Focus

Focus
User Experience Research & Design

PROBLEM

People have become completely immersed in technology. They are constantly involved and connected to the web, older generations are taking advantage of technology as well. Most people enjoy it so much that they tend to neglect their responsibilities, and may not be able to unlock their full intellectual potential due to the constant distraction of their phones. Focus allows users to block social media and other time consuming applications from their phone for an allotted time space. This will help people who acknowledge that they are being distracted by technology to make a positive change in their life.

TARGET AUDIENCE
User’s 16 and older who need to use their time more effectively to reach their short and long term goals

RESEARCH

After thinking of the idea for this project, my first inkling was to see if there were other apps and websites with the same concept. First I looked through them myself and then I observed and noted user’s interactions with the app. I asked users questions to gain a better grasp of their needs and to find out if they feel that digital distractions have a direct negative impact on their success.

1. “What do you think makes people want to use social media?
2. “What makes it so addictive?”
3. “On average how much time do you think you spend on social media and other apps per day?”
4. “Tell me about a time your phone distracted you while you were doing something important.”
5. “Tell me what goes through your mind while scrolling through Facebook, Instagram or any other social media?”
6. “Do you feel as if your time is being spent wisely? why or why not?”

*If participants thought they are not spending there time wisely and wanted to limit
their use of social media they were asked the following questions *

1. “Have you tried to limit your social media use before? How did you go about it? and what was the outcome?”
2. “Why do you think that you spend so much time on social platforms?”
3. “What makes these platforms so addictive to you?”
4. “How does looking through content that your friends and family post make you feel? “
5. “What made you realize that you need to limit your social platforms usage?”
6. “Do you find any other aspects of your phone distracting aside from using apps? Such as messaging, internet etc. and why? “

PERSONA

I gathered all of the results from the questions and observations I did, and used those findings to create persona’s to help identify the main user’s of the app.

FINDINGS

Based on observations and research users need a product that:
– Allows them to keep their phone’s distraction free.
– Gives them an incentive to do so.
– Block social media and websites from their phones.

Services that Focus offers:
– Blocking apps and websites for an allotted time period.
– Person can not disable to the app, to cheat, there will be a built in cheat button, that allows the user to cheat once a day and use the app before their allotted time period but there will be a consequence, that will potentially change their instinctual habit to cheat and go on social media.
– Can block all the apps for the same time, or can have each one at a different time.
– Users will be locked into their schedule for a week, to help them get into the routine of not using their phones as often.

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

After finalizing the concept I worked out the architecture to help gain a better understanding of there hierarchy within the app. I took notes of the screens and features that needed to be included.

HOW IT WORKS

Essentially Focus will allow users to select the apps that they want us to be in control of. Upon selecting the apps, users will be given an option to ban all the apps for an allotted time period.If users get tempted to break the ban there will be a cheat for an hour button that will be available once a day. If users choose to cheat they will have to face the consequence of having the timer extended for an hour. The punishment time will go up as their cheat frequency does.

Users will have to choose whether they want to indulge in the temporary satisfaction for a price, or if they should just keep true to their word and check social media when their allotted time period is up. One of they key focuses of this project is inspired by B.F Skinner’s punishment and reward system. If the user stays on track and doesn’t cheat they will be rewarded with social media time, while if they cheat they will be punished. Essentially the strict punishment and reward system could train users into breaking their unhealthy technology habits.

WIRE FRAMES

After creating the user flows, I created the wireframes making conscious decisions for where to place the components of the app. I then tested a paper prototype and observed user’s and their interactions.

Rose Timal

Focus allows users to block time consuming applications from their phone.

PERSONA

I gathered all of the results from the questions and observations I did, and used those findings to create persona’s to help identify the main user’s of the app.

Based on observations and research users need a product that:
– Allows them to keep their phone’s distraction free.
– Gives them an incentive to do so.
– Block social media and websites from their phones.

After finalizing the concept I worked out the architecture to help gain a better understanding of there hierarchy within the app. I took notes of the screens and features that needed to be included.

WIRE FRAMES

After creating the user flows, I created the wireframes making conscious decisions for where to place the components of the app. I then tested a paper prototype and observed user’s and their interactions.

Rose Timal

Focus allows users to block time consuming applications from their phone.

PERSONA

I gathered all of the results from the questions and observations I did, and used those findings to create persona’s to help identify the main user’s of the app.

Based on observations and research users need a product that:– Allows them to keep their phone’s distraction free.– Gives them an incentive to do so.– Block social media and websites from their phones.

After finalizing the concept I worked out the architecture to help gain a better understanding of there hierarchy within the app. I took notes of the screens and features that needed to be included.

WIRE FRAMESAfter creating the user flows, I created the wireframes making conscious decisions for where to place the components of the app. I then tested a paper prototype and observed user’s and their interactions.

Based on observations and research users need a product that:
– Allows them to keep their phone’s distraction free.
– Gives them an incentive to do so.
– Block social media and websites from their phones.

WIRE FRAMES

After creating the user flows, I created the wireframes making conscious decisions for where to place the components of the app. I then tested a paper prototype and observed user’s and their interactions.