CONTENTS
My Role
UX/UI Design
UX Research
Graphic Design
Interaction Design
My Team
This is a solo project for my Bachelor's thesis, but I have a 'mini' cross-functional team that supports me in this thesis. Read the project for further explanation
Duration
2 months
Overview
Soul-Py is an interactive application designed to improve sleep hygiene among young adults, particularly college students. The application was developed using a user-centred design approach, combining quantitative methods like surveys, and qualitative methods such as interviews and usability testing. It aims to increase self-awareness about sleep habits by providing tools for tracking and reflection.
Read full thesis: Soul-Py
Home 1 🏠
Sleep Tracker: Monitor sleep patterns and manually track them every day. One time before bed, and after waking up.
Keep in mind: Soul-Py isn’t a replacement for mental health professionals but a tool to help users track their sleep hygiene and encourage them to seek professional diagnosis when needed.
Boots retention everyday
Helps users build habits
Home 2 🏠
Social Media: Allow users to record their thoughts at night, saving key words in the Journal's "frequent words" section. This helps mental health professionals more easily identify potential causes of poor sleep hygiene.
Community 1: Connect with peers through shared posts, exchanging tips and insights. Post visibility is limited, allowing users to read only those related to their daily prompt cards.
Enhancing student sleep hygiene with AI-driven sleep tracking, social media, gamification, community support, and smart home integration.
HIGHLIGHTS AND PREVIEW
Home 3 🏠
Learning Gamification: Learn about sleep hygiene through a fun "True or False" mini-game.
Community 2: Connect with experts through Q&A sessions to gain reliable insights on sleep hygiene. Future phases may offer experts a platform to earn additional income.
Enhance engagements
100% positive feedback from user tests!
Programs 💡
Learning Gamification 2: Compete with others in challenges to earn badges and take quizzes to learn more about sleep hygiene and self-care.
ECO-PY ✨
IoT (Internet Of Things): A controller for smart home devices to optimise the sleep environment. This feature allows users to set up their desired sleep environment using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Customize sleep environment for better rest, with setup recommendations based on personal preferences and expert advice.
Journal 🖌️
Sleep Journal: Encourage self-reflection and track daily activities with clear visual stats on sleep hygiene. Users can export data as a PDF to share with health professionals for deeper insights into potential issues.
The "Frequent Words" feature stores insights from users' social media posts for deeper reflection.
Soul-Py integrates with Apple Watch and similar devices for better sleep tracking and alerts users to seek professional help if concerning patterns are detected.
Some comments on Soul-Py from users, expert, and my teachers:
CHALLENGES
But the beginning was not all glory, nor was it easy or smooth...
Sleep-related topics can be challenging and require careful ethical consideration. Soul-Py was not an easy journey to embark on, and many concerns have arisen along the way.
Many problems, only one Stella
Only 2 months to work on the thesis. Because I wanted to keep up with the graduation time.
Handle the project almost all by myself. I have to do all the things by myself, from A to Z.
A hard and sensitive topic. Lots of ethical considerations need to be addressed.
But that won't stop me from challenging myself on this project
2 months of deadlines? Nothing is impossible, a good plan (with plans B, C, D,…) will solve this.
The recruitment was tough, but in return, I got a lot of support from different experts throughout the whole design process… so I'd say they're my 'mini' cross-functional team!
Let's dive deep into my design process
IT Experts
1 UX Researcher
1 Product Designer
1 Front-end Developer
Let's dive deep into my design process
Medical Experts
1 Psychologist
1 Psychiatrist/ Chief Medical Officer
1 Senior Clinical Pharmacist
Let's dive deep into my design process
Academy Experts
1 Professor with a profession in Persuasive Psychology
My supervisor
But Stella, you're the only one doing the project, how can this project more trustworthy with multiple perspectives?
Who is Soul-Py's target group?
College students. Especially young adults from the age of 18 - 29.
Between 70% to 96% of college students sleep less than 8 hours each night and half of them sleep less than seven hours. 60% of college students meet the clinical criteria for poor sleep and 27% are at risk of developing a sleep disorder.
Why college students? According to research, they're developing bad sleep habits and hygiene.
Unhealthy lifestyle. Caffeine consuming, using devices with blue lights before sleep,…
Let's dive deep in the design process!
CONTEXT
A brand DNA analysis was conducted to understand what makes apps like Apple Health, Sleep Cycle, DailyBean, and Flo popular. A key factor is their user-friendly design, simplifying complex data for users.
This application follows a similar approach, offering a manual tracking system like DailyBean and Flo, encouraging self-reflection while logging sleep data. A minimalistic interface, gamification, and a cute mascot enhance engagement, making tracking a seamless part of daily life. Community support connects users with peers and experts, promoting better sleep hygiene.
Inspired by DailyBean, the app features “Soul-Py,” a friendly, lavender-hued mascot representing a guiding soul in users' sleep journeys. Including healthcare professionals, enrich the experience, making sleep tracking both interactive and informative.
Brand DNA Analysis
INSPIRATION & ANALYSIS
A survey was also conducted
40 respondents, interesting found.
32/40: Young adults. 23/32 don't have a consistent bedtime routine.
39/40: Using electronic devices in the hour before bedtime. 33/40 don't have a sleep tracker.
Overthinking is a factor that affects their sleep quality. This topic will be discussed with experts.
Interesting in the survey's questions?
You can check it here!
or this link: https://forms.gle/z1Jovfwkfmea9eGJ7
Quantitative data was not enough, I need more insights from users and mental health professionals!
Here are some key findings from 5 user interviews, 3 expert interviews
Semi-Structured Interviews
Unstable sleep schedules were primarily attributed to anxiety and overthinking
Use of electronic devices before bed was a common habit among all students interviewed
Environmental factors significantly disrupted sleep, including temperature
Negative experiences and anxiety disrupted their sleep
3 Students
Semi-Structured Interviews
Young adults often do not take sleep seriously until the negative consequences intensify
A sharp increase in melatonin prescriptions among young adults in recent years
Experts supported the idea of journaling as a means of self-reflection, allowing users to track their patterns and identify problems
2 Medical Experts, 1 Professor
Directed Storytellings
Students recognised that their daytime activities impacted their sleep quality
Students suggested the application should provide information on their daily activities and how they impacted their sleep quality
Students wanted their sleep environments to feel safe and comfortable, with a temperature that met their preferences
2 Students
Important Notes from Experts
Experts emphasised that not everything can be solved with medication and encouraged individuals to consult healthcare professionals for assistance, including pharmacists or doctors
Experts suggested that encouraging users to journal before sleep can help them organise their thoughts, and that such notes could be helpful to share with a healthcare provider
So much data has been gathered, let's organize them!
The primary purpose of creating this persona was to better understand the target group for the Soul-Py application2. By consolidating user data into a single, representative individual, the designers could tailor design solutions to meet the common needs, behaviours, and goals of the target audience
DATA COLLECTED
The user flow for the Soul-Py application was created to map out how users would navigate the app and complete various tasks. With (lots of) feedbacks from IT Experts, here is the final version
Several variations of the application for A/B Tests were shown to the two testers and a UX researcher to determine their preferred versions. They were asked about layout, hierarchy, colors, and features, and the most popular choices were included in the high-fidelity prototype.
The mascot helps to create a sense of companionship and engagement within the application, making it more appealing to the target audience of students and young adults.... By using a mascot, the application aims to make the process of tracking and improving sleep hygiene more interactive and less like a chore
With a tight timeline, I focused on optimizing 'our' solution through wireframes. Meanwhile, A/B Tests were conducted, wireframes also got much feedback from user tests and expert walkthroughs. Any feedback from these tests will be kept in mind for the next iteration!
You can see how much feedbacks I got in the 2nd picture…
Our little mascot, Soul-Py! 👻
Since I'm also having Expert Walkthroughs, let's also create User Flow!
Of course, we can not forget our target users, so let's design their desired interface!
Came up with the design while other tests were conducted?!
CRAFTING SOLUTIONS
Multiple user tests and expert walkthroughs are conducted even when the Hi-Fi prototype is done
Let's take a look back on our final Soul-Py!
FINAL DESIGNS
A final picture of me presenting 'Soul-Py' in front of my classmates, supervisors, and examinator (and successfully defending it <3)
Reflection on what I learned
Multiple Theories & Research
The application uses motivational design by incorporating self-determination theory and gamification to encourage behavioural changes.
The project began with a comprehensive pre-study phase using numerous methods to gather data on a complex topic. Initially, there was confusion about where to start and how to manage the large volume of data collected.
Expert Involvement
There were difficulties finding experts within the project's timeline. However, seven experts were ultimately involved to help validate the design.
Many perspectives to consider. I learned how to prioritize data by compared with users' insights as well.
Lots of research before meeting these experts.
Everything will turn out to be alright!
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations were also prioritised in the design process, especially when it came to data privacy and the encouragement of professional help.
I also discussed a lot about this with my supervisor and experts.
Future Research
Longitudinal studies to measure the application's effectiveness over a longer period, such as six months.
Involving a medical team to refine the application's content.
Including more users, such as people with sleep apnea, to make it accessible to a wider group.
An expert recommended including more college-relevant topics.
Soul-Py might tackled many aspects, but the design journey would never simply end as this…
REFLECTIONS
NEXT PROJECT
Stella Huynh
© 2025
Made with ❤️ while listening to 20+ music albums
This portfolio is best viewed on a desktop
