Setting the scene

Smiling Mind is a 100% not-for-profit that's changing the world by helping every mind to thrive. They have a vision for a world where everyone has the skills and ability to manage life's challenges and live to their full potential. They provide resources for adults and children to support a mindfulness practice. There are range of resources including school and business programs but the key consumer resource is a free app.

The key challenges that Smiling Mind are trying to overcome with the app is non-ideal customer retention and engagement, a gap between users intention and action and on-going financial viability.

The Project

Using a design thinking problem solving approach and user informed ideation, in consultation with my mentor and the client I was responsible for delivery of this project end to end.

The aim of the project was, through in-depth 1:1 interviews and a SUPR-Q survey, gain deeper empathy for Smiling Mind’s key customer segments—to help identify opportunities for optimising the end-to-end customer experience.

Research Objectives

Research and understand what resources people need to help them build a mindfulness practice, what will keep them engaged with a mindfulness practice and how they are currently using apps to support their practice.

EMPATHY - NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS

Unravel customers pains & gains related to mindfulness app usage and discover what customers needs and expectations are from an app resource.

BRAND PERCEPTION

Evaluate what customers think about Smiling Mind, what is their perception of the brand and why.

EXPERIENCES

Understand customers current experiences with the app or similar mindfulness apps.

Research Methodology

Mindfulness is a deeply personal pursuit and one that needed to be treated with due consideration to each research participant’s privacy. 1:1 interviews were conducted either at the participant’s home or via video call to ensure that the environment was private and comfortable.

The 1:1 interviews were supplemented with a SUPR-Q survey that was used as a means to ensure that the key pain points with the current app experience were identified.

Key Insights

PAINS

Difficulty navigating app content.

Confusing presentation of content.

Irrelevant content and lack of personalisation of content.

GAINS

Highly trusted content.

Lots of choice.

Content of varying length and themes.

Smiling Mind Users

The Opportunity

Smiling Mind has the opportunity to mentor users through the process of taking ownership of their individual mindfulness practice.

Customer Value Proposition

In a market where most people don’t know where to start with mindfulness, only Smiling Mind can guide people to take ownership of their individual mindfulness needs, because the content is plentiful, varied and highly trusted to meet their changing needs. 

Minimum Viable Product

INSTANT ACCESS WHEN TIME POOR

A seperate and clearly labelled navigation for times when users want to be able to click and go.

FLEXIBILITY TO SERACH BASED ON LOCATION AND TIME AVAILABLE

A navigation option that filters based on where you are and how much time you have.

GUIDANCE ON HOW TO IMPROVE

A navigation option that focuses on specific areas of improvement.

The Solution

Recommendations

STOP

Presenting content that is not filtered in a logical way.

Having the home page as the profile page.

Presenting session options with large amounts of text and explanation.

START

Change the home page to a page that starts narrowing down session options.

Filter content based on needs.

Tailor the number of task required to complete a session to the need.

CONTINUE

Offering the wide variety of content.

The session page presentation, users like; voice, options to turn music on and off, simple and clean presentation.

Allowing users to ‘favourite’ sessions so that they can curate and take ownership of their mindfulness.