NYC Owl
PROJECT 2018
A mobile application that helps people monitor sleep and provides innovative ways to make up for lost sleep.
THE BACKGROUND
Sleeping disorders have become common in today’s fast-paced work-life environments. 42% of New Yorkers have sleep problems which leads to people feeling more vulnerable and depressed than ever before.
THE CHALLENGE
Sleep is known to be an important component of a holistic, healthy lifestyle - in spite of this, we continue to ignore it. How do we make it a priority? We were determined to create a solution that helps people sleep better, translating to a healthier way of life while promoting overall well-being.
THE APPROACH
We began by taking a step back to look at the larger picture, understanding user behavior and sleeping trends through primary and secondary research. Using these insights, we built customer journey maps and empathy maps to synthesize this data to identify unmet user needs and opportunities for intervention. We then set out to leverage these customer insights to deliver a meaningful solution.
SECONDARY RESEARCH
What we found out
“Food & drinks affects sleep.”
78% of Americans drink at least one caffeinated beverage daily.
Foods containing the amino acid tryptophan—a building block of the sleep-related chemical serotonin—could potentially make you drowsy.
The best choice overall is to eat lightly before bed (if at all) and avoid alcohol or stimulants like caffeine.
Sleep deprivation is a factor in the rising rates of obesity.
“Bedroom environment plays a very important role in getting good sleep.”
Majority of respondents (87%) agree that they choose bedroom products that will help them sleep better.
73% of Americans say a dark bedroom is important to getting a good night’s sleep.
Room design for better sleep - Start by decluttering your room and creating a clean and ordered space.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
What we hoped to find out
Online Survey on Sleeping Habits
Awareness on the importance of sleep
Understanding personal priorities and if sleep is among them
Gaining insights about sleep routines
Identifying key elements which aid in better sleep
Understanding how sleep is disrupted
Customer in-depth interviews
Understanding major pain-points
Reviewing previous trials and experiences
Understanding how sleep affects users day-to-day life
Expert Interviews
Understanding if lack of sleep is a myth or reality
Gaining insights on effectiveness of workshops/consultations for sleep issues
Long term repercussions of sleep reduction and deprivation
Understanding key points about sleeping environments and routine
What our target audience thinks
Some of the questions we asked -
What’s your daily priority?
Do you think sleep is important?
What is the average amount of sleep during a work night and a non-work night?
What do you do most often before going to bed?
What bedroom elements help you sleep better?
Do you experience restless sleep? If yes, then why?
“Sleep is important but not a priority.”
“Use of electronic devices before sleep is high.”
“Sleep is disrupted most often by sound, movement and temperature.”
JOURNEY MAP
Identifying opportunity areas
EMPATHY MAP
Key insights
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
What we came up with
Sleep tracking device
Sleep diary for kids
Sleep focused mobile application
“Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers..”
We then sent out a quick survey to users to gather feedback on these initial ideas. Some of the feedback/concerns that we heard were:
How do I use the information about my sleep cycles?
“Finding out that I sleep less, gets me more worried and stressed.”
Can an application/diary actually change mindsets and help prioritize sleep?
Don’t appreciate general information about how to sleep better. Would like personalized information and feedback on improving sleep patterns.
Might not follow through with application-based suggestions.
CONCEPT
Our final solution
A mobile-based application that focuses on optimum health and function by calculating hours of lost sleep and provides you with reminders and ways to make up for your sleep debt.
“IF SLEEP WERE A CREDIT CARD COMPANY, MANY OF US WOULD BE IN DEEP TROUBLE.”
Features
Set daily challenges for yourself and earn points on completing them. These points can be used to buy rewards and products on the application.
Focusing on making up for lost sleep instead of helping people sleep.
Suggestions to make you feel better the next day - yoga routines, increasing water intake, choosing healthier food options are some of the feedback provided.
Summarize and suggest hours of sleep to compensate for the lost sleep on-demand or once a week.
BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS
Value proposition
Introducing
An application to help an individual prioritize and plan their sleep routines better.
NYC OWL aims to motivate and encourage people to take a small step each day in order to develop a pattern and reach their ultimate goal of a healthy lifestyle while promoting overall wellbeing.
We provide feedback, offer products and services that are tailored specifically for each person’s needs to help them manage their sleep cycle better.
MOBILE APP DESIGN
The result
MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Creating awareness
MY HOUR. MY POWER.
Even Superheroes Need Sleep.
This campaign hopes to inspire people to believe that they are their own superheroes. Everyone has the power in themselves to change their lives by prioritizing their schedules for good health and well-being. Prioritizing sleep is an issue that can be solved, and people need to believe in themselves that this can be achieved by taking one small step at a time.
Design Research, Strategy, Prototyping, UI Design, Advertising
Parsons School of Design, 2018
Collaborators: Pawat Napathorn