations, and scouted users for prototype testing.

Parallel Sprints
Over six intensive weeks, we orchestrated parallel sprints, effectively compressing two weeks' worth of work into one. These Sprints included activities like Problem Statement, How Might We, Target, Sketched solutions, Voted sketched solutions, Storyboard and then straight to design the Prototype.
The process was orchestrated in an asynchronous fashion, with Mondays and Wednesdays dedicated to gathering insights and ideating, and Tuesdays and Thursdays focused on designing the prototype and testing with users. Fridays were reserved for insights alignment.

User Insights
We engaged in real-time testing with 5 to 7 users, employing Lookback.com to share screens while capturing users' reactions on camera. This approach ensured a direct and unfiltered window into users' experiences, guiding us toward more informed design choices.

Solution

The solution to Nue.Life's challenge was a meticulously crafted mobile application that served as a digital extension of their on-site clinic experiences, bringing ketamine therapy into patients' homes. This app was not just a technological solution but a paradigm shift in how psychedelic therapy could be accessed and experienced by those in need. Here's a deeper dive into the components that made this solution transformative:

User-Centric Design and Features

1. Simplified Onboarding: Recognizing the importance of ease and clarity, especially for users potentially in distress, the app featured a streamlined onboarding process. Through carefully crafted questions, users could swiftly set up their profiles while feeling understood and supported.

2. Therapeutic Sessions at Home: At the core of the app was the ability to conduct ketamine therapy sessions remotely. This feature meticulously mimicked the clinic's therapeutic environment, offering guided sessions with background music tailored to the user's preferences, creating a conducive setting for therapy.

3. Compliance and Privacy: Given the sensitive nature of the therapy and the strict regulations surrounding medical treatments, the app incorporated features ensuring full compliance with HIPAA and state laws. Security measures were paramount, with robust data encryption and privacy protocols safeguarding user information.

4. Integrated Care Journey: The app included functionalities for scheduling appointments with physicians, undergoing initial mental health evaluations, completing necessary compliance forms, and setting up at-home ketamine sessions. This holistic approach ensured continuity of care from assessment to therapy.

5. Supportive Resources: Beyond ketamine therapy, the app provided users with additional resources to support their mental wellness journey. This included educational reading materials on mental health, tools for journaling post-session reflections, and features to track progress over time.

6. Music Personalization: Recognizing the profound impact of music on therapeutic outcomes, the app allowed users to personalize their session's auditory experience. This level of customization enriched the therapy, making each session uniquely comforting and effective.

Impactful Outcomes

The final design solution was a direct outcome of an agile and iterative design process, firmly rooted in real user feedback. This approach not only enhanced the app's usability but also its effectiveness as a mental wellness tool. By prioritizing features that users genuinely needed and valued, the Nue.Life app set a new standard in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Realizing the Vision

The Nue.Life app represented a significant step forward in democratizing access to alternative mental health treatments. It bridged the gap between traditional in-clinic therapy sessions and the growing demand for accessible, home-based care solutions. In doing so, it not only expanded Nue.Life's reach to those in underserved areas but also offered a beacon of hope for individuals seeking effective relief from mental health conditions during challenging times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This solution was a testament to the power of user-centered design in healthcare, showcasing how technology can be leveraged to deliver compassionate, effective care. The Nue.Life app emerged not just as a product but as a pivotal movement toward a more inclusive, understanding, and patient-focused approach to mental wellness.

Outcome

Rapid Development: The app was ideated, designed, and validated within two months, with 12 prototypes developed and tested.

Funding and Launch: The project's success in the design phase helped secure $3.3M in seed funding, followed by a Series A round of $23M, leading to its launch in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store within six months.

User Adoption: Within a year, the app had served over 10,000 patients across 11 states, facilitating over 50,000 therapy sessions.

Reflection

This project underscored the effectiveness of design sprints in quickly validating and refining product concepts. It highlighted the importance of a user-first approach in developing digital health solutions, proving that rapid prototyping and user testing are invaluable in creating products that meet real user needs.

Impact & Outcomes

5

Weeks of Rapid Prototyping & Design Sprint 

+60

Users Testing the Prototypes

6

Collaborating in the Workshop

18

Ideas to Validate

7

Ideas Validated

12

Prototypes Designed

During Leandro's tenure as Head of Design at Meta Pool, he masterfully orchestrated a company rebrand and unified multiple apps into one cohesive platform. His intuitive design approach played a pivotal role in our 48% TVL growth within just three months of implementation, helping us navigate a challenging bear market. Beyond his undeniable design prowess, Leandro's leadership and collaboration are unparalleled. I wholeheartedly recommend them for any ambitious design endeavor.

Lucas Capdevila
Meta Pool

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