Milena Kostyukov - Portfolio

Blu

Health Mobile App

Blu is a mobile application designed to sync to and collect data from blue-light blocking glasses. Blu tracks and monitors insights such as screen time and a user's sleep-wake schedule to help them regulate their circadian rhythm.

Role

Sole Designer

Design Focus

UX/UI Design, UX Research

Timeline

6 months

Year

2022

UX RESEARCH

This project started with secondary research into the symptoms users experience from prolonged blue light exposure, especially as remote work became more prevalent. I aimed to explore whether blue light blocking glasses and night-shift software effectively addressed these symptoms.

Furthermore, I identified a market gap — there were currently no IoT devices available that block blue light. This inspired me to design a product that could combine both hardware and software solutions for blue light protection.

7 OUT OF 10

people experience headaches and blurred vision after looking at screens for a long period of time.

Vision Direct, 2020

20% of remote workers

never take a break from staring at their device, increasing digital eye strain symptoms.

Vision Direct, 2020

58% INCREASE

in participants’ night time melatonin levels after prolonged use of blue light blocking glasses.

University of Houston, 2020

f.lux reviews from Product Hunt

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

A competitive analysis was conducted to understand the benefits, negatives, and possible gaps in existing night-shift applications and products.

ANALYZING USER SCENARIOS

I took notes of any notable features, analyzing where there could be improvements to the UX and UI of the product based off the given scenario.

ANALYZING USER REVIEWS

I read through the user reviews to understand the typical user and highlighted any useful information that could identify pain points. My findings revealed that remote workers, particularly designers, are most likely to use blue-light blocking tools.

Addressing pain points

After conducting market research and a competitive analysis, I identified four key pain points that my target audience of remote workers, particularly young and middle-aged designers, experienced when using existing blue-light blocking softwares.

lack of flexibility

People who work with colours or web softwares, such as designers, find that automatic night shift is distracting when working with colours and struggle to switch between the settings.

no insight tracking

There are no products on the market that track user's night-time schedule in addition to blocking blue-light. Existing software uses your geographical location or a custom schedule that the user customizes.

lack of a singular solution

Software solutions do not alter the diodes of LED screens, allowing high energy light to be emitted. They do not prevent glare which is also responsible for producing eye strain. There is no singular solution that reaps both the benefits of both software and physical products.

lack of information

Users are interested in knowing why softwares like f.lux suggest specific light settings and colour temperatures, and existing applications do not offer any research-backed information to support their features.

MOSCOW METHOD AND INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

In this stage, I applied a framework that helped me evaluate the most valuable features for Blu and its users. Through my competitive analysis, I was able to analyze other IoT products to understand the different types of trends and biometric data and evaluate how the designers displayed this information to the user.

Applying the MoSCoW Method and building an Information Architecture Map helped me to synthesize and consolidate the most valuable features for the minimum viable product.

In this stage, I applied a framework that helped me evaluate the most valuable features for Blu and its users.

Through my competitive analysis, I was able to analyze other IoT products to understand the different types of trends and biometric data and evaluate how the designers displayed this information to the user.

Applying the MoSCoW Method and building an Information Architecture Map helped me to synthesize and consolidate the most valuable features for the minimum viable product.

MOSCOW METHOD
AND INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

Preview of the MoSCoW Method for Blu

Information Architecture Map

DESIGN CRITIQUES

Design critiques were conducted with a group of target users to identify usability issues throughout the mid- and high-fidelity wireframes.

PRODUCT PRESENTATION

Introducing Blu — the smarter way to sleep better.

The Learn section addresses the current lack of information in blue-light softwares and hardwares on the market.

The application provides a knowledge-packed experience where the user can dive deep into research studies, articles, and educational videos that discuss a range of topics including Healthy Sleep, Eye Health, and the Circadian Rhythm.

The Learn section addresses the current lack of information in blue-light softwares and hardwares on the market.

Our onboarding experience solves the lack of a singular solution by allowing you to sync this application to a pair of Blu-light blocking glasses.

We made sure to produce an accessible yet entertaining experience that educates the user about the function of the app and its features.

Our onboarding experience solves the lack of a singular solution by allowing you to sync this application to a pair of Blu-light blocking glasses.

We made sure to produce an accessible yet entertaining experience that educates the user about the function of the app and its features.

Our onboarding experience solves the lack of a singular solution by allowing you to sync this application to a pair of Blu-light blocking glasses.

We made sure to produce an accessible yet entertaining experience that educates the user about the function of the app and its features.