Samaritans - Support app
Introduction
Industry
Charity
Role
Lead Designer
Service
App Design
Samaritans is a UK charity that provides emotional support to people in distress or at risk of suicide. Their mission is to reduce isolation and promote mental well-being.
During my time at Saffron Interactive, one of my key responsibilities as a lead designer was designing eLearning courses. As the design lead, I oversaw the course design and collaborated closely with developers and instructional designers to achieve the desired outcomes.
Awards
The International E-Learning Association
Mobile Learning Experience
Bronze 2022
The Learning Awards
Innovation in learning
Silver winner 2023
Challenge
Designing for Transition
Military veterans transitioning into civilian life often face a sudden loss of the structured routines that defined their daily lives in the armed forces. Working with Samaritans at Saffron Interactive, the challenge was to design a mobile experience that could support veterans during this transition while encouraging them to seek help when needed.
Mental health support can often feel intimidating or difficult to access, so the app needed to present resources in a way that felt approachable and supportive rather than clinical. At the same time, the platform had to bring together multiple forms of support, including articles, videos, breathing exercises, and direct contact options, within a clear and manageable structure.
A key design challenge was encouraging users to build new daily routines by helping them create small, consistent actions and goals, replacing the structured schedules they were used to in military life.
My role
As part of the design team at Saffron Interactive, I contributed to the design and development of the mobile app experience. My responsibilities included:
UX research and user insights
Wireframing and user flow design
UI design and visual interface development
Collaboration with developers and instructional designers
Designing engaging learning and wellbeing content experiences
Discover
Collaborative Path to Veteran Well-being
For this project, Samaritans aimed to create an app to help reintegrate soldiers into society and provide immediate support when needed.
I collaborated closely with the instructional designer to develop features that provide an easy and supportive experience for users, addressing the unique challenges transitioning back to civilian life and encouraging soldiers reflect on their well-being.
With this in mind, we included resources such as articles and videos to help process emotions, a direct call button for immediate support from Samaritans offices, and an action plan with simple suggestions designed to build confidence and encourage participation in a one step at a time calendar. Additionally, we incorporated a guided breathing exercise for relaxation and clarity.
Impact Highlights
Approach
The design process focused on understanding the emotional and practical challenges veterans face when leaving the armed forces. Through research and collaboration with subject matter experts, we identified key user needs around routine, emotional wellbeing, and accessible support.
The experience was designed around three key principles:
Accessibility
Ensuring support and guidance were available on demand through a simple, mobile-first interface.
Self-reflection and empowerment
Encouraging users to reflect on their wellbeing and take small, manageable steps toward improving it.
Consistency and routine
Helping veterans build new habits and daily structures that mirror the sense of routine they previously experienced in the military.
Impact Highlights
Impact
• Supported 3,475+ veterans in managing wellbeing and transitioning to civilian life
• Positive feedback from users and the wider Armed Forces community
• Integrated into the broader military support ecosystem
• Provided accessible mental health resources available 24/7
Deliver
Final outcome
