Overview

Echo is an app designed to empower individuals from marginalised groups to explore and express their identities through reflective journaling, community sharing, and authentic storytelling. The app creates a safe, anonymous space for users to share personal experiences, explore diverse perspectives, and connect with others. It promotes emotional safety, vulnerability, and mindfulness, helping users define and celebrate their identities in a supportive environment that specifically addresses the challenges faced by marginalized communities.

Role

UI/UX Designer and Lead Visual Designer. I was responsible for planning the design process, conducting user interviews, wireframing, prototyping, and the visual layout of the app.

Time frame: 40 hours

March 21-23, 2025

Project Description

This project was developed for the Catalyst 2025 Designathon, a UX-focused competition for undergraduate students across the United States. The challenge was to create a design solution under the theme of exploration with the track Expressing - Defining self-identity/individual. The goal was to empower authenticity and amplify diverse voices while redefining how we embrace and share who we are.

The Problem

Many marginalized communities (e.g., LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, people with disabilities) lack platforms that encourage self-reflection, vulnerability, and connection in a space free of judgment. Social media often spikes feelings of isolation, leading to performative identity rather than authentic self-expression. Echo aims to create a digital space that addresses these issues by allowing users from marginalized backgrounds to explore their identities without fear of misunderstanding or exclusion.

Market and User Research

The app is mainly aimed at young adults and students navigating self-discovery and cultural identity. Upon conducting market research on existing solutions…

• TikTok and Instagram are widespread platforms that serve as popular tools for sharing any kind of content with friends and the internet.

• Reddit is an online chat platform where users can anonymously exchange ideas about any topic.

• Honing in on self-reflection–Apple’s journaling app encourages individuals to privately reflect on their memories and experiences, while the Waffle: Shared Journal app allows shared connection between family, friends, and couples.

• Finally, regarding marginalized communities, many apps address therapy, anxiety, sleep, mental health, and self-care for Black and BIPOC communities. Some examples include Exhale (a well-being app for Black women), Ayana (online therapy for minority groups), and Liberate (meditation app for the Black community).

In addition, I conducted a few quick interviews to gather insight directly from individuals who are part of the app’s target audience–young adults from marginalised communities who are navigating identity, self-expression, and personal growth. I reached out to friends with diverse lived experiences, including those who are international students, Muslim, women of color, first-generation college students, and neurodivergent individuals. These conversations helped me understand how people reflect, what makes them hesitant to share, and the stories that resonate with them. Specifically I wanted to understand their habits, pain points, needs, and goals.

Key Insights

Based on the online research conducted, the existing solutions prompted us to craft a solution that can promote self-expression, provide a safe space that prioritizes privacy, emotional support, and connection for marginalized communities.

What I learned from my interviews:

• Most participants prefer reflecting privately, but hesitate to share vulnerable thoughts online

• Participants are selective about what they post publicly and avoid personal or emotional content on social media

• Vulnerability is not normalized in public platforms, but when shared in a safe space, it can build a powerful human connection.

• There is a strong unmet need for safe, anonymous expression, especially for those who feel misunderstood or judged.

• Participants enjoy reading content that feels authentic and aligns with their identity or values.

The interviews confirmed the need for a platform like Echo, where marginalised voices can reflect in a calm, intentional space, feel seen, and connect with others through honest storytelling.

Ideate and Brainstorm

For the ideate process, our team used the crazy 8 activity to come up with 16 creative solutions in under 8 minutes. These ideas included anonymous journaling, diverse story threads, tailored prompts, mindfulness reminders, engagement features, and personalized content.

We narrowed down our brainstorming ideas into the most feasible idea, which was to create a reflective journaling app with personalized prompts to address the needs of marginalized groups. It also includes the ability to share anonymously, engage with diverse stories, and interact with a supportive community. This concept is achievable within the given timeframe and addresses the target audience’s needs.

This solution offers a positive impact by providing a platform for marginalized individuals to explore and express their identities in a safe, supportive environment. It allows users to engage with diverse voices and connect with others who share similar experiences. Echo stands out by focusing on marginalized communities and offering self-reflection and community connection. Unlike traditional social media or journaling apps, Echo prioritizes emotional safety, anonymity, and vulnerability, which are essential for users from underrepresented backgrounds.

Wireframing

Because of the fast-paced nature of the designathon, I focused on medium-fidelity wireframes to quickly iterate on the core layout and flow of the app. These wireframes helped define key user interactions such as onboarding, journaling, and exploring community stories, without getting too caught up in visuals or styling.

I designed a set of mid-fidelity screens to test the overall layout, text hierarchy, and user flow, with enough detail to simulate how the experience would feel, but still flexible for changes. This stage allowed me to visualize the app’s functionality and start shaping the user experience.

Flow 1

Flow 2

Flow 3

Prototyping

Low-Fidelity Prototype

To test the core flows of Echo, I created a clickable prototype using medium-fidelity wireframes. These included key screens for onboarding, journaling, and exploring community stories. While not fully polished visually, these wireframes allowed me to quickly evaluate layout, structure, and how users would move through the app. Connecting them into a basic prototype helped identify early usability improvements before moving into high-fidelity design.

High-Fidelity Prototype

Once the core flows were validated, I developed a high-fidelity prototype that incorporated visual styling, intentional interactions, and soft transitions. I included additional screens to support animations and feedback—such as a button changing color after being tapped or an intro screen with animated text for Echo’s welcome message. These extra screens helped simulate how the app would feel in motion, making the experience more realistic, calm, and user-friendly.

Flow 1

Flow 2

Flow 3

Visual Design

Echo’s visual design aims to create a calm, safe, and welcoming space for reflection. I used soft spacing, rounded elements, and approachable typography to support ease and emotional comfort.

I started with a minimal palette of purple, blue, black, and white, but shifted to a softer, more vibrant set of purple, blue, peach, and yellow. These pastel tones felt warmer and more aligned with the app’s purpose—offering a supportive space for marginalized users to reflect and connect.The final design feels more intentional, emotionally grounded, and in tune with Echo’s mission.

The Solution and How it Solves the Problem

Echo is designed as a space for self-reflection and identity exploration, especially for people from marginalized communities who often feel overlooked or misunderstood in digital spaces. The app combines personal journaling with community storytelling, allowing users to write privately, explore daily prompts, or share their experiences anonymously.

By removing the pressure of public performance and replacing it with intention and emotional safety, Echo offers an alternative to traditional social media. Users can connect through shared experiences, not for validation, but to feel seen and understood. Features like soft interaction icons, anonymous story sharing, and prompt personalization all support this goal—making it easier to reflect, relate, and grow.

Challenges Faced

One of the biggest challenges was working through the entire UX design process in just 40 hours—from defining the problem to developing and prototyping a high-fidelity solution. With only one other teammate, it required a lot of initiative and quick decision-making across every phase, from research to visual design.

Figuring out how to bring the vision to life in Figma also came with its own challenges, especially when translating interactions and layout ideas into a cohesive, intuitive flow. There were moments where I had to pause, reassess, and make sure the design aligned with the project’s mission and the needs of the target users.

Another ongoing challenge was making sure each screen felt intentional—whether it was the layout, the words, or the color palette. I often found myself thinking deeply about how to make the experience feel simple, welcoming, and safe for users. Even when the process felt messy or uncertain, pushing through those moments helped me grow a lot as a designer.

What I learned

Working within a 40-hour timeframe pushed me to focus on the most essential parts of the design process—empathizing, defining, ideating, and designing—while communicating closely with my teammate throughout. I learned the importance of being intentional with every design decision, making sure that each element had a clear purpose supported by user insights or research. Whether it was choosing a color, placing a button, or shaping the user flow, everything needed to be grounded in evidence and aligned with the problem we were solving. This experience reinforced how important it is to design with clarity, communicate your reasoning, and stay connected to both user and market needs.