Mindful: A Tool designed to help you focus

Mindful: A Tool designed to help you focus

Mindful: A Tool designed to help you focus

College students report getting distracted and thrown off their daily schedules, often due to their mobile phones. We designed Mindful to solve this by creating friction when trying to open selected apps during scheduled hours and encouraging self-reflection.

College students report getting distracted and thrown off their daily schedules, often due to their mobile phones. We designed Mindful to solve this by creating friction when trying to open selected apps during scheduled hours and encouraging self-reflection.

timeline

6 weeks

6 weeks

6 weeks

my role

End-to-end design process

End-to-end design process

End-to-end design process

team

Anushka Chadha, Aiden Eichenour, Harsha Gowda, Shreya Kamath

Anushka Chadha, Aiden Eichenour, Harsha Gowda, Shreya Kamath

problem statement

How might we support students to follow through with their scheduled plans to effectively manage their time?

How might we support students to follow through with their scheduled plans to effectively manage their time?

impact

Impact: user satisfaction scores on ability to follow through their schedule

Impact: user satisfaction scores on ability to follow through their schedule

design process

Project Timeline

Project Timeline

research

We found that college students struggled with three key areas - assignments, studying, and time management

We found that college students struggled with three key areas - assignments, studying, and time management

research

To dig deeper, we conducted follow-up interviews to uncover what made these three areas challenging

To dig deeper, we conducted follow-up interviews to uncover what made these three areas challenging

This was done by conducting follow up interviews with students from our previous round, and interviewing new participants who were screened for fit using surveys.

This was done by conducting follow up interviews with students from our previous round, and interviewing new participants who were screened for fit using surveys.

define

To converge on what to solve for, we picked time management. More specifically, we picked solving for phone distractions. Why?

To converge on what to solve for, we picked time management. More specifically, we picked solving for phone distractions. Why?

Highest impact

Highest impact

While time management was the most repeated challenge that students reported, upon digging deeper, phone distractions emerged as the most common culprit consuming their time.

01.

Underlying cause of other issues

Underlying cause of other issues

Our initial research identified assignments and studying as major struggles. In our second phase, we found that phone distractions were a key factor making these tasks even harder to manage.

02.

persona

Meet Emma - we solve distraction management for her

Meet Emma - we solve distraction management for her

ideation

solution idea: A tool that creates friction and encourages self-reflection while distracted

solution idea: A tool that creates friction and encourages self-reflection while distracted

wireframes pt. i

Findings From Our Low-Fidelity wireframe Testing

Findings From Our Low-Fidelity wireframe Testing

Good

Good

Core functionalities of restricting an app, and changing the app “tone” was intuitive to complete.

Core functionalities of restricting an app, and changing the app “tone” was intuitive to complete.

Bad

Bad

Lack of user control — Multiple users wanted to close the screen while trying to open a "blocked app" since they grew impatient of waiting.

Lack of user control — Multiple users wanted to close the screen while trying to open a "blocked app" since they grew impatient of waiting.

Confusion about prototype integrity — Users were confused on why the timer wasn’t moving.

Confusion about prototype integrity — Users were confused on why the timer wasn’t moving.

business thinking

So far so good, but how could this product make money?

So far so good, but how could this product make money?

We introduced a feature — “credits”, as an approach to make this project viable from a business perspective.

We introduced a feature — “credits”, as an approach to make this project viable from a business perspective.

The idea here was that by subscribing, a user would have a limited number of “credits” which allow them to bypass the restriction that Mindful would otherwise impose.

Since these “credits” would be limited in number and would only allow the user to use an app for a limited time, we believe it balances the core functionality while simultaneously having an opportunity to make money.

The idea here was that by subscribing, a user would have a limited number of “credits” which allow them to bypass the restriction that Mindful would otherwise impose.

Since these “credits” would be limited in number and would only allow the user to use an app for a limited time, we believe it balances the core functionality while simultaneously having an opportunity to make money.

wireframes pt. II

Findings From Our First Mid-Fidelity wireframe Testing: The Onboarding Failed To Activate The Users

Findings From Our First Mid-Fidelity wireframe Testing: The Onboarding Failed To Activate The Users

Upon testing the onboarding in mid-fidelity, we understood that users didn’t properly comprehend the core functionality of the app. This lead us to re-working our copy writing for better user activation.

Upon testing the onboarding in mid-fidelity, we understood that users didn’t properly comprehend the core functionality of the app. This lead us to re-working our copy writing for better user activation.

wireframes pt. III

Key Finding From Our Second Mid-Fidelity wireframe Testing: The Re-iterated Onboarding Successfully Activated Users

Key Finding From Our Second Mid-Fidelity wireframe Testing: The Re-iterated Onboarding Successfully Activated Users

By rewording the copy to be more conversation-like, our user tests revealed better overall comprehension across the majority of the participants involved.

By rewording the copy to be more conversation-like, our user tests revealed better overall comprehension across the majority of the participants involved.

Good

Good

Increased comprehension across all participants due to re-worded copywriting.

Increased comprehension across all participants due to re-worded copywriting.

Bad

Bad

Users wanted to absorb the onboarding content at their own pace, but the timed animation disrupted this.

Users wanted to absorb the onboarding content at their own pace, but the timed animation disrupted this.

design system

finalized design system

finalized design system

solution

Final design Highlights: Restricted Screen

Final design Highlights: Restricted Screen

The core screen of the app — the restricted screen, is displayed once a user tries to open a blocked app during their scheduled hours.

The core screen of the app — the restricted screen, is displayed once a user tries to open a blocked app during their scheduled hours.

solution

Final design Highlights: Tone of Voice Control

Final design Highlights: Tone of Voice Control

One of the goals we set to achieve among users was self-reflection, which looks different for everyone. By allowing users to control how the app speaks to them, we account for differences in personal preference. This feature was well received among our participants that we tested in on.

One of the goals we set to achieve among users was self-reflection, which looks different for everyone. By allowing users to control how the app speaks to them, we account for differences in personal preference. This feature was well received among our participants that we tested in on.

solution

Final design Highlights: Credits

Final design Highlights: Credits

By allowing a user to bypass restriction while opening a "blocked app" using credits, we lay the foundation for an avenue that can be monetized down the road.


For this MVP however, credits are free.

By allowing a user to bypass restriction while opening a "blocked app" using credits, we lay the foundation for an avenue that can be monetized down the road.


For this MVP however, credits are free.

testing

Comparing testing Metrics Across All Fidelities

Comparing testing Metrics Across All Fidelities

impact

Our final testing got an overwhelmingly positive response. But one quote stood out above others

Our final testing got an overwhelmingly positive response. But one quote stood out above others

Our idea for this solution was "A tool that creates friction and encourages self-reflection while distracted".


This quote perfectly captures that idea and as a team, we believe that this is a testament of our execution of that idea.

Our idea for this solution was "A tool that creates friction and encourages self-reflection while distracted".


This quote perfectly captures that idea and as a team, we believe that this is a testament of our execution of that idea.

reflection

Lessons That Defined the Product — and Me

Lessons That Defined the Product — and Me

Seek first to understand

Seek first to understand

Actively listening to teammates and users deepened my insights, improving every decision I contributed to.

01.

Be kind to yourself & others

Be kind to yourself & others

Approaching teamwork with empathy and patience not only improved collaboration but also led to better ideas.

02.

Stay curious, and keep learning

Stay curious, and keep learning

Challenging assumptions and staying curious pushed me to explore new perspectives, improving my work.

03.

Keep Reading

Keep Reading

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Read case Study

Thanks for looking around,

Thanks for looking around,

Thanks for looking around,