Smiling Mind Meditation App
Smiling Mind is a not-for-profit company focused in equipping people with the skills they need to thrive with a healthy mind. They began as a tool for young people and now they are looking to expand.
Brief
In pursuit of growth and customer expansion, Smiling Mind endeavors to address the common challenge of meditation's perceived complexity. How can they cultivate a welcoming environment for meditators? The objective is to delve deeper into the needs and aspirations of meditators, aiding the Smiling Mind team in crafting a solution that resonates with their target audience.
Deliverables
Heuristic evaluation report
Competitors benchmarking report
Survey report
Usability test report
Affinity diagram
UX research report
Research Plan
To kick off the case study I spent time forming a research plan which focused on defining research goals, methods, and tasks required to successfully conduct the research.
Problem space
What makes meditation overwhelming for users?
Research goals
Understanding about user’s needs, goals, pain points, behaviors, mental model and context of use in order to create actionable insights to improve the quality of Smiling Mind user experience for their users.
My Tasks
Secondary research
Heuristic evaluation
Competitor’s benchmarking
Creating a survey to gather research about trying meditation for the first time
User interviews with people new to meditation
Conducting usability testing to uncover issues with the current onboarding flow
Analyze user interview data using a research database
Present a research report that summarizes my UX research result
Secondary Research
As I did not have much domain knowledge in meditation I started my research by learning about meditation. So I read the book “Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body” by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson and took Jon Kabat-Zinn class on meditation and mindfulness on MasterClass Website. I also read an article in headspace, which is one of the leading meditation application on the market with 30 million users worldwide. The article is about problems that meditators face while doing meditation and it was a very rich source for understanding user’s goals, need, pain points, behavior and context. The article included texts and audios which I transcribed and used the transcription as one part of my data set in my thematic analysis.
In order to get more insight about meditators behavior, specially their pain points while doing meditations I did a thematic analysis of two posts and their subsequent comments on reddit website:
Is Meditating hard for anyone else?
I included them also in my data set as part of my thematic analysis.
Heuristic evaluation of Smiling Mind App
After conducting my secondary research, I did a heuristic evaluation of Smiling Mind App based on Jakob Nielsen's 10 general principles for interaction design. You can check my full heuristic evaluation by clicking here.
Competitors benchmarking
I did competitors benchmarking to ensure I have a yardstick of standards to follow when generating actionable insights to improve Smiling Mind user experience. I conducted benchmarking to gain inspiration, see existing UX & UI standards and discover usability problems with other apps. I also tried to answer the following questions: 1. What are they doing really well that we can emulate? 2. What are they doing not-so-well that we can improve? 3. What conventions have been established that we need to follow?
You can check my full competitors benchmarking by clicking here.
Survey
I created a survey to gather data about users’ needs and drives. One important benefit of the survey was I could gather qual & quant data which made it easy to segment users and identify their problems and form a thematic analysis.
Here you can see the structure of my survey and some questions from the survey.
1. Intro
Starting with a quick intro help participants feel comfortable in sharing their thoughts and comfident it won’t take long.”
“Thanks for agreeing on sharing your thoughts! The goal of this survey is to learn from your past experiences of meditation. There are no right or wrong answers! We're interested in learning from you.
This survey is part of a UX Research project and should take less than 8 minutes.”
2. Segmenting questions
The majority of questions of my survey were closed-ended and quick to answer. The quantitative data helped me have an overview of my audience and create segments/groups to help distil my data.
3. Asking about their current experience
Why did you start meditating?
Why did this lead you to start meditating? (Follow-up question)
As someone new to meditation, what do you find frustrating?
Why do you find this frustrating? (Follow-up question)
4. Saying thank you and wrap up
“Thanks so much for taking the time to answer this survey honestly. If you’d like to expand on any of your ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out to amirrezakhedmati@icloud.com and I’d be happy to listen.”
You can check my survey report by clicking here
User interviews
With a plan set, I spent time writing an interview script. Whilst writing the interview script I was mindful of aligning it to my research goals and including follow-up questions to learn the WHY behind decisions. Following is the introduction of my Interview scrip.
Interview script: introduction
Hi, my name is Amir and I’ll be facilitating today’s discussion. Have you ever done anything like this before? [Allow participant to answer]
Alright. Before we get started, let me give you an overview of what you can expect. Today, we want to learn more about people who meditate. We want to hear from humans like yourself since we are designing something specifically around this topic. Hearing your thoughts and stories would be a great way for us to design our product better.
I have a list of questions that I will ask and your job today is to answer them as freely as you want. There are no right or wrong answers. And if you feel uncomfortable answering a question, just let me know and we can move on. How does that sound? [Allow participant to answer]
For notetaking purposes, I will be recording this session. Everything will be anonymized and your personal information won’t be shared with anyone. Do I have your permission to record our interview? [Allow participant to answer]
Thanks. Any questions before we start? [Allow participant to answer]
I conducted first 5 interviews, but because new and interesting topics which potentially could answer my research question kept popping up, I decided to conduct more interviews. After the 8th interview I almost reached the point of saturation, as I was encountering just recurring topics.
For a comprehensive list of my interview questions please click here.
Usability Testing
During my usability test I investigated different parts of user experience:
Learnability: How quickly are first-time users able to understand basic navigation and functions?
Efficiency: Can users perform tasks relatively quickly?
Errors: What errors do users make? How severe are the errors? How easily can users understand and rebound from those errors?
Satisfaction: How much do users enjoy the interface and completing tasks within it?
I conducted 5 qualitative usability tests, which is as a general rule the number of test that could find almost 85% of usability problems. Unlike quantitative testing which focus’ on measuring users’ performance on a task. Qualitative usability testing involves observing users to understand how they make decisions and why they make those decisions
Voice of the user
One of the advantages of qualitative usability testing is being able to learn directly from the user. It’s often their voice explaining the why behind a decision.
Behavior & attitude
Unlike quant testing which focuses on gathering metrics to measure the performance of a design. In my qualitative usability tests I focused on learning about the behavior and attitude of users
After conducting my usability tests I used the observations as part of my data set to conduct my thematic analyisis.
Creating a research repository
I used Dovetail, which is a qualitative research analysis software, as my research repository and for synthesizing, analyzing and reporting my user researches. My research repository consisted of :
Heuristic evaluation
Competitors’ benchmarking
Survey report
Thematic Analysis of secondary research
Thematic analysis of qualitative questions in survey
Thematic analysis of user interviews
Thematic analysis of usability tests
Thematic Analysis
My thematic analysis had five phases:
Data familiarization
Coding
Generating themes
Reviewing thems
Reporting
Phase 1: Data familiarization
First, I engaged in the data familiarization process. After compiling all my data in dovetail I used the software to transcribe all my interviews. At this point I read all data items twice in an active way, searching for meanings and patterns. My intention was immersing myself in the data to the extent that I become familiar with the depth and breadth of the content.
Phase 2: Coding
After reading and familiarizing myself with the data, next I produced initial codes from the data. I approached the data with specific questions in mind that I wished to code around. I read each data item closely, and tagging all segments of the text which were potentially relevant to my research question with an appropriate code label. Each time I encountered some text I wanted to code, I considered whether an existing code applies or I needed to develop a new code. I went systematically through the entire data set and identified interesting aspects in the data that could form the basis of repeated patterns (themes) across the data set. After coding the whole data set I collated all data extracts together within each code.
Phase 3: Generating themes
Phase 3 began when I had a long list of the different codes that I had identified across my data set. This phase involved sorting the different codes into potential themes, and collating all the relevant coded data extracts within the identified themes. My main criteria for deciding for themes was that data within themes should cohere together meaningfully, while there should be clear and identifiable distinctions between themes. For generating my themes I created an affinity diagram. An affinity map is a visual way to depict trends and focus on problems. I created an affinity map with the canvas view in Dovetail. Affinity map makes it easy to visualise trends and themes.
Phase 4: Reviewing themes
I started phase 4 of my thematic analysis, after I had devised a set of candidate themes and it involved the refinement of those themes.
During this phase, it became evident that some candidate themes are not really themes (e.g., if there are not enough data to support them, or the data are too diverse), while others could collapse into each other (e.g., two apparently separate themes might form one theme).
At this point I was satisfied that my candidate themes adequately capture the contours of the coded data, and I had a fairly good idea of what my different themes are and how they fit together and the overall story they tell about the data. So I moved to the next phase of my analysis.
I used thematic analysis to analyze my data set.. The data set consisted of the following data items:
1. “Trouble meditating” article from headspace website and “Why is so hard to meditate” and “Is meditating hard for anyone else” posts and their subsequent comments from Reddit website.
2. Answers to qualitative questions in my survey
3. Eight user interviews
4. Five usability tests
Report
In my report I presented my insights, examples of data extracts from my affinity diagram that supported each theme, I chose particularly vivid examples, or extracts which captured the essence of the point I demonstrated, without unnecessary complexity. And finally I provided some recommendations.
Insight #3
The problem of boring content
A recurring top in data set was lack of variety in meditation sessions. In some apps meditators basically are doing the same routine with different durations.
Examples of codes that support the theme:
Jacob: “That app that I was using did not have new meditations coming in. And so I did, I did all the meditations on that app for a year or so. And then, because there was no new meditation's coming on, it was the same content which I've already been through. I did not reapply. And I did not find another app as good as that one. And then I just, you know, fell off the wagon.”
Shahriar: “For example, I know many different techniques and I choose the technique or the tool on that specific day and time. Very much based on the environment that I'm at. If I'm at home, if I'm sitting in, outside in the balcony, if I'm out there in a, in a nature I can in a forest or on top of the mountain. So it depends, I would love to have an application. I don't think, I don't think that the applications they have this feature to, to be, to be able to customize based on your mood.”
Mo: “So sometimes like I realized that like for me, I need to keep the practice interesting to me. I need to keep doing different types of meditations constantly and finding different meditations that work for me at different times in my life, because that keeps it interesting.”
Dmitri: “So sometimes like I realized that like for me, I need to keep the practice interesting to me. I need to keep doing different types of meditations constantly and finding different meditations that work for me at different times in my life, because that keeps it interesting.”
Recommendations
Here variety is the key, not only in meditations sessions,
also it is important to have sessions with different coaches.
The type of voice has a profound effect on meditators.
Also having meditation challenges and live sessions are
motivating.
Examples of possible solutions
Headspace allow its users to choose their teachers before starting a meditation session.
Insight #1
Physical discomfort: meditation posture matters
It is common for novice meditators to feel uncomfortable,
restlessness and physical pain when they start to practice meditation. That’s why the give up or don’t meditate regularly.
Examples of that support the theme:
Charlotte: “ It’s very, it’s very uncomfortable so sit cross-legged on the floor. We had a cushion, but it’s very very hard on your back and your legs to sit cross-legged, you know. Without backrest for hours on end.
Hitesh: “And I think when you're starting the journey of meditation, that stillness, when your mind is still, all of these things come up, whether it's a physical discomfort or a stressful thought, that's the initial stages of the meditation are definitely can be very uncomfortable and then even learning to stay still physically in the same position for awhile that takes practice.”
Steffi: “to sit around for 20 minutes and doing nothing was very hard for me.”
Shahriar: “ If you don’t have any experience, even if I asked you to just sit down for five minutes and don’t do anything, it’s hard.
Recommendations
1. Creating content to teach best practices for meditation postures that reduce physical pain. For example, Headspace app has various short videos and animations to address
common problems that users encounter during meditation.
2. Reassuring meditators that the physical discomfort
is common by beginners.
3. Offering short meditation sessions than can be done in maybe 5 minutes, so they don’t get overwhelmed. And offering those sessions in such a way that beginners can find them easily.
Examples of possible solutions
1. Beginners may find that periods of formal sitting meditation to be most comfortable on a straight-backed chair. It can be helpful to decide in advance how long you plan to meditate and set a clock or timer to help you keep track. (Kabbat-Zinn, 2020)
2. Place a smaller cushion (known as a zafu in Japanese) on top of the zabuton to support your spine and raise your pelvis above your knees. Sit towards the front of the cushion to tilt the pelvis forwards, which will support your spine’s natural curvature. With time, you will come to feel effortlessly balanced and grounded, from your pelvis right up through the top of your head. (Kabbat-Zinn, 2020)
3. The way the back sits is dependent very much on the position of the hips. So, if we tilt the hips just slightly, then it helps the back maintain that position without any kind of effort at all. It also allows the shoulders to fully relax so that we feel the weight of the hands and the arms resting on the legs.
4. Now, as you sit on the chair, there's a few key points to remember. Perhaps the most important is that your back is reasonably upright. And when I say upright, you shouldn't be tense and tight. There's just a sense of it. Just say not leaning back too far, not hunched over in any way.
Insight #2
Concentration difficulty
One of the problems that was a recurring topic in my data set was problem with concentration. Almost every one said that they struggle with it and as a result sometimes find meditation impossible.
Examples of codes that support the theme:
Hitesh: “Like I wasn’t able to concentrate on that. I was feeling distracted and not very good after the meditations.”
Jacob: “the classic challenges that everyone faces initially is concentration to be able to concentrate on the meditation”
Steffi: “And then I'm just sitting in my bed and focus on myself, breathing, and just try to keep the mind clear and not thinking about anything, which is the hardest thing.”
Tergel : “ It leaves you a negative feeling because you don't want to keep on going and sitting still, when that makes you feel bad or, you know, there's just so much negativity because I think when you teach still and do nothing, it's in the beginning, you cannot control what comes into your mind.“
Recommendations
1. Reassuring meditators that almost all meditators have this problem at some point in their journey so they can manage their expectations and don’t give up.
2. Creating content that teach meditators how to tackle this problem.
3. Providing guided meditation in the app at the beginning of meditators journey. A guided meditation can help them to concentrate more on their session and become less distracted.
Examples of possible solutions
1 Don’t worry about your mind wandering. Meditation is a way to tame, train and befriend the mind so that it becomes more of an ally than an obstacle to wellbeing. It helps to remember that during any period of formal meditation, thoughts, emotions and other bodily sensations will inevitably arise. This isn’t a failure but rather a natural feature of having a mind and a body. Don’t judge yourself or give up. Instead, just begin again and again and again.(Kabbat-Zinn, 2020)
Insight #5
The challenge of unmet expectation
Meditators have sometimes unrealistic expectations. And because they can not achieve those expectations they give up.
There were three sub-categories of unrealistic expectations:
1. To see positive result quickly
2. That meditation can prevent anxiety and stress
3. That meditation could be a solution to all emotional problems
There is so much confusion and misinformation around how to meditate properly that people get frustrated because they feel like they are not “doing it right”.
Examples of codes that support the theme:
Jacob: “I think it's natural for people to, to not continue it. I think it's easy for them to not continue it because mine's always wavering and easy for people to give up because of that, because obviously the whole point of meditation is to, to keep we, we know in hindsight that meditation works like this, the fact that your mind will waiver, you're not able to concentrate. And I think it's easy for people to just give up thinking that, oh, this is not working for me.”
Mo:”it's was more, probably not seeing any kind of results from my meditation practices, which was an obstacle to, to continue to something which I thought as just, just an activity, which I'm doing it for the sake of it.”
Hitesh: “And that can also be that like meditation is not the answer to every single problem in the world. And I think that people sell it that way. And, and that's kind of like how it's been positioned right now. And that's actually very damaging to people because then people can be like, I'm meditating so much. Why aren't all my problems fixed.”
Mo: “I don't feel that different and that's probably maybe one reason that I'm not really that motivated about doing it more regularly.”
Recommendations
1. Creating content that educates meditators about
unrealistic expectations.
2. Creating certain path to help meditators improve constantly and see result.
3. Creating content to on the app or on the website to teach them how to meditate correctly.
Examples of possible solutions
1. Can meditation cure my stress? Meditation isn’t about 'curing' anything; it is about being in a 'wiser relationship' with our thoughts. It would be misleading for anyone to claim otherwise, because stress is an inevitable part of the reality of life. Instead, meditation helps you manage that stress better. It teaches you to become aware of how you’re reacting to the causes of stress, disengage yourself from that reaction, and instead respond in a healthier way. (Kabbat-Zinn, 2020)
2. One of the biggest misunderstandings about meditation is that we must “clear” or “empty” the mind, and if we don’t, we’ve failed. Truth is, it’s impossible to stop thinking. And we do it a lot: Harvard psychologists found that we spend almost half our waking hours lost in thought. It only becomes obvious to us when we limit distractions around us like when we meditate.
3. The truth is, there’s no right or wrong way to meditate. But it’s natural to think, “Am I doing this right?” when starting anything new. Whether it’s doubt about our practice or finding an excuse not to meditate, creating resistance is the mind’s go-to move. It only becomes a problem when we listen to that little voice in our heads and buy into that thought. (Andy Puddcombe)
4. And when it comes to the mind itself, the first thing I would say is expectation. When you sit down, do not expect the mind to immediately sit sill to be quiet. (Andy Puddcombe)
Insight #4
Bad UX
Interviewees reported problems with navigating in
meditation apps. It was difficult for them to find the
right meditation quickly and start their journey.
Examples of codes that support the theme:
Survey respondent: “The app I use currently (Down Dog Meditation) has an incredibly simple interface that allows you to start meditating almost immediately and doesn't cloud your mind with too much branding or personalities (Calm in particular has a lot of celebrity-led content which I don't feel interested in).”
Survey respondent: “I tried using Headspace and Calm in the past but I found both of the apps' interfaces to be a little too busy with too many options and a little too much structure (e.g. 10 day courses on a specific topic), which ran counter to what I wanted to be feeling when I try to start meditating.”
Charlotte: “some of the apps, like you end up like looking for a long time for the right meditation you want. “
Hitesh: “You can't fast forward or rewind or pause the meditation. And I understand why, but like, I think I'd like to do that to see, okay, is this a meditation that I actually want to try or am I going to be wasting my time doing it? So I think that that would be maybe a little bit useful just to be able to see what you know, or if there's more information on like what the meditation is about instead of just having to try it and then see if it works for you.”
Recommendations
It is important to design the information architecture in a way that first-time users can quickly find entry-level meditation sessions. It is also important not to overwhelm them with a large number of sessions at once. Progressive overload matters here a lot.
Insight #6
Struggling with forming a meditation routine
It is difficult to stick to a routine. Life is super busy.
Examples of codes that support the theme:
Hitesh: ”Scheduling sometimes is tough because it depends on my, on of my work and my studies and, you know, family, friends, like trying to balance everything.”
Charlotte: “So I think, yeah, I think that kind of push and pull of like, you know, like the reality of life, the reality of, you know, responsibilities and meditation can be hard. “
Shahriar: “I haven't benefited the way or as much as I, I believe I should have only because I had breaks in many breaks.”
Recommendations
Creating reminder and notification and creating a dashboard that shows the meditators their records of practicing meditation like how many hours per week, or which days of the week.