"Actually I Can Count My Blessings": User-Centered Design of an Application to Promote Gratitude Among Young Adults

TL;DR

This study used a user-centered design approach to develop and evaluate a gratitude-promoting mobile app tailored for young adults, emphasizing user preferences and passive engagement to enhance psychological wellbeing.

Contribution

It introduces a new gratitude app designed with user insights, highlighting effective features like prompts and passive engagement for young adults.

Findings

Structured gratitude options improve user engagement.

Passive app engagement benefits busy young adults.

User preferences inform effective gratitude app design.

Abstract

Regular practice of gratitude has the potential to enhance psychological wellbeing and foster stronger social connections among young adults. However, there is a lack of research investigating user needs and expectations regarding gratitude-promoting applications. To address this gap, we employed a user-centered design approach to develop a mobile application that facilitates gratitude practice. Our formative study involved 20 participants who utilized an existing application, providing insights into their preferences for organizing expressions of gratitude and the significance of prompts for reflection and mood labeling after working hours. Building on these findings, we conducted a deployment study with 26 participants using our custom-designed application, which confirmed the positive impact of structured options to guide gratitude practice and highlighted the advantages of passive engagement with the application during busy periods. Our study contributes to the field by identifying key design considerations for promoting gratitude among young adults.