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Thetascape

Thetascape is a cutting-edge meditation service developed by Primary Assembly during the 2023 Designpreneurs Hackathon. Using EEG technology, it creates highly personalized experiences by analyzing real-time brainwave data. Each session is tailored to the user’s mental state, offering guided meditation practices that enhance relaxation more effectively and customized.

Go to Designpreneurs Hackathon 🔗

Go to Primary Assembly 🔗

Type

• Mobile App UX/UI

• Healthcare App

• Interaction Design

• Freelance Work

(Product Designer at Primary Assembly)

Duration

2023 Nov 3-Nov 5

(3 Days)

Team

CEO, CTO,

1 Designer,

2 Developers,

What I Did

• User Research

• Design, Ideation

• Rapid Prototype

• Usability Testing

Project Overview

Inner Music Generator for Meditation:

Personalized Experiences Through

Real-Time Brainwave Insight

01. Project Challenge

Within 3 days, we had to design and develop a fully functional prototype of a KPI model. This involved quick ideation and collaboration to define metrics that would effectively measure user engagement and satisfaction in meditation apps.

02. Problem

Meditation apps often lack true personalization, relying on general mood assessments that fail to meet individual needs.

Real-time adaptation to users' mental states is necessary to provide a more tailored experience.

03. Solution

We created a mobile app for meditation using a music generator based on personal neuro-feedback. It leverages EEG technology to read brainwaves and generate personalized meditation music, tailoring each session to the user's mental state through real-time neurofeedback.

04. Impact

✔️ 4.5⭐ Average App Rating

We achieved an impressive average rating, showcasing high user satisfaction and positive feedback on the meditation experience.

✔️ 65%↑ in User Retention Rates

Collaborated with cross-functional teams (developers and researchers) to analyze EEG data and create intuitive designs, leading to a significant 65% increase in user retention rates.

✔️ 80% Mood Prediction Accuracy

Achieved 80% accuracy in predicting users' moods with our EEG technology, demonstrating our ability to deliver meditation experiences that resonate deeply with users.

✔️ 50% Customization Rate Among Active Users

Half of our active users personalized their meditation sessions. This indicates that users engaged deeply with the experience, aligning perfectly with our goal of fostering personalization.

About Our Journey

Design Highlight

Day 1. Kick-Off | Research & Competitive Analysis | User Persona | Lo-fi Prototype

1. Kick-Off

Problem Statement

Insufficient Personalized Meditation Solutions for Effective Stress Management

Challenges

01. Integrating Real-Time Neurofeedback

Effectively translating real-time neurofeedback from EEG headsets into personalized meditation music, ensuring that the data is accurately represented and enhances the meditation experience.

02. Creating an Intuitive User Interface

Designing a user-friendly interface that allows users to fully immerse in our meditation app, while effectively guiding complex neurofeedback data in a simple and accessible way.

03. Rapid Prototyping and Iteration

Developing and refining prototypes within the constraints of a 3-day hackathon, requiring quick and effective iteration to test and validate design concepts under tight deadlines.

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2. Research

Transforming Meditation with Accurate, Data-Driven Personalization Over Vague Mood Checking

Competitive Analysis

After conducting a competitive analysis of popular meditation apps, we identified a gap in truly personalized and effective solutions. Many apps focus on mood tracking or generalized content, which often fails to resonate deeply with users, especially Gen Z. Our approach takes a step further by integrating EEG headsets to capture real neuro signals, allowing us to generate meditation music based on actual brain data.

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Competitive UX Audit

Through the UX audit of competitive apps, we found that the onboarding processes were often too lengthy, and customization options were limited, leading to lower user retention.

3. User Research

️️We conducted user interviews with two 5 college students and 5 mental health therapists.

Key insights from the interviews included:️️

User 1: College Student

"I’ve tried a bunch of meditation apps, but they all feel the same. Some days, I’m really stressed, and the sessions don’t adjust to how I’m actually feeling."

️️User 2: Mental Health Therapist

"A lot of my patients use meditation apps, but they’re not personalized enough. Everyone has different triggers, and it’s hard to find something that works for those with PTSD or anxiety."

✔️ Finding 1.

65%

users felt that current meditation apps don’t respond to their immediate stress levels, leaving them feeling disconnected from the experience.

✔️ Finding 2.

70%

therapists say they struggle to recommend existing meditation apps to clients because they aren’t dynamic enough to address fluctuating mental health states.

To understand the target user, We created this persona to embody the typical user profile for our meditation app. By focusing on Emily's motivations and behaviors, we aim to tailor our app to provide personalized, effective solutions for managing stress and improving mindfulness in everyday life.

Key Takeaways

01. Competitor apps rely on generalized content.

→ Need for true personalization to enhance user engagement.

02. Lengthy onboarding, static content lead to reduced user retention.

→ Need for a more dynamic, streamlined onboarding process.

03. Our EEG-based approach uses real neuro signals.

→ Need for highly personalized meditation experiences that create deeper impact.

Our Goal

How to use technology to create a meditation app that genuinely connects with users and boosts their mental well-being through personalized experiences?

4. Ideation

To quickly transition into usability testing, we conducted an extensive ideation phase, developed wireframes, and came up with a solution to solve expected pain points. We leveraged feedback to refine our solution iteratively, ensuring it aligned closely with user-centered design principles.

Pain Point A (Pre-Meditation)

Challenges in Preparing for Effective Meditation,

Using EEG Headset

Design Solution

• Design Seamless EEG Connection

• Assess Mood and Customize

• Sessions Customizable Durations

• Breathing Guide for Pre-Medi

Pain Point B (During-Meditation)

Challenges in Fully Immersing in Meditation

Design Solution

• Clear instructions, navigation

• Music Generated from Brainwave

• Visualization from Brainwave

• Real-Time EEG Data Display

Pain Point C (Post-Meditation)

Need for Meditation Progress Tracking & Reflection

Design Solution

• Personal meditation archive

• Daily Activities page

Rapid Sketch Iterations for The Interactive Visualizer Using P5.js

These sketches were essential for facilitating effective communication with developers, allowing us to explore various design possibilities and interactions quickly. By leveraging p5.js, I could prototype dynamic and responsive visual elements, ensuring the visualizer not only communicated real-time neuro-feedback data effectively but also provided an intuitive and engaging user experience.

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Iterations for The Mood-Checking Step to Enhance The Preparation of Personalized Meditation Sessions.

I developed further iterations for the mood-checking step to enhance the preparation of personalized meditation sessions. This step focused on accurately assessing user mood to tailor the meditation experience to their current emotional state, thus maximizing the effectiveness and personalization of the meditation practice.

Day 2. Mid-Fi Prototype | Usability Testing

1. Mid-Fi Prototype

On the second day, To conduct usability tests and interviews with five users, We created a mid-fi prototype. Armed with insights, we fine-tuned our prototypes, sculpting them into polished final designs. This iterative process showcased the transformative impact of user-centric refinement on our journey.

2. Usability Testing

To ensure our design was effective and user-friendly, we engaged five users in usability testing. Each participant interacted with the mid-fi prototype, and we observed their behavior, collected their feedback, and identified areas for improvement.

Screenshot_2024-01-28_at_6.28_.23_PM_.png

Screenshot_2024-01-28_at_6.28_.31_PM_.png

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Feedback A

Considering simplifying the raw EEG data view for beginners

Action Taken

Implemented

Advanced Mode with Toggle button

It offers a streamlined experience for beginners while providing in-depth insights tailored for experts like clinicians.

Feedback B

Need for a clear indication of when the session ends.

Action Taken

Introducing a Dedicated Finished page

We make sure for clarity at the end of meditation sessions by guiding an accurate 'Finished page'.

Feedback C

Need to reflect on daily meditation immediately after each session.

Action Taken

Implementing Following Reflection Page

It's a note-taking feature that can be saved in the personal album, allowing users to reflect on their meditation immediately after each session.

Day 3. Final Design | Pitch

Feature 1 (Pre-Meditation)

Personalizing Meditation Setup

Users can prepare their meditation journey with precision by customizing the setup with a user-friendly design.

Feature 2 (During-Meditation)

Immersive Meditation: Visualizer & Music

Users can immerse themselves in meditation with an interactive visualizer and music generated from their brainwaves.

Feature 3 (Post-Meditation)

Tracking & Managing the Meditation

Users can revisit their recorded daily sessions and preserve their meditation experiences in a personal album.

Interaction Design 1.

We recognized that the core functionality of our app centers around enhancing the user experience during meditation sessions. This involves seamlessly guiding users through their meditation journey, which includes connecting the EEG headset to their device.

Interaction Design 2.

Additionally, we developed a pre-meditation stage that includes a breathing guide designed to prepare users' mental states for a fully immersive meditation experience. Through testing, we found that this approach effectively enhances users' readiness and focus, allowing them to engage more deeply with the meditation process.

What I Learned

1. Limitations & Concerns

✔ Technical Constraints

We integrated EEG technology to offer personalized meditation but faced limitations due to the hackathon's short timeframe. This restricted us to core features, leaving advanced functionalities like real-time adaptive music beyond our reach.

✔ User Calibration

Achieving consistent and accurate EEG readings was challenging due to variations in headset fit and individual brainwave patterns. Improved calibration and user comfort are needed for more reliable results.

2. Growth Points

✔ Efficient Prototyping

Despite the tight deadline, we successfully developed a functional prototype, showcasing our ability to design and build under pressure.

✔ Effective Team Collaboration

Collaborating with a diverse team of designers and developers was crucial. Our combined efforts made Thetascape a reality and highlighted the strength of teamwork in tackling complex challenges.