Exhale.

Katara McCarty is an activist and serial social entrepreneur who wanted to create the first meditation and mindfulness app specifically for Black and Indigenous women, with design, imagery and content created by BIWOC and for their particular needs.

Katara had built the app initially with a white label, no-code solution that helped her get to market quickly and validate her idea. But the user experience just wasn’t at the level of quality Katara wanted to deliver, so we partnered to make that upgrade happen.

We wanted to get rid of any barrier between the user and mindfulness, so we made it happen immediately and every time. There’s no need for users to commit to listening to a meditation or to tap even once, anywhere, to enter a mindful state. On every open, they are welcomed by name, and a glowing orb expands and contracts with the words “inhale” and “exhale.” Users can stay and breathe (a timer appears in this case) or enter the app after one mindful breath. Exhale’s home page shows the user’s face, glowing with light, and a count of days they’ve taken at least that one breath with Exhale.

Removing every barrier to a moment of mindfulness

Our main challenge was to redesign Exhale into a deeply intentional space made by and for Black and Indigenous women of color, replacing a templated no-code version that lacked soul and polish. We partnered with Katara McCarty to create a seamless, welcoming experience that removes every possible barrier between the user and a moment of mindfulness. The app launches with a personalized greeting and a breathing orb — no taps needed — to help users begin with calm, even before exploring further. We eliminated the need for accounts or passwords up front, allowing people to experience value without friction, and simplified login with a phone number and text code.