TYPE
Academic
TIMELINE
Sept 23 - Dec 23 (14 Weeks)
TEAM
Maitri Bhateja, Ruchit Shah
MENTOR
SKILLS
Branding & Logo Design
User Research
Data Visualization
UX, UI, Motion Design
Style Guide
WHAT IS NUDGE?
Overview
Nudge is an app that imbibes knowledge, asks for your opinions, and encourages you to do witty tasks to push you out of your comfort zone.
We want Nudge to be synonymous with your goals: It should be the first name that pops up when you think about achieving your short-term and long-term goals.
WHAT ARE WE SOLVING FOR?
Opportunity Space
Reduced Focus and Fragmented Attention
Decline in the ability to concentrate on tasks for prolonged periods can serve as a proxy for the impact of digital distraction.
(Microsoft Corporation, "Attention spans", 2015)
Surface Curiosity and Lack of Interest to Grow
Most digital platforms cater to immediate interests. This affects "epistemic curiosity," the deep, intrinsic desire to understand complex concepts, as users become accustomed to short, easily digestible content.
(Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Twenge & Campbell, 2018)
Decreased Productivity
People spend an average of 3.25 hours on their phones every day, with the top 20% of smartphone users spending upwards of 4.5 hours which can intrude on work hours and reduce productivity.
(The RescueTime blog, 2019)
Increasing Stress and Diminishing Self Belief
High usage of social media was significantly associated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety and low self confidence.
(Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Twenge & Campbell, 2018)
LET'S MEET NUDG'ES USERS
Who would use Nudge and Why?
We conducted 14 in-person, online and telephonic interviews and surveys that helped us validate our hypotheses about why people feel motivated and demotivated to pursue their goals. We categorized them into two main archetypes:
THE 'NOT CURIOUS'
Says: "This sounds so interesting, I wish I could do that!"
Does: Tried watching tutorials but has a busy schedule
Thinks: It's hard and I can't make time for this
Feels: Overwhelmed, Inadequate, Motivated
THE 'SOMEWHAT CURIOUS'
Says: I don't need to learn anything new
Does: The same things every day
Thinks: I am happy where I am
Feels: Unbothered, Demotivated, Satisfied
MOST POPULAR GOALS (FROM THE POOL WE INTERVIEWED)
SHORT TERM GOALS
Get an MBA
Switch my job
Score well in Exams
Run a marathon​
Be a plant mom/dad
LONG TERM GOALS
Become a thought leader
Have my engineering team
Open my own business
Be independent
Time management
AMBITIOUS GOALS
Learn how to Ski
Become an Astronomer
Travel more with friends
Learn five new languages
Join Theatre and learn acting
ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSE
Approach
We started by understanding what triggers curiosity:
What underlying emotions make a person feel the adrenaline rush to learn/do more?
We leveraged a combination of these emotions to deliver a unique experience every time a user would open the app.
Mapping the places where these emotions are felt in the body to understand the implication of each task in the app
HOW WE STIMULATED CURIOSITY
Interest-based stimuli
Food for thought - based on goal selection
Trivia, What-if (scenario-based) questions, engaging conversations, challenging games
Incremental tasks and short goals
Tasks that can be accomplished quickly but contribute to the overall goal completion by increasing difficulty incrementally.
Completing the incomplete
Situations where something is left off mid way and the user is required to gauge the current status and take action based on what's left
DEFINING NUDGE'S VALUES
If Nudge was a person, how would they think?
"I don’t want to be another boring motivational app, I want you to engage and have the most fun here."
I don’t believe in thinking short term. I want what’s best for your future self.
I will not be your mentor, I will not be your friend, I am your motivator, pushing you harder one day at a time. Let's do this together!
The more you use the app, the more I will know what you like. I will only give tasks that I think you love doing.
ESTABLISHING THE DESIGN SYSTEM
The face of Nudge
We defined design principles, tone of voice, typefaces, colors, logo and logo usage and created a comprehensive component library that helped us drive internal design decisions and consistency.
KICKSTARTING NUDGE
Let's begin
There were two main objectives of the onboarding journey:
First, make the first experience conversational and human; second, gather the user's personal goals to curate specialized nudges.
Customize personal goals during onboarding
Users can pick their short-term, long-term and ambitious goals to get personalized nudges.
Anticipation in opening Nudge
Users get a new nudge every time they open the app, making the experience exciting.
Sound to humanize the experience
Sound in digital interfaces mimics real-world cues making it the most intuitive way to interact.
SUCCESSFUL NUDGE
Your first task
Post onboarding, the user will get their first Nudge. They can mark the nudge as done or if they're unable to complete the task, they can request for a new nudge.
Can't complete a nudge?
The user can get the option to get a new nudge only if they're unable to initiate it or if they're unable to complete it.
Celebrate small wins
We want users to feel delight and motivation upon successful completion of a nudge.
MILESTONE TRACKING AND PROGRESS CHECK
Inch closer to your goals
The more tasks you complete successfully, the closer you get to your goals. The user can check weekly, monthly and yearly progress.
Yearly & monthly tracking
See the network of goals you worked on over the years and months (current year); also plan for the upcoming months and years.
Weekly Tracking
Helpful to track how much you worked on your top three goals in the past week.
Randomize your experience
Randomize and change the intensity of tasks as per your curiosity levels.
AT A GLANCE
Summarizing Nudge
WHAT
An app that imbibes knowledge, asks for opinions, and encourages to do witty tasks.
HOW
Helping people feel confident in achieving their short-term, long-term and ambitious goals.
WHY
We believe life is too short for good things to happen on their own.
WHAT WE WOULD GO BACK AND IMPROVE
Learnings & Takeaways
Design for cognitive disabilities
Special section to cater to such people: design with simpler typefaces, easier navigation and wayfinding.
Thinking beyond digital
Our solution was an app but while ideating, we also thought about how Nudge can be experienced via physical touchpoints like experience centers, tactile products etc.
Experiences can be heard, felt, tasted & smelled
The digital realm sometimes holds us back when we think about solutions. Technology can push the boundaries of experience that can be felt through all senses.
Brand perception & image
Brand isn't just the product: It's the values you stand for, the problems you solve, and what people think about you when you leave the room.