Qlarity

Designing a research-ready prototype to unlock federal funding

We helped the social impact research team at Influents Innovations create the first sobriety-focused emotional support app designed specifically for young adults.

BEFORE

University of Oregon-affiliated team with a research-backed guided meditation program ready to be translated into an app

Needed to maximize user engagement with a UX/UI that would look, sound, and feel relatable to young people working to overcome addition

AFTER

Prototype helped client earn Phase II SBIR grant funding through the National Institute on Drug Abuse

Recognized as the first mindfulness-based mobile app specifically designed to address adolescent substance abuse within the juvenile justice system

Challenge

Remaking guided meditation to fight teen addiction

Early intervention can have life-changing consequences for young drug and alcohol users, but few available resources address the unique challenges young people face in their recovery efforts. The behavioral health innovators of Influents Innovations came to Twenty Ideas with an evidence-based concept to help fill this void: Qlarity, the first mobile meditation app for sobriety support designed specifically for pre-teens and young adults.

Hand holding smartphone showing introduction module screen from Qlarity mindfulness mobile app.

Four screens from Qlarity mindfulness app for teens, including Doing Good Deeds, Rewards, and Begin Training.

Process

Designing real-life help for a virtual medium

We worked with the Influents research team to pinpoint the ways in which most substance abuse programs don't align with the needs of young people. Then, we translated the core components of these interventions into a format, look, and feel tailored to fit naturally into the lives of recovering adolescents.

Three phones showing screens from the Qlarity mindfulness app for young people

Solution

On-the-go retreat

Qlarity is designed to be a calming and private sanctuary users can access any time they encounter triggering situations in the real world.

Collage of style elements, icons, and reactions from Qlarity mobile mindfulness app.

Solution

Designed for peace of mind

We built mindfulness into the structure and function of Qlarity to create a centering experience from first tap. Stress-relieving aesthetic uses color, imagery, and layout to create a quiet, distraction-free, and intimate environment to encourage disclosure, reflection, and meditation.

Solution

Therapeutic UX

Guided meditation exercises offer relatable support from the perspective of a trusted confidant who genuinely understands the user’s experiences and feelings.

"Feeling stressed?" body scan meditation screen from Qlarity mobile mindfulness app for teens.

Solution

Screening for stress

Value and mood surveys incorporate emotional imagery to help young users sort through complicated feelings and identify how avoiding substance abuse will benefit the aspects of their life they care about most.

Mobile phone showing "Safety" and other motivation screens from Qlarity mobile mindfulness app.

Solution

Go with the flow

Intuitive navigation encourages interaction with the app through a simple, subtly motivating design that leads users down a gentle path to mindfulness.

Praise from our clients:

Twenty Ideas translated our concept into a beautiful, sensitively designed tool ready to help real-world users. From the visuals to the product name, they were able to take the authentic, supportive feeling we had in mind and put it onto the screen.

Dr. Dana K. Smith

Influents Innovations, Research Scientist

The Twenty Ideas team helped bring our project into focus through their technical expertise and strategic design approach. They took the time to understand the research behind our vision for the product, and they creatively collaborated with us to product an efficacious program.

Dr. Herb Severson

Qlarity Co-PI

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