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Designing for Rest

Project type

Product Design, Mobile UX, Health & Wellness

Project role

Product Designer, UX Researcher, UI Designer

Date

2024

01

Overview

A deep sleep feature for the Oura Ring built around the science of rest.

A deep sleep feature for the Oura Ring built around the science of rest.

Oura tracks sleep stages, deep sleep, and readiness with quiet precision. But users were left holding a score, not a next step, rich data that rarely translated into changed behaviour.

Oura tracks sleep stages, deep sleep, and readiness with quiet precision. But users were left holding a score, not a next step, rich data that rarely translated into changed behaviour.

02

The problem — Understanding the disconnect

"Users receive insights but lack actionable next steps."

"Users receive insights but lack actionable next steps."

01

Accuracy doubts

Accuracy doubts

Participants questioned the reliability of sleep metrics, especially deep-sleep and wake detection.

Participants questioned the reliability of sleep metrics, especially deep-sleep and wake detection.

02

Data overload

Dashboards were overwhelming: graphs and technical metrics that felt disconnected from real-life impact.

Dashboards were overwhelming: graphs and technical metrics that felt disconnected from real-life impact.

03

Actionability gap

A poor sleep score left users stuck they weren’t given meaningful steps to improve it.

A poor sleep score left users stuck they weren’t given meaningful steps to improve it.

04

Emotional impact

Low scores made people anxious or guilty, as if they had personally failed at sleep.

Low scores made people anxious or guilty, as if they had personally failed at sleep.

05

Lifestyle mismatch

Standard hygiene tips; fixed bedtime, fixed wake-up, didn’t fit irregular schedules.

Standard hygiene tips; fixed bedtime, fixed wake-up, didn’t fit irregular schedules.

03

Process

Process

From scores to steps

Make the data do something

Make the data do something

Early concepts simply added more charts and tested cold. Reframing the work around micro-actions changed everything: the same metrics started to feel like coaching instead of homework.
The brief became less about visualising sleep and more about guiding the next small decision at the right moment, in plain language.

Early concepts simply added more charts and tested cold. Reframing the work around micro-actions changed everything: the same metrics started to feel like coaching instead of homework.
The brief became less about visualising sleep and more about guiding the next small decision at the right moment, in plain language.

Key findings
Finding 01
ResearchUsers wanted guidance “front and centre the first thing you see when you open the app.”
DecisionSurface micro-actions as a dropdown on the main dashboard easy to check off or snooze.
ImpactGuidance became unavoidable instead of buried three taps deep.
Finding 02
ResearchQuiz-like, guided inputs were strongly preferred for creating a goal.
DecisionA short guided set-up with personalized feedback and visible progress tracking.
ImpactGoal-setting felt easy and motivating rather than like data entry.
Finding 03
ResearchPeople wanted digestible, plain-text reporting, not raw metrics or graphs.
DecisionLead with plain-language insights and suggestions; keep the charts secondary.
ImpactReporting read like a coach, not a spreadsheet.
Finding 04
ResearchDaily check-ins were desired, but must never feel overwhelming.
DecisionOptional check-ins with a customizable frequency.
ImpactEngagement without the fatigue that kills a daily habit.

04

From research to design

Concept 01

Setting Daily Habits

Small steps tied to the user’s patterns, surfaced at the right moment of the day. Reduces effort, keeps guidance simple, supports daily consistency.

Concept 02

Deep Sleep Goal

One outcome to aim for. Users set a deep-sleep target and the app adapts advice to their trends, direction instead of more charts.

05

The work

Two flows, one principle: guide the next step.

Two flows, one principle: guide the next step.

The feature ships as two connected flows. Both keep the data quiet and the next action loud — shown here as annotated walkthroughs.

The feature ships as two connected flows. Both keep the data quiet and the next action loud — shown here as annotated walkthroughs.

Flow A

Setting daily habits

A plateau alert invites small, snooze-able habits that drop straight onto the timeline.

Daily habits — alert → select → confirm

Flow B

Setting a deep-sleep goal

A guided, quiz-like set-up produces a personalized plan, a target, and a check-in rhythm.

Guided set-up — expectations → outcome → lifestyle

06

Outcome & reflection

Less data on a screen. More rest in real life.

Less data on a screen. More rest in real life.

P1 / Visualizing

Simplify to engage

Simplify to engage

Stripping the dashboard back to one clear signal improved engagement far more than another graph ever did.

Stripping the dashboard back to one clear signal improved engagement far more than another graph ever did.

P2 / Personalized

Tailor to the person

Tailor to the person

Recommendations mapped to individual sleep patterns not generic hygiene rules earned trust.

Recommendations mapped to individual sleep patterns not generic hygiene rules earned trust.

P3 / Actionable

Motivation over metrics

Motivation over metrics

Behaviour change depends on motivation, not numbers. Plain-language micro-actions carried the feature.

Behaviour change depends on motivation, not numbers. Plain-language micro-actions carried the feature.

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Email

hi@paolammendoza.com

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LinkedIn

Email

hi@paolammendoza.com

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Instagram

LinkedIn

Email

hi@paolammendoza.com

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