Heaven is a project I created as part of my UX/UI Bootcamp at Barcelona Code School.
The idea was to build a safe and trustworthy space. Designed to provide only reliable and official information on sexual health focusing on STI prevention and offering psychological support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Tools Used
As part of the research and discovery phase, we conducted five interviews with members of the LGBTQ+ community.
These conversations were incredibly insightful in helping us understand their needs and how they usually access information about sexual health.
While there are existing apps that support people using or seeking access to PrEP, or the prevention of other sexually transmitted diseases. Most focus primarily on biomedical prevention and overlook the psychological and emotional aspects that are essential to experiencing full sexual health under all circumstances.
As of March 2025, more than 34,000 people were using PrEP through Spain’s public health system (GTT-VIH, 2025). However, 42% had a recent STI before starting treatment, and many report experiences of anxiety or stigma related to their sexuality (UNAIDS, 2024).
These figures highlight the need for a comprehensive approach that integrates prevention, emotional support, and community connection.
Identify how LGTBIQ+ individuals currently access information about PrEP, HIV, and other STIs.
Understand the impact of PrEP use and STI risk on users’ mental health, anxiety, and experiences of stigma.
Identify types of emotional and psychological support that would help users feel safer, more confident, and empowered in managing their sexual health.
Explore preferences for safe, anonymous sharing of experiences and peer-to-peer support.
Identify potential features or interactions that encourage a sense of belonging, mutual learning, and trust within the app.
Do people know what PrEP medical treatment is?
How often do people get tested for STIs?
How do people currently access information about PrEP, HIV, and other STIs?
Are there gaps in the information or support that people currently receive from existing apps or services?
Have people experienced anxiety, stigma, or stress related to sexual health?
Risk Reduction:
Appropriate use of PrEP can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV by more than 90% in people at high risk of exposure.
STI Discrimination:
People living with HIV or who have had STIs report experiences of stigma and discrimination, which negatively affects their mental health and access to health services.
In 2023, almost half (48.7%) of people diagnosed with HIV in Spain were diagnosed late.
Study "Awareness, knowledge, use, willingness to use, and need of PrEP during World Gay Pride 2017" (MSM in Madrid):
64% of participants said they had heard of PrEP.
But only 33% had a clear understanding of what it was.
Late HIV Diagnosis and Its Emotional Impact
In 2023, almost half (48.7%) of people diagnosed with HIV in Spain were diagnosed late.
To design around real needs, I interviewed five members of the LGBTQ+ community. These conversations revealed valuable insights about how people access, trust, and experience sexual health information and support.
Participants emphasized the lack of clear, reliable resources about PrEP and STI prevention, as well as limited access to healthcare services. Emotional wellbeing was also a recurring theme.
Jaume
Đorđe
Luigi
Within the gay community; particularly among men with active sex lives there is access to PrEP, a highly effective treatment for preventing HIV.
Despite its importance, many individuals remain unaware of its full benefits. They also face challenges in finding clear, reliable, and “official” information about what PrEP is, how to access it, and what they should know when considering starting treatment.
Beyond medical details, there is also a strong need for psychological and emotional support.
Many people in this community seek safe, judgment-free spaces to talk about sexuality, navigate personal challenges, and maintain a healthy and fulfilling sex life.
Javier Ramírez
Javier is a gay freelance designer from Barcelona. He’s single, uses dating apps, and knows about PrEP, but struggles to find clear, reliable information, often relying on what his community shares.
Javier wants to stay sexually active while feeling safe and informed. He looks for clear, official updates on PrEP and STIs, access to psychological support when needed, and a supportive LGBTQ+ community free of judgment.
Javier feels frustrated by the lack of clear, official information about PrEP and the abundance of unreliable sources online. He misses safe spaces to talk about sexual health, which heightens his anxiety after risky situations. Despite community support, he still longs for a centralized, trustworthy resource that treats sexual health as a right, not a taboo.
Personality
Introvert
Extrovert
Busy
Time rich
Analitycal
Creative
Messy
Organized
Independent
Team player
Test findings
After conducting five usability interviews, overall feedback about the prototype was highly positive. Participants consistently described it as “clear,” “intuitive,” and “visually calm”, highlighting the balance between organization, inclusivity, and emotional warmth.
The visual design stood out as one of the strongest aspects. The colors and layout conveyed calmness and trust:
Things to improve
Despite the overall success, several minor usability issues were consistent across interviews:
During the test, it became clear that the “Talk to Someone” category caused some confusion.
The main issue was the label itself, it didn’t clearly communicate that this was a live chat with a professional. When participants were asked to find where they could talk to someone from the team, almost all of them looked first in the “Help Center”, assuming that’s where the chat would be located.
Setting medication reminders (PrEP alarms); Although once found it was easy to use, some participants initially struggled to locate the function and only one participant noticed the "alarm" icon in the navigation bar.
Iteration
Based on feedback from usability testing, two changes have been made to the prototype.
The button to access alerts has been made more visible and given greater prominence in the navigation bar.
Due to confusion among participants when asked to find the chat with a professional, the "Talk to someone" category will now be called "Help center," and the "Help center" category will be renamed "Where to go."
Retrospective
This project aimed to understand how LGTBIQ+ individuals access sexual health information, what kind of emotional support they need, and how digital spaces can foster trust and confidence.
Research showed a strong need for a reliable, legitimate source of information about PrEP and STI prevention. Many participants described feeling overwhelmed by unclear or unverified online content, which often increases anxiety and confusion.
In response, I proposed a digital platform offering verified information, audio resources for emotional support, and a live chat with professionals.
While the project successfully addresses the core research objectives improving access to trustworthy information and offering emotional connection, there’s still room to explore deeper, ongoing emotional support features and ways to further strengthen the sense of community within the app.