With my idea realised, I want to begin developing my research and branding for my app. I have begun by writing out a list of words associated with sleep, in order to gain a few ideas for the app and to also come up with a name for the brand.
Words associated with sleep:
- slumber
- rest
- drowsy
- doze
- snooze
- rest
- kip
- lullaby
- lull
- roost
- hypno
- dormant
- dream
- shut-eye
- bed
- opiate
- wink
- conk
- zzz
- cloud
- moon
- night
- sky
- dark
- quiet
- nap
I decided to put the words I liked the most in bold text, to highlight them. I
The idea for my app:
An app that is designed to decease insomnia in hospitalised patients and their families, in order to improve both physical and mental health.
What the app could include:
- meditation techniques – white noise, ambient sounds, environment sounds, soothing walkthroughs, relaxation
- stimulation techniques – users can use their problem-solving skills and cognitive skills to solve puzzles, play games and find solutions that will tire our their brain so they can fall sleep
- a space where users can dump all their thoughts and worries before they go to sleep, and these will disappear after they are sent
- a section where users an interact with the screen to create lines and colours and shapes that will disappear within seconds
Research on Existing Apps
Sleep
Sleep is an app designed to improve the quality of your sleep, through soothing sounds, stories, meditation and white noise from different environment.
It’s list of features include:
- bedtime stories
- sleep meditations
- sleep sounds
- fade out timer
- bedtime reminder
I really like the visual design of this app, as it tailors to the overall ambience and calm environment required to sleep, with a dark, soothing colour scheme and an easy to follow layout. From the first time you use the app, you are introduced through a range of questions that allow the app to be tailored to your own needs and wants, such as choosing what voice soothes you most, or picking a specific bedtime in order to receive reminders from the app.
The one thing that I didn’t think was great about the app is that it only provided audio solutions to sleep, meaning the user would have to rely on having the right equipment to use the app – such as, noise cancelling headphones, as hospitals can be very noisy, or which can be uncomfortable when being used when going to sleep.
Slumber
Slumber is an app with a collection of ultra-relaxing sleep inducing stories and meditations designed to beat insomnia and help you fall asleep quickly.
List of features:
- large library of sleep meditations, sleep inducing stories, bedtime stories for kids, asmr soundscapes
- meditation guides
- customisable nature sounds with volume control and timer
- delayed ending
- easy offline listneing
- track your usage and sleep quality
- sync with apple health app
Much the same as the other app, Sleep, the app is very visually and aesthetically pleasing and relevant. However, the app falls short in reducing insomnia through methods other than audio. This app does offer a wider range of customisable options when it comes to choosing what you want, as well as how you want these sounds to be played. I also liked how they had a section that was tailored towards children, as it is important to remember that not everyone will be able to follow a meditation or enjoy the sound of a forest/ocean.