Distract

Role: Product Designer
Design Guidelines, Performance Validation, User Interface Design, Interaction Design, App Design, Mockup

Design Tools: Marvel, Adobe XD

Problem Statement

Children's cognitive, emotional, and social development significantly impact society's future. However, many face unhealthy environments, leading to psychological distress and potential long-term mental health issues. Mindfulness practices can help alleviate these challenges, fostering self-awareness, patience, and positivity, ultimately benefiting society by promoting well-being in future generations.

Initial Design Recommendations

  • Visibility of System Status: If the app is not functioning due to technical issues on the system's end, a page will notice that the app will be live shortly

  • System Match to the Real World: Anytime a system recommends, it will be presented in a dialogue, so the user realistically communicates with the app

  • User Control and Freedom: The logo on the top of the page will always redirect back to the homepage when clicked

  • Consistency and Standards: Distract will follow a consistent pattern similar to other conventional apps reducing the effort to learn a new methodology

  • Error Prevention: If the user wants to exit an activity, the app will display a pop-up message to confirm their choice

  • Recognition rather than Recall: When the users navigate the activities tab, they can view their history of activities performed

  • Flexibility and Efficiency of Use: The users can customize their theme (color palette), a choice for them to customize the app

  • Aesthetic and Minimalist Design: The use of whitespace will be primarily visible in the design to ease navigation

  • Help Users Recognize, Diagnose and Recover from Errors: Error message that the app saved their last progress if there is a disruption in the wifi connection

  • Help and Documentation: First-time users will have a brief guide on navigating the app, which the users can also choose to skip

User Requirements

  • Functional Requirements: The system will consist of features such as notification reminders, progress tracking, and a list of trending activities

  • Data Requirements: Users will have the ability to save their password or sign up through face recognition to access the account

  • Technical Requirements: For the prevention of server issues, the done button would convert to a checkmark symbol to ensure completion

  • Availability Requirements: Distract will follow a consistent pattern similar to other conventional apps reducing the effort to learn a new methodology

  • Error Prevention: If the user chooses to share information, the system will use it to improve the design solutions for updates

  • Migration of Electronic Data: The user can connect with the app from any device and start where they left off as long as they are logged in

  • Constraints: Since patience can be a constraint, it is essential to understand the user’s cognitive abilities to design according to their liking

Research Analysis and Findings

  • The research synthesis identifies that instability due to finance, family, or living arrangement can negatively impact a child's upbringing

  • If the child's family is burdening them with their stressors and cannot provide unconditional love throughout times of change, it can cause a high cognitive load

  • Studies have shown that a lack of needs unmet in childhood results in most psychological disorders early that can increase later in life

  • Most cognitive development occurs during childhood when a child observes the world, learns speech, and strengthens motor skills

  • Some learning institutions have replaced detention with meditation hours, a more effective and correcting methodology

Wireframes

Prototype

High-Level Key Takeaways

  • Children and the essence of mindfulness were kept in mind when selecting a suitable color palette for the concept.

  • I emphasized and highlighted all the text and journeys of the app so children could understand intuitively

  • The font and its size are legible and appropriate for the target audience.

  • There is text on the navigation bar if the logos are not self-explanatory.

  • All the pages except for the main pages have a back button.