MA:EUM

AI-Driven Mood Journaling App

An AI-driven journaling that offers a safe space to share emotions, track moods, and receive supportive feedback in a fun, engaging way.

Team: Group Project

Project Manager

Developer

UX Designer

Role: UX/UI Design

Timeline: 6 month

OVERVIEW

Background

Childcare centers are increasingly adopting technology and mobile apps to improve communication with parents. Effective communication between educators and parents is crucial for guiding a child’s development, interests, growth, and health. However, many childcare centers and educators still struggle with outdated workflows or existing digital childcare apps, leading to inefficiencies in parent communication and workflow management.

Problems

One significant problem was that early childhood educators struggled to use the app while looking after their students. Even though they took turns updating the children’s activities in the app, it was challenging to use it while working, which led to frustration among the educators.

Solution

As someone that used to work in Early Childhood education, I met many educators who struggled to report daily progress in an efficient manner to parents on a daily basis. This inspired me to develop an app that improves communication and benefits both educators and parents. I firmly believed that there was an opportunity to enhance their workflows with the ultimate goal to foster a positive approach to the child’s growth and development.

OVERVIEW

Problem

According to the World Health Organization, anxiety and mental health disorders are rising sharply among young people. One in seven adolescents now experiences a mental health condition. Between 1990 and 2021, anxiety disorders among those aged 10 to 24 increased by 52 percent, with a significant spike after 2019. Despite this, many still lack a safe, judgment-free space to express their emotions, track their moods, and receive support. Without early intervention, these challenges can lead to long-term consequences, including suicide, which is now the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 29.

Solution

Talk freely with an empathetic AI

Analyze emotions and show mood summaries

Generate diary entries from conversation

Receive feedback and stress-reducing suggestions

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Stakeholder Needs and Concept Discussion

At the start of the project, I met with the client to understand their goals and vision. They wanted to integrate AI-driven journaling features that support users' mental well-being.
One of the first questions we asked was:

Understand how others release their stress.

I conducted a survey with 12 participants and identified 6 common stress-relief methods they use most often:

58%

Talking to someone or AI

42%

Journaling

42%

Physical activity

33%

Creative hobbies

25%

Disconnecting from tech

25%

Mindfulness

Key Insight

Many people need a private space to reflect before opening up to others. While 42% turn to journaling, they often find it hard to maintain. This inspired a solution using AI as a consistent, judgment-free conversation partner to support emotional well-being

Why People Need Ma:Eum

Emotionally intelligent AI
‍that understands users on a deeper level

Actionable feedback‍
‍to help users grow and reflect

A safe space‍
‍to express emotions without judgment

To-do list integration‍
‍that turns insights into real actions

Product Research & Planning

With no developer on board yet, I was asked to design the app flow early so development could begin quickly.

Goal:

Create a simple, intuitive user flow that reduced friction and made journaling feel natural.

Competitive Research:

I analyzed existing journaling apps and noticed that those with too few features had poor user retention.

Key Features Introduced:

1. Customizable diary entries
2. Weekly Mood Summary to help users track emotional trends

Integrating Tarot cards

Tarot cards are widely recognized not only in English-speaking countries but also around the world, with strong cultural and emotional resonance. According to Verified Market Research, the global tarot card market was valued at approximately USD 1.29 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 1.59 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.51%. This growing popularity reflects a broader cultural interest in emotional wellness and symbolic reflection.

Inspired by this trend, I decided to integrate the concept of tarot cards into the experience, providing users with personalized card-based feedback. This not only aligned with existing user behaviors but also helped make the interaction feel more meaningful, reflective, and engaging.

Conclusion

Even with a limited budget, I was able to test the first prototype with potential users and gather valuable feedback. This experience reminded me how important it is to stay close to users, test early, and iterate based on real insights. While it’s impossible to satisfy every user, I was encouraged to see that many genuinely enjoyed using the product.
‍
My next step is to address the key issues identified during testing and prepare for a full iOS launch. As the sole designer, I took on the challenge of leading the design and developing a consistent system. Although it was difficult to create a complete design system within a short timeline, I leaned on Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines to ensure a clean, familiar, and platform-consistent experience. Moving forward, I plan to evolve the design system into a more scalable foundation that supports long-term growth.

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MA:EUM