Girl Talk is an app made for middle school and high school girls. The app’s purpose is to allow space for young females to become more confident in themselves and promote transparency on issues relating to body image and comparison. There are two main features of the app. One feature allows girls to privately reflect on issues surrounding body image, mental health, and confidence. Secondly, a community designed to be semi-anonymous to allow transparency on what other girls are struggling with.
In the day and age of social media, a great deal of research has come out about the impacts it has on our mental health. As a young woman who was introduced to social media in my early adolescent years, I understand firsthand the impacts social media has on the overall image of myself.
According to an academic journal in the National Institute of Health (NIH) Database, Body Dysmorphia, which is perceived as a distorted version of one’s body, causes individuals to experience social isolation, anxiety, increased depression, and suicide rates. “The hidden nature of the disease makes it difficult to diagnose even in a clinical setting.” (Himanshu) The problem that began to become clear through my research is that a space is needed for young women to break free from such issues.
I wanted the branding to reflect an interface that is:
- Fun
- Approachable
- Coming of age
With the use of bright and fun colors to keep visuals engaging for young women
At first, I was overwhelmed with the number of paths I could potentially go on in terms of having a tool to help young women overcome body image-related issues.
However, because of the demographic I hoped to influence, the list of ideas had become very small. The reason being is you have a generation that is completely saturated in all things tech.
Notebooks, journals, and other tools for physical reflection are not as common to be used by them. That is why I choose to move in the direction of an app.
