BreakTime — UX Case study

The UX Research Case study

UX Research Case Study by Anna Ceglia

Overview

The goal of this UX case study is to design a mobile app that will help mindful people track and control their bad habits. The app will provide users with the ability to set goals and track progress. The app’s target audience is people who want to improve their overall well-being by quitting bad habits such as smoking, overeating, and excessive screen use. Through this case study, we will explore user needs, pain points and behaviors related to bad habits and design a user-centered solution that meets the needs of our target audience. Then, the ultimate goal is to change behavior by replacing bad habits with good ones or reducing frequency/intensity, promoting better health and well-being.

My Role by Anna Ceglia

Problem Statement:

Many individuals struggle with managing their bad habits and behavior changes that promote better health and well-being. This difficulty often leads to feelings of frustration, guilt, and anxiety. It is not uncommon for people to try various methods to break their bad habits, only to find themselves falling back into their old habits. This continuous cycle can make it difficult for people to make progress toward their health goals.

Probable Solution:

To address this problem, the proposed solution is to design a mobile application that provides users with a tool to track their habits, understand their behavior, and take steps to control or change it. Using the app, users can set goals and monitor their progress toward healthier habits. Overall, the app aims to empower people to take control of their bad habits by tracking them and improving their overall health and well-being.

Design Process

The design process involves a systematic approach to creating digital products, services, or experiences that cater to users’ needs. To design our product, we followed this process:

Design thinking process by Anna Ceglia

01 | Discover Phase

Qualitative Research:

1. Can you tell me about a bad habit you have and how it developed?
2. What has motivated you to try and change your bad habit in the past?
3. Have you ever successfully overcome a bad habit? What strategies did you use?
4. How do you think your environment impacts your ability to maintain or break bad habits?
5. How do you feel about seeking help or support to overcome a bad habit?

Key Information:

1. The participant reported having a smoking habit that originated in high school, influenced by peer pressure.
2. The participant expressed awareness of the harmful health effects of smoking and a desire to quit smoking to set a positive example for others.
3. The participant has attempted to quit smoking using different methods, including nicotine gum and patches and mindfulness techniques.
4. The participant believes that their environment plays a significant role in their ability to quit smoking successfully.
5. The participant expressed a positive attitude towards seeking help or support from others in quitting smoking and has already received support from family and friends.

Quantitative Research:

1. How frequently do you engage in the habit you are trying to break?
2. At what age did you develop the habit you are trying to break?
3. Have you noticed any negative health effects associated with your habit?
4. On a scale from 1–10, how effective have various strategies been in helping you break your habit?
5. Have you ever tried any interventions, such as therapy or support groups, to help break your habit? If so, how effective were they?

Key Information:

1. The person smokes about a pack of cigarettes a day, which they are trying to reduce.
2. They started smoking at the age of 18.
3. Yes, they have noticed that their breathing has become more difficult and that they tire easily.
4. Quitting cold turkey smoking has been difficult, but reducing the number of cigarettes smoked each day has been effective.
5. They have not yet tried any formal interventions.

02 | Define Phase

Personas

Thanks to the research conducted, a user person named “Alex” was created. Alex is a college student who struggles with the smoking habit. In an effort to manage and overcome this habit, he relies on the “Break Time” app to monitor his progress and make positive changes in his behavior.

Emphaty Map

The empathy map is a powerful tool used in UX design to develop a deep understanding of a user’s thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and pain points related to a particular experience or problem. In the context of a UX case study on bad habits, the map is used to understand the motivations and thinking of the person being examined. Considering different points of view, such as: “says,” “does,” “thinks,” and “feels."

Define Phase — Emphty Map by Anna Ceglia

03 | Ideate Phase

User Flow

Ideate Phase — User Flow by Anna Ceglia

04 | Test Phase

Usability Testing

I established the objectives of our usability testing on the mobile application currently under development. The goal was to evaluate the usability of the application, its effectiveness in facilitating user achievement, and the identification of any usability issues. The ultimate goal is to improve the user experience by ensuring that the application is intuitive and meets the users’ needs. To achieve this goal, I selected a representative group of users from the target audience and designed a series of activities to evaluate various features of the application, including creating new goals, setting goals, and modifying goals. During the test, I recorded participants’ actions as they completed tasks, and I am pleased to report that users experienced little difficulty completing tasks and enjoyed the interface.

Conclusion

We have seen that bad habits can have a significant impact on an individual’s overall health, well-being, and quality of life. The key to overcoming these habits lies in identifying the motivations and triggers behind them and developing effective strategies to break the cycle. Through qualitative and quantitative research, I and my colleagues who accompanied me in the development of the “BreakTime” app were able to gain an in-depth understanding of the pain points, motivations and experiences of users in managing their bad smoking habit, which informed the creation of the “Break Time” app and the development of the “Alex” user. Overall, the UX case study provided great insight into the development of the BreakTime app where it is hoped that users can, through monitoring and perseverance, slowly overcome their “bad habit.”

Thank you for taking the time to read! If you would like to learn more, feel free to contact me at annaceglia00@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.