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First Resort

First Resort is a virtual reality wellness app designed to help individuals manage stress, worry, and sadness through self-guided use, either at home or in-clinic. It employs cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to empower users to understand and reshape how they think, feel, and act, all in pursuit of a life aligned with their personal values. Built with a zen-inspired design philosophy, First Resort merges the calming elements of ancient practices with cutting-edge VR technology to create a soothing, transformative experience.

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As part of a suite of three products developed simultaneously with Sumitomo Pharma, First Resort underwent a complete redesign within a year. We shifted our focus to reach a more mature audience, infusing the app with a sense of calm and balance that roots innovative technology in familiar, grounding methodologies. This redesign was part of a larger effort, which included the creation of a clinical study-ready product for social anxiety disorder and a SHAM or placebo control product. Through this process, First Resort evolved into a truly holistic wellness tool, combining the best of modern therapy techniques with an elegant and tranquil user experience.

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Program Usability

A past version of First Resort underwent extensive user testing, which revealed the need for a complete redesign of the product's look and feel. Based on user feedback, we shifted our design philosophy to emphasize intuitive mechanics and clear, achievable outcomes, minimizing unnecessary friction and eliminating "filler" steps. This redesign was driven by the goal of creating a more seamless and impactful user experience that directly addressed the needs and preferences of our audience.

Usability Improvements:

  • Removal of teleportation as a mechanism for navigation within the product

    • Reduced user friction and overall improved usability

    • Activities at arms reach so the user does not have to move to get the desired outcome

  • Removal of the need to grab/touch virtual items using controllers 

    • E.g., grabbing apples within cognitive reframing → intuitive voice-to-text recording

    • E.g., turning on a radio to hear mindfulness practices → built in voice over in mindfulness 

  • Shift to universal UI menu for ease of use 

    • Each MOA has a submenu where they can select and launch the desired activity 

    • Removed the need to teleport to get to the journey map or through several rooms each day to complete the requirements

  • Progress tracker and clear completion of modules

    • On the home menu there is a progress tracker showing where the user is at in the program and their required activities for the module.

    • User is given clear consistent feedback of module completion 

Time to Value 

Time to value was reduced within several MoAs so users could get to the core learnings of the program quicker. For example, in the past, the user needed to complete multiple different steps to learn how to reframe a thought, before getting to practice this on their own thought. In First Resort, users can reframe their own thought the very first time they start the cognitive reframing MOA.

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Previously, time was spent during the first session to: 

  • Design a user avatar

  • Meet Ari, the program guide

  • Learn how to use the journey map

  • Tour the lake house environment

All of this was removed in First Resort so the user immediately receives the MoAs (psychoeducation, mindfulness, cognitive reframing, and values driven behavioral activation) all within the first week.

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Home Environment & Zen Design Principles

First Resort utilizes Zen Design principles in both its design and content. By incorporating this philosophy into all aspects of the product, the idea is to foster a sense of acceptance, patience, and peace towards oneself and encourage the user to integrate the lessons and practices they will learn into their daily lives.

In the home environment, calm and neutral tones work alongside an open floor plan to create a warm and welcoming space that feels personal to the users. The design is minimalist in its features, but has maximum impact on the user experience. The open flow of the room welcomes users into a safe space for self-reflection and growth as they learn to more positively interact with their thoughts. The colors are soft (creams, browns, and tans) and are complemented by the blue sky visible through the organic windows.

In Zen philosophy, emphasis is placed on reflection and balance. To highlight this, the architecture has soft organic curves, with contrasting greenery, and a reflective river that runs through the home environment. The subtle movement of the clouds and river, the groves in the sand gardens, the feeling of total safety and immersion are only possible in VR. Here, users are always greeted by the sun rays glistening off the water, the leaves falling off the bonsai tree, and the chance to relax and reflect. 

How it Works

First Resort utilizes evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques for emotional regulation. This includes using the following assessments to user progress and clinical outcomes:

  • Patient Health Questionnaire 2 (PHQ-2)

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 2 (GAD-2)

  • Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4)

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Psychoeducation

Psychoeducational materials cover a range of CBT topics to help users understand the biopsychosocial drivers of emotional well-being. Understanding empowers users to make changes in what they Think, Feel, and Do to live a life driven by their values rather than by their emotional states.

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Shifting Your Thinking

Cognitive reframing skills are taught and practiced to reframe emotional thoughts to be more accurate, flexible, and balanced through four components:

  • Learning about cognitive distortion types or “Thinking Traps”

  • Linking physical sensations and behaviors with emotional thought

  • Gathering evidence for and against negative thoughts, to better understand their accuracy

  • Cognitive defusion to gain objective distance from troubling thoughts

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Mindfulness Practice 

Eight unique mindfulness experiences, guided by a narrator, in different immersive 3D environments, with specific foci: grounding, releasing physical tension, embracing the unknown, mindful deep breathing, mindfulness of negative thoughts, self-compassion, acceptance and cognitive defusion, and mindfulness of others.

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Values Driven Behavioral Activation

Behavioral activation and committing to acting in service of one’s values are key components of CBT for emotional wellness. This MoA includes:

  • Guided Values Clarification and an interactive values sorting activity

  • Long-Term Goals Setting, in which users set three long-term goals aligned with their top three values

  • Short-Term Goal Setting, in which users learn how to make SMART short-term goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, and then set weekly SMART goals that are immediate steps they may take toward achieving their Long-Term Goals

  • Goal Check-Ins, in which users receive a report and feedback on their progress toward their goals.

Mindfulness

First resort has 8 unique mindfulness environments all designed, created, and written for this specific program. I personally helped write, create, and art direct all 8 experiences and integrating them into the 8 week flow of the program. This video is a mindfulness centered around the idea of having an emotional release and seeing that happen in VR. The idea of connecting what you are seeing, hearing, and feeling is only possible in VR.

THE PROCESS

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