2022
2022
2022
Nox: A Sleep Hygiene Companion for Insomniacs
Nox: A Sleep Hygiene Companion for Insomniacs
Nox is a prototype for a mobile application designed to help with sleep hygiene maintenance. Nox was created as a UI/UX design project for an introductory Design and Computing class I took at UC San Diego.
Nox is a prototype for a mobile application designed to help with sleep hygiene maintenance. Nox was created as a UI/UX design project for an introductory Design and Computing class I took at UC San Diego.
Skills
Skills
Visual Communication
Continuous Learning
Research and Implementation
Visual Communication
Continuous Learning
Research and Implementation
Role
Role
Incorporating UI/UX design principles and basic programming taught in class into the project
Incorporating UI/UX design principles and basic programming taught in class into the project
🥱 I lost sleep working on an app to help me sleep. Ironic, right?
🥱 I lost sleep working on an app to help me sleep. Ironic, right?
I suffer from insomnia. Upon entering university, my sleep pattern became increasingly sporadic, a negative change that inevitably trickled down to my mental and physical wellbeing. As someone who loves sleeping but hates how hard it is to fall asleep, I sought to learn about sleep disorders and why it’s so difficult for people like myself to catch some Zs.
From taking Cognitive Science courses to reading science and tech articles, I made the effort to research sleep disorders and their consequences. I wanted to come up with a solution, so I jumped at the opportunity to design a sleep app for my Design and Computing class when we were told to come up with “real design solutions to real-world problems.”
I suffer from insomnia. Upon entering university, my sleep pattern became increasingly sporadic, a negative change that inevitably trickled down to my mental and physical wellbeing. As someone who loves sleeping but hates how hard it is to fall asleep, I sought to learn about sleep disorders and why it’s so difficult for people like myself to catch some Zs.
From taking Cognitive Science courses to reading science and tech articles, I made the effort to research sleep disorders and their consequences. I wanted to come up with a solution, so I jumped at the opportunity to design a sleep app for my Design and Computing class when we were told to come up with “real design solutions to real-world problems.”
My sleep schedule as seen on the Health app during a normal week in April 2022
My sleep schedule as seen on the Health app during a normal week in April 2022
How I slept during finals week. Look at all the brief intervals of restless sleep 😪
How I slept during finals week. Look at all the brief intervals of restless sleep 😪
💼 The Problem
💼 The Problem
It is 4:00 AM on the clock as I am typing this. I should and want to sleep, but I simply can’t. Instead, I toss and turn and get frustrated at the melatonin gummies I ingest that never seem to work. That’s the problem.
It is 4:00 AM on the clock as I am typing this. I should and want to sleep, but I simply can’t. Instead, I toss and turn and get frustrated at the melatonin gummies I ingest that never seem to work. That’s the problem.
I suffer from insomnia. Upon entering university, my sleep pattern became increasingly sporadic, a negative change that inevitably trickled down to my mental and physical wellbeing. As someone who loves sleeping but hates how hard it is to fall asleep, I sought to learn about sleep disorders and why it’s so difficult for people like myself to catch some Zs.
From taking Cognitive Science courses to reading science and tech articles, I made the effort to research sleep disorders and their consequences. I wanted to come up with a solution, so I jumped at the opportunity to design a sleep app for my Design and Computing class when we were told to come up with “real design solutions to real-world problems.”
I suffer from insomnia. Upon entering university, my sleep pattern became increasingly sporadic, a negative change that inevitably trickled down to my mental and physical wellbeing. As someone who loves sleeping but hates how hard it is to fall asleep, I sought to learn about sleep disorders and why it’s so difficult for people like myself to catch some Zs.
From taking Cognitive Science courses to reading science and tech articles, I made the effort to research sleep disorders and their consequences. I wanted to come up with a solution, so I jumped at the opportunity to design a sleep app for my Design and Computing class when we were told to come up with “real design solutions to real-world problems.”
I know that insomnia can be managed if not treated. I became obsessed with insomnia remedies and treatments, but nothing really stuck with me until both my psychiatrist and Cognitive Science professor mentioned sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is by no means an antidote to insufficient sleep, but it has helped me break my insomnia down into resolvable factors and form sustainable routines that counteract those factors.
I know that insomnia can be managed if not treated. I became obsessed with insomnia remedies and treatments, but nothing really stuck with me until both my psychiatrist and Cognitive Science professor mentioned sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is by no means an antidote to insufficient sleep, but it has helped me break my insomnia down into resolvable factors and form sustainable routines that counteract those factors.
✏️ The Process
✏️ The Process
I decided to take COGS 3 - Introduction to Computing with Professor Mary ET Boyle. As someone with little to no experience in front-end development, I was intimidated by the syllabus. However, this class quickly become my favorite since I started my undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, along with COGS 11 - Minds and Brains, a class that was also taught by Professor Boyle last fall.
In Week 5, we had an assignment to design a health app prototype on Figma. I decided on creating a sleep app because I am personally unfamiliar with any that I am satisfied with. As someone who struggles with insomnia, I realized that there is a lack of user-friendly mobile apps for maintaining sleep hygiene. Therefore, I used Figma to design Nox.
Although my skills are far from perfect, this project is definitely my favorite out of all the ones I’ve done in college so far, and I cannot wait to learn more about Figma and UI/UX design.
I decided to take COGS 3 - Introduction to Computing with Professor Mary ET Boyle. As someone with little to no experience in front-end development, I was intimidated by the syllabus. However, this class quickly become my favorite since I started my undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, along with COGS 11 - Minds and Brains, a class that was also taught by Professor Boyle last fall.
In Week 5, we had an assignment to design a health app prototype on Figma. I decided on creating a sleep app because I am personally unfamiliar with any that I am satisfied with. As someone who struggles with insomnia, I realized that there is a lack of user-friendly mobile apps for maintaining sleep hygiene. Therefore, I used Figma to design Nox.
Although my skills are far from perfect, this project is definitely my favorite out of all the ones I’ve done in college so far, and I cannot wait to learn more about Figma and UI/UX design.
Research 🔍
I read scientific articles and medical journals on insomnia and sleep hygiene. At the same time, I began to test and analyze existing digital resources for sleep, such as Headspace and Somryst. I quickly realized that almost all of the sleep apps I’ve encountered do not have navigable interfaces. I found myself befuddled by the lack of user-friendly resources for a condition as prevalent and detrimental to a person’s well-being as sleep deprivation.
Research 🔍
I read scientific articles and medical journals on insomnia and sleep hygiene. At the same time, I began to test and analyze existing digital resources for sleep, such as Headspace and Somryst. I quickly realized that almost all of the sleep apps I’ve encountered do not have navigable interfaces. I found myself befuddled by the lack of user-friendly resources for a condition as prevalent and detrimental to a person’s well-being as sleep deprivation.
Prototyping 👾
Prototyping 👾
With the help of my professor and teaching assistants, I was able to master the basic tools on Figma and created a prototype for my fictitious sleep hygiene mobile app called Nox, named after the Roman goddess of the night.
I took the liberty of playing with the design and even included photos of my favorite K-Pop idol, K-drama actress, and Genshin Impact character. To my surprise, the teaching assistant who graded my work was impressed by Nox and liked the same celebrities and game, which led us to bond and connect after the course ended. We still talk about design, code, and games to this day.
Who knew designing a fictitious app for insomniacs would let me form valuable connections?
With the help of my professor and teaching assistants, I was able to master the basic tools on Figma and created a prototype for my fictitious sleep hygiene mobile app called Nox, named after the Roman goddess of the night.
I took the liberty of playing with the design and even included photos of my favorite K-Pop idol, K-drama actress, and Genshin Impact character. To my surprise, the teaching assistant who graded my work was impressed by Nox and liked the same celebrities and game, which led us to bond and connect after the course ended. We still talk about design, code, and games to this day.
Who knew designing a fictitious app for insomniacs would let me form valuable connections?
Leading a Workshop 👩🏻🏫
Finally, it was time to share Nox with the rest of the world, a.k.a some hackathon participants, my LinkedIn connections, and my mom.
In March 2022, I was invited to lead a beginner-level app development workshop for a hackathon. I talked about basic UI/UX design principles and relayed the information and techniques I learned in class to the participants. At the end of the workshop, I presented Nox as an example and received positive feedback on the design and overall feel of the app prototype.
Leading a Workshop 👩🏻🏫
Finally, it was time to share Nox with the rest of the world, a.k.a some hackathon participants, my LinkedIn connections, and my mom.
In March 2022, I was invited to lead a beginner-level app development workshop for a hackathon. I talked about basic UI/UX design principles and relayed the information and techniques I learned in class to the participants. At the end of the workshop, I presented Nox as an example and received positive feedback on the design and overall feel of the app prototype.
I know that insomnia can be managed if not treated. I became obsessed with insomnia remedies and treatments, but nothing really stuck with me until both my psychiatrist and Cognitive Science professor mentioned sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is by no means an antidote to insufficient sleep, but it has helped me break my insomnia down into resolvable factors and form sustainable routines that counteract those factors.
I know that insomnia can be managed if not treated. I became obsessed with insomnia remedies and treatments, but nothing really stuck with me until both my psychiatrist and Cognitive Science professor mentioned sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is by no means an antidote to insufficient sleep, but it has helped me break my insomnia down into resolvable factors and form sustainable routines that counteract those factors.
🎉 The Results
🎉 The Results
I catch flights. I catch feelings. But I can’t, for whatever reason, catch some Zs. So I took up the challenge of designing a sleep hygiene app for myself.
Here’s what I got from this experience:
Research, research, research, then implement. 👩🔬
Dig deep. Take those complicated concepts and break them down to a molecular level. Once you have a grasp on your topic, apply the knowledge you’ve gained to make digestible content without diluting its substance.
Be creative and critical. 🎨
Come up with innovative designs that work. Discern shortcomings with a critical eye and do what you must to make your app as fulfilling as possible.
Don’t forget to have fun! 🕺
A great design is one that is effective and pleasing to the senses. Don’t be afraid to play around with the tools you have and create a striking in-app experience!
I catch flights. I catch feelings. But I can’t, for whatever reason, catch some Zs. So I took up the challenge of designing a sleep hygiene app for myself.
Here’s what I got from this experience:
Research, research, research, then implement. 👩🔬
Dig deep. Take those complicated concepts and break them down to a molecular level. Once you have a grasp on your topic, apply the knowledge you’ve gained to make digestible content without diluting its substance.
Be creative and critical. 🎨
Come up with innovative designs that work. Discern shortcomings with a critical eye and do what you must to make your app as fulfilling as possible.
Don’t forget to have fun! 🕺
A great design is one that is effective and pleasing to the senses. Don’t be afraid to play around with the tools you have and create a striking in-app experience!