Aurora
Reimagining Mental Health Care in Work Environments Through a Tired-Care Platform
Project overview
Aurora is a tiered-care mental health
service designed for working environments, developed at Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá to address the growing gap between mental health needs and clinical capacity.
Through a human-centered digital platform, Aurora enables employees to reflect on their emotional wellbeing, access personalized and clinically validated resources, and escalate to professional care when needed, while extending the reach of mental health professionals beyond the consultation room. By integrating individual autonomy, ethical organizational insight, and scalable care models, Aurora positions mental health systems as supportive allies in everyday work life, balancing empathy, effectiveness, and sustainability.
Organization
Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá
| Innovation Team + Department of Neuropsychiatric Conditions
Role
Lead Service Designer and Project Manager
Domain: Service Design | Innovation | Mental Health | Digital | Project Management
Duration
2 years
Location
Bogotá, Colombia
Psychoeducational content that is part of the learning pathways for employees of the platform. Developed by Sazú Lab.
Project impact
Awarded as “Best Health App” by Interlat LATAM Awards 2024, competing against projects from multiple countries.
Following the initial phase, Aurora evolved into a clinical trial, validating and refining the psychological and wellbeing interventions designed during the first stage. Currently in a phase of refinement and validation prior to market launch.
Gamification features
Educational routes
Tiered-care check-in
Project context
The starting point was both urgent and structural.
Only one in three people living with depression receives formal mental health care, according to the PAHO.
Globally, depression and anxiety account for more than 12 billion lost workdays every year.
In Colombia, there are approx. 2.5 psychiatrists per 100,000 inhabitants, far below the 10 recommended by WHO.
Through early research, it became evident that mental health support is still largely framed as a reactive service, accessed only once a person is already unwell. Employees experiencing stress, anxiety, or emotional overload often lack guidance at precisely the moment when early intervention could make the greatest difference.
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Design research and systems thinking with the clinical team
My role
I led Aurora from concept to functional prototyping, acting as both lead service designer and project manager across the entire lifecycle of the project.
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Conducted qualitative research with +25 users and stakeholders, generating insights and opportunity areas that shaped the service strategy.
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Designed the core service concept, experience architecture, and value proposition, translating clinical and organizational needs into a coherent, human-centered platform.
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Managed the execution of the platform by directing a third-party multidisciplinary team of 7 people, coordinating timelines, aligning technical and clinical requirements, and facilitating decision-making.
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Developed the brand and conceptual identity of Aurora, ensuring alignment between purpose, tone, and experience.
Design intent
Expand access to mental health services that complement clinical practice and enable early, preventive, and ongoing engagement with mental wellbeing of employees.
Empower individuals to actively participate in their mental health journey by providing self-guided, clinically validated tools that support autonomy, reflection, and informed decision-making.
Enable organizations to responsibly support employee wellbeing by designing ethical, aggregated insight mechanisms that inform preventive strategies while protecting individual privacy.
Integrate human experience, clinical rigor, and organizational realities into a scalable mental health service that balances empathy, effectiveness, and sustainability.
Co-creation workshop with employees, clinical team and innovation team
Project outcome
Aurora is designed as an ecosystem with three interconnected interfaces that enable continuity of care at scale:
Based on a validated screening assessment, the platform estimates the user’s current level of need and identifies areas requiring attention. These inputs dynamically inform the type and intensity of support offered, ensuring that interventions are relevant, timely, and proportionate to the user’s situation.
For Employees
The platform provides a private, supportive space to track emotional patterns, access tailored guidance, and build agency over their mental health journey
For Healthcare professionals
Functions as an extension of care beyond the consultation, offering visibility into user progress and engagement without increasing clinical workload.
For Companies
Provides insights into usage trends and prevalent themes within their workforce, designing preventive strategies and allocating mental health resources more effectively.
Health professional Profile
Employee Profile
The tiered-care mental health platform was developed at Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá as part of the Innovation Team portfolio of projects, in close collaboration with the Department of Neuropsychiatry Conditions, BTI Creative Agency and Sazú Lab.