Aura - Bipolar Companion

About

UX Design UI Design Mental Health App Mood Tracking CBT Techniques iOS Mobile Design Bipolar Disorder Support

Aura is a comprehensive mobile application designed for individuals living with Bipolar Disorder. Our core mission was to move beyond simple retroactive tracking to deliver proactive stability and empowered control. It eliminates the user burden of managing multiple applications by centralising key therapeutic and predictive tools.

Aura is built to help users understand their specific patterns, mitigate episode onset, and maintain a stable, predictable daily rhythm.

Project NameAura - Bipolar Disorder Management App

IndustriesHealthcare, Mental Health & Wellness, Digital Health

LocationGlobal

Year2025

PlatformiOS

Screens70+

Design Process

How Aura
came to life.

From a single observed problem to 70+ screens - every phase grounded in evidence, not assumption.

Briefing

Problem Space People with Bipolar Disorder lack tools that work on their worst days

Research

Evidence-based CREST.BD · NIMH · Harvard · PolarUs · Reddit r/bipolar · App Store reviews

UX Design

Architecture first IA · User flows · Jobs to Be Done · 8 pain points · CJM

UI Design

70+ screens iOS HIG · 5 tabs · Onboarding · Safety · Insights

Swift
Dev

Coming next Native iOS development in Swift

Grounded in academic research - NIMH, Harvard, CREST.BD

Validated against real community voices - r/bipolar, App Store reviews

Designed to iOS Human Interface Guidelines

5 core tabs - Zero redundant navigation

02 - The Challenge

Living with Bipolar Disorder is a full-time job - but tools haven't kept up

73% of individuals miss early warning signs. Apps demand too much, deliver too little, and fail exactly when people need them most.

of people with Bipolar Disorder miss early warning signs before an episode begins - they physically cannot see it in themselves

73%

miss signs

maintain tracking beyond 3 weeks on existing apps - abandonment spikes to 92% during depressive episodes, when data is needed most

23%

stay active

0^–6

separate apps required to track a complete health picture - sleep, mood, medication, caffeine, journalling, and tasks all fragmented

4–6

apps used

0min

average monthly face time with a psychiatrist - the only clinician who sees the full picture sees almost nothing of the actual lived experience

15m

per month

Pain 02 - Highest Priority

I always abandon tracking after a week

During depression there's no energy to open an app. During mania - it doesn't feel necessary. Complex forms with 10+ fields are impossible during acute episodes, precisely when data is most critical. Apps built for good days fail on bad ones.

"I've tried every tracking app. I always stop. The effort required just isn't there when I'm struggling the most."

- r/bipolar community · PolarUs Research, 2025

continue
past 3 weeks

Continue tracking - 23%

Abandon before 3 weeks - 77%

During depression - drops to 8%

Pain 03 - High Priority

My data is scattered across 4–6 apps

Sleep patterns, caffeine, medication, mood - all in separate apps. Correlating data across applications is cognitively impossible during acute episodes. Without synthesis, patterns remain invisible.

"I have a sleep app, a mood app, a medication reminder, and a journal. None of them talk to each other."

Sleep App

Mood Tracker

Med Reminder

Journal

Caffeine Log

Calendar

Pain 04 - High Priority

In a crisis, I don't know what to do

Even with a written crisis plan, recalling emergency contacts, action steps, and stabilising techniques during an acute episode is near-impossible. The critical 24-hour intervention window closes while people search through apps.

"I wrote out my whole crisis plan with my therapist. When I needed it, I couldn't find it or remember what it said."

⚠️

Episode begins

Early signs: irritability, reduced sleep, racing thoughts

😰

Cognitive impairment activates

Can't think clearly. Memory of the plan is inaccessible.

📱

Searching across multiple apps

Contacts in one app. Plan in another. No quick path.

🚨

Critical window missed

Episode escalates. Intervention opportunity passed.

Early intervention reduces severity by up to 60%

03 - User Research · Personas

Two people.
One shared struggle.

Profile A

The Stabiliser

Bipolar I or II · Living with diagnosis 3+ years

Primary goalMaintain stability between episodes

Trigger momentPrevious episode - "I need to take control"

Biggest fearNot noticing the next episode starting

Doctor visits15 min/month - can't show full picture

Core pain points

Can't see episode onset - impaired self-insight

Loses tracking habits during depressive phases

Forgets everything at the 15-minute appointment

"I've been managing this for 6 years. I should know my patterns - but I still can't see it coming."

- Profile A · Composite voice

Profile B

The Newly Diagnosed

Any BD type · Diagnosed less than 1 year ago

Primary goalUnderstand the disorder, learn to live with it

Trigger momentShock of diagnosis + dissatisfaction with treatment

Biggest fear"Am I feeling this, or is it the disorder?"

Doctor visitsStill establishing trust - overwhelmed by info

Core pain points

Can't trust own perception - "Is this real or mania?"

Overwhelmed by complex apps with 10+ field forms

Family doesn't understand - feels isolated

"I was diagnosed three months ago. I don't know what 'normal' feels like for me yet - how do I notice when it's off?"

- Profile B · Composite voice

05 - Customer Journey Map

From diagnosis
to daily stability.

Mapping every touchpoint, emotion, and opportunity - and where Aura intervenes at each critical moment.

	Awareness Realising help is needed	Onboarding First 3 minutes	Daily Use Regular check-ins	Crisis Episode begins	Long-term Ongoing stability
Actions	Reads App Store reviews · checks screenshots · asks in r/bipolar	Selects BD type · optionally adds meds · sets check-in time	Daily mood + sleep + meds check-in · marks meals · logs caffeine	Taps SOS → opens Crisis Plan → uses breathing → calls psychiatrist	Generates PDF for doctor · reviews 90-day Insights · shares data with care team
Touchpoints	App Store listing · peer recommendation · psychiatrist referral	Welcome → Profile → Meds (optional) → Reminders → Triggers	Push notification → Quick check-in → Home EWS → Care tab	Floating SOS button → Safety tab → Crisis plan / CBT / 1-tap call	Insights tab → Doctor's Report → PDF → Email / AirDrop / Print
Thinking	"Will this be different to other apps I've tried and abandoned?"	"This is actually short. I can skip what I don't know yet."	"The alert makes sense - I didn't sleep well 3 nights in a row."	"I can't think clearly but the button is right there. I just follow steps."	"My doctor finally has the full picture for the first time."
Emotions	ScepticalHopeful	CautiousRelieved	In controlSeen	ScaredLess alone	ConfidentEmpowered
Experience
Pain Points	Complex app comparisons · fear of abandonment · stigma around tracking	Long onboarding · mandatory fields feel intrusive	Form fatigue · missing check-ins · no visible insight payoff	Can't find crisis plan · multiple taps · cognitive overload	Doctor doesn't understand day-to-day experience
Opportunities	↑ Lead with simplicity↑ Peer social proof	↑ <3 min onboarding↑ Skip-everything	↑ EWS hero feature↑ <60s check-in	↑ 1-tap SOS↑ Pre-written plan	↑ PDF Doctor's Report↑ 90-day Insights
Aura Response	Clean App Store presence · clear value proposition · <3 min promise	5-step onboarding · all optional except BD type · no guilt messaging	Quick Check-in <60s · EWS on Home · auto-pattern analysis	Persistent SOS button · Safety tab opens instantly · pre-written plan	PDF report generator · Insights 7/30/90d · export & share with care team

06 - The Solution

Not just a tracker. A system that acts before you do.

Three interlocking answers to four interconnected problems. Built around the hardest days, not the easiest.

Solution 01

Predictive Early Warning System

Aura cross-references mood logs with sleep debt, medication adherence, meal regularity, and caffeine. When multiple risk factors converge, the system surfaces a time-sensitive alert on the main dashboard - 24–48 hours before episodes typically escalate.

24h

Earlier detection

60%

Severity reduction

Sleep monitoring Medication tracking Caffeine logger Risk scoring Personalised thresholds

Solution 02

Unified Routine & Stability Hub

Rather than splitting mood tracking from daily management, Aura integrates everything into one frictionless interface. Medication reminders, sleep tracking, meals, caffeine, tasks - all alongside mood. Eliminates 4–6 separate apps. Daily check-in takes under 60 seconds.

4–6

Apps eliminated

<60s

Daily check-in

Quick check-in Medication manager Sleep tracker Meal logging To-do list

Solution 03

Immediate Crisis Intervention Toolkit

Written on a good day. Accessible on the worst one. Personalised crisis plans, one-tap emergency calls, CBT techniques, breathing exercises, and grounding tools - all behind a persistent floating button reachable from anywhere in the app. No navigation. No menus. Instant.

1 tap

Crisis access

5–10m

De-escalation

1-tap crisis access Personalised action plan Emergency contacts CBT cards Breathing exercises Grounding techniques

AURA.

About

How Aura
came to life.