Brand

Project

Pioneering the way we manage our time and relax our brains.

Summary

Snoozr was created to put your phone on snooze. Millennials are having a hard time disconnecting when they leave work. Snoozr is a way for them to block notifications and contacts so they can unplug and recharge.

Responsibilities

UX Research
User Stories
User Flow
Wire Frames
Prototypes
User Testing
UI Design
Art Direction

Research

The way I like to start every project is to research current trends, identify relevant topics and do a gap analysis. My research indicated that The Burnout was on the rise, especially among millennials who feel the need to be on fire all the time. They want to be a rock star at work in order to move up the ladder quickly; while also balancing a social life. The result of this drive is a lack of relaxation or downtime which leads to The Burnout.

Competative Analysis

The best example of this is Apple’s Downtime and Screentime. To better understand the popularity and functionality of this option, I polled my network to see if they currently use the feature and I also tried it out myself.

Among my test group, I found that most users either don’t use the feature or find faults with it. The most common flaw with Apple’s Downtime is that it is too easy to turn off. Once your application time limit is hit the screen goes dark. However, at the bottom of the screen, you have a call to action button allowing you to accept the time limit. The app also has options to differ the Downtime for 15 more minutes or ignore it all for the remainder of the day. The other major issue with Apple’s Downtime is it is only based on reducing time spent on applications. You can’t block certain contacts or features, you have to block the application as a whole. This creates an issue if the user wants to customize what they will engage in during their downtime.

Personas

Personas were created to keep the intended user top of mind throughout the project. The user audience for this product is Millennials, however, the interviews identified two different kinds of users. We saw differences between those who work client-facing jobs and those who don't interact with clients. Therefore our product needed to address the needs of both personas.

User Stories

User stories are the basis of all the functionality and tasks that come up withing product development. It is the start of the design team problem solving what our clients will need to do within the platform.

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Sketches

After looking into the elements needed to make this application feasible; it was time to start getting the look and feel of the application. Sketching allows me to play with design options and pick layouts while thinking about the user. I look at how button placement may affect left-handed users or consider whether a feature should be a drawer or a full screen.

Task Flow

Task flow was based upon what the app was made to do. It was used to create the simplest way for the user to set up notification and manage restrictions

Prototype One

These greyscale prototypes were the first version of Snoozr. Mainly used in user testing to ensure the user could easily navigate the application. This test mule saw at least 3 rounds of testing with copy and elements revisions before moving forward.

Prototype Two

Building on what was shown in prototype 1 this version stripped back the colour, making it easier for the user to interact. Prototype 2 also starts to incorporate Snoozr’s signature yellow. At this point, user testing showed that the user could navigate the application with ease. Now it was time to start styling the application and incorporating the icons..

Improvements

User testing drove all of the improvements. These are iteration 2 to version 3.1. The most common user comments on this page were:

“Why are there 3 colours?”

The graphs are still confusing even after 2 changes. Users didn’t understand the colour coding and thought one was in an inactive state.

The Solution

Use more Apple inspiration. In this version, we added a legend, gave the cards a uniform look, and updated the graph to accommodate more than a single count down.

“My Favourites?”

Users were unable to identify if the list was system generated or reflective of their choices.

The Solution

Change copy and make it more specific. Also, finalize the design with more logos for better recognition.

“This is Confusing”

There was a lot of push back on this screen. Users didn’t understand it, the copy didn’t resonate, and the functionality wasn’t optimal. It was a mess.

The Solution

Introducing the recommended auto-replies section made it easier for the user to navigate the screen..

Mood Board

Once the prototype was functioning properly and the user could easily navigate through it, it was time to make it look good. With the nature of the app being that it is to put your phone on snooze, it needed to have a muted, dark, relaxing, and neutral feel. Bringing this calm dark mood board to life.

Final Design

The final design incorporates all the design changes making the flow more user-friendly. The colours follow the mood board in creating a relaxing app that meets the goal of putting your phone to sleep while you recharge to reducing your chances of having a burnout.