STAR MAP
STAR MAP
Do you feel stuck in recurring emotions without knowing why?
Role:
Role:
UX Designer, Interaction Designer
UX Designer, Interaction Designer
Tool:
Tool:
Figma, Adobe CC
Figma, Adobe CC
Date:
Date:
Dec.2022 - Mar.2023
Dec.2022 - Mar.2023
About Star Map
Star Map is a self-discovery app based on Shadow Work theory that reveals subconscious emotional patterns through interactive quizzes, guided practices, and data analysis, providing personalized insights for long-term growth.
Star Map is a self-discovery app based on Shadow Work theory that reveals subconscious emotional patterns through interactive quizzes, guided practices, and data analysis, providing personalized insights for long-term growth.
Discover your psychological archetype and shadow side, and receive personalized growth recommendations to break through emotional barriers.
Discover your psychological archetype and shadow side, and receive personalized growth recommendations to break through emotional barriers.
Engage in personalized practices designed to help you reduce stress, enhance self-awareness, and build emotional resilience.
Star Map tailors each practice—including breathwork, journaling, and mindfulness exercises—to your unique emotional patterns, guiding you toward lasting personal growth.
Engage in personalized practices designed to help you reduce stress, enhance self-awareness, and build emotional resilience.
Star Map tailors each practice—including breathwork, journaling, and mindfulness exercises—to your unique emotional patterns, guiding you toward lasting personal growth.
Gain deeper insights into your emotional patterns with Star Map’s Data Center. Track your mood trends, shadow work progress, and practice impact over time.
Visualize how your emotions evolve, identify recurring patterns, and receive personalized recommendations to support your self-improvement journey.
Gain deeper insights into your emotional patterns with Star Map’s Data Center. Track your mood trends, shadow work progress, and practice impact over time.
Visualize how your emotions evolve, identify recurring patterns, and receive personalized recommendations to support your self-improvement journey.
- 1. Discover -
What is Shadow Work?
Shadow Work, introduced by Carl Jung, uncovers and integrates hidden aspects of the self—repressed emotions, unresolved trauma, and subconscious patterns shaping behavior.
Shadow Work, introduced by Carl Jung, uncovers and integrates hidden aspects of the self—repressed emotions, unresolved trauma, and subconscious patterns shaping behavior.
Break free from emotional cycles
Identify and shift negative patterns
Identify and shift negative patterns
Boost self-awareness
Uncover the root of your emotions
Uncover the root of your emotions
Foster personal growth
Embrace healing and self-acceptance
Embrace healing and self-acceptance
User Interview Insights
To validate the need for Star Map, I conducted user interviews with individuals who actively seek mental wellness solutions.
The goal was to understand their experiences with existing mental health apps and their challenges in self-exploration.
To validate the need for Star Map, I conducted user interviews with individuals who actively seek mental wellness solutions.
The goal was to understand their experiences with existing mental health apps and their challenges in self-exploration.
75%
of participants felt that existing mental health apps provide only short-term relief but fail to support deeper self-exploration.
75%
of participants felt that existing mental health apps provide only short-term relief but fail to support deeper self-exploration.
60%
of users stated that current apps offer generic advice that doesn’t address their unique emotional needs.
60%
of users stated that current apps offer generic advice that doesn’t address their unique emotional needs.
80%
of users were unfamiliar with Shadow Work but were interested in structured guidance for self-reflection.
80%
of users were unfamiliar with Shadow Work but were interested in structured guidance for self-reflection.
💡These insights confirm a clear gap:
Users need a tool that provides personalized, long-term self-discovery rather than just temporary emotional regulation.
💡 These insights confirm a clear gap: users need a tool that provides personalized, long-term self-discovery rather than just temporary emotional regulation.
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
Most mental health apps focus on temporary emotional relief with generic advice, failing to provide personalized guidance for deeper self-discovery.
Design Goal
To guide users in exploring their subconscious through personalized Shadow Work exercises. With tailored self-reflection practices and visualized data tracking, it fosters sustainable, long-term psychological growth.
Uncover the Shadow Part
Customized practice
Long-term psychological growth
Competitor Research
I conduct competitor research by analyzing both direct and indirect competitors to identify Star Maps unique value.
I conduct competitor research by analyzing both direct and indirect competitors to identify Star Maps unique value.
- 2.Empathize -
Persona
I created a persona based on user research and behavioral patterns observed in individuals interested in self-improvement, emotional healing, and personal growth.
I created a persona based on user research and behavioral patterns observed in individuals interested in self-improvement, emotional healing, and personal growth.
User Journey Map
Based on the interviews & Persona, I mapped out a typical user journey when managing their emotions without Star Map. This journey highlights the pain points that existing apps fail to address.
Based on the interviews & Persona, I mapped out a typical user journey when managing their emotions without Star Map. This journey highlights the pain points that existing apps fail to address.
How might we help users understand their emotions and grow through personalized insights and guidance?
How might we help users understand their emotions and grow through personalized insights and guidance?
How might we help users understand their emotions and grow through personalized insights and guidance?
- 3. Ideate -
Prioritization Matrix
I used a 2×2 prioritization matrix to categorize user needs by necessity and priority, then defined the MVP features for the product.
I used a 2×2 prioritization matrix to categorize user needs by necessity and priority, then defined the MVP features for the product.
Information Architecture
I created an information architecture based on the prioritization matrix that meets user expections.
I created an information architecture based on the prioritization matrix that meets user expections.
- 4.Prototype -
Wire Frame
I created wireframes for multiple design variations to facilitate testing and gather feedback.
I created wireframes for multiple design variations to facilitate testing and gather feedback.
Usability Testing
I conducted a usability testing with seven users in my target demographic using the prototype to see how user friendly the service is.
I’ve noticed there are several details of the initial prototype was complained about multiple times.
I conducted a usability testing with seven users in my target demographic using the prototype to see how user friendly the service is.
I’ve noticed there are several details of the initial prototype was complained about multiple times.
The questions were unclear, and the progress bar format confused users.
Based on my research, I refined the question set and introduced a single-option, five-level rating system to assess users, ultimately identifying their Shadow Work archetype.
The questions were unclear, and the progress bar format confused users.
Based on my research, I refined the question set and introduced a single-option, five-level rating system to assess users, ultimately identifying their Shadow Work archetype.
In the post-test report, users found the numerical data in the initial prototype harder to read and wanted a clearer view of the data.
In the second iteration, I replaced the numbers with a bar chart for better visualization of each trait. However, some users felt the layout was too crowded.
I iterated again, adjusting the layout of data and images to enhance visual balance.
In the post-test report, users found the numerical data in the initial prototype harder to read and wanted a clearer view of the data.
In the second iteration, I replaced the numbers with a bar chart for better visualization of each trait. However, some users felt the layout was too crowded.
One of the most frequent actions in Star Map is checking overall shadow integration and practice data in the Data Center. During evaluations, users were often seen switching data tabs with one hand, either stretching their finger or holding the phone with the other hand.
I repositioned the tabs for easier access, ensuring a smoother operation without disrupting data readability.
One of the most frequent actions in Star Map is checking overall shadow integration and practice data in the Data Center. During evaluations, users were often seen switching data tabs with one hand, either stretching their finger or holding the phone with the other hand.
High Fedelity & Prototype
After refining the concept and user flow, I developed high-fidelity mockups and an interactive prototype to bring Star Map to life. The final design ensures a seamless and intuitive experience, guiding users through shadow work insights, personalized practices, and data-driven emotional tracking. Below are the key screens and user interactions that define the Star Map experience.
After refining the concept and user flow, I developed high-fidelity mockups and an interactive prototype to bring Star Map to life. The final design ensures a seamless and intuitive experience, guiding users through shadow work insights, personalized practices, and data-driven emotional tracking. Below are the key screens and user interactions that define the Star Map experience.
Onboarding – Introducing Star Map
Onboarding – Introducing Star Map
Onboarding – Introducing Star Map
The onboarding experience is designed to smoothly introduce users to Star Map’s core functionalities. It provides a brief overview of self-discovery through shadow work, structured practices, and emotional tracking, ensuring new users quickly understand the app's purpose and value.
The onboarding experience is designed to smoothly introduce users to Star Map’s core functionalities. It provides a brief overview of self-discovery through shadow work, structured practices, and emotional tracking, ensuring new users quickly understand the app's purpose and value.
Quiz & Archetype Analysis
Quiz & Archetype Analysis
Quiz & Archetype Analysis
The Shadow Work Quiz helps users uncover their psychological archetype and shadow side, offering deep insights into emotional patterns.
The results page provides a structured analysis, helping users connect with their inner selves and receive personalized growth recommendations.
The Shadow Work Quiz helps users uncover their psychological archetype and shadow side, offering deep insights into emotional patterns.
The results page provides a structured analysis, helping users connect with their inner selves and receive personalized growth recommendations.
Practice – Detailed Information & Exploration
Practice – Detailed Information & Exploration
Practice – Detailed Information & Exploration
The Practice section offers users a deeper understanding of their recommended exercises.
Each practice includes an introduction, its benefits, a step-by-step guide on how to engage, and a chapter preview for structured progression.
The Practice section offers users a deeper understanding of their recommended exercises.
Each practice includes an introduction, its benefits, a step-by-step guide on how to engage, and a chapter preview for structured progression.
Practice Animation & Completion Screen
Practice Animation & Completion Screen
Practice Animation & Completion Screen
To enhance user engagement, Star Map includes fluid animations during practice sessions, guiding users through their exercises with intuitive visual cues.
At the end of each session, a completion screen provides a sense of achievement and encourages consistency in practice.
To enhance user engagement, Star Map includes fluid animations during practice sessions, guiding users through their exercises with intuitive visual cues.
At the end of each session, a completion screen provides a sense of achievement and encourages consistency in practice.
Data Center – Emotional Trends & Growth Tracking
Data Center – Emotional Trends & Growth Tracking
Data Center – Emotional Trends & Growth Tracking
The Data Center empowers users to visualize their emotional patterns and track progress over time.
By integrating practice impact, and shadow work progress, it provides actionable insights to help users stay on their self-improvement journey.
The Data Center empowers users to visualize their emotional patterns and track progress over time.
By integrating practice impact, and shadow work progress, it provides actionable insights to help users stay on their self-improvement journey.
- Reflection -
Building Habit-Forming Features for Long-Term Engagement
Integrating Breathwork and Journaling emphasized the importance of habit formation in self-reflection.
I explore ways to make these features feel seamless and rewarding, using small nudges and micro-interactions to encourage consistent engagement without making the experience feel forced.
Enhancing Data Visualization for Deeper Insights
Designing the data center pushed me to improve my approach to data visualization, ensuring users could easily track their emotional patterns and growth.
The challenge was to strike a balance between clarity and depth, providing actionable insights without overwhelming the user with too much detail.
👉 If I were to take this further
I believe this app has significant room for improvement, such as enhancing the completeness of the Data Center and adding more Shadow Work exercises. I will further explore personalized user experience, providing customized suggestions based on diary patterns and quiz results.
Additionally, I see an opportunity to introduce social components, allowing users to connect with others on similar growth journeys in a safe and supportive environment.