Why Talkspace Needs to Update Their UX Design: Improving User Experience to Enhance Accessibility and Effectiveness of Online Therapy Services
What is Talkspace?
Talkspace is an online therapy app that provides professional mental health support via chat and video appointments. Within the app, patients are matched with a therapist and are allowed instant access to their provider 24/7. They also have a page that keeps track of their mental health journey. It documents their sessions, positive milestones, and progress notes. These kinds of apps are becoming increasingly more popular not only because of the digital age but because COVID-19 has forced many to seek help through less traditional methods.
Some may think, how can online therapy be better than in-person? There are many advantages to choosing online therapy. For instance, Talkspace boasts about its accessibility and affordability. While this is true, its user experience is still lacking. For Talkspace to truly flourish as an online mental health app, they need to improve aspects of its interface that help its audience utilize the app more smoothly.
User Experience (UX) vs. User Interface (UI)
UX design is not how the product looks but how it functions and how users interact with it. UI design is how the product looks and feels. UX design is established first and then the UI follows. It is important to note that you can’t have one without the other (By Lakshman Sharma of UX Planet).
Why is UX Design so Important?
UX is considered slightly more important than UI because if a user can’t interact with the product effectively it doesn’t matter what it looks like. The coined term was created by Donald Norman, a cognitive scientist working for Apple. He wanted to be able to express his interest in users and how they use technology. For instance, “Norman was interested in the manner in which customers would use Apple products and prioritized empathizing with the user so they could access what they needed with the minimal fuss” (By Josep Ferrer of Bootcamp).
UX design’s goal is to fulfill the user's needs from start to finish. Here are five main reasons why it is vital to product success (By Josep Ferrer of Bootcamp):
It improves the reputation of your brand
It helps users complete tasks faster
It increases customer loyalty
It fosters conversions
It increases company visibility
How Can a Better UX Design Help Talkspace?
By dissecting app reviews, it was obvious that Talkspace’s audience was struggling. As a preliminary step when joining the app, a user must complete a quick survey. One of the first questions is “Tell us why you’re looking for help today?” followed by a list of responses. (Apple’s App Store Reviews).
However, you can only pick one option. For example, “I am dealing with stress (work or school).” This immediately eliminates anyone having co-occurring mental health issues. According to Lisa Marshall at the University of Colorado Boulder, “More than half of people diagnosed with one psychiatric disorder will be diagnosed with a second or third in their lifetime. About a third have four or more.” Talkspace making a quick fix of allowing multiple selections can greatly increase its user inclusivity.
I also found that many found it difficult or frustrating to switch therapists once they’ve been matched. According to the app, you are allowed to switch therapists but only after you give a mandatory review of the one you currently have. Many of the users stating their reason for why they switched was because they never could get in touch with their therapists in the first place. This feature does not seem helpful to users when going through the tedious process of changing therapists (Apple’s App Store Reviews).
Overall, understanding the significance of UX design is critical to any designer wishing to make a great product. Talkspace is just one of the many apps that could benefit from utilizing this imperative tool.