Quality Sleep Matters
This project was about starting a company from nothing in an untested industry but we were excited to create something new and game-changing from ground up.
I was part of an ambitious project aimed at designing and delivering a potential solution to address the critical issue of sleep problems.
Recognitions
Indigo Design Awards 2025:
Silver: UX Interface & Navigation, Apps for Social Change,
Product/Gadget Design
Bronze: Branding for Health & Beauty, Branding for
Social Change
International Design Awards 2024:
Honorable Mention: Personal Health & Wellness Products Category
The Problem
An estimated 50 million people in the U.S. struggle with sleep issues, which affect cognitive function, emotional health, and overall well-being. Sleep is critical to every process in the body, making this a significant concern.
U.S. Sleep Economy Valued 2019 - 2024
(Statista, 2022)
The Challenge
"One-third of our lives are spent sleeping, how well do we sleep?"
My Role
Conducted comprehensive research (secondary, primary, and trend analysis) to inform strategy. Applied frameworks like Porter's Five Forces, PESTEL, Business Model Canvas, ZAG 17 steps, SWOT to solve the critical sleep problem.
Designed wireframes in Figma, prototyped, and iterated based on guerrilla testing. Did branding and Collaborated with cross-functional team of six to align research with business goals and design execution.
Market Identification
Starting off the project with great enthusiasm, the team was excited to create a startup company in an industry of our choice. As an initial exercise, we discussed our goals for the project. A unanimous sentiment around building a company that solved a real problem people face while also using the latest technologies in creative ways was expressed.
Owning to the potential of the healthcare sector, the team delved deeper into the research, discussed and voted to focus on the "Sleep" industry.
With PESTEL analysis, we were able to identify potential risks and opportunities for the sleep industry. We found this model is helpful to gain a macro perspective of the market compared to other frameworks. It helped us map out potential opportunities and barriers and identify trends.
Market Analysis
We landed on the final 3 global trends that we saw strong ties and opportunities to with the sleep industry. Within the three market segments, we began to brainstorm concepts using the “Crazy 8s” activity. The exercise sparked our imagination, allowing us to list concepts regardless of their viability and allowing our brains to dump everything creative we could come up with.
After we identified three market segment using the 2x2 map, we arrived from global trends to market segments which were Sleep Tourism, Sleep Aid, and Sleep Technology. We found them to be the most feasible and desirable directions for our project. We then looked back at our work we had done and saw a correlation and connection between our market segments that we had just selected and the global trends we decided to hone in and focus on.
Identifying Concepts
We turned the market segments into three concepts: Sleep Retreat, Sleep Cafe, and Sleep Ecosystem.
For each concept, we developed a Business Opportunity Statement. Identifying user groups helped develop the statement by giving the team a picture of their needs and struggles. Each concept varied in “why it would be good for our business”.
We conducted a Porter’s Five Forces analysis for all three concepts. The tool provided a structured framework for evaluating the competitive forces at play within the market. We were alarmed by the high supplier power, which indicated to us that this market relies heavily on suppliers. We have an opportunity in low substitutes, indicating that this offer would be competitive and profitable.
The way we identified our identity attributes was by referring to our conversation to find key words that overlapped and resonated with the essence of our chosen concepts, placing them on a scale from 0-100.
Understanding the Users
By imagining hypothetical scenarios for who were in need of a restful sleep and when people would want an offering like ours, we gradually understood who our key user groups may be. Clustering similar usage cases, concerns, and motivations towards using sleep tech allowed us to flush out four archetype personas:
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The Health Enthusiast
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The Tech Savvy
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The Workaholic
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The Care Giver
Archetypes
While each of the four user groups had their own backgrounds, struggles, desires, and needs, the team recognized the need to narrow down to one or two target user groups to further research and come up with a tailored solution.
To make this decision, we created a four-box model that compared the amount of free time customers had in their lives and the feasibility to studying and reaching these target user groups. The four-box model led us to realize that we could best research and tailor our offering to the two most feasible user groups - the health enthusiasts and the workaholics.
Next, we went to create empathy maps for the both the user-groups which helped the team identify areas of intervention with our business offering.
We also generated Jobs To Be Done and Scenarios for both the user-groups.
Health Enthusiast
Workaholic
Workaholic
Health Enthusiast
The Plan Forward
As a business looking to provide customers with quality sleep, it was important that we learned how quality sleep was defined not only by experts but by our potential customers themselves.
From Data to Insights
Through primary research, we wanted to understand sleep habits, sleep challenges, and validate the need for a sleep tech gadget to address their sleep concerns.
109
Survey Respondents
22
Interviews
1300+
Data Points Collected
Competitor Landscape and Analysis
With a clear understanding of the problems that need solving, our next step was to research the competitive landscape. By analyzing potential competitors, we aimed to find an untapped "blue ocean" market space and kick off the initial ideation process.
In order to decide which of the companies we wanted to further analyze as competitors we placed the most important ones onto a 2x2 map on the axis of informational vs actionable, to visualize what directions we wanted to capture. We applied Blue Ocean Strategy and Porter's Five Forces for all our competitors to discover what we could focus on.
Before beginning focused ideation, we developed initial versions of the Blue Ocean Strategy, E.R.I.C framework, and Business Model Canvas. We understood that we needed to balance features and desired attributes with the final retail price to better appeal to our target audience another discovery was that users take the act of sleep for granted.
Prototyping The Business
For our final ideation phase, we utilized the How Might We (HMW) statements from the key insights that we generated from our research. We later discovered some reptitions in some of the HMW’s, and we would ensure to refine the statements as the process progress. The team generated over a hundred different ideas and potential concepts. The ideas were plotted over a 2x2 with time versus impact criteria.
We now had our concept, and it was time to create the value map to test the fit analysis.
The value fit analysis matches very well for our product to the customer profile. We validated that we hit most of the necessary Jobs To Be Done (JTBD), Pains and Gains on the customer profile.
Some JTBDs were out of the scope of the project at this moment., such as “help me disconnect digitally” and “prioritizing life goals.” One initial pain that we didn’t relieve was an “unbalanced lifestyle.” It is a future goal because consistent quality sleep is the first step.
We refined our business model canvas to understand the key aspects of our business. Once we completed the business model canvas, we added a SWOT analysis to assess the business model canvas further.
Our key partnerships were a strength due to the strong network effect.
Key resources were a weakness because of health protocols. Our value proposition, backed by user research, was a major strength, as were customer relations and segments due to personal connections and a targeted offering. However, the cost structure was a weakness due to high initial costs.
In the competitive sleep tech industry, differentiation is challenging.
We found the blue ocean lies in autonomous features that learn user behavior and integrate into daily sleep routines.
Early Form Sketches
The early iterations of the product were quite vast, as we were unsure the exact form of the product and testing out a variety of options.
To solidify the product's form and style, we tested users' first impressions, focusing on whether they'd want it bedside and immediately understand its purpose. Initially, we considered features like temperature adjustments, sound playing, scent diffusing, adjustable lighting, and motion/sound detection.
Testing helped prioritize essential features and their design. We also consulted an industrial designer to ensure functionality, feasibility, and alignment with our $300 price point.
Early Low Fidelity Wireframes
We avoided overemphasizing the mobile app to reduce digital distractions and help users wind down. We created low-fidelity prototypes to test if the app was necessary.
Testing
From our first round of prototyping, the team decided to create a portable product (hardware) and a digital informational app (software) based on our 2x2 impact versus time map from the final four How Might We (HMW) questions and the fit analysis.
We faced uncertainty during prototyping regarding features like temperature control, aroma, syncing, and production costs. This prompted us to refine our testing and assess the need for an app.
What Do We Want To Know?
We sketched product and app prototypes, sparking discussions among users on features to enhance our offering. Usability testing helped prioritize key features for the final design.
Based on user feedback from the co-creation activity, we identified several key preferences for our device.
Participants favored motion sensors, ambient lights, sleep sounds, and voice control over touch screens. An app with sleep insights and personalized settings was valued, while an integrated alarm clock wasn't necessary. They preferred a sleek, lightweight, and portable design.
Refining Prototype
Collaborating with an industrial designer, we refined the prototype based on user feedback. The final design, resembling a flower, features a speaker base for sturdiness and a semi-translucent top for diffusing aroma and light. Compact and slightly larger than an adult’s palm, it’s designed to fit seamlessly on a bedside table and into modern room settings.
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Guerilla Testing
With our final prototype ready, we asked users for their first read without providing details. It was intriguing that we received a wide range of answers with guesses like a cocktail glass, thermos, speaker, or vase, often based on the product’s top design.
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The New Low-Fi App
Based on user feedback and data collected during the co-creation activity, a significant interest emerged in a dedicated app to accompany the device.
Users will encounter a login/register option leading to the main page.
The global menu offers quick access to the home page and a stop tracking button to pause tracking.
Global menu displays sleep quality and duration data.
We also considered the entire app and its features, designing them with a focus on providing the best experience for our users and enhancing the quality of their sleep.
Revisiting and Revising Frameworks
The team revised the business model, outsourcing manufacturing to focus on product and app development. We refined the value proposition and plan to build customer relationships through sleep data analysis, ambiance settings, and support. Revenue will come from product sales, partnerships, and in-app purchases, balancing costs and recouping initial investments through future upselling.
Revised Business Model Canvas
After user testing, we refined the Value Proposition Canvas to align with time-conscious users. We updated features, Gain Creators, and Pain Relievers, identifying one pain (disturbed sleep) and two gains (community, social battery) we won’t address initially, while focusing on enhancing the sleep experience.
Revised Value Proposition Canvas
Revised Rankings of the Customer Profile
After testing, we adjusted our value proposition to focus on time-conscious users, addressing both health enthusiasts and workaholics, while keeping the core message intact.
We revised the Zag 17-steps framework to align with our updated product strategy.
We revised our balanced scorecard to focus on achievable goals rather than guarantees. However, we're still uncertain about realistic projections in the employee section.
The Finale
Bloom offers a multi-sensory sleep experience allowing users to transform their sleep environment into a tranquil sanctuary via customizable light, sound, smell with voice control and motion sensor to track users’ sleep. Bloom also comes with a dedicated app that understands your sleep habits, translate sleep data into meaningful insights, allow users to explore different mood presets and the digital sleep buddy allows users to receive motivational feedback.
Bloom: Branding
We aimed for branding that feels soothing, serene, and effortless, leading us to the final adjectives: approachable, calm, and dreamy. After voting on names, we chose "Bloom," symbolizing flourishing after restful sleep.
Sleep is a personal aspect of life and each person has different ideas of what quality sleep means. Rather than reiterating the importance of quality sleep, we shift the approach aiming for the after-effect of having a good night sleep. Therefore, “wake up to your full potential” solidifies our vision.
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The branding uses shades of purple and pink with teal and magenta accents to evoke liveliness, representing how Bloom helps users wake up refreshed and energized.
The Device: A Multi-Sensory Sleep Experience
Initially, we aimed for a portable product, later defining it as easy to move within a bedroom, rather than travel-sized, which will come in phase two. The hardware delivers a multi-sensory sleep experience with light, sound, and smell.
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Light: 360-degree ambient light with adjustable brightness and color based on mood presets.
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Sound: A speaker connects to a phone for custom sleep sounds or the Bloom app for preset soundscapes.
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Smell: Users can add essential oils to a compartment for water vapor diffusion.
Bloom: The App
The free Bloom app works best with the device, allowing users to control light and sound settings and choose mood presets like the ambiance of New York City or Bora Bora. The homepage displays sleep data, including sleep stages and nightly cycles. It also features a digital sleep buddy that provides motivational feedback, encouraging users to maintain a healthy sleep routine.
