Background research

Digital technology is not a basic need. Humans are able to operate physically and safely without access to digital devices or applications. The development of technological assistance bolsters Esteem, whereas technology optimization approaches Self-actualization, allowing people to meet their full potential.

Academic literature around productivity and multitasking shows that while some people pride themselves in being “good multitasker,” research shows that there is no good “multitasking.” Additionally, “flow” may be improved by narrowing attentional focus and stimuli to one specific subject and exercising control over technology interactions.

When examining current world views (causal layered analysis), there is a growing sentiment among users around fear of technology reliance and sensory overload, particularly with social media. 

References

• Agarwal, R., & Karahanna, E. (2000). Time Flies When You're Having Fun: Cognitive Absorption and Beliefs about Information Technology Usage. MIS Quarterly, 24(4), 665–694.

• Auxier, B. (2020, December 18). How Americans view tech in the time of covid-19. Pew Research Center. Retrieved September 15, 2021, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/12/18/what-weve-learned-about-americans-views-of-technology-during-the-time-of-covid-19/.

• Haughton, N. A., Yeh, K.-C. (M., Nworie, J., & Romero, L. (2013). Digital Disturbances, Disorders, and Pathologies: A Discussion of Some Unintended Consequences of Technology in Higher Education. Educational Technology, 53(4), 3–16.

• Keim, B. (2009, August 24). Multitasking muddles brains, even when the computer is off. Wired. Retrieved September 24, 2021, from https://www.wired.com/2009/08/multitasking/

• Ophir, E., Nass, C., Wagner, A. D., & Posner, M. I. (2009). Cognitive Control in Media Multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106(37), 15583–15587.

• Sussex Publishers. (2011, March 30). Technology: Myth of multitasking. Psychology Today. Retrieved September 24, 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201103/technology-myth-multitasking.

Competitive analysis

There are many competitors that seek to improve productivity by blocking notifications or limiting app usage, such as Focus Mode. This places more importance toward positioning in order to differentiate future products from current options. The competitive analysis shows growth opportunities in the following areas:

• Inter-platform connectivity (available for iOS, Android, and everything in between)

• Goal setting

• Calendar integrations and other “intelligent” assistance

Interviews

5 individual interviews were conducted with participants that met the target audience above.

The interviews sought to understand:

• User sentiments toward technology

• How they’re currently managing digital multitasking

• Initial thoughts on the product concept

Synthesis + insights

Two types of users

• Those bad at self-moderating device multitasking 

• Focused thinkers (consciously concentrates on one task but sometimes must move "out of flow" for urgent email/messages)

Device Interconnection + Ease of Setup

• 4-9 “smart devices” per household

• Ease of setup and how they “fit” into their other existing devices are important considerations when making new technology purchases.

General Thoughts on Technology

• Technology itself, when leveraged for good, is necessary and powerful. 

• Applications are tools that should be opt-in, not pervasive.

• Social media holds a stigma as anxiety-drawing due to an echo chamber of opinions.

• Technology shouldn't only be about productivity, it should be fun too.

Personas

User story map

Based on the developed personas, identified user activities include:

• Sign up and account setup

• Short term goals - using a profile to meet needs within a period of hours

• Long term goals - setting up your technology ecosystem to meet long-term aspirations

• Review current usage patterns

• Update profile settings

• Adjust devices connected to account

User process flow

QOC (Questions, options, and criteria)

Scenarios

Feature requirements

Low | Mid-Fi Prototype

User testing

Areas for refinement

• Confusing language made completing tasks for “Create New Usage Profile” and “Add Device” difficult to complete.

• Preference by users to use Back Button vs bottom navigation bar - low engagement with Home screen

• The current calendar timeline functionality (click and drag to create event) is not intuitive - should incorporate more traditional type-in / scroll function for Date / Time selection

• There were some Figma glitches with the prototype flow - will need to refine before moving to Mid-Fi testing.

Final Design

Prototype