Back

Back

The problem

The problem

I wanted to help people like me who struggle to focus during their daily life routine. The goal was to build a platform that can help people to refocus and enhance productivity.

I wanted to help people like me who struggle to focus during their daily life routine. The goal was to build a platform that can help people to refocus and enhance productivity.

The solution

The solution

I created an application that helps users to boost productivity and enhances time management by limiting distractions and beating procrastination.

I created an application that helps users to boost productivity and enhances time management by limiting distractions and beating procrastination.

Tools

Figma, Notion, Maze

Timeline

6 months

Role

Product designer

Tools

Figma, Notion

Maze

Figma, Notion

Maze

Timeline

6 months

Role

Product designer

DISCOVERY

User interviews

Online research

Competitive analysis

DEFINE

Synthesis

Design challenge

DEVELOP

Sketches

Usability testing

DELIVER

The solution

Key takeaways

01 DISCOVER

Discovery stage

FocusTime is developed by following the Double Diamond Design methodology.

I wanted to connect the users’s pain points with a positive user experience solution.
In this step I analysed:

User interviews
Online research & statistics
Current platforms on the market

"How might we help people to stay focused and organised at the same time without getting distracted?"

Why am I doing this?

In order to understand and validate my initial assumptions, I started to do some research to answer the following questions: 

1

How people deal with distractions?

2

What are the common pain points and bad habits with the usage of mobile phone?​


3

How people manage to focus?


What is the situation "online"?

80 times a day

80 times a day

80 times a day

UK adults hugely underestimate how often they check their phones, studies suggest that is up to 80 times a day

50%

50%

50%

say that despite their best efforts they sometimes can’t stop checking their smartphones when they should be focusing on other things.

20min

20min

20min

Research shows that to regain focus it can take more than 20 minutes.

Reference:

https://hbr.org/2018/08/4-strategies-for-overcoming-distraction

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/are-attention-spans-really-collapsing-data-shows-uk-public-are-worried-but-also-see-benefits-from-technology


User interviews

I conducted 1-to-1 interviews to gain qualitative data and validate my initial assumptions. I then grouped the interviews results based on what I thought could be relevant to the case study.

Competitive analysis

At this point, to further validate my assumptions I researched the competitors to analyse the pros and cons and to gather inspirations.

FOCUS KEEPER

I like

Daily and weekly data about your sessions

I don’t like

No tools to block distractions or notifications

I like

Real-time results Status & progress of the tasks

I don’t like

Busy interface when planning a task

I like

Easy way to Install content blocker, app blocker

I don’t like

There is no calendar or reminder feature.

02 DEFINE

Define stage

After the first stage I started filtering out all the information that I gathered previously to define the research outcome and the design challenge.

Main user problem

I began this project to aid people like myself who have trouble staying focused in their daily lives. The main goal was to understand their actions and emotions, especially why they struggle to concentrate and how this struggle manifests

1

No engagement with app

None of the users are using an application for focusing or time management

2

Finding the right tool: a time-consuming task

There are several tools & applications on the market with different features. It takes time to find a good one.

2

Productivity limitations

Reminders and alarms have a limited capacity to cope with distractions and improve productivity.

Hypothesis

Hypothesis

By providing users a platform for accessing all the efficiency tools it will lead to increased user productivity and task completion rate by enabling users to maintain better focus on their daily tasks.

By providing users a platform for accessing all the efficiency tools it will lead to increased user productivity and task completion rate by enabling users to maintain better focus on their daily tasks.

By providing users a platform for accessing all the efficiency tools it will lead to increased user productivity and task completion rate by enabling users to maintain better focus on their daily tasks.

03 DEVELOP

Development stage

At this stage I created User flow, Sketches, Low fidelity wireframes and I run Usability testing, exploring the technical limitations and the development of the final solution.

At this stage I created User flow, Sketches, Low fidelity wireframes and I run Usability testing, exploring the technical limitations and the development of the final solution.

At this stage I created User flow, Sketches, Low fidelity wireframes and I run Usability testing, exploring the technical limitations and the development of the final solution.

Sketches

In this phase, I drew my initial ideas through some sketches in order to visualise the whole flow of interfaces and how to structure the platform.

Down below, you can find some core features.

1

Filtering notifications

From your contacts and apps in order to receive just the relevant information based on the user's needs

2

Multiple alerts

Providing multiple alerts to help users remembering the task throughout the day.

3

Pomodoro technique

Introduction of the Pomodoro technique to enhance time management and breaks

High fidelity “before & after”

High fidelity “before & after”

After the low fidelity was finished, I proceeded with the high fidelity prototype and conducted usability test on users.

BEFORE

Testers had a hard time with this interface since they didn’t know what was clickable.

Testers had a hard time with this interface since they didn’t know what was clickable.

Testers had a hard time with this interface since they didn’t know what was clickable.

AFTER

​I decided to introduce “steps” to explain the Pomodoro technique and avoid all this mis-clicked actions.

​I decided to introduce “steps” to explain the Pomodoro technique and avoid all this mis-clicked actions.

​I decided to introduce “steps” to explain the Pomodoro technique and avoid all this mis-clicked actions.

BEFORE

The contact section created perplexity as you can see from the heat map.

The contact section created perplexity as you can see from the heat map.

The contact section created perplexity as you can see from the heat map.

AFTER

I reorganised the interface in order to give a sense of reality by adding different contacts.

I reorganised the interface in order to give a sense of reality by adding different contacts.

I reorganised the interface in order to give a sense of reality by adding different contacts.

BEFORE

Users spent too long on this interface with an average of 59s.

Users spent too long on this interface with an average of 59s.

Users spent too long on this interface with an average of 59s.

AFTER

Simplified the calendar section by removing the day's selection and grouping the features, adjusting the white space in the interface.

Simplified the calendar section by removing the day's selection and grouping the features, adjusting the white space in the interface.

Simplified the calendar section by removing the day's selection and grouping the features, adjusting the white space in the interface.

04 DELIVER

Deliver stage

Once the product was delivered I started collecting user feedback and monitoring main metrics.

At a later time I designed also the desktop version, bringing both options to cater a wider audience.

Once the product was delivered I started collecting user feedback and monitoring main metrics.

At a later time I designed also the desktop version, bringing both options to cater a wider audience.

Once the product was delivered I started collecting user feedback and monitoring main metrics.

At a later time I designed also the desktop version, bringing both options to cater a wider audience.

THE SOLUTION

THE SOLUTION

Filtering your distractions

Filtering your distractions

FocusTime enables you with “allow notifications” feature to filter out notifications from contacts to apps reducing their impact.

Make it personal

Make it personal

Users can select the precise date, set their time, alerts and write down notes to personalise your task.

Say goodbye to distractions

Say goodbye to distractions

No more distractions, beat procrastination and boost your productivity with Pomodoro technique, followed by a final recap with a summary of your information.

06 FINAL EVALUATION

Final evaluation

Final evaluation

1

Success rate

73% of the users would use this platform to focus on their journeys

73% of the users would use this platform to focus on their journeys

73% of the users would use this platform to focus on their journeys

2

Misclick rate

The misclick rate went from 33% to 20%, indicating there is still room of improvement.

The misclick rate went from 33% to 20%, indicating there is still room of improvement.

The misclick rate went from 33% to 20%, indicating there is still room of improvement.

3

Unexpected flow

25% of the users didn't complete the task through the expected path

25% of the users didn't complete the task through the expected path

25% of the users didn't complete the task through the expected path

TAKEAWAY 1

While it was tempting to jump straight into my conclusions and ideas, in the long run, paying attention to users' feedback and addressing their pain points is what it's all about.

TAKEAWAY 2

In my first case study, I learned the value of continuously re-analyzing interview data to refine design decisions. Sharing my work with others provided valuable perspectives, ultimately leading to a stronger design rationale.

Explore the final prototype

Explore the final prototype

Explore the final prototype

Learn more

Learn more

Explore more of my work

Explore more of my work

Dr Ilaria Ornelli

A tailored Italian podiatrist website

Dr Ilaria Ornelli

A tailored Italian podiatrist website

Dr Ilaria Ornelli

A tailored Italian podiatrist website

MessageMail

My first full responsive website

MessageMail

My first full responsive website

MessageMail

My first full responsive website

FocusTime

Boost your productivity one pomodoro

at a time

FocusTime

Boost your productivity one pomodoro

at a time

Contact

Email

Email

Email

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

Phone

Phone

Phone

Work

Dr Ilaria Ornelli

Dr Ilaria Ornelli

Dr Ilaria Ornelli

Jacquard

Jacquard

Jacquard

FocusTime

FocusTime

FocusTime

MessageMail

MessageMail

MessageMail

Thanks!

Thanks for taking your time to visit my portfolio, I hope to see you soon.