NOWNESSUX CASE STUDY - WELLNESS APPLICATION
CREATIVE DIRECTION , UX RESEARCH & UI DESIGN
WHAT IS (SELF-CARE)
Self-care has been defined as “a multidimensional, multifaceted process of purposeful engagement in strategies that promote healthy functioning and enhance well-being.Essentially, self-care means a conscious act people take in order to promote their own physical, mental, and emotional health.
PROBLEMS & GOALS
PROBLEM
The current landscape of mental health applications lacks a holistic approach, evidence-based design, expert involvement, and intuitive navigation, which leads to user dissatisfaction and a fragmented user experience.
Users are often required to download multiple apps, resulting in a cumbersome process and inefficient use of resources.SOLUTION
I propose to design an innovative
application that takes a holistic approach to address the physical, mental, and emotional wellness of individuals with mental health issues.
This comprehensive platform aims to target all three dimensions within a single
application, empowering users to enhance their overall well-being and lifestyle.CORE USERS
Millennials are at higher risk due to factors like financial insecurity, weak support systems, and major life changes. By targeting this demographic, we can create an app that specifically addresses their needs and provides valuable support.
New Features, Functionality and Aesthetically pleasing designs has the biggest influence on Millennial app decisions.
THE PRODUCT
Nowness is a mindfulness and mental health app that offers exercises and programs that help users do everything from meditating and improving sleep to reducing stress and increasing focus. To combat loneliness, the app also houses an AI companion who is eager to listen , talk and learn from you.It is always ready to chat when you need an empathetic friend.
In a nutshell—the app helps users relax when dealing with stressful situations like consuming the never-ending social media feeds or preparing for that upcoming job interview. It provides daily meditation, Yoga sessions , Breath works, An ai companion to connect to and calming music that will play until you drift off, and for the night owls Nowness App provides you with relaxing white noise, which contains frequencies with equal intensities proven to help you sleep and soothe migraines or headaches. Think: rain or birds chirping!
With its holistic no-frills approach to self-care, it’s perfect for people who deal with depression, loneliness or other mental health issues that make looking after yourself difficult.ROLES & RESPOSNIBILITES
PROJECT DURATION -SEPTEMBER 2023 TO DECEMBER 2023
THE RESEARCH
Developing an understanding of users’ unmet or unarticulated needs, with the goal of understanding who you’re designing for, is crucial to the design process. In this next phase, I conducted a number of face-to-face user interviews and online surveys to develop a deeper understanding of consumer thought processes regarding mental health and self care.RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
There’s a rising suicide and depression rate among young people. They don’t know how to deal with the stressors and pressures of everyday life, and can feel guilty when taking a mental break.ASSUMPTIONS
There’s stigma around exposing vulnerability and feeling of lonliness in general which makes it more difficult for young people to seek help.There is a lot of social pressure to be successful by a certain agePeople are so busy they don’t make time for themselves to recharge and to follow daily self care practisesSocial Media allows teens to set unrealistic expectations for themselves, they’re always comparing themselves to others online.people are less experienced in life and often feel helpless when confronted with stressors because they don’t know how to deal with the emotional challenges that life throws at them.
SAMPLE QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS QUESTIONS
Qualitative one to one interviews were conducted to further understand the users needs by asking open ended questions and probing them with follow up questions to gather clear insights about how the target audience currently manage their mental health and Cultivate self care routine. I also took the opportunity to dig deeper into main triggers that caused stress and anxiety.Quick Glimpse of some of the TED (Tell, Explain , Describe) Open eded questions I have asked during the interview:
Explain what you aim to achieve through Meditation.
Probing question-How often do you meditate?
Describe how you currently manage your mental health routine.
Tell me how consistent were you in cultivating self-care habits and
making them a routine?
Probing question-Whats stopping you from maintaining a consistent
routine?
Tell me what self-care/meditation apps do you currently use?
Probing question- What features would you currently use the most?
Talk to me about self-care and how important is it to take care of
ourselves in our current busy lifestyles?
Probing question- What features would you like to see that you think
would benefit you?
Can you describe your state of mind when you are feeling low and
how do you deal with negative thoughts currently
Explain to me what triggers a negative state of mind and racing thoughts
Tell me about your thoughts on new-age AI-powered virtual friend apps
Probing Question - How comfortable would you feel talking to a
virtual AI-powered friend that learns your behavior over time and
finds topics that you like
INSIGHTS GATHERED FROM INTERVIEWS
QUANTITATIVE SURVEY RESULTS
After completing in-person interviews, I proceeded to conduct a quantitative survey to gain insights into the overall market and preferences of the target audience.
PERSONAS & EMPATHY MAPS
USER JOURNEY MAPS
USER STORIES
Brainstorming + Feature prioritisation
BRAINSTORMING
In the research phase, I organically developed design solutions. Brainstorming encouraged free thinking and idea generation, fostering original and creative problem-solving. I quickly captured all the ideas on paper and organized them through a mind map.
FEATURE PRIORITISATION
After mapping out the user journey, I returned to pen and paper to brainstorm feature ideas. However, considering that an MVP should be minimalistic and provide customers with a realistic product experience, I had to prioritize and exclude some of the exciting possibilities. I categorized the features using a MoSCoW board: Must Haves, Should Haves, Could Haves, and Won’t Haves.
COMPETETOR LANDSCAPE
FEATURE COMPARISION
HMW’S
HOW MIGHT WE support Anna in combating loneliness and help her in her weight loss journey?
HOW MIGHT WE support Olivia in finding her calm and effective ways to cope with her emotions?
INSIGHTS FROM NHS MENTAL HEALTH DOCTOR
Through my preliminary research, I have discovered intriguing insights that align with our initial assumptions. I have categorized the core functions of apps into three distinct categories and further validated them through research. To delve deeper into the subject, I arranged a meeting with a local mental health doctor at her hospital. The objective was to gather firsthand information and identify the root cause of the problem.
Lack of NHS funding fro Mental health support is not helping people
Charities like ‘Mind’, samaritans , national crisis health line and not being used by most adults as they feel that they aren’t making them any better.
Lack of routine is one of the main cause of Loneliness
Not having some one to vent our their feelings and emotions is the source of most mental health conditions.
Self care apps would prove to be very helpful if they address the core issues effectively and address them with right tools to cope with mental heal issues.
Almost half of 18- to 24-year olds reported being lonely during lockdown.
As the first lockdown was progressing in April/May 2020, 35% of young people said they feel lonely often or most of the time despite spending three hours on social media
Restrictions in response to the pandemic can’t be blamed fully for comparatively high feelings of loneliness in children and young people
There may be other factors at play in young people’s lives that are causing heightened levels of loneliness compared to older generations and its not just Social Media.
Key Insights gathered from NHS Mental health doctor
The doctor endorsed my app idea and encouraged my efforts, stating that the three areas I selected would substantially enhance mental health. She expressed willingness to recommend the app to her patients before considering antidepressants.
I was delighted to find the doctor talk about power of Self care apps and its importance, so I started brainstorming about the core features that needs to be designed.
RESEARCH - DESIGN INTERSECTION
Insights from our research dictate the features that could be useful to the target audience. Based on insights, I have brainstormed the following features. Here are the specific insights that led to these particular features:INSIGHTS
Wants to explore the power of sound healing
Dont have more than 5-10 mins / day to meditate
Wants guidance in form of podcasts or courses as they
Being able to connect with someone on a daily basis
Dont have motivation to be consistent in their practises as they feel isolated
Wants to explore ancient healing practises but not sure where to start
Tried practising yoga in the past from pre-recorded Youtube videos but give up as they feel motivated
Feel Bored after practising meditation for sometime
I see lot of amateur teachers on YouTube and I dont trust some of them
I limit my looking at Phone for long hrs due to blue light exposure
FEATURES
Introduce Soundscapes and Sound Baths feature
Quick meditation timer
Getting started guides like Courses/ podcasts
Virtual Friend that always there to listen and learn.
Introduce communities feature
Introduce Ancient Breathing practises to unwind
Introduce Live Videos feature to make them feel inclusive
Create an immersive experience by using full screen Videography
Curated teachers /add a teacher profile page to in-still trust in users
Design a Dark mode app to reduce Blue light exposure
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE & USER FLOW
INTRODUCING ……
Anthropomorphism + AI ( Merging AI and human emotions )
As technology evolves, the topic of anthropomorphism in AI gains traction in the design industry. Anthropomorphism refers to attributing human traits to nonhuman entities. Utilizing technology to align with human values and experiences is crucial, considering our natural tendency to anthropomorphize. Human-like technology has positive effects, particularly in alleviating isolation and loneliness.I wanted to integrate a CHAT feature that serves as emotional and moral support, addressing concerns like loneliness, anxiety, anger, stress, relationship issues, and confidence. It should also analyze user keywords and phrases to detect distress or suicidal thoughts. The app should direct users to hotlines or suggests appropriate relaxation exercises. KEY SCREENS - USER CENTERED DESIGN
Loading Time = Opportunities
Spinners tend to add uncertainty as they give almost zero feedback. Why not use those "loading times" to add value to users? I added some inspiration quotes as the users wait for the sessions to load.
Labor Illusion
People trust & value results more when they obtain them after a carefully crafted delay. In this case, showing effort to customize the meditation experience elevates the perceived value of future interactions.
Seamless Flow and Priming
I used Loading times to help people get excited about what's to come! (instead of giving them work)
Endowment Effect and personalisation
Free trials are a good way of benefiting from the endowment effect as they give partial ownership to customers which many are then reluctant to give up when the trial ends.
Social proofing
I added the Real time Social proofing displaying number of people who used the app the same day. 2 sec Delay
ELEMENTS THAT APPEAR AFTER A DELAY GETS MORE ATTENTIONWhen conducting AB testing, I did an experiment of adding 2 second delay in rendering the feedback widget and it gave me a better results than pre-loading it.
Banner Blindness
Once the user sees a CTA that doesn't resonate with them, the subconscious brain starts to filter the information.
IMPULSE :I I added a micro section to keep things dynamic by trying new benefits above the CTA We never know what could be the main motivator for the user !SOCIAL PROOFING : “Most Popular Tag”DECENDING PRICE ANCHOR : Starting with highest plan of leftDECISION MAKING MADE SIMPLER Calculating the estimated savings for the user makes it easier for the users to make informed decisions and to decide if they want to buy a subscription or notREMOVAL OF “BUY” BARRIER WALL : Replacing it with a more innocent word - CONTINUE
Miller’s Law
The average person can only keep 7 (plus or minus 2) items in their working memory.I showed weekly stats because users are simply more likely to remember what they did last week vs. last month...
Zeigarnik Effect
People remember uncompleated task better than compleated tasksi designed progress bar that gives users clear visual representation to track their daily habits.
Fitts ‘ Law
When touch targets are too small, users take longer to tap them. (Fitts’ law says that the time to reach a target depends on the distance to the target and the size of the target — thus, smaller targets take longer to reach.I designed the interface by keeping critical actions within users’ thumb reach - a direct correlation between usage and accesability
Hit the balance with the grid. I had 8 grid block in the previous iterations, now its just 4. A heavy grid increases cognitive load and has poor memory retention. A compact grid makes decision making more straightforward and has a better recallActively drive product education with the usersEven repeat users might not be fully aware of what your product has to offer.The UI is designed to educate and inform users by showing categories clearly on the home screen
Lifelike avatarsPersonalised Life like Artificial Human avatars.Clothes, accessories, physical attributes, and personality traits can make the Ai friend more ‘life-like’.Secure private convesationsReassuring users that they are completely safe with us. and establishing that the app doesn’t share data with anyone and don’t use it to run ads.EARLY WARNINGS Quick Help & access to emergency crisis helpline contactsQuick help always at hand and to help contact crisis teamMemoryAI friend never forgets what’s
important to youMachine Learning AlgorithmsThe more you talk to your AI friend, the smarter it becomes
Not just another Chat bot,at the applications heart lies a complex autoregressive language model that utilizes deep learning to produce human-like textFeedback / rating section burried in settingsWhen conducting remote usability studies , users didnt leave feedback so i decided to make few changes to gather some insightsTiming For Demanding Actions
Timing is everything, especially when you want something from your users.
Clearly the best moment to do so is when the users achieved their goal and feel like they got superpowers from your product. So it's definitely the best time to ask for my feedback!
I Used this moment carefully to ask for key elements of feedback or actions that can get more insights for future iterations.FAIL FAST APPROACH
MAKING NEGETIVE SCORES SUPER EASY TO GATHER EARLY THOUGHTS AND FAIL FAST.I made it quick & easy for users to choose from the categories, i added ADD A MESSAGE section to make sure the data collected is put to good use to gather insights to help me in future iterations.FURTHER ITERATIONS
What i heard in USABILITY TESTING
During the research , users expressed that they will be motivated to come back to the app more often if they are a part of community.It gives me enough info to feel like I'm part of a larger community that motivates me to take better care of myself.This change here is very subtle yet powerful- SOCIAL PROOFING AND COMMUNITY FEATURE
I added a community feature after gathering feedback from the testing. With weber’s law in mind, I decided to add this feature with out overwhelming the user.WEBER'S LAW :Make just enough changes at once so that users are not completely throWwn off.What i heard in USABILITY TESTING
I had few users ask me why some questions in onboarding were framed negatively which i thought is great insight , so i have changed the tone of voice when questioning about jobs to be done.Positive tone of language and understanding USER GOALS
I changed the tone of voice to show Positive benefits to help users see a better version of themselves rather than reminding them of their shortcomings.The difference is subtle but has a huge impact...(especially when the copy with the customers' job is personalised)Sleep soundly is creates more positive impact than
saying "Avoid nightmares"
What i heard in USABILITY TESTING
Users were disappointed with the UX copy in the loader screen, Some users mentioned this was not really encouraging them to take part in the sessions contrary to my initial assumptions.Rephrasing ux copy to friendly and motivating tone of voice
So i rephrased the copy with positive and encouraging tone of voice.User Shaming ,Tone of Voice & UX COPY
Making users feel bad about themselves in order to convince them to adopt a behavior is rarely a good idea.Specific kinds of user shaming are even worst—such as manipulinks and confirmshaming1.1 Nielsen Norman Group User Shaming (2017)
What i heard in USABILITY TESTING
Users expressed that there are too many questions being asked even before they explore/try the app.The timing of asking for notifications is really off here...User feedback really made a lot of sense as In real life, it's okay to ask for a favor, but would you ask for 6 favors in a row to a stranger? same goes with apps.So i decided to ask this right after their first meditation ( after giving value to the user)PEN ON PAPER +BEHIND THE SCENES + WIREFRAMES
GOING FORWARD
IMPACT : Our target users praised the intuitive and aesthetically pleasing design of the app. They appreciated the muted tones and found the navigation to be easy. The clutter-free interface and clear visual hierarchy were particularly liked as they reduced cognitive load for the users.
NEXT STEPS
ARTIFICIAL CONSIOUSNESS
To stay updated on Artificial Consciousness, the field exploring self-aware machines, If achieved, it will redefine our understanding of “being alive.”
TAPPING INTO AR/VR TECHNOLOGIES
Elevate meditation through VR using upcoming technologies. VR provides precise, personalized, and distraction-free experiences, enabling deep focus during practice. Embrace the boundless potential of immersive environments to enhance the transformative journey of meditation.
TESTING
Conduct more usability studies to validate pain point resolutions. Further user research is needed for the ‘AI-Powered Friend’ feature to improve human-computer interaction.
WHAT I LEARNED
User feedback and usability studies shaped iterative design. Small changes had significant user experience impact. Prioritizing user needs is crucial.