Dhyana: The Next gen meditation app

Sanika Deshpande , Anjali Kumari , Maytree Das Sarkar , and Raj

We Designed a Clutter-Free Meditation App to Help You Relax and Thrive! ♀?

Hi everyone,

We Designed a Clutter-Free Meditation App to Help You Relax and Thrive! ♀?Hi everyone,My team (Sanika Deshpande , Anjali Kumari , Maytree Das Sarkar , and Raj) and I recently participated in a UI/UX hackathon organized by Tutedude . The challenge? Design a meditation app that cuts through the clutter and makes mindfulness accessible.

We dove headfirst into the meditation industry, learning about user pain points. Lengthy onboarding processes, overwhelming option overload, and cluttered interfaces were all too common.

As a meditation app user myself, I know the struggle. I don't want to sift through hundreds of options. I just want to de-stress!

That's why we created Dhanya: Learn, Train, Activate. Here are is how we started along with our progress:

Dhyana: Next Gen Meditation App Learn, Train & Activate

Problem Statement:?

In today's fast-paced and stressful world, individuals struggle to find accessible, engaging, and effective tools to manage stress and achieve mindfulness. Many existing solutions are either too complex, not user-friendly, or fail to keep users motivated and consistent in their practice.?

Objective:

Design a meditation app that empowers users to achieve mindfulness and stress relief through guided meditations, breathing exercises, and personalized progress tracking. We aim for an intuitive, engaging, and inclusive experience for users of all ages and backgrounds. Understanding the Problem:

• Market Saturation: The meditation app market is crowded, making it challenging for new apps to stand out.
• User Pain Points: Common user frustrations include unclear instructions, information overload, cluttered interfaces, and a lack of motivation to maintain consistent practice.
• Target Audience: Dhanya targets a broad audience, encompassing individuals aged 14-45 years who are seeking stress relief and mindfulness cultivation.

How We Approach the Problem:

1. User-Centered Design: We prioritize understanding user needs and pain points to create a streamlined and intuitive experience.

Target Audience:

Dhanya targets a broad audience, encompassing individuals aged 14-45 years who are seeking stress relief and mindfulness cultivation. Here is a breakdown of users:?

14-21 years old: 15-25%

21-35 years old: 25-35%

35-45 years old: 25-40%

45+ years old: 30-40%

Breaking Up the Problem:

Our research identified key issues faced by current meditation app users:

• Unclear Instructions: Confusing instructions hinder understanding and discourage practice.
• Option Overload: Too many choices overwhelm users and make it difficult to find the right meditation.
• Information Overload: Cluttered interfaces create visual noise, distracting from the core goal of achieving mindfulness.
• Lack of Engagement: Existing apps often struggle to motivate users to maintain consistent practice.
• Skepticism: Some users may not believe in the effectiveness of meditation apps.

Planning and Brainstorming:

To address these problems, we conducted brainstorming sessions and considered various factors:

• Fixing User Pain Points: Streamlining onboarding, curating options, and designing a clutter-free interface were central to our approach.
• Building New User Acquisition: Engaging features and gamification elements were crucial to attract younger users (14-35) and encourage exploration.
• Gamification Strategy: We integrated gamification elements like badges, leaderboards, and streaks to promote motivation and a sense of accomplishment.
• Value Proposition: Personalized recommendations and progress tracking create a valuable experience that users will want to return to.
• Gender Neutrality: We ensured the app design avoids any gender bias and caters to users of all genders.

Fix the Pain Point of Current Users:

By addressing the key pain points identified through research, we aim to create a user experience that is:

• Simple and Clear: Minimize onboarding steps and ensure easy navigation.
• Personalized: Recommend meditations based on goals and experience level.
• Visually Appealing: Design a clutter-free interface that promotes calmness and relaxation.

What Sets Us Apart:

Dhanya goes beyond addressing common pain points by offering a unique combination of features:

• Focus on Simplicity: We prioritize a minimalist approach, ensuring the app is user-friendly and accessible to everyone, regardless of technical experience.
• Gamification for All: Gamified elements are seamlessly integrated to motivate users of all ages, without being overwhelming or feeling childish.
• Holistic Approach: We offer a variety of meditation styles (guided meditations, breathing exercises, self-practice techniques) to cater to diverse preferences and learning styles.
• Personalized Journey: Our recommendation engine and progress tracking ensure users get the most out of the app, staying engaged and achieving their mindfulness goals.

Key Features:

• Simple Onboarding: Minimize onboarding steps (2-3 clicks) for a quick start.
• Smart Recommendation Engine: A short quiz personalizes meditation suggestions based on user goals and experience level (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
• Clutter-Free Interface: The home page presents a clear and uncluttered view, displaying relevant options (1 recommended meditation and 3-7 top picks) based on user category.
• Diverse Meditation Styles: Explore a variety of guided meditations, breathing exercises, and self-practice techniques.
• Engaging Gamification (Integrated):
• AI Assistant for Personalized Guidance: Dhanya can offer an optional AI assistant feature:

• Enhanced Accessibility: Voice commands can make the app more accessible.
• Personalized Support: The AI assistant can provide targeted guidance and answer user questions.
• Improved User Experience: Streamlining tasks can enhance the overall user experience.

Overall, the AI assistant should be a helpful and unobtrusive companion.

Paid Features:

• Subscription Model: Grant access to an expanded library of premium content, including guided meditations, self-practice music, and exclusive workshops.
• Live Studio Sessions: Connect with meditation instructors for real-time guidance and community interaction.
• Meditation Goodies Store: Purchase meditation-related accessories and apparel for your meditation within the app, creating a convenient one-stop shop for users.

Future Exploration (Keeping it Simple):

While maintaining our commitment to a clutter-free UI, we plan to explore additional features like community, blogs and upgrading other things like yoga and other activities to make a great eco system for our user but definitely not on the cost of bad UX and cluttered UI. Because we believe in “keeping it simple”.

More to Come!

We're still under development, but we're excited to bring Dhanya to life!

THANK YOU

BY: Gyanendra Verma, Sanika deshpande, Anjali kumari, Maytree Das Sarkar, Raj Basavraj?