Role:
Product Design
Timeline:
March - April 2025
Skills:
UX design, UI Design, Illustration
03 · Story Box
03 · Story Box
A guided storytelling app for emotional wellbeing and safer online sharing.
A guided storytelling app for emotional wellbeing and safer online sharing.
AI
App
Mental Well-being
A mental well-being app that helps people share personal stories online while reducing cyberbullying through thoughtful interaction design. The project showcases empathy-driven UX, trust-focused social features, and friendly visual design.
A mental well-being app that helps people share personal stories online while reducing cyberbullying through thoughtful interaction design. The project showcases empathy-driven UX, trust-focused social features, and friendly visual design.
Timeline
May 2026
May 2026
Design scope
0 to 1
0 to 1
est. Return rate
72%
72%
Design Tools:
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
The problem
The problem
Many people want to share personal experiences online, but traditional social media often feels performative and engagement-driven. Anonymous apps like Whisper and Yik Yak struggled with toxicity, judgment, and unsafe interactions, making emotional sharing difficult.
As a result, users who simply want to feel heard, understood, or emotionally connected may hesitate to open up online.
Many people want to share personal experiences online, but traditional social media often feels performative and engagement-driven. Anonymous apps like Whisper and Yik Yak struggled with toxicity, judgment, and unsafe interactions, making emotional sharing difficult.
As a result, users who simply want to feel heard, understood, or emotionally connected may hesitate to open up online.
The Solution
The Solution
Story Box creates a quieter and safer storytelling space focused on empathy rather than engagement. Users can share stories anonymously or openly through text, voice, or video, while supportive interactions and limited metrics encourage honest and meaningful connection.
Story Box creates a quieter and safer storytelling space focused on empathy rather than engagement. Users can share stories anonymously or openly through text, voice, or video, while supportive interactions and limited metrics encourage honest and meaningful connection.
Meet Marisa
Meet Marisa
❋ Marisa is 24 and has recently moved to Germany for higher studies.
❋ While she is excited about the new adventure, she also struggles with homesickness, the hardest goodbyes, and missing her family.
❋ Often keeps her emotions to herself and looks for comfort through stories and shared experiences.
❋ Wants a safe and comforting space where she can feel understood and less alone.
❋ Marisa is 24 and has recently moved to Germany for higher studies.
❋ While she is excited about the new adventure, she also struggles with homesickness, the hardest goodbyes, and missing her family.
❋ Often keeps her emotions to herself and looks for comfort through stories and shared experiences.
❋ Wants a safe and comforting space where she can feel understood and less alone.
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
Her pain points are….
Her pain points are….
01 Nowhere to share it. "I just need to get it out of my head."
01 Nowhere to share it. "I just need to get it out of my head."
Some feelings aren't big enough for therapy, too awkward for friends, and too personal for social media. They just sit there, taking up space.
Some feelings aren't big enough for therapy, too awkward for friends, and too personal for social media. They just sit there, taking up space.
02 Nowhere to share it. "I want to share, but I don't want anyone to know it was me."
02 Nowhere to share it. "I want to share, but I don't want anyone to know it was me."
Some feelings aren't big enough for therapy, too awkward for friends, and too personal for social media. They just sit there, taking up space.
Some feelings aren't big enough for therapy, too awkward for friends, and too personal for social media. They just sit there, taking up space.
03 Sharing feels like performing. "I don't want advice, I want to be heard."
03 Sharing feels like performing. "I don't want advice, I want to be heard."
Every platform expects something back. Likes, comments, resolution. There's nowhere to just say something true without it becoming a thing.
Every platform expects something back. Likes, comments, resolution. There's nowhere to just say something true without it becoming a thing.
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
We've seen this before
I did it differently
We've seen this before
I did it differently
Anonymous boards
Anonymous boards
Whisper(2012), YikYak(2013), Confession pages
Whisper(2012), YikYak(2013), Confession pages
Pure anonymity with no curation. Toxicity,
harassment, and a feed designed for engagement,
not care.
Pure anonymity with no curation. Toxicity,
harassment, and a feed designed for engagement,
not care.
X
Anonymous, but still promotes liking and commenting
Anonymous, but still promotes liking and commenting
Curated stories
Curated stories
Humans of New York, The Stranger's Project
Humans of New York, The Stranger's Project
Beautiful initiative, but only available in New York. The idea is out of reach for people all over the world.
Beautiful initiative, but only available in New York. The idea is out of reach for people all over the world.
X
People read stories others have written, but hardly share their own
People read stories others have written, but hardly share their own
Story Box
Story Box
My approach
My approach
Sharing stories, not secrets. No likes or comments to prevent bullying and harassment. Freedom to be known or be anonymous.
Sharing stories, not secrets. No likes or comments to prevent bullying and harassment. Freedom to be known or be anonymous.
✓
Humanity over numbers
Humanity over numbers
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
How might I….
Help Marisa and other people share the things that don't quite fit anywhere else—and let them discover they were never as alone as they thought?
Help Marisa and other people share the things that don't quite fit anywhere else—and let them discover they were never as alone as they thought?
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
Introducing
Introducing
Story Box
Story Box
Story Box is a storytelling platform designed for emotional connection, not endless engagement. Stories are discovered through emotions, experiences, themes, or locations, creating a quieter and more meaningful way to share and listen.
Story Box is a storytelling platform designed for emotional connection, not endless engagement. Stories are discovered through emotions, experiences, themes, or locations, creating a quieter and more meaningful way to share and listen.
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
01
"I just need to get it out of my head"
01
"I just need to get it out of my head"
Stories can be shared through text, voice, or video, allowing people to express themselves in the way that feels most comfortable. The experience is simple and natural, designed to feel like telling a story rather than filling out a form.
Stories can be shared through text, voice, or video, allowing people to express themselves in the way that feels most comfortable. The experience is simple and natural, designed to feel like telling a story rather than filling out a form.
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
01 . Speak
01 . Speak
02 . Write
02 . Write
03 . Show
03 . Show
While some users know exactly what they want to share, others may feel emotionally stuck or unsure where to begin. Story Box offers gentle AI-assisted prompts that help users open up naturally without making the experience feel forced or overwhelming.
While some users know exactly what they want to share, others may feel emotionally stuck or unsure where to begin. Story Box offers gentle AI-assisted prompts that help users open up naturally without making the experience feel forced or overwhelming.
A Peek Into My Design Process
02
"I want to share, but I don't want anyone to know it was me"
02
"I want to share, but I don't want anyone to know it was me"
Marisa can choose to share her stories anonymously or openly, giving her control over how visible she wants to be. This flexibility creates a safer and more comfortable space for honest storytelling.
Marisa can choose to share her stories anonymously or openly, giving her control over how visible she wants to be. This flexibility creates a safer and more comfortable space for honest storytelling.
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
03
"I don't want advice, I want to be heard."
03
"I don't want advice, I want to be heard."
Story Box is designed for people who want to be heard, not judged or overwhelmed with advice. Instead of open comments, responses are limited to carefully selected supportive reactions, creating a gentler and safer space for emotional sharing.
Story Box is designed for people who want to be heard, not judged or overwhelmed with advice. Instead of open comments, responses are limited to carefully selected supportive reactions, creating a gentler and safer space for emotional sharing.
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ Dark Mode
⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ Dark Mode
01 . Home
01 . Home
02 . User
02 . User
03 . Respond
03 . Respond
Story Box uses numbers only for meaningful activity, such as stories shared or stories within a theme, rather than likes or popularity metrics. Instead of public comments, users can send gentle letters to story authors through a response space designed for kindness and supportive words only.
Story Box uses numbers only for meaningful activity, such as stories shared or stories within a theme, rather than likes or popularity metrics. Instead of public comments, users can send gentle letters to story authors through a response space designed for kindness and supportive words only.
A Peek Into My Design Process
Through Story Box, Marisa finds a safe and comforting space to express herself honestly, connect with relatable stories, and feel understood without the pressure of traditional social media.
Through Story Box, Marisa finds a safe and comforting space to express herself honestly, connect with relatable stories, and feel understood without the pressure of traditional social media.
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
01
A Peek Into My Design Process
We saw what's there
What comes later?
We saw what's there
What comes later?
❋ Story translation
❋ More location-based stories
❋ Private story circles
❋ AI reflection companion
❋ Ambient reading mode
❋ Story translation
❋ More location-based stories
❋ Private story circles
❋ AI reflection companion
❋ Ambient reading mode
