JOMO (the joy of missing out)
App Design
Project
Timeline
Overview
This is a self-initiated project to design an app that offers activities that help people take a break and embrace their negative emotions.
Initial Thought
Are we all burnt out from social media?
Multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an official advisory stating that up to 95% of youth ages 13-17 use social media platforms, with over a third using it "almost constantly." The advisory indicates that while social media may have some benefits, there are ample indicators that it can pose risks to youth mental health and well-being.
...this study assessed depression and social media use across multiple social media platforms in a large, nationally representative sample of young adults. Given the increasing prevalence of social media and the substantial morbidity and mortality associated with depression worldwide, the positive association we found between social media use and depression has important implications for future research and intervention.
source: Association between Social Media Use and Depression among U.S. Young Adults
Research from MIT Sloan found that college-wide access to Facebook led to a 7% increase in severe depression and a 20% increase in anxiety disorders among college students. The negative effect was approximately 20% the magnitude of what people experience when they lose their job.
- Social media is the main cause of stress, anxiety, and depression in young adults
- Users feel worse about themselves after scrolling through their feeds
- Constant connectivity and FOMO (fear of missing out) prevent users from being present in their daily lives
- People want to disconnect but fear losing touch with their social circles
User Interview
Interviewing 4 heavy social media users
After doing some research on the relationship between mental health and the usage on social media, I developed several assumptions myself. In order to validate these assumptions and identify the real problem, I conducted 4 interviews and here are my insights:
Learnings & Findings
Assumption 1
Social media is the main reason people felt stressed, insecure, anxious and depressed.
đź“•Learning
Sometimes they are just experiencing a mentally unstable time at their life, social media isn’t the one to blame even though it could aggravate the situation. The feeling that social media is mentally harmful usually arouse internally.
Assumption 2
People who uses social media sometimes goes on a "doom-scroling" spree and feel more negative emotions after.
đź“•Learning
Users would post something new and subconsciously waiting for responses from friends. Furthermore made them extremely anxious and cannot focus on the things that they are doing right now.
Assumption 3
People go on social media detox but some is fearful of losing touch with friends.
đź“•Learning
Some users delete the whole account while some delete the app only. But they still crave human connection while staying away from social media. They would direct message their friends using iMessage, Whatsapp and so on, while some of them felt the process of reaching out to a friend directly very forced and not very seamless.
Okay, so it seems that social media shouldn't take all the blame...
People are looking for ways to reconnect with friends when they are currently in a more stressed and hectic phase of their life. Social media provides human connection but cannot satisfy their needs anymore. They want a simple and delightful space where they can keep in touch with loved ones and not feel triggered by the content.
Target Audience
Heavy social media users
who seek a temporary detox from social media
Chloe Zhaung
"I want to see real photos and real lives of my friend, not some face-tuned, over-glorified posts."
ACTIONS & FEELINGS
- Felt triggered and insecure when looking at people’s posts and videos
- Waits on responses when she post something on Instagram
- Tried journal apps but find it a bit mundane to use
- Worked as an elementary school English teacher before
- Deleted her instagram account but still uses Facebook to keep in touch with friends
NEEDS & GOALS
- Wants to feel supported
- Hopes that there is a ritual for her everyday to switch focus and freshen her mind
- Needs a nudge to interact with people
- Wants to take her mind of things that triggers her anxiety
Defining the Problem
HMWs and determining product features
Ideation
A stress-free environment for users to interact with friends. Creating a safe space where user can be vulnerable and have fun at the same time.
Visualizing the Concept
Considering the Interface
With a "no bad ideas" mindset, I sketched some rough solutions addressing persona needs in different ways.
I came up with different features to help Chloe feel save and encouraged to interact with friends.
Chole can see her friends post and react to those. A daily check-in will ask for her mood and things she would like to share.
I also come up with more home page layout to figure out what features might be the most prominent to her. A journal page will record her past entries.
Core Features & Daily Rituals
‍
The home screen prioritizes daily rituals over endless scrolling. By combining mood check-ins, creative challenges, and meme-sharing in one view, users create meaningful interactions without getting lost in algorithmic feeds.
Privacy Controls & Social Feed
Unlike traditional social media, JOMO's feed focuses on authentic activities rather than curated posts. Users see what their friends are actually doing (drawing challenges, journaling) instead of highlight reels
Interactive Activities & Journal History
The journal acts as a personal sanctuary within the social app. Users can scroll through past entries to reflect on growth, while daily challenges provide gentle nudges toward positive rituals.
This was a solid foundation to build on. I created a minimal prototype and sought critique from peers and other designers. I was lucky enough to get some insightful feedback, and implemented several key changes.
For example, I simplified the navigation bar and added a submenu for the "Add" button, to focus on interactivity. I also grouped content on the Profile page with tabs, offering more
Key Changes
- Removed gamification metrics (streaks, reacts) that created performance anxiety
- Redesigned challenge cards with illustrations and timers to increase engagement
- Implemented submenu for "Add" button to streamline navigation
Key Changes
- Moved GIF selector inline so users can see options without extra navigation
- Simplified button placement following platform conventions
Key Changes
- Added tab navigation to separate calendar view from activity list
- Month list for users to select instead of endless scrolling
What would benefit users the most? How should we create a safe space?
I also moved forward to high-fidelity design to speed up the process and hope to get a more accurate results for future user testing.
Testing & Iterating
Two testing rounds to validate navigation,
CTAs, and emotional tone
FINAL Product
Results
Takeaways
Listening first, then designing.
I had several assumptions at the beginning. But through deeper research, I found out more accurate user needs and validated problems.
Never stop learning!
Technology and software has been evovling in an unprecedented speed. As a designer, I should never shy away from learning new tools.
