Breathe Case Study

My Role

Solo student project for User Experience Design/Testing

Timeline

10 weeks

problem

Excessive Screen Time

Digital fatigue caused due to a growing dependence on screens.

Understanding User Pain Points

User Interviews

I conducted 7 user interviews to know more about what users think of screen time apps in general and if they use them on a daily basis.

Most users stated that they never felt the need to track their screen time but are well aware that they’re spending much more time on their smartphones than they’d like to and often find themselves mindlessly scrolling on social media. Many users felt that they haven’t had much exposure to these applications and they were open to the idea of an app that could help reduce their screen time and increase productivity.

Another insight that I gained from my research and these interviews is that most screen time apps are designed for kids, so I decided that I’m going to niche my app down to professionals/adults.

Users also feel that excessive use of social media can lead to anxiety and mental health issues, and for those with ADHD, it can become extremely hard to focus as they are easily distracted by notifications popping up on their phone.

Prioritizing User Pain Points

Crafting a Solution

Hand Sketches

Wireframes

High Fidelity Prototypes

I chose to use a cool blue gradient as the theme of my app and I think it goes really well with the name and the purpose that the app is supposed to to serve, since blue represents peace and tranquility.

Main functions:

Track Screen Time and Sleep
Set Daily Goals and replace virtual fixations with healthy offline activities.
Gamification - Challenges, Achievements & Rewards
Social Features
Block List
Sleep Hygiene Tab

User Testing

Test Preparation

Prepared behavior interview questions and task list

What did you like or dislike?
What was the most memorable part?
Did you have any difficulty in understanding the flow of the app or think that it could be made simpler in any way?
Anything that you think I could improve upon?
Would you be willing to pay for a product like this?

Running Usability Tests

Task 1
Set your daily goal and leisure time option

Task 2
View Stats Summary, Pickups and Sleep Time Menu

Task 3
Navigate Profile and other tabs

Usability Test Results

Link to my full Figma work file here.

Conclusion

What could be improved

Too much negative space - some pages look really plain and boring
Block List not intuitive
Home page and Block List need to be redesigned
Allow the user to choose from different genres of sleep stories
Info icons for the terms that the user may not understand
Buttons and card sizing

What went well

Simple and eye-catching
Colors are attractive - not too harsh on the eye
Well designed rewards system
Language used in the app is user friendly
Clean onboarding
App caters to the needs of the user