2024
Redesigning popular applications through an emotional lens
This project focuses on redesigning app features based on mental health research. It explores how we might make commonly used apps cater to the emotional well being of users.
Product Design
Feature Iterating
Abstract
This project leverages emotional design principles and existing research to enhance emotional well-being in commonly used applications. Partially inspired by Soren's Newsletter, we explored opportunities for creating emotionally positive experiences in apps like Google, iOS Photos, Uber, and Netflix.
Our process involved reviewing existing research, designs, and suggestions to inform our redesigns. By transforming these insights into innovative app screens, we showcase the potential of emotional design in contemporary technology. This project underscores the importance of incorporating emotional well-being considerations in the design process.
The Redesigns
iOS Photos - Quick, go out!
Research says:
Focusing on the present moment can enhance overall well-being.
What if:
Users receive notifications of positive changes in their environments that they might want to experience.
Uber - Enjoy The Journey
Redesigned feature - Pop up destinations
Research says:
Focusing on the present moment can enhance overall well-being.
What if:
Users are notified of popular areas of interest that on their way to their destination.
Google Maps - Community Around You
Redesigned feature - Adding community events
Research says:
Loneliness is an epidemic and has implications for health.
What if:
Google Maps had a "community" tab, where users could find community building events near them.
ChatGPT - Conversation
Redesigned feature - Socialization practice
Research says:
Loneliness is an epidemic and has implications for health.
What if:
ChatGPT acted as a learning tool for people who want to practice their conversation skills?
Netflix - We Are What We Watch
Redesigned feature - Emotional Netflix titles
Research says:
People use other people’s emotions as evidence about how to act
What if:
On the basis of common emotions, Netflix created sections, which help guide users through these emotions
What does research tell us?
Being in the moment can enhance overall well being
According to Kiken, Lundberg, and Fredrickson (2017), psychology researchers at Kent State University, the University of Richmond, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
"Dispositional mindfulness and savoring the moment are distinct, interactive predictors of positive emotions and psychological health."
“Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world,”
said Keltner (2009), a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley. His research suggests it has tremendous health benefits, including calming the nervous system and triggering the release of oxytocin, the “love” hormone that promotes trust and bonding.
Loneliness is an epidemic and has implications for health
Kasley Killam, a social health expert, describes how, in recent decades, the number of people with zero confidants has tripled, and most adults do not belong to a local community group. Consequently, more than one-third of Americans over the age of 45 report feeling lonely, with prevalence especially high among those under 25 and over 65 years old. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy writes:
“We live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization,yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s”
Maintaining high quality relationships may be a key for protecting brain health from the negative impacts of loneliness.
according to Martin J. Sliwinski and Karra Harrington, scholars at Penn State University:
With the recent boom of AI, Laken Brooks, a scholar at the University of Florida explains that young adults who regularly messaged a therapy chatbot reported less loneliness and anxiety than their peers who did not use the AI.
People use other people’s emotions as evidence about how to act
Recent trends on social media show that people want to see their lives as though they were in a tv show. As put by author Kim Hew-Low for the NY Times :
There is a certain permeability between art and life, and pleasure in perceiving it: We take satisfaction in recognizing our lives in onscreen plot lines, as we thrill to real-life moments that feel “just like a movie.”
Have you ever walked out of a movie theatre and felt like you were the main character?
There are several trends on social media highlighting others feeling the same phenomenon.
Since what we consume online can leave a lasting impact on us, there is potential for helping people with areas they want to feel motivated about.
Redesigning Features
Incorporating research to create technology interactions that positively affect users
iOS Photos - Quick, go out!
Research: Being in the moment can enhance overall well being
Redesigned feature - Notification nudges
How it works
Users receive notifications of positive changes in their environments that they might want to experience.
Imagine sitting in your room and a notification for a wonderful pink sky in your area pops up. More likely than not, you will be at least tempted to look outside, which will bring you to the present moment and has the potential to inspire awe.
Some other other events can photos notify you about - Parades/ flocking birds / any other natural phenomena.
Uber - Enjoy The Journey
Research: Being in the moment can enhance overall well being
Redesigned feature - Highlighted attractions on the route
How it works
A cab ride, more often than not, involves some level of scrolling on your phone. Even on a vacation, we seem to be glued to our phones in a vehicle.
Our proposed feature stops that process in its tracks and helps users to experience architectural/natural wonders around them, leading to a feeling of awe. Stopping users from scrolling and instead looking up and what is around them.
In this design, the app, as normal, displays the route to the rider's destination within Manhattan. Uber then identifies that the Empire State Building will be on the route and shows riders an option to add a stop. The rider may add it as a stop or simply pass-by and look at the famous building from their vehicle.
Google Maps - Community Around You
Research: Loneliness is an epidemic and has implications for health
Redesigned feature - Community Events
How it works
Google has excelled in connecting people to local information and resources through Google Maps; along with the directions, users can access reviews, contact information, photos as well as visiting hours.
What if this was taken a step further for enhancing community spaces and social health? Imagine if google maps within it's frequently searched options, had a "community" tab, where users could find community building events near them. We imagine spaces such as barter clubs, gardening, book clubs, game clubs etc.
In this particular example: Our user can find an event labelled "Let's Barter" near them. Not only do they find all the helpful information provided with it, they can also see "visitors" tab in this information where users may be able to see the names of the people visiting, thereby further promoting real life connection.
ChatGPT - Conversation
Research: Loneliness is an epidemic and has implications for health
Redesigned feature - Notification nudges
How it works
A cab ride, more often than not, involves some level of scrolling on your phone. Even on a vacation, we seem to be glued to our phones in a vehicle.
Our proposed feature stops that process in its tracks and helps users to experience architectural/natural wonders around them, leading to a feeling of awe. Stopping users from scrolling and instead looking up and what is around them.
In this design, the app, as normal, displays the route to the rider's destination within Manhattan. Uber then identifies that the Empire State Building will be on the route and shows riders an option to add a stop. The rider may add it as a stop or simply pass-by and look at the famous building from their vehicle.
Netflix - We Are What We Watch
Research: People use other people’s emotions as evidence about how to act
Redesigned feature - Notification nudges
How it works
Since what we consume online can leave a lasting impact on us, there is potential for helping people with areas they want to feel motivated about.
For example, if someone is feeling unmotivated about cooking, perhaps watching someone make drool worthy food will get them out of a rut. Similarly, if someone is feeling down on their finances, watching "The Pursuit of Happyness" might offer them a ray of hope.
So what if Netflix started characterizing it's selection based on how people WANT to feel? We propose categories such as "Inspiring and Hopeful" - if you're feeling uninspired, "Main Character Energy"- if you want to tap into your potential, "This Too Shall Pass" - if you're dealing with grief. This design model seeks to give users some agency over how they would like to feel.
In conclusion
Our redesigned app screens highlight the potential impact of emotional design on user experiences and illustrate how we can address users' emotional needs through innovative design solutions. Ultimately, this project showcases the power of emotional design in today's technology landscape and emphasizes the value of prioritizing emotional well-being in the design process.