HMA was excited to be featured in the December 2019 issue of Computer Arts Magazine. This issue included a feature on ‘Design for Good’, revealing how different designers are using their creative talent to make a difference and raise awareness for social causes.

The article discusses how Calm Harm, the app designed and developed by HMA for teenage mental health charity stem4, was based on the notion that the urge to self-harm is like a  wave – feeling most powerful when you start wanting to do it. The 15 minute exercises include content based on evidence-based DBT techniques, and the characters in the app were created so that users could – if they chose to – have a ‘companion’ while surfing.

“The primary focus of its brief was to deliver a more engaging user experience; making the design and visual elements of the app more appealing to its teenage target audience so that they would feel comfortable using it,” explains HMA’s managing director Nicola Tiffany.

The December 2019 issue is out now in print version, and is also available online in digital format.