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A meditation app designed to serve as a tranquil platform
Olive Visual
Introduction

Overview of the ‘Est8’ Web App

'Olive' is a meditation app designed to serve as a tranquil platform for individuals who wish to practice meditation and mindfulness techniques. It aims to address a significant user problem:

‘The need for sustained motivation and accountability in maintaining a regular meditation routine.’

Role

As the UX designer for this project, my responsibilities spanned multiple facets of the design process. I embarked on this journey by initially researching user needs to establish a strong foundation for the design. My work also involved formulating hypotheses, crafting intuitive user flows, and shaping the overall user experience across the app. Key features I designed include the landing page, which serves as an intuitive starting point, a Meditation screen that facilitates guided sessions, and a resource-rich library to support users in deepening their practice. I rounded out the project with user testing, to validate that the design choices made were in line with our primary goal: enhancing mental well-being for our users.

Target Audience

The primary target users of the 'Olive' app are individuals who seek a convenient and effective way to incorporate meditation into their busy lives. This includes anyone from professionals to health-conscious people looking to improve their overall well-being.

The Tools Used In This Project

Empathise

Initial Goals and Hypotheses

Empathise

User Interviews Findings

Through the interview process, I discovered that users primarily struggle with maintaining consistency in their meditation practice due to distractions and lack of time. Affinity mapping helped me identify key themes around user needs, including the desire for personalised meditation guidance and features that promote accountability.
Participant 1
Behaviours / Attitudes
Needs / Goals
Frustrations
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9
Q10
Q11
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16
Q17
Q18
Q19
Participant 2
Analytics
Basic
Advanced
Advanced
Export reports
Scheduled reports
API access
Advanced reports
Saved reports
Customer properties
Custom fields
Participant 3
SSO/SAML authentication
Advanced permissions
Audit log
Data history

Basic plan

$96/year
Basic features for up to 10 users with everything you need.
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Business plan

$192/year
Advanced features and reporting, better workflows and automation.
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Enterprise plan

$384/year
Personalised service and enterprise security for large teams.
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User access
Basic features
Saved reports
10
20
Unlimited
Individual data
20GB
40GB
Unlimited
Support
Automated workflows
200+ integrations
Reporting and analytics
Analytics
Basic
Advanced
Advanced
Export reports
Scheduled reports
API access
Advanced reports
Saved reports
Customer properties
Custom fields
User access
SSO/SAML authentication
Advanced permissions
Audit log
Data history
Empathise

User Interviews Findings

Question 1
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Can you tell me a little about your experience with meditation? Have you tried any meditation apps before?
Question 2
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What motivated you to start meditating? Do you have any specific goals or reasons for meditating?
Question 3
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How often do you meditate? Do you have a set schedule for your meditation practice?
Question 4
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What type of meditation do you prefer? (e.g. mindfulness, body scan, loving-kindness, etc.)
Question 5
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What do you find most challenging about meditating? Is there anything that makes it difficult to maintain a consistent practice?
Question 6
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How do you currently track your meditation practice, if at all?
Question 7
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Would you be willing to pay for a meditation app? If so, how much would you be willing to pay?
Question 8
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What features do you think are essential for a meditation app? Why?
Question 9
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What features would be nice to have but are not necessarily essential?
Question 10
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What don’t you like about any tools you currently use? Why?
Question 11
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How important is it for a meditation app to have social features, such as a community forum or the ability to share progress with friends?
Question 12
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Have you used any other health or wellness apps before? What features did you like or dislike about them?
Question 13
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Are there any meditation apps or other health/wellness apps that you particularly enjoy using?
Question 14
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How important is the visual design and user interface of a meditation app to you?
Question 15
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How do you prefer to receive guidance during meditation? (e.g. audio, video, written instructions)
Question 16
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Have you ever participated in a guided meditation or meditation course? What did you like or dislike about it?
Question 17
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Do you have any concerns or reservations about using a meditation app?
Question 18
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How do you think a meditation app could support your meditation practice?
Question 19
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Is there anything else you would like to see in a meditation app that is not currently available?
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9
Q10
Q11
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16
Q17
Q18
Q19

Behaviours / Attitudes

Needs / Goals

Frustrations

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9
Q10
Q11
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16
Q17
Q18
Q19

Behaviours / Attitudes

Needs / Goals

Frustrations

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9
Q10
Q11
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16
Q17
Q18
Q19

Behaviours / Attitudes

Needs / Goals

Frustrations

Affinity Mapping

Does not currently track their meditation practice.

Would like to see a variety of meditation options in a meditation app, such as guided meditations for specific topics like anxiety or stress. Additionally if the app could track progress and provide feedback.

Needs something to remind to meditate daily. Additionally provide different types of meditation, and allow progress tracking.

Nice-to-have features include progress tracking, a variety of meditation types, and the ability to set reminders.

Doesn't currently track meditation practice.

Insights

Progress Tracking + Visual Tracker

Does not think social features are not important for a meditation app.

A question forum for linking people within the same community is considered a valuable social feature.

Has participated in a guided meditation course and found it helpful to have a teacher to answer questions.

Insights

Accountability + Share-ability + Companionship + Forum

Concerned that the app may not work as well as it claims to. Does not want to waste time and money on an app that won't help.

Is willing to pay for a meditation app if it provides in-depth guided meditation. She would prefer a one-time payment to subscriptions and but is still willing to pay up to £5 per month.

"It's not that I enjoy using them, it's that they're there for convenience". Finds the user interface of MyFitnessPal app not user-friendly but considers it a useful tool to have.

Insights

Affordability + Quality

Prefers audio guidance during meditation.

Does not have a preference for a specific type of meditation but is open to trying different types.

Providing structure and guidance, as well as offering a variety of meditation practices to try.

Has a negative experience with a group guided meditation session during her teenage years.

Would like to see a variety of meditation options in a meditation app, such as guided meditations for specific topics like anxiety or stress. Additionally if the app could track progress and provide feedback.

For research purposes, prefers written guidance. For guided meditation, she prefers audio instructions.

Prefers body scan but is open to trying different types.

Personalised meditation recommendations based on mood or current state of mind.

Prefers visualisation meditation and is not well-informed about other types of meditation.

Guided meditations, a variety of meditation types, and a timer.

"I would prefer audio guidance during meditation, it'll be easier to follow and won't need much attention from my side."

Prefers audio guidance during meditation.

Considers tutorials and literature for beginners as essential features for a meditation app.

Meditation experience is limited to following instructions and listening to meditative nature sounds on YouTube. They have not extensively used any meditation apps.

Insights

Personalisation + Variety of Content + Easy Accessibility

Thinks it is essential for a meditation app to have guided meditations and the ability to customise the duration and background sounds.

Would appreciate customisation options such as colour schemes and different voice guides as nice to have features.

See more customisation options in meditation apps, such as the ability to create personalised meditation programs based on individual goals and preferences.

Insights

Personalisation + Customisation of Content + Filtering

The visual design and user interface are somewhat important to him, but functionality is more important.

Has previously used menstrual cycle tracking apps and appreciates their minimal and easy-to-follow design.

Believes that the user interface design of a meditation app is crucial and directly impacts physiological health by providing visual stimulus.

Thinks visual design and user interface are important factors when choosing a meditation app.

Doesn't like apps that are too complicated to use or have too many features that he doesn't need.

Doesn't have a particular favourite meditation app, but he has tried Headspace and Calm. He enjoyed using them but struggled committing to use them daily.

"Clear my mind after a busy day, work gets quite hectic". Is motivated to start meditating to manage stress and anxiety.

"It's difficult to maintain consistency because I fail at focusing"

Has little experience with meditation apps and has only used them sporadically.

Does not have a set schedule for meditation and tends to give up easily due to difficulty in focusing. They desire a manageable schedule to support consistent practice.

Staying focused and not getting distracted. He also finds it difficult to maintain a consistent practice due to his busy schedule.

Finds it challenging to maintain a consistent practice and to quiet their mind while meditating.

"I struggle with staying consistent in my meditation practice and I think a meditation app could help me with that with reminders to meditate regularly."

Does not have a set schedule for their meditation practice but tries to mediate a few times a week.

Wants to meditate for managing anxiety and depression, and becoming more aware of emotions to be able to calm themselves down.

Has tried meditation apps before, but his experience has been sporadic and inconsistent

Experiences stress when they cannot maintain a solid streak in their meditation practice. She desires personalised meditation timings and notifications to support consistent practice.

Used fitness tracking apps before, but he found them to be too time-consuming to use regularly.

Insights

Notifications + Focus mode

Persona
User Persona - Sara
Sara is a 30-year-old graphic designer from Melbourne who is engaged and identifies as she/her. She struggles with work-life balance and insomnia. Sara aims to be more mindful in her daily life but has no previous meditation experience.
User Persona Sara
Sara's User Journey
Scenario
Sara is always finding ways overload herself with projects and finds it hard to switch off from work. She's recently got engaged to her long-term girlfriend and is determined to find ways to spend more quality time with her. Her work schedule and stress levels have made it difficult for her to be present and enjoy the moments with her fiancé. Sara has been recommend letting meditation help manage her work life balance.
Sara's User Journey
User Persona - Joseph
Joseph is a 23-year-old software development student in Cape Town who is single and uses he/him pronouns. He has some experience with meditation but struggles with focus and time management. Joseph wants to enhance his mental health and personal development through consistent meditation.
User Persona Joe
Joseph's User Journey
Scenario
Joe has a busy schedule with studies, football training, and catching up with family and friends via social media. Joe is looking to slow down and take time for himself. He’s always been a fan of meditation but finds it difficult to stay consistent and focused. Joe needs an app that can remind him why he started meditating, and keep him motivated to follow through with daily meditation challenges. Joe is also looking to meet like-minded people who share his interest in meditation and personal growth.
Joes User Journey
Card Sorting
To gain a better comprehension, I designed 25 cards that include breathing exercises, gratitude journaling, and meditation challenges. The purpose was to assess whether the categories established in 'Sitemap v1' was appropriate or if any modifications are required based on the participants' choices during the open card sorting activity.

Home Screen

Meditation Challange

Guided Meditation

Unguided Meditation

Mindfulness Excersises

Q&A

Breathing Excersises

Sleep Sounds

Nature Sounds

Music For Relaxation

Journaling

Personalised Playlists

Mindful Eating

Progress Tracking

Inspirational Quotes

Mindful Movement

Live Meditation Session

Widget

Community Forums

Expert Advice

Stress Management Techniqies

Self-care Tips

Time Management Tools

Gratitude Jounrnaling

Visualisation Exercises

Similarity Matrix
I utilised this matrix to gain insights into the patterns of user card-sorting behaviour. The results showed that the Self-care tips and Time management tools categories were consistently sorted similarly by users. Conversely, the account-related cards such as widgets, settings, and accounts were less agreeable, indicating confusion in how to categorise them alongside the meditation-related cards. This suggests that these types of cards require further clarification or re-categorisation for better user comprehension.
Dendrogram
The dendrogram is a visual representation of the main clusters formed during the card sorting test. This helped me understand how users might explore the app and where they would expect to find specific content topics and features.
Task Flows
Defining User Pathways
User Flows
Defining User Pathways
Low Fidelity Wireframes
The low-fidelity wireframes served as the initial blueprint for 'Olive', enabling me to quickly sketch out the basic layout and functionalities, providing a foundation for user flow and initial usability tests.
Landing Page
In the low-fidelity wireframe for the Landing Page, my primary focus was on crafting an intuitive and inviting experience to engage users immediately. It serves as the entry point and gives users a quick overview of what 'Olive' offers, setting the tone for the user’s journey within the app.
Meditation Screen
The Meditation Screen's wireframe was designed to minimise cognitive load, placing core functionalities like play, pause, and selection of meditation types front and centre. I wanted to create an environment that allows users to easily start or continue their meditation practice without distraction.
Meditation Journey
The Meditation Journey wireframe aims to map out the user's progress and achievements. I included elements that would encourage long-term engagement, such as progress tracking and unlockable content, based on the hypothesis that a sense of accomplishment would promote consistent use.Users will have access to view all their completed meditation challenges by scrolling down.
Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Moving to the mid-fidelity stage, I incorporated the insights gained from initial tests and interviews, refining the design elements and interaction patterns to more closely align with user needs and expectations.
Landing Page
In the mid-fidelity stage for the Landing Page, I honed in on more specific user interface elements, like button styles and navigation bars, while also integrating the insights gathered from user interviews and initial tests. This version served as a more refined blueprint, allowing me to test the effectiveness of visual hierarchy and CTA placements in guiding the user naturally through the app's features.

REST OF PROJECT CONTENT UPLOADED SOON

Summary
Meditation App - 2023V
Strengths of the Project
Anchored in a user-centred approach, the 'Olive' app was developed to resonate with its target audience. Leveraging tools like Figma and Adobe Suite, the app has seamless user flows ensuring smooth navigation, especially in key areas like the landing page and meditation sessions. The strategic use of the "think-aloud" methodology during moderated in-person testing facilitated the gathering of open feedback, refining the overall user experience.
Areas for Improvement
While 'Olive' marks a debut in my UX/UI journey, some design elements might benefit from further refinement. Striking the balance between aesthetics and functionality will be a focal point in future projects. Additionally, a more in-depth exploration of diverse user personas could offer clearer insights, leading to an even more tailored user experience.
Insights Gained
The 'Olive' project underscored the importance of an iterative design process. Continual feedback, both from internal reviews and user tests, was key in refining the design. The value of user feedback was evident throughout the project, serving as a crucial tool to both validate initial hypotheses and reveal unexpected user needs.
Obstacles
Designing for a diverse user base, from beginners to seasoned meditators, posed unique challenges. Ensuring the interface was accessible for beginners, while providing depth for the more experienced, was a delicate balancing act. Additionally, while tools like Figma proved invaluable, their limitations occasionally surfaced, especially when prototyping certain complex interactions.
Future Enhancements
Looking ahead, personalisation stands out as a key area of focus. Future iterations of the app could feature tailored meditation recommendations, based on user insights. Also, as I delve deeper into the UX world, I aim to integrate advanced methodologies, expanding beyond the foundational techniques employed in 'Olive'. Additionally as my proficiency with UI design and tools like Figma improves, there's a clear path to significantly elevating the visual aesthetics of the app.This project has inspired me to continuously refine and adapt, guiding me on a progressive journey in the dynamic field of UX/UI design.