Idea synthesis

The experience of academic burnout and witness of burnout culture

I experienced an academic or well burnout in general during my senior year of college, I felt stressed, lost and unmotivated to finish my degree that I so-passionately worked hard for. The accumulation of homework, studying for exams, deadlines for design packages to streamline theatre production, and managing 2 part-time jobs took a huge toll on my mental and physical health. Reflecting on my past, it would have been nice if there was a task management tool that helped me prioritize my tasks and also remind me that I am human.
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Quick statistics

Which got me thinking how many students and working professionals suffer from stress leading to burnout?

In a recent study done in '20-'21, roughly 61% of college students met at least one criteria of mental health problem, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).
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And according to study done by Flexjobs, the study showed 75% of working professionals had experienced burnout at work, with 40% saying they’ve experienced burnout specifically during the pandemic.

problem

The challenges in personal organization leading to quick burnout, disorganization and overwhelm

Traditional task management tools solely focus on increasing productivity, neglecting the impact of mental well-being on overall organization and user satisfaction. By bridging the gap between productivity and well-being I took a holistic approach which integrates task management with accessible mental health resources. This will empower the users' to achieve their goals in a way that promotes both productivity and well-being.

Solution

Combating stress and promoting productivity through effective organization, task management, and integrating mental health resources for users to utilize

Features - Tasks & Goals
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- Task prioritization and scheduling
- Setting goals and progress tracking
- Utilizing gamification to motive users to stay on track and share their achievements

Features - Health
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- Tips; self-care, breathing exercises, guided meditations to stay clam and alleviate stress
- Supportive community
- Notifications of positive reinforcement

Business Revenue Model

Taking a holistic approach doesn't just benefit its users

With a unique proposition that combines traditional productivity tools and user mental and emotional well-being can attract users who are look for a more robust and supportive method to organization.

By practicing mindfulness, positive reinforcements in task and goal completions along with promoting the well-being of its users, the users will be able to build a positive association with the app, leading to increase user engagement and long-term use. This would ultimately create a positive and socially responsible brand image the "company" could utilize to create additional revenue streams through affiliate marketing and B2B partnerships with wellness or productivity companies.

Research

Who are Moti's target audience...

Target Audience - individuals struggling with...
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- Information overload and feeling overwhelmed
- Difficulty prioritizing goals, tasks and managing time effectively
- Stress and anxiety stemming from disorganization
- A desire to improve overall well-being and productivity

User Interviews

I conducted 3 simple interviews with a full-time college student, a working professional, and a working mom. Below are the common and key take-aways;

Key Insights

01

The difficulty of prioritizing tasks and deadlines leading to urgency.

02

Spending to much time on a task leading to falling behind on task/goals.

03

Having to use a combination of traditional and innovative technology but, often forget.

Information Architecture (IA)

Task Flow

Ideation

The onboarding experience for the user's mental and happiness

These are the design principles I set while developing sketches and wireframes for Moti.
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Simplicity
I want to guide user's through a gentle and informative way through the app's functionality and key features without overwhelming them.
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Personalization
I also want to offer features that user's can customize the interface that fits their requirements to succeed.

Integration of mental health resources
Easier said than done. I want to seamlessly integrate features like simple exercises and meditation to help users manage stress while on their journey to completing tasks without feeling forced.
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Wireframes

Prototyping

Re-Iterations (Before → After)

Issue: Personalization was very limited.
Solution: Greeting the user's with their profile picture creating a welcoming effect. Inclusion of the setting icon on the top right to further enable users to personalize their home page -- "widgets."

Issue: Lack of representation and visualization of user's tasks and lifestyle.
Solution: Creating categorized sections that allow users visualize their available resources.
i.e upcoming events -- integrated from their e-mail and mobile calendar allowing users access to their existing occasions.

Issue: Productivity Bar causing unnecessary anxiety.
Solution: While a productivity bar may cause anxiety for some users for the lack of performance, other users found a feeling of accomplishment. Redacted to the "widget" section allowing users to add it to their home page as personalization.

Issue: Lack of option to set goals.
Solution: Removed "daily" as it was a confusion to "task". Add the option for users to add goals.

Issue: Lack of customization of location, start and end time of occasion.
Solution: Added a section for location and created a start and end time for users to set.

Issue: Priority
Solution: Adding a selection for users to choose their priority for their occasion

Issue: Wellness resources was not accessible.
Solution: Creating a page dedicated to wellness resources and sections for a "daily reflection" that users can think about and expanding library of resources users have access too such as self-care and activities.
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Developer Package

Final Design

learning

Holistic approach & user-centricity
In this project, I drew from past experiences, observations, and articles about millennials and the future generations being constantly burnt-out.
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But, why are they burnt-out? Well, there is a combination of reasons why, constant inflation resulting in high living costs with insufficient pay, accumulating debt, poor time management, disorganization, loss of goal focus, and loss of motivation from the overwhelming amount of work. This constant cycle of continuously having to work and complete tasks and goals can cause burnout quickly and one's health; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually takes a toll. Thus why I thought about productivity and one's health -- by creating a product that serves users daily schedule and helping them achieve goals in a positive and motivational way reduces the stress and urgency.

What does holistic approach mean?
It means to provide support to a "whole" person; mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritual well-being.

This is relatable to ux design as it's a part of our job to create products/services designed for good. Making technology more accessible and user-friendly, leading to an increase of efficiency, productivity, trust, engagement, and more inclusive society.

Moti