Press Release
Soulnest Mobile Application by Yixuan Song and Jiahui Yu Wins the A' Design Award in Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design
Yixuan Song and Jiahui Yu acknowledged for mobile technologies, applications and software design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 16, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Soulnest Mobile Application by Yixuan Song and Jiahui Yu, designed for SoulNest, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design category. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Soulnest Mobile Application
Soulnest is a mobile application created to support mental wellness. The application offers an artificial intelligence companion that guides users through four steps: companion selection, assessment, therapy and crisis relief. Facial analysis and heart rate sensing allow the companion to adapt its tone and guidance in real time. Cognitive behavioral therapy methods are used to help users manage emotional stress. All processing takes place on the device, so the application works offline and keeps personal data private.
About Yixuan Song and Jiahui Yu
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Soulnest is a technology company focused on developing artificial intelligence systems for mental wellness. The organization provides a digital companion platform designed to offer support through an artificial intelligence avatar. By integrating biometric sensing technology, the company aims to connect stress detection with psychological intervention. Soulnest focuses on providing cognitive behavioral therapy-based resources to assist individuals in managing emotional health. The team works to make mental healthcare more accessible by offering digital tools that are available at any time.
Award Record
This recognition makes Yixuan Song and Jiahui Yu a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design Award
The A' Mobile Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good design in mobile industry by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to mobile designers, application developers, software engineers and user interface designers from all countries. Entries typically include smartphones, tablets, wearables, mobile applications, mobile games and mobile software. Awarded mobile designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/mobile
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/182422
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/182422
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!182422
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/379829
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://soulnestai.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Soulnest Mobile Application
- Function
- Mobile Application
- Category
- Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Software and Electronics & Appliances
- Colors
- Coral, Medium Purple, Light Blue, Black and Saddle Brown
- Images
- 5
- Client
- SoulNest
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yixuan Song and Jiahui Yu
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #182422
Credits
- Team
- Yixuan Song, Jiahui Yu and Xianxi Liao
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Soulnest pioneers a paradigm shift in mental health by replacing traditional high-barrier appointments with an immediate, 4-step stabilization loop. It democratizes emotional care through de-stigmatized Ai avatars, delivering personalized support in under 10 seconds. Engineered for digital equity, it features on-device Ai inference for full offline functionality on low-end devices. Adhering to Wcag standards and low-arousal aesthetics, Soulnest fosters global resilience with proven 72% efficacy.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the "silent crisis" where 75% of those in need lack mental support due to stigma and cost, Soulnest was born to bridge this gap. We observed that the "waiting period" is the deadliest barrier. Our goal was to create a "seamless emotional infrastructure" that is as natural as breathing. By integrating evidence-based therapy with Ai-driven empathy, Soulnest replaces medical coldness with human-centric warmth, ensuring support is a right, not a luxury, at the very moment of crisis.
- Research
- We conducted a multi-modal mixed-methods study to bridge the 75% gap in immediate mental support. Methodology: Using evidence-based design and longitudinal tracking, we integrated Cbt frameworks with Ai interaction. Tools and participants: 1,200 diverse users were monitored via Rppg sensors and biometric wearables over 6 months. Results: Data showed a 72% increase in emotional regulation and a 58% reduction in crisis duration. Impact: The research proves that Ai-driven, bio-responsive tools can democratize mental healthcare, transforming high-barrier therapy into a scalable, stigma-free social infrastructure.
- Challenge
- The hardest part was achieving emotional authenticity while ensuring absolute privacy. Internal factors: We had to balance clinical rigor with a low-arousal Ux to prevent digital fatigue. External factors: Overcoming the limitations of on-device Ai inference was crucial to allow full functionality on low-end hardware without cloud dependency. Result: We successfully engineered a responsive bio-feedback loop that senses crisis through subtle physiological cues, navigating complex data-protection laws while delivering life-saving immediacy.
- Realization and Technology
- Soulnest implements an empathic interaction system by merging Rppg bio-sensing with Facs-based facial tracking. This transforms passive interfaces into a responsive biofeedback loop, where Ai avatars dynamically adapt their tone and guidance based on real-time physiological stress markers. The design utilizes atomic design systems and flutter for cross-platform fluidity, ensuring a seamless experience that balances clinical rigor with a low-arousal visual language.
- Operation and Interaction
- 1. Selection: Users choose a personalized Ai companion based on visual aesthetics and emotional affinity. 2. Diagnosis: The Ai assesses mental states by analyzing facial micro-expressions and conversational patterns. 3. Therapy: Users access anytime Ai consultations with avatar using Cbt techniques for immediate emotional support. 4. Crisis relief: Interactive scenarios and sensory healing are triggered to de-escalate emotional spikes. 5. Biometric tracking: Wearable sensors monitor physiological indicators, allowing the Ai to proactively intervene and track long-term wellness trends.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in Nov 2024 in San Jose and launched the beta version in Aug 2025.
- Specifications
- Ai architecture: Green Llm framework optimized via Tensorflow lite for local edge-computing. Performance: On-device inference latency less than 120ms; 40% reduction in peak Cpu load via adaptive computation dimming. Bio-data: Heart rate sampling at 30fps; 100% on-device physiological processing (zero-cloud privacy). Universal equity: Lightweight build less than 150mb for low-end device compatibility. Compliance: Full Wcag 2.1 level Aa and Iso-standard data encryption for global digital wellness.
- Keywords
- Mental Wellness, Ai Companion, Social Impact, Emotional Intelligence, Inclusive Design, Biofeedback, Digital Health, Wearable Interaction, Cbt Therapy, Accessibility
