Overview
ANCLA is a therapeutic support platform designed to maintain the connection between patients and therapists outside of sessions. It combines a patient-facing app with a professional dashboard that helps track adherence, identify risk signals, and provide support between sessions.
Role
I collaborated across Product Design, UX/UI, Design System, and Branding, contributing to the definition and evolution of the product alongside the team.
Team
Celia Casterá — Founder, CEO & Product Designer
Daniel Beltrán — Product & UX/UI Designer
Craftwerk Studio — Development
The Problem
Beyond information overload, algorithms tend to reinforce biases and beliefs, enclosing people within content bubbles. Social platforms reward immediacy and punish doubt, reducing the complexity of thought. Recent reports indicate that around one-third of users, especially from Gen Z, are distancing themselves from overstimulating networks and seeking quieter, more controlled forms of interaction. The need is not for more information, but for meaning, pause, and contrast.
Recovery doesn’t end when a session does.
From B2C to B2B
ANCLA initially started with a B2C approach: a recovery app aimed directly at users, with routines, crisis support tools, progress tracking, and peer support.
As the product evolved, it became clear that the gap between sessions did not affect patients alone. Therapists also lacked visibility into what was happening outside the consultation room, while treatment centers needed a way to extend care without constantly increasing clinical workload.
The model then shifted toward a B2B/B2B2C approach, where the patient app connects with a professional environment. ANCLA evolved from an individual support tool into an infrastructure for therapeutic continuity between sessions.
The product evolved from supporting the patient to strengthening the entire therapeutic process.
Product Decisions
Three decisions shaped ANCLA’s product direction.
1. Maintain the connection between sessions
ANCLA is not conceived as a standalone app, but as an extension of the therapeutic process. The patient app and the professional environment work together to extend care beyond the consultation room and reduce the blind spot between sessions.
2. Design for vulnerable moments
During cravings, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation, the interface should reduce effort rather than add to it. Clear actions, fast access to support tools, and a calm, non-intrusive visual experience were therefore prioritized.
3. Turn behavior into useful signals
The goal is not to collect more data, but to translate patient activity into actionable information for therapists. Adherence, crisis moments, and changes in behavior patterns can help identify risk before the next session.
UI & Design System
Calm in the experience, consistency in the system.
ANCLA needed an interface capable of working across very different contexts: from moments of patient vulnerability to the quick interpretation of clinical information by professionals.
The interface was built around a Culture of Calm: clear hierarchy, prioritized actions, reduced stimulation, and a serene visual language designed to avoid both cognitive overload and the coldness often associated with clinical software.
The design system helps maintain that logic consistently across the patient app and the professional dashboard, using reusable components, defined states, and shared patterns designed to scale with the product.
One primary action, less noise, and lower cognitive load.
2. Calm visual language
Color, typography, spacing, and illustration used to reinforce safety, clarity, and trust.
Common components and patterns that maintain consistency across patient, therapist, and future product features.
The Product
A connected ecosystem designed to support, intervene, and provide visibility.
ANCLA combines a patient app with a professional dashboard. Both sides work together to extend support beyond the consultation room, provide help during critical moments, and turn everyday activity into useful information for therapists.
1. Patient routine
A connected ecosystem designed to support, intervene, and provide visibility.
ANCLA combines a patient app with a professional dashboard. Both sides work together to extend support beyond the consultation room, provide help during critical moments, and turn everyday activity into useful information for therapists.
2. Crisis support
Immediate support when the urge appears.
Rompe-Olas provides quick access to exercises and resources designed for moments of craving, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation. The interaction prioritizes clarity and speed to reduce friction when attention and decision-making may be compromised.
3. Clinical visibility
More context for professionals between sessions.
The dashboard allows therapists to review patient activity, adherence, and relevant signals without relying solely on what emerges during the next session.
Indicators such as the IRA help identify changes in behavioral patterns and prioritize situations that may require attention before the next appointment.
Current Outcome
From concept to a product in real development.
·
ANCLA has evolved from an initial individual support concept into a connected product for patients, therapists, and specialized treatment centers.
·
The MVP combines a patient app with a professional dashboard and is being developed together with Craftwerk, the technical partner responsible for turning the product architecture and designed experience into a functional solution.
·
The project has already started working with specialized centers through its partner program, using this phase to validate the product, gather clinical feedback, and continue refining both the patient experience and the professional tools.
Learnings
Designing a real product means working with uncertainty and allowing the proposition to evolve.
1
Working on ANCLA gave me a close view of how an idea can change in scope and business model without losing its original purpose. The shift from B2C to B2B/B2B2C required us to rethink priorities, users, and the relationships within the product.
2
It also reinforced the importance of designing with particular care when the context involves vulnerability: reducing friction, avoiding overload, and prioritizing clarity are not just aesthetic choices, but part of how the product needs to function.
3
Finally, working alongside design, business, and development helped me better understand how decisions are negotiated, adjusted, and built collectively as the product evolves.
