DISCOVER
BACKGROUND
Technology is causing massive disruption in the health and wellness industry. The smartphone’s omnipresence has created a massive market for mobile health apps, wearables, and biometric trackers. Healthcare digital products are gaining popularity. Health apps (also known as mHealth apps) are mobile applications that offer health-related services on smartphones, tablets, and other communication devices.
CLIENT
The Daily Health Conference (a fictive client), a non-profit organization committed to advancing health and wellness, embarked on a transformative journey to integrate technology into its offerings. Despite a rich history, the organization faced a decline in memberships due to a lag in technological adaption. Eager to revitalize its program and leverage technology for healthier living, the board organized an intensive competition, focusing on wellness apps.
USER
tools: secondary research, competitor analysis user interviews, survey
Secondary research explored motivation factors and challenges, revealing a significant gender gap in health app usage, with women emerging as more active users. Competitor analysis identified distinct design trends, with what’s mainly considered as feminine attributes such as delicate brand elements, soft colors, and rounded shapes prevalent in apps targeting women, who more often emphasize mindfulness and gratitude, while productivity-focused elements were noted for those for men. Having this gender gap in mind, the focus of this project shifted towards men’s health.
For primary research, a research plan was devised with specific goals tailored to the target user:
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Men, age 25-40
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Leading a healthy lifestyle and prioritizing their body and mind
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Willing to improve or change their habits
Recognizing the common struggle among men to maintain motivation for a healthy lifestyle encompassing gym routines, balanced diets, meditation, and adequate sleep, the research aimed to uncover reasons behind the loss of motivation in these areas. Operating under the assumption that men might lack sufficient knowledge about the long-term benefits of a healthy lifestyle, encounter difficulties setting precise goals, and lose interest without tangible rewards, 5 interviews were conducted.
The outcomes of these interviews revealed a recurring pattern in the interviewees’ lives — a clear routine comprising elements like sleep, adopting a healthy diet, regular exercise, continuous mental engagement through learning, and a commitment to personal progression. Notably, the most intriguing finding was the interviewees’ shared sentiment that taking time off or indulging in so-called “lazy days” served as demotivators.
Participants expressed discomfort when “doing nothing”, associating it with unproductivity, and revealed that they only allowed themselves leisure days when they felt a sense of great achievement or when they were on the brink of feeling overworked. The perception of laziness or free time as something to be earned underscored a complex relationship with downtime, shedding light on a key aspect influencing motivation among our target demographic.
CONCEPTUALIZATION
PROBLEM DEFINITION
tools: affinity diagram, user persona, user journey map, problem statement
To organize the insights gathered from the interviews, an affinity diagram was employed, where the recurring mention of „laziness“ stood out. To personalize the approach, a user persona named Andreas, a young urban professional, was created. Andreas times for a balanced routine, including exercise and healthy eating, but encounters challenges in enjoying leisure days without feeling unproductive or wasting time. His frustration includes comparisons with others. The initial problem statement, focusing on the desire for a healthy mind and body, led ti concept ideas such as mood tracking, goal setting, and routine-maintaining apps. However, these concepts felt incongruent with interviewees’ experiences, who were already aware of their habits and healthy lifestyles.
Recognizing the significance of the „laziness“ aspect, follow-up interviews were conducted to explore how interviewees felt about taking lazy days. The key insight revealed a shared sense of guilt associated with leisure time; individuals felt the need to achieve something before allowing themselves a break. This revelation prompted the redefined problem statement:
IDEATION
tools: crazy 8s, brainstorming, dot voting, concept testing
The redefined concept materialized into „PAUSE:“, a subscription box designed to encourage guilt-free breaks. The box includes curated content such as snacks, beverages, reading material, little games, like quizzes, puzzles, and vouchers for various local services, tailored to individual preferences. The concept aimed to promote mindfulness in taking breaks without the burden of guilt, emphasizing the usefulness of breaks in recharging.
Through a concept test conducted via an elevator pitch, valuable user feedback highlighted concerns about the box’s impact on busy days and its effectiveness in reminding users to take a break. To enhance engagement, additional features were proposed, including gamification aspects like a spinning wheel for discounts and prizes, a loyalty card, and a sharing feature for friends and family. These features would only be unlocked after opening the box, finding a hidden code, and inserting it into the app.
SOLUTION DESIGN
PROTOTYPE
tools: competitor analysis, pen & paper, moodboard, style tile, figma
After a competitor analysis, a clearer understanding of the market landscape emerged. The analysis, similar to the secondary research, revealed a predominantly female-oriented delivery box market, from curated beauty boxes to reading boxes. Only a few services cater specifically to male themes. SprezzaBox and Bespoke Post focus on selling men’s clothing and attire, while Gentleman’s Box targets grooming and shaving products.
This observation presented a dual perspective: it could either indicate a promising opportunity, suggesting that the concept had not been previously explored, or it could signify a potential risk, indicating that the idea may have been previously attempted and unsuccessful.
During the prototype phase, a combination of low- and mid-fidelity wireframes was employed to visualize the onboarding process, home screen, and dashboard, establishing the groundwork for subsequent design decisions. With a well-defined concept, features, and a carefully curated color palette and typography, the initial high-fidelity wireframes were crafted. This prototype aimed to examine how the chosen colors and fonts harmonized with the overall concept, complemented by micro-interactions such as the spinning wheel.
FINAL DESIGN
tools: figma
The final design in this case is the very first attempt at crafting a High-fi prototype. Due to time contraints there are still some decisions to make, like the final color combination (there are 2 variants which need to be tested in a desirability test), more UI elements and components like different button stages and also the final layout and look of the home screen and the dashboard.
You'll find the first version here: