Mind the future: Addressing anticipatory anxiety in young adults through a design-driven approach

Author:
Zile, Elina
Supervisor:
Voodla, Alan
University:
Estonian Academy of Arts

This project explores how service design can support young adults dealing with anticipatory anxiety—anxiety about future events and uncertainty. It focuses on the lack of affordable self-care tools for this group and combines emotion regulation theory, user research, and AI to develop a personalized GPT-4-based digital companion named Noa. Through interviews, workshop, and iterative testing, the design identifies effective ways to support users emotionally. The innovation lies in merging psychological insights with user needs to create an accessible, emotionally intelligent tool that helps young adults feel understood and supported when facing anxiety.