Noom
Background
Noom is a behavioral psychology weight loss app that utilizes daily lessons to help users improve their eating habits.
Project
As part of my project for the Designlab certificate, I analyzed the Noom app, which is designed to improve eating habits and facilitate weight loss through behavioral psychology principles. Utilizing my experience with the app, I identified areas for improvement and proposed a new feature to enhance its overall functionality.
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Role: UX Designer, UI Designer, and UX Researcher
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In an 8-week timeframe, I conducted interviews, performed competitive analysis, developed personas, conducted affinity mapping, created task flows, recruited participants, crafted consent forms, sketched wireframes, and prototyped
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Usability testing, survey, rainbow spreadsheet, and launched website.
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Solo Project
Problem
Noom users lack a tool to document and reflect on their emotions related to lifestyle changes facilitated by the app's daily lessons. Users express a desire for a mood tracker/journal within the app, which would allow them to more effectively connect their mental state with their eating habits.
Goal
Noom wants to add a feature of a mood tracker to their app to help users connect their moods with their eating habits
Persona
Competitive Analysis
User Interviews
In the interviews with 4 participants, several vital insights emerged regarding their use of health and fitness apps, with a significant emphasis on mood management:
Social Interaction: All participants highlighted the importance of social features in their app usage. They valued platforms like Strava and Weight Watchers for creating a supportive community similar to social media platforms.
Meal Logging: 3 out of 4 participants used apps such as Noom and Fitness Pal for meal logging. While they appreciated features like barcode scanning, two participants encountered difficulties scanning barcodes on the Noom app.
Workout Preferences: 3 out of 4 participants preferred diverse workout options, enjoying platforms like YouTube videos, Peloton, and specific workout apps—motivations for exercising varied, including mood improvement and achieving fitness goals.
Mood Management: 3 out of 4 participants frequently highlighted mood as a significant factor in their exercise routines. They mentioned activities like running and meditation as beneficial for maintaining positive emotional well-being.
Recommendations and Influences: 2 participants mentioned being influenced by recommendations from friends or partners when choosing apps.
Results: Mood Tracker -Integrating a mood tracker feature into the Noom app aligns well with Noom's focus on holistic health and well-being. By allowing users to track their mood alongside their dietary habits and exercise routines, Noom can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing their overall health. Additionally, incorporating mood tracking complements the existing journaling and reflection activities, empowering users to make connections between their emotions, behaviors, and health outcomes. I believe this feature will enhance the user experience and also reinforce Noom's commitment to supporting individuals in their journey toward sustainable lifestyle changes.
“I want to know what influences my eating patterns”
Sketches
Wireframes
Hifi
Round 2
Usability Test: Mood Tracker Feature
Participants:
4 individuals aged 22- 47 were enlisted to assess the app's mood-logging functionality.
Objective:
The objective was twofold:
To evaluate the ease of logging mood.
To assess the ease of accessing mood statistics within the app.
Tasks:
Each participant was tasked with:
Logging their mood using the app.
Tracking their mood over a specified period.
Results:
Insights garnered from the usability test included:
Peer Review Feedback: One peer suggested that the smile emoji on the graph was redundant, mainly since a line chart was utilized.
Mentor Recommendation: The mentor advised relocating features like "Thought of the Day" and "Recommendations for You" from the mood page to the review page. This adjustment prevents users from feeling overwhelmed by consolidating information on one page.
Peer Feedback: 4 out of 4 participants desired a wider selection of mood emojis, highlighting the need for increased variety. Additionally, some participants found the calendar feature to be confusing.
These insights will drive future enhancements to refine the user experience of the app's mood-logging feature.
Hifi
Round 2
Design Decisions Based on Usability Test Insights:
Add mood stats to menu navigation for easier access.
Remove "Thought of the Day" and "Recommendations for You" from the Mood page and relocate them to the Review page.
Introduce more mood emojis to offer a wider range of options.
Remove the smile emoji from the graph to streamline the visual presentation.
Simplify the mood logging indicator to a single dot for each day.
Next Steps:
Implement mood tracking notifications for Apple Watch and Fitbit watch to prompt users to track their mood in real-time.
Introduce a breathing timer feature, notifying users twice daily to take breaks and engage in guided breathing exercises for relaxation and stress relief.
Reflections:
Looking back, I realize the potential value in interviewing individuals who engage in therapy services. Therapy provides a supportive environment where discussions about sensitive topics like food and body image are often more comfortable. However, I recognize that soliciting participation in such discussions could be challenging due to the profoundly personal nature of these topics.
I could consider using anonymized surveys or conducting focus groups with carefully selected participants to address this challenge. These methods allow for a respectful and inclusive approach to gathering valuable insights while still respecting individuals' privacy and comfort levels.