Rodrigo Ji - Better sleep app

Services

UI UX Design

Client

Shazam

Year

2025

Team

Solo

Info

Shazam is a mobile app that identifies music playing around you or within other apps.
It can recognize songs from various sources, including radio, TV, and even within apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Better sleep app

sleep better, wake up happier

Services

UX UI Design

Client

Daily Health Conference

Year

2025

Team

Jacopo Bettini

April Van Dinther

Info

The Daily Health Conference is a non-profit group that teaches people how to be healthy. It started in 1983 in San Francisco. They have an online membership but fewer people are joining because the program is old.

Services

UI UX Design

Year

2025

Client

Daily Health Conference

Team

Jacopo Bettini

April Van Dinther

Info

Challenge

The Daily Health Conference challenged us to design a new digital product that could improve people’s health. After exploring several directions, our team chose to focus on sleep — one of the most common struggles for modern lifestyles. We set out to design an app that helps people build better sleep habits.

Brand & Feature Analysis

To understand the market, we compared four leading apps — Sleep Cycle, Calm, Pillow, and SleepScore.

On the brand side, we looked at identity, tone, and emotional appeal.
On the feature side, we analyzed sleep tracking, smart alarms, and coaching tools.

Insight: Most apps are strong in tracking, but few provide personal guidance or emotional comfort. This revealed our opportunity: design an app that not only monitors sleep but also supports users in creating healthier routines.

Mapping of competitors

We mapped competitors to see where they stood:

Calm focuses on relaxation and wellness.
SleepScore takes a scientific approach.
Pillow excels in advanced tracking.
Sleep Cycle balances simplicity with data.

This revealed a gap: the sweet spot lies in combining emotional wellness with advanced features — an opportunity for our app to stand out.

We mapped competitors to see where they stood:

Calm focuses on relaxation and wellness.
SleepScore takes a scientific approach.
Pillow excels in advanced tracking.
Sleep Cycle balances simplicity with data.

This revealed a gap: the sweet spot lies in combining emotional wellness with advanced features — an opportunity for our app to stand out.

We mapped competitors to see where they stood:

Calm focuses on relaxation and wellness.
SleepScore takes a scientific approach.
Pillow excels in advanced tracking.
Sleep Cycle balances simplicity with data.

This revealed a gap: the sweet spot lies in combining emotional wellness with advanced features — an opportunity for our app to stand out.

Secondary research

Our research showed that 1 in 3 people already use sleep apps, but most want guidance, not just numbers. The sleep-tech market is rapidly growing, with strong demand for tools that provide both tracking and support for healthier habits.

Survey

We surveyed people about their sleep habits and challenges:

55% were working professionals.
65% were moderately active.
90% had never used a sleep app — showing clear opportunity.
Biggest problems: falling asleep, waking up at night, and stress/anxiety.

We surveyed people about their sleep habits and challenges:

55% were working professionals.
65% were moderately active.
90% had never used a sleep app — showing clear opportunity.
Biggest problems: falling asleep, waking up at night, and stress/anxiety.

We surveyed people about their sleep habits and challenges:

55% were working professionals.
65% were moderately active.
90% had never used a sleep app — showing clear opportunity.
Biggest problems: falling asleep, waking up at night, and stress/anxiety.

user interviews

Interviews revealed the emotional impact of poor sleep: irritability, low productivity, and stress. In contrast, better sleep improved mood, focus, and overall well-being.

Affinity Diagram

After conducting 5 interviews, it helped us to identify our four themes:

Emotional well-being
External influences (caffeine, alcohol, phone use)
Sleep patterns
Support tools (podcasts, meditation, coaching)

Insight: People don’t just need data — they want guidance and support to improve their sleep habits in realistic, human ways.

After conducting 5 interviews, it helped us to identify our four themes:

Emotional well-being
External influences (caffeine, alcohol, phone use)
Sleep patterns
Support tools (podcasts, meditation, coaching)

Insight: People don’t just need data — they want guidance and support to improve their sleep habits in realistic, human ways.

After conducting 5 interviews, it helped us to identify our four themes:

Emotional well-being
External influences (caffeine, alcohol, phone use)
Sleep patterns
Support tools (podcasts, meditation, coaching)

Insight: People don’t just need data — they want guidance and support to improve their sleep habits in realistic, human ways.

user Persona/Journey

Meet Dylis, a 30-year-old customer support specialist in London. After long and stressful workdays, she struggles to relax in the evenings, sleeps lightly, and wakes up feeling tired and anxious.

Her daily journey highlights key pain points:

Stress at work → difficulty switching off.
Evening routines → scrolling on her phone, mental overload.
Nighttime → fragmented, shallow sleep.
Morning → fatigue, low mood, and stress about the day ahead.

Insight: Dylis wants to relax more easily, fall asleep faster, and wake up feeling well-rested. Her journey shows opportunities to support users with calm evening routines, healthier habits, and better sleep quality.

Meet Dylis, a 30-year-old customer support specialist in London. After long and stressful workdays, she struggles to relax in the evenings, sleeps lightly, and wakes up feeling tired and anxious.

Her daily journey highlights key pain points:

Stress at work → difficulty switching off.
Evening routines → scrolling on her phone, mental overload.
Nighttime → fragmented, shallow sleep.
Morning → fatigue, low mood, and stress about the day ahead.

Meet Dylis, a 30-year-old customer support specialist in London. After long and stressful workdays, she struggles to relax in the evenings, sleeps lightly, and wakes up feeling tired and anxious.

Her daily journey highlights key pain points:

Stress at work → difficulty switching off.
Evening routines → scrolling on her phone, mental overload.
Nighttime → fragmented, shallow sleep.
Morning → fatigue, low mood, and stress about the day ahead.

Problem statement

The restless dreamers needs to find a way to fall asleep easier and wake up rested because poor sleep impacts her productivity and mood throughout the day

How might we

From our research and persona insights, we developed How Might We statements to explore different ways of improving sleep. These helped us reframe pain points into design opportunities, such as:

Creating calming routines that ease the transition from work to sleep.
Helping users reduce stress and overthinking at night.
Supporting consistent, restorative sleep habits.
Designing personalized wake-up experiences to start the day with energy.

From our research and persona insights, we developed How Might We statements to explore different ways of improving sleep. These helped us reframe pain points into design opportunities, such as:

Creating calming routines that ease the transition from work to sleep.
Helping users reduce stress and overthinking at night.
Supporting consistent, restorative sleep habits.
Designing personalized wake-up experiences to start the day with energy.

From our research and persona insights, we developed How Might We statements to explore different ways of improving sleep. These helped us reframe pain points into design opportunities, such as:

Creating calming routines that ease the transition from work to sleep.
Helping users reduce stress and overthinking at night.
Supporting consistent, restorative sleep habits.
Designing personalized wake-up experiences to start the day with energy.

MOSCOW METHOD

We then used the MoSCoW method to prioritize features, ensuring we focused on the most impactful solutions while keeping the scope realistic.

MVP

Better is a sleep app designed to help people relax, sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed. It sends gentle notifications with calming suggestions like breathing exercises and daily routine tips to help users unwind and fall asleep more easily at night.

With guided exercises and emotion log, Better helps build healthy bedtime habits and supports better nights sleep.

The app is simple and easy to use, focusing on just the tools you need to improve your sleep.

Wearable devices like Apple Watch or Fitbit are optional but the core experience works perfectly without one.

User flow

We mapped the user flow to show how people move through the app.

First-time users go through a quick setup and introduction.
Regular users can access features like podcasts, breathing exercises,
and the Mind Log.

We mapped the user flow to show how people move through the app.

First-time users go through a quick setup and introduction.
Regular users can access features like podcasts, breathing exercises, and the Mind Log.

We mapped the user flow to show how people move through the app.

First-time users go through a quick setup and introduction.
Regular users can access features like podcasts, breathing exercises, and the Mind Log.

Low fidelity - Usability testing

When we moved from low-fidelity sketches to mid-fidelity prototypes, our goal was to create clearer and more intuitive paths for activities like sleep tracking, breathing exercises, and mood reflection. To validate our design decisions, we conducted usability testing sessions with early users.

mid fidelity - Usability testing

We tested the app with five participants to refine the experience. Their feedback highlighted three key needs:

Clearer ways to connect daily activities with sleep outcomes.
Relaxation tools like music, podcasts, and breathing exercises integrated into the app.
Simple, supportive prompts to encourage healthier routines.

Insight: Users wanted more than just tracking — they looked for guidance, approachable visuals, and small nudges that make sleep improvement feel easier and more engaging.

visual competitive analisys

We reviewed the visual styles of leading sleep and wellness apps to spot common patterns: calming color palettes, simple layouts, and clean UI. These insights guided us in shaping a design that feels both familiar and distinctive.

Moodboard

Our brand identity is built around being easy to use, helpful, and low-maintenance.

Easy to use → smooth, effortless experience for tired users.
Helpful & reliable → wellness nudges, mood logs, and breathing exercises that support daily routines.
Low-maintenance → works quietly in the background, offering support without demanding constant attention.

Direction: The app should feel calm and trustworthy, with visuals that reduce stress and encourage healthy routines.

Style Guide

The style guide brings the app’s visuals into a cohesive system that feels warm, calm, and empathetic rather than clinical.

Illustrations add friendliness and emotional connection.
UI elements use a subtle liquid glass effect for softness and a modern touch.
Icons are simple and intuitive, avoiding unnecessary noise.
Charts & data visuals are light and clear, helping users focus on insights, not complexity.

High fidelity prototype

The high-fidelity prototype translates these principles into the final product. Colors, typography, and interactions come together to create a smooth, welcoming experience — one that supports healthy sleep habits while feeling polished and approachable.

Click the image to explore the prototype — it opens in a new tab on mobile for a better view.

Key learnings

This project taught me the value of combining research, empathy, and iteration.

User interviews revealed real habits and emotional pain points, shaping features that truly matter.
Competitor analysis helped identify gaps and opportunities to make the app stand out.
Usability testing showed the importance of clarity and small supportive nudges, leading to a design that feels both intuitive and caring.

Overall, I learned how thoughtful design can transform raw data into an experience that is functional, supportive, and meaningful to users.

Designing for better nights, brighter mornings.

This project taught me the value of combining research, empathy, and iteration.

User interviews revealed real habits and emotional pain points, shaping features that truly matter.
Competitor analysis helped identify gaps and opportunities to make the app stand out.
Usability testing showed the importance of clarity and small supportive nudges, leading to a design that feels both intuitive and caring.

Overall, I learned how thoughtful design can transform raw data into an experience that is functional, supportive, and meaningful to users.

Designing for better nights, brighter mornings.

This project taught me the value of combining research, empathy, and iteration.

User interviews revealed real habits and emotional pain points, shaping features that truly matter.
Competitor analysis helped identify gaps and opportunities to make the app stand out.
Usability testing showed the importance of clarity and small supportive nudges, leading to a design that feels both intuitive and caring.

Overall, I learned how thoughtful design can transform raw data into an experience that is functional, supportive, and meaningful to users.

Designing for better nights, brighter mornings.

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