Sleepy App
Casestudy
Individual Project | 4 weeks |UX Designer/Reseacher
Managing Chronic Insomnia can help improve the overall quality of life
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing non-restorative sleep despite having the opportunity for adequate sleep. It can have significant impacts on a person's daily functioning, mood, and overall quality of life. It is a widespread issue, with estimates suggesting that approximately 10-30% of the general population experiences chronic insomnia.
Introduction
Insomnia is a complex sleep disorder, and while it may not always be "cured" in the traditional sense, it can often be effectively managed and treated. The goal of treatment is typically to improve sleep quality, duration, and overall well-being. There exist both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical solutions to this problem. Medications, such as sedative-hypnotics, may be prescribed in some cases. However, their use is typically limited to the short term, and long-term use is generally discouraged due to potential side effects and the risk of dependence. Non-pharmacological interventions, including relaxation techniques, sleep hygiene education, and stimulus control, can play a crucial role in managing insomnia.
The Sleepy App is designed to assist users in winding down both their body and mind, preparing them for bedtime with soothing melodies and relaxation-inducing activities like guided meditations and exercises. In the event that sleep remains elusive and users find themselves awake, the app facilitates connections with fellow insomnia sufferers through chat features, ensuring they don't experience the challenges of insomnia alone.
The Waterfall process provides a straightforward and sequential approach
Design Process
A waterfall design process was used for this project. This was my very first project, and this design process was selected so I could teach myself about the different phases of a UX design project.
Design methods were picked to give a holistic view of the users' pain points
Design Methods
I believe method selection can make or break a project. The methods for this project were selected so as to get the most of the data acquired from the users while also beings a means of learning about the design process better.
1. Competetive Analysis
Existing services were studied to find their strengths and weaknesses. This helped find gaps or potential design spaces to work upon.
2. User Interviews
This method was selected to learn more about the user's needs and perspectives. This data helped narrow down the scope of the project. User interviews for this project were conducted via a Google survey. Participants aged 20-40 years were recruited out of which 73 participants responded to the questionnaire. The data collected helped generate the user personas, journey map and empathy map, which helped shape the final product.
Students
(20-26 yrs)
Working Professionals
(27-40 yrs)
3. User Persona
User Personas were created to represent an archetype of the target user groups' goals and characteristics. This method helps designers focus on meeting the specific needs and preferences of the target audience. Which helps in creating a user-centred design that resonates with the actual users.
4. User Journey Map
A user journey map is a visual representation of a user's experiences and interactions with a product or service over time, capturing stages, touchpoints, emotions, and actions. In UX design, it serves to build empathy by helping designers understand user needs, identify pain points, and optimize key touchpoints for a more satisfying and aligned user experience. By facilitating collaboration, communication, and iterative improvement, user journey maps contribute to creating user-centric designs and fostering long-term user satisfaction and loyalty.
5. User Empathy Map
A user empathy map is a visualization tool that helps designers understand and empathize with users by capturing their thoughts, feelings, actions, and pain points. It typically includes sections for user beliefs, feelings, actions, and needs, offering a holistic view of the user's experience. They enhance user-centred design by promoting a deeper understanding of user perspectives.
A Form Follows Function method was used to make design descisions
Final Design
After analyzing data from the user, the following design decisions were made.
1. Site Map
A site map serves to outline the app's information architecture and navigation structure, providing a visual representation of how different screens and features are connected. It helps designers plan and organize the app's content, ensuring logical flow and intuitive user navigation. Additionally, a site map aids in identifying potential gaps or redundancies in the user experience, contributing to a more streamlined and user-friendly app design.
2. Low Fidelity Wireframes
Once the site map was finalized, the low fidelity wireframes were designed.
3. Key Features
The following key features were focused on.
1. User is prompted to rate their quality of sleep as soon as they open the app in the morning. This will help keep track and also view their sleep quality at a glance on the home screen.
2. Users can mix different kinds of white noises with music or audio books to create a custom sound.
3. User can pick from an array of guided meditations and exercises to help unwind. Videos of different durations and the user gets to pick the one that fits their needs.
4. An in app chat feature helps the user anonymously connect with other users that have trouble sleeping. Talking to someone might help some users feel more relaxed.
5. Users can set a bed time routine. The app will send notifications to make sure the user follows it.
4. High Fidelity Wireframes
5. UI Design
Reflecting on the Project
This was my first ever UX project and looking back a lot could be improved on when it comes to the design process.
1. A more iterative design process could've been picked so the project didn't end up feeling restrictive.
2. The Project could've definitely benefited from a more in-depth research method. Primary research methods could've been expanded beyond just user interviews to get a better understanding of the user's sleep schedule.
3. As it was my first project, I went with a mobile app design. If I could redo this project, I would have looked into designing for a more non-intrusive device so the user wouldn't have to deal with harmful blue light before bed time.