IRIS
IRIS is a smartwatch based mood tracking app designed to help university students manage stress and build emotional awareness through quick, low friction interactions. By combining passive biometric data with simple mood logging and personalized feedback, IRIS helps users recognize emotional patterns and take proactive steps toward better mental well being.
Project Description, My Role, and Outcome
IRIS was a collaborative UX and interaction design project that explored how wearable technology can support emotional self awareness without disrupting daily routines. The project focused on university students, a group that frequently experiences stress, emotional fluctuation, and difficulty maintaining consistent self care habits.
The core design challenge was to create a mood tracking experience that felt lightweight, intuitive, and respectful of user autonomy. IRIS passively monitors heart rate through the smartwatch and gently prompts users to log their mood. Users can quickly swipe to indicate mood intensity, select from positive or negative emotions, and optionally add brief context for reflection. If a user chooses not to engage, the prompt disappears, reinforcing a sense of control rather than obligation.
A key feature of IRIS is its feedback system. Instead of simply recording data, the app offers supportive suggestions such as relaxation prompts or mood based music recommendations. A weekly bubble chart visualization allows users to view emotional trends over time, helping them identify patterns, triggers, and changes in their mental well being.
My role on the project involved research synthesis, interaction design, and prototyping. I contributed to translating secondary research and user needs into clear features, defining user flows, and refining interface decisions across low and high fidelity prototypes. I also participated in paper prototyping and user testing, helping analyze feedback and identify areas for improvement.
User testing validated the overall concept and interaction flow, while also revealing important refinements. Participants preferred simplified visual representations, clearer contextual explanations for recommendations, and stronger affordances that ensured they always felt in control of the experience. These insights guided iteration decisions and reinforced the importance of clarity, tone, and transparency in mental health focused design.
The final outcome was a high fidelity smartwatch prototype that demonstrates how biometric data and self reported mood can work together to support emotional awareness. IRIS highlights the potential of wearable interfaces to encourage reflection, reduce friction, and empower users to better understand their mental health through small, consistent interactions.
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