Texts for College Students
7-Day SMS program designed with and for college students to broaden HMI's reach and diversify it's audience.
Timeframe
2025
Role
As the Lead Product Designer, I lead a cross-functional team comprising marketers, behavioral scientists, engineers, and content strategists to develop a 7-day SMS-based mental health program tailored for college students. I designed the user experience of the SMS program, ensuring messages were engaging, evidence-based, and aligned with students' needs, creating a mobile-optimized landing page to facilitate easy sign-ups and enhance user onboarding, and conducting QA to ensure product quality.
99%
User satisfaction
74
Net promoter score
Results
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De-risked product offering for less than $200 in under 36 hours through rapid prototyping with college students around the country using Userbrain.
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Conducted multiple rounds of concept testing, interviews, and usability studies.
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Delivered a mobile-first top-of-the-funnel product marketing campaign to expand and diversify the organization's audience.
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The program achieved a 71 NPS and a 98% user satisfaction rating from participants.
Goal
Expand HMI's user base by attracting new community members and encouraging app downloads by providing accessible, science-driven support to improve well-being among college students through brief, daily text messages.
The Challenge
Redesign existing assets into a light-weight, credible entry point for students coping with the stress of college. Preliminary research revealed that although our research-backed content resonated with adult users in the app, it fell flat with younger users unfamiliar with our framework. We needed to reimagine how we delivered value: through fast, low-friction channels like SMS with a uniquely human tone.
De-Risking the Idea
While anecdotal data suggested an interest in a text-based program, we needed more substantial evidence to validate market appetite and mitigate risk before moving forward. In 36 hours, and for under $200, I stood up a working prototype to test interest with six college students from around the country using the platform Userbrain. We gained resounding interest in the program from 83% of the participants, giving us a green light to keep building. Participants reported:
"Really helpful, because I’m going through a hard time. It would make my day brighter.”
“Makes me feel motivated, and I wanted to learn more.”
“Would be much more likely to join if it were referred by a trusted friend or professor.”
I then synthesized the research from our team of behavior scientists and content experts to create an accessible, engaging 7-day program that resonated with college students.
User Testing and Validation
I conducted live interviews and a diary study with a new set of eight students from around the country. The interviews helped us better understand the motivations, perceptions, and hesitations for joining the program. The diary study enabled us to test different messages and gauge their resonance with the students. After incorporating their feedback, we iterated on the landing page, program content, and marketing messaging.
Interviews:
Landing page & Onboarding
In 30-minute monitored interviews, I asked students to engage with a mockup of the website, complete the onboarding flow, and then respond to questions about what an ideal program would be like.
Insights
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Most students found the layout "clean" and "peaceful," some noted it was text-heavy.
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Some participants commented that the stock photos looked too staged or artificial.
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Students expressed the need for examples of exactly how the program worked.
Diary Study:
7-Day Message Pilot
Each day, students received a text message with a wellbeing message. After each text, students were asked to provide both quantitative and qualitative feedback on the message.
Insights
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Humor was divisive, exposing the potential for harm by triggering students.
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Timing and relevance greatly effected the reception of the messages.
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Action-oriented or brief scientific explanations resonated most consistently with students.
Final Designs & Results
The final product is a 7-day SMS-based mental wellbeing program delivering daily, science-backed messages to college students. The landing page featured a clean, user-friendly design optimized for mobile devices. The program's tone was witty, fun, and engaging to resonate with the target audience. Feedback surveys on the program revealed an NPS of 74 and 99% user satisfaction.
99%
74
