O Relax
A feature aims to relax and distress people
Project Type
Intern Project
Team
Myself
My Role
UX Designer
Contribution
User Research Prototyping Visual Design Hi-fi Design
Tool
Figma Adobe XD
Overview
Problem Statement
While Covid-19 is sweeping the world physically and mentally, the pressure of life is increasing. More and more users have anxiety, insomnia and difficulty in concentration, and stress reduction has become a potential demand of users. I was asked to bring a new proposal, a new feature to the OPPO Relax app. How might we help them to explore a more relaxing experience and a way to destress?
Solution
Speak out to tree hole
- An anonymous place where you can openly share their thoughts, emotions, and secrets without revealing their identities.
Talking to the moon
- When you are speaking, the tree hole will give you an audiovisual feedback, it will map out the corresponding music and vision according to the sound and content you talk, and feedback to you.
Diary
- The content of these feedbacks will be deposited in the form of a diary. It makes you feel that every word of your heart is heard and recognized.
Take-aways
After I began to dive deeper into the technical requirements and business considerations, I quickly realized that there were significant challenges to overcome.
On the technical side, I recognized that the inclusion of a diary function would require additional server storage, which could be costly and raise concerns about data privacy.
In addition, the visual aspects of the "Tree Hole" feature would require additional engineering resources to develop and implement. As OPPO Relax is not a non-profit app, the company won't put much resources into it. I needed to balance that with the technical constraints and costs associated with developing and implementing these visual effects.
Context
OPPO Relax is a mobile app that aims to help users relax and reduce stress through the use of ambient sounds and soothing white noise. The app includes a variety of features, including the ability to play white noise, such as rain or waves, and the option to listen to the sounds of various cities around the world, from Tokyo to Reykjavik.
User research #1: users relax by talking
It was found that 81% of users prefer to relax by talking. Interestingly, the data also revealed that people under 18 years old and over 45 years old were particularly fond of talking to relax. On the other hand, users who do not prefer talking mainly engage in other activities, such as playing games, sports, and meditation to unwind.
User research #2: users use the app to relax
I looked at the analysis of the app usage data for a given month to get some insight.
It appears that the app is most frequently used during the evening hours, with peak usage occurring between 18:00 and 22:00. Additionally, the data suggests that usage is also relatively high during the afternoon, between 13:00 and 18:00.
This data may suggest that users are primarily using the app to unwind and relax after a long day, or to take a break during their workday.
How to talk to myself?
First, the fact that users have a high demand for talking suggests that a feature that supports or encourages talking could be highly engaging and well-received. Second, the usage time data suggests that users are primarily using the app as a way to unwind and relax after a long day, or to help them sleep.
OPPO Relax doesn't include a community feature. I also do not want to introduce a social function. It's crucial to figure out how a user would like to talk to himself/herself. A voice recording or messaging functionality, or a feature that provides audiovisual feedback as users speak could be a possible solution.
Refine the problem statement
Refine the HMWs
After reviewed the user research, I proposed 5 new HMWs and refine the problem statement into: "How might we provide a private and way for users to communicate and express their thoughts and feelings, while also providing a personalized soothing and relaxing feedback to promote stress reduction and relaxation?"
Competitive analysis
First, the fact that users have a high demand for talking suggests that a feature that supports or encourages talking could be highly engaging and well-received. Second, the usage time data suggests that users are primarily using the app as a way to unwind and relax after a long day, or to help them sleep.
OPPO Relax doesn't include a community feature. I also do not want to introduce a social function. It's crucial to figure out how a user would like to talk to himself/herself. A voice recording or messaging functionality, or a feature that provides audiovisual feedback as users speak could be a possible solution.
Persona
To ensure that the app meets the needs, pain points, and goals of the target users, a persona was created. It can help me focus on the features and design elements that are most important to the users and make sure that the app is tailored to their specific needs.
Ideation
I decided to make a "Tree Hole" function, which means the user could talk to the phone freely and nobody will know. The user could simultaneously get visualization feedback from the sound. The user could check their audio diaries on a list.
Some visualization options I have found are shown in the figures.
Information architecture
The information architecture for the "Tree Hole" feature consists of three main sections or options: "Press to start", "Dates", and "Settings". The information architecture for the "Tree Hole" feature is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate, allowing users to access and engage with the feature in a way that is comfortable and stress-free.
Low-fidelty prototype
High-fidelty prototype
Reflection
- Business project is different from school project
It is common for industry projects to have different goals and constraints compared to school projects. In the industry, the focus is often on creating products or features that meet the needs of users and provide value to the business. This can involve considerations such as user research, market analysis, and technical feasibility, as well as considerations related to cost, resources, and time-to-market.
-Failure is a natural part of the design process
It is important to learn from these experiences and use them as opportunities for growth and improvement. While it may be disappointing that the "Tree Hole" feature was not ultimately implemented, it is important to recognize the value of the experience and the lessons learned.