Direction and Actions to take after Initial Testings

I did a projected user flow diagram earlier and to summarise, for meaningful screen-use behaviour to take place, there are a few stages user will go through and the designer (me) has to step in at different stages to help.

1. Awareness Stage
Objectives: Create awareness and evoke mindfulness
Are you Indistractable Card Game
Latest testing with web app: 6 groups, 32 participants. Findings can be found here.

Follow-up survey: Completed
Select participants have moved on to Enaction stage.

2. Enaction Stage
Objectives: Create opportunities for participants to engage and to be mindful of recreational screen-use
1a. Design Testing with focus group (8 participants): Done

Actions to take: Improve and work on new prototypes for focus group to try 1st Experience Testing.

Product #1: Multi-purpose blanket
8 people were asked to try out the blanket for a 1-hour session to test usability and comfort.
Findings can be found here

Main direction:

• Improve ergonomics - especially for snap buttons
• Include secret design elements to facilitate 'meaningful screen-use' 
• Consider adding a sheer top layer of fabric or increase the overlaps so the slits won't be too exposed

Product #2: Pulsing light
Testing: Does it help to slow down heartbeat and calm a person down?
Testing: Is the light strong enough for participant to close eyes for the sync?
Findings can be found here

Actions to take / ideas to consider: 
- Is it possible to create hypnotising light/ visual effects that can be projected onto walls / ceiling to create a soothing ambience?
- Is it possible to create water ripple visual effects to match the sleepy app water drops music?

References:
Ripple by Poetic lab
Shy lights by Studio drift
Sleep Lab Loop PH

Product #3: Sleepy app + music 
8 people were asked go through the experience with the sleepy music playing in the background. As the app is still in demo mode, it is difficult to test the app in their phones.
Findings can be found here

Testing: Does the music help to set the mood and make people who are using their phone feel sleepy after a while?
Testing: Is the music intrusive, does it work well with the pulsing light?

Initial ideas: 

Include new components in sleepy app:

• Create increasing dirty spots on the screens if the screen-time usage is extended beyond set-time
• Or can the screen be more and more red in colour to resemble sunset? Red may be a suitable colour based on this study
• Set the clock to countdown timer, widget overlay in the phone? Or a projection on wall?

I checked with my software engineer friends and they told me it might be difficult to have these effects as I can't overwrite the iOS / Android system, these functions that I'm looking to expand are outside the app boundary.

Action to take:

• Pause the app development and focus on the music component for the experience testing
• Collaborate with a sound designer and develop a 'sleeping' music that synchronises with the pulsing light.
• Consider to improve current UI for sleepy app for proof of concept video 

3. Adaptation / Maintenance Stage / Reinforcement layer
Objectives: At this stage, participants are already making conscious effort for mindful and meaningful screen-use. Based on The Transtheoretical Model / Stages of Change, behavior of change requires support for maintenance stage. This is where design interventions can come in to reinforce user's positive behaviour.

One of my design interventions to support their meaningful screen-use is to provide DIY tutorials that can help with Humansic Living.

• Users can work on making meaningful products during recreational time, engage in imagination and fall in love with the tactile and tangible. 
• These meaningful products can be used to improve their sleep and well-being. 

The first open source / DIY tutorial I created for sleep was the Multi-purpose blanket. 

I asked 9 people to watch the tutorial and if they're willing to build their own blanket.
All 9 of them said no. Similar comments:

• It's too difficult, if it's an easier project, I might try
• Need to source for materials
• No sewing machine, I don't mind trying hand-sewing projects as long as it doesn't take too long or difficult. 
• Too time-consuming - I would rather buy off the shelf

Action to take:

• Identify a simpler product for DIY
• Product can be hand-sewn or machine sewn so beginners can try too
• Consider using materials that be repurposed from home items so people don't have source for materials
• Create the 2nd DIY tutorial video and see if people will be more willing to try out the DIY. 

Suitable spaces I wanted to propose for testing with ActiveSG / SportSG

Unfortunately, because of the Covid-19 outbreak, I am unable to do any testings with Active SG, meetings with Bee Koon have been canceled and testings will be postponed. I am still in touch with Dr Richard and we will see if we can do the testings somehow.