Improving brain health and cognitive performance using “small acts” to develop better habits and task management skills
Project Overview
Cognitive health includes a person’s ability to remember/recall information, learn new things, concentrate and make everyday decisions. At some point, every person has experienced some form of forgetfulness (“Where did I put my phone?!”) and is even a part of the normal aging process. Cognitive decline, however, can become troublesome especially if it disrupts our ability to independently function on a day-to-day basis.
According to the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative “engaging in cognitively stimulating activities and brain training over the course of your life can positively impact how well your brain functions, including memory, attention, thinking, language and reasoning skills.”
TIMEFRAME
ROLE
METHODOLOGIES
User Research
User Personas Wireframes
Prototyping
Usability Testing
6 weeks (80 hours)
UX/UI Designer
UX Researcher
The Problem
It is estimated that almost 40% of the world’s population will experience some form of memory loss, while 22% (Manly, J et al, 2022) will develop some form of cognitive impairment after turning the age of 65.
The Solution
Develop an end-to-end application that supports users’ desire to improve their brain health and cognitive performance to accomplish important daily tasks.
Research
Most applications in the market focus solely on brain exercises and challenges which can often be either too easy, too hard, or too repetitive. Users seek an app that takes on a more holistic approach beyond just games (i.e. nutrition, physical activity).
In a preliminary survey, individual’s overwhelmingly identified brain health as something they thought about and worked on. Although individuals actively employed strategies to improve cognitive performance (i.e. physical activity, managing stress, brain exercises), more than half found it difficult to consistently use these strategies in their day to day life.
Do you work on or think about your brain health?
Yes
82.4%
No
17.6%
Would you say you consistently employ or use these strategies?
Yes
47.1%
No
29.4%
N/A
23.5%
Would you say it is easy or difficult to employ these strategies in your day to day life?
Easy
23.6%
Difficult
52.9%
N/A
23.5%
Have you ever employed strategies to improve your cognitive performance?
Yes
82.4%
No
11.8%
N/A
5.8%
Strengths
Weaknesses
Exercises are other too easy or too hard
Only available on iOS phones
Games can feel repetitive
App does not track progress with desktop login
Must check task manually; app does not do it automatically
Focuses solely on tasks not overall cognitive health
Requires monthly subscription
Free version offers limited features
Offers free version
Evidence-based brain games targeting memory and attention
Categorize task based on time and importance
Reminder alarm for time-sensitive tasks
Attachable notes for additional task information
Structured training programs
Allows user to assess cognitive skills
Offers detailed analysis of brain health
Holistic approach (brain games, healthy nutrition, healthy exercise and social interaction)
Offers memory test with results
Define
It became apparent that one of the major hurdles individual’s experience was consistently maintaining habits and deterring from the “all or nothing” mindset. As a way to combat this, aspects of James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” were utilized as the main methodology for creating habits and accomplishing daily tasks. Users are prompted to start with simple, achievable goals in order to reach their identity-based habit.
1
How might we allow user’s to prioritize their brain health despite their busy schedule to achieve a more improved quality of life?
Habit system (i.e. habit identity and small acts) to replace “all or nothing” attitude
Daily task list which can be broken down to smaller subtasks
Weekly journal prompts and self-reflection tools
How might we enable users to build better habits surrounding brain health in order to stick to a routine?
2
Educational factoids sprinkled throughout to signify efficacy of certain methods or strategies
How might we provide users with the necessary tools and education to feel validated in the methods/strategies they employ to enhance their brain health?
4
Community page to learn from other members working on brain health
How might we assist users to try different strategies to create more variety in their goal for improved cognitive performance?
3
Design
MindFull’s UI centered around the feeling of calming, peaceful and cerebral energy. The intention was to select a color palette that was easy on the eyes and elements that were not too distracting. The central focus was placed on easily identifying the habit and daily task activity.
Poppins
Header 1, Bold, 32px
Lato
Body, Regular, 16px
Logo
Typography
Buttons
Elements & Components
Iconography
Color Palette
#5151BC
#9C1A73
#F07EC0
#FFB921
NORMAL STATE
SELECTED STATE
Primary CTA
Default
Hover
Active
Inactive
Toggle
On
Off
Next
Next
Next
Next
Radio Buttons
#01001E
#F5F5F5
Progress Bar
Slider
Progress Rings
Sat
Sun
Navigation Bar
Community
Home
Journal
Progress
Community
Home
Journal
Progress
Mobile Cards
Reading
Become an avid reader
5 day streak
🔥
80%
This Week’s Progress
Attention
Last week you rated your attention/focus as:
4/5
Become an avid reader
Read 5 pages a day
5 day streak
🔥
Complete high-fidelity wireframes
0/2 subtasks completed
Set a reminder
04
29
30
31
05
06
AM
PM
:
Repeat
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
M
T
W
Th
F
Sat
Sun
Testing & Revisions
Moderated usability testing sessions were conducted using Zoom across 6 users. A summary of the user feedback during testing is included below:
of users (4/6) recommended incorporating pre-selected options when indicating items for onboarding/creating an account flow
Before Testing
After Testing
66%
of users (2/6) desired a clearer/more intuitive way to recognize when they’ve completed creating a habit system during the onboarding phase
Before Testing
After Testing
33%
of users (4/6) were observed selecting the right arrow button rather than selecting the radio button when moving onto the next task screen
Before Testing
After Testing
66%
of users (2/6) wanted to “see more education throughout the application” to better understand why their habits support their brain health
After Testing
33%
of users (4/6) were confused of the placement of the “Sketch” button while using the Weekly Journal; 83% of users (5/6) recommended placing journal modalities underneath the text box for less confusion
Before Testing
After Testing
66%
Users are able to choose between a pre-selected option or creating their own
Changed text to gradient color to indicate which habits user finished and those to be completed
Removed right arrow from fill container when marking daily habit progress for more intuitive flow when selecting desired action
Additional educational “Did you know...” facts to provide more context on how a habit should tie back to the application’s main goal (i.e. improving brain health and cognitive performance)
Changed location of journal methodologies below current text box
Next Steps & Key Takeaways
Up Next
Expand future user test group
During the research phase, there were limitations with finding users from a diverse age group. The results of the survey and user interviews consisted of folks ranging from ages 20-40. This gives a narrow lens towards the aspects of brain health that are important to a wider group of individuals.
Mental health = cognitive health?
There was quite a bit of conflation regarding brain/cognitive health and mental health which required more leg-work on the onset to create clarity over the definition of brain health. However, I think it is important to call attention to how mental health and brain health are interrelated and how they influence/impact one another. It would be interesting to explore this further in a user interviews.
More customizations
It would be ideal to further test customizations of certain features. This would include customized journal questions and the quantitative data presented in the progress tracker.
Assistive writing and language tool
within Google Docs system
Google Docs