BalencED

BalencED

Side Project

Side Project

2023

2023

UX Designer & Researcher — Competitor Analysis, Interviews, User Journey Maps, Information Architecture, Wireframing, Prototyping

UX Designer & Researcher — Competitor Analysis, Interviews, User Journey Maps, Information Architecture, Wireframing, Prototyping

My role

My role

Feb 2023 - April 2023

Feb 2023 - April 2023

Timeline

Timeline

Overview

Overview

I worked as a research assistant in a lab focused on eating disorders study for a year and had the chance to speak with individuals who suffer from the illness.


For a class project, I decided to explore further on this topic and over the 3 months, I conducted user research, mapped out user journeys, and designed BalencED, a mobile app to make the recovery process easier and more manageable.

I worked as a research assistant in a lab focused on eating disorders study for a year and had the chance to speak with individuals who suffer from the illness.


For a class project, I decided to explore further on this topic and over the 3 months, I conducted user research, mapped out user journeys, and designed BalencED, a mobile app to make the recovery process easier and more manageable.

CONTEXT

Why important?

Why important?

Eating disorders represent the third most common chronic illnesses in the world, and during the pandemic, it has become even more prevalent. Studies and research show that as many as 30 millions people in the U.S will have some kind of eating disorders in their lifetime.


Despite this large population, there were few apps in the market specifically designed to support individuals in recovery. In this project I aim to fill the gap by offering a personalized, supportive tool to help the recovery process.

Eating disorders represent the third most common chronic illnesses in the world, and during the pandemic, it has become even more prevalent. Studies and research show that as many as 30 millions people in the U.S will have some kind of eating disorders in their lifetime.


Despite this large population, there were few apps in the market specifically designed to support individuals in recovery. In this project I aim to fill the gap by offering a personalized, supportive tool to help the recovery process.

FINAL SOLUTIONS

Meal logs and positive reinforcements

Eating-disordered people are encouraged to log and monitor their meals for better recovery. The home page is where users can initiate a log and track their progress.

Day Streak

The meal logs streak motivates users through gamification and encourage the habit of adding logs every day.

Good Evening, Sally!

14 days of nourishment. Taking care of yourself is worth it.

January 2025

S

5

M

6

T

7

W

8

T

9

F

10

S

11

12:40 PM

Lunch

Binged

Over-exercised

2 burgers, large fries, soda

Restaurant

Alone

Over

08:30 AM

Breakfast

Binged

Scrambled eggs, yogurt, toast

Home

Partner

Full

Quote of Today

Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.

9:41

Home

Report

Group

Support

Quote of Today

Updating daily encouragement to add positive energy when users open the app.

Meal Logs

After users log their meals, the overview will show up on the home screen under specific date.

Logging a Meal

Easily and quickly log a meal by capturing different types of info, empowering users to reconnect with the experience later.

Weekly report to better understand yourself

The weekly and monthly reports analyze data and provide insights based on the log data, to help users understand their eating behaviors and set actionable goals for recovery.

Behaviors Deep Dive

The chart offers a more detailed breakdown of the behaviors within the week according to the logs.

Summary

Analyzing behaviors and feelings from the log data to help users better understand themselves and the progress they make.

Meet peers in the community

According to my research, people with eating disorders often feel lonely on the way of recovery. I designed a community feature for people to share their feelings, experiences, questions and support each other.

Community Post

Users can ask questions, build connections and support each other.

Anonymous Post

When editing a post, users have the option to turn on “anonymous mode” so they express freely with less privacy concern.

Get support when you need

The recovery process can be tough. The “Support” features aims to make this process easier by offering a wide range of information and helpful resources that can be easily accessed.

Professional Help

Provide resources so when users need, they can be directed to more professional help and treatment

Helpful Resources

This page offers a variety of support. Users can gain knowledge to combat their fear or mitigate the symptoms.

Let’s connect and chat 🧋

& make something amazing together!

© 2025 Cassie Xu Made with late night music

Let’s connect and chat 🧋

& make something amazing together!