Project overview and introduction
During our UX/UI Bootcamp, we developed Aura, a group project focused on improving users’ relationship with their smartphones.
The idea emerged from a common frustration: despite being aware of our screen time, most of us still struggle to disconnect.
Our team wanted to explore how design could help people build healthier digital habits — not through restriction, but through awareness, reflection, and empathy.
During our UX/UI Bootcamp, we developed Aura, a group project focused on improving users’ relationship with their smartphones.
The idea emerged from a common frustration: despite being aware of our screen time, most of us still struggle to disconnect.
Our team wanted to explore how design could help people build healthier digital habits — not through restriction, but through awareness, reflection, and empathy.
Project Overview
Project type: Group project (UX/UI Bootcamp)
Duration: 3 weeks
Team members: 4 designers (research, ideation, UI design, prototyping)
My role: UX Research & UI Design.
Tools: Figma, Figjam, Miro, Notion, Google Forms, Framer, Canva.
Goal: Design an experience that encourages users to reduce compulsive phone use by visualizing their behavior and emotional state through a dynamic “aura” that evolves with their digital habits.
Project Overview
Project type: Group project (UX/UI Bootcamp)
Duration: 3 weeks
Team members: 4 designers (research, ideation, UI design, prototyping)
My role: UX Research & UI Design.
Tools: Figma, Figjam, Miro, Notion, Google Forms, Framer, Canva.
Goal: Design an experience that encourages users to reduce compulsive phone use by visualizing their behavior and emotional state through a dynamic “aura” that evolves with their digital habits.
Problem Statement
Users who struggle with excessive phone use lack tools that help them reconnect with their digital well-being in an empathetic, visual, and sustainable way.
Existing solutions mainly focus on limiting screen time or blocking apps, but they fail to create emotional awareness or provide positive feedback that motivates long-term behavior change. As a result, users often ignore or disable these features and continue their compulsive usage patterns.
Problem Statement
Users who struggle with excessive phone use lack tools that help them reconnect with their digital well-being in an empathetic, visual, and sustainable way.
Existing solutions mainly focus on limiting screen time or blocking apps, but they fail to create emotional awareness or provide positive feedback that motivates long-term behavior change. As a result, users often ignore or disable these features and continue their compulsive usage patterns.
How does compulsive phone use affect people’s emotions, and how might design help them regain a sense of balance?
The problem isn’t just about screen time — it’s about context.
People’s emotions and motivations behind phone use (boredom, notifications, waiting moments) matter more than the total hours spent.
Different groups experience different emotions.
Teenagers often feel guilt, denergized, or lose sleep after late-night scrolling, while adults view phone use as normal and functional.
Current control methods fail to motivate change.
Built-in limits and reminders are easy to bypass and feel punitive rather than supportive.
People don’t want to “use their phones less.”
They want to gain more from life — better sleep, focus, and real connections.
The problem isn’t just about screen time — it’s about context.
People’s emotions and motivations behind phone use (boredom, notifications, waiting moments) matter more than the total hours spent.
Different groups experience different emotions.
Teenagers often feel guilt, denergized, or lose sleep after late-night scrolling, while adults view phone use as normal and functional.
Current control methods fail to motivate change.
Built-in limits and reminders are easy to bypass and feel punitive rather than supportive.
People don’t want to “use their phones less.”
They want to gain more from life — better sleep, focus, and real connections.
These insights come from a series of street interviews we conducted with people from different age groups and backgrounds.
We asked them about how they feel after using their phones, what triggers their screen time, and which habits they find hardest to control.
The goal was to uncover the emotional patterns and motivations behind everyday phone use — beyond numbers or screen time reports.
Key Insights
What We Learned About Digital Habits
What We Learned About Digital Habits
Who We Reached
Most participants were 26–45 years old and employed.
85% admitted spending too much time on their phones.
Main triggers: notifications, boredom, and waiting moments.
Emotional Impact
Top feelings after long use: distraction, guilt, and fatigue.
72% said their phone use affects mental health negatively.
Many use their phones to cope with stress or social discomfort.
Usage Patterns
Social media is the main driver — especially Instagram (76%).
Most users scroll without purpose, often late at night.
Sleep issues are common due to bedtime use.
Who We Reached
Most participants were 26–45 years old and employed.
85% admitted spending too much time on their phones.
Main triggers: notifications, boredom, and waiting moments.
Emotional Impact
Top feelings after long use: distraction, guilt, and fatigue.
72% said their phone use affects mental health negatively.
Many use their phones to cope with stress or social discomfort.
Usage Patterns
Social media is the main driver — especially Instagram (76%).
Most users scroll without purpose, often late at night.
Sleep issues are common due to bedtime use.
This data is based on a survey of 76 participants conducted through Google Forms.
We explored behaviors, emotions, and coping strategies around phone overuse, focusing on how people manage time, notifications, and social media.
The responses helped us identify common pain points — like distraction, guilt, and fatigue — and understand how digital habits affect mental wellbeing.
Competitive Analysis
How might we turn digital awareness into a visual and emotional journey?
How might we turn digital awareness into a visual and emotional journey?
User persona
Sketches
Sketches
Site map
Site map
Task Flow
Task Flow
Ease of use: Users described navigation as natural and fluid.
Discoverability issue: Some had trouble locating specific features (like Add timer on Instagram).
Data clarity: Graphs and statistics were visually appealing but not immediately understandable.
Overall impression: Aura feels calm, friendly, and emotionally balanced — aligned with its goal.
Improvement ideas:
Add a “Quick Actions” shortcut section (Timers, Focus Mode, Reports).
Use icons or text to explain charts.
Provide onboarding the first time a user interacts with insights.
Ease of use: Users described navigation as natural and fluid.
Discoverability issue: Some had trouble locating specific features (like Add timer on Instagram).
Data clarity: Graphs and statistics were visually appealing but not immediately understandable.
Overall impression: Aura feels calm, friendly, and emotionally balanced — aligned with its goal.
Test patterns & Insights
Ease of use: Users described navigation as natural and fluid.
Discoverability issue: Some had trouble locating specific features (like Add timer on Instagram).
Data clarity: Graphs and statistics were visually appealing but not immediately understandable.
Overall impression: Aura feels calm, friendly, and emotionally balanced — aligned with its goal.
Ease of use: Users described navigation as natural and fluid.
Discoverability issue: Some had trouble locating specific features (like Add timer on Instagram).
Data clarity: Graphs and statistics were visually appealing but not immediately understandable.
Overall impression: Aura feels calm, friendly, and emotionally balanced — aligned with its goal.
Test patterns & Insights
Improvement ideas:
Add a “Quick Actions” shortcut section (Timers, Focus Mode, Reports).
Use icons or microcopy to explain charts.
Provide onboarding tooltips the first time a user interacts with insights.
Test patterns & Insights
Ease of use: Users described navigation as natural and fluid.
Discoverability issue: Some had trouble locating specific features (like Add timer on Instagram).
Data clarity: Graphs and statistics were visually appealing but not immediately understandable.
Overall impression: Aura feels calm, friendly, and emotionally balanced — aligned with its goal.
Improvement ideas:
Add a “Quick Actions” shortcut section (Timers, Focus Mode, Reports).
Use icons or microcopy to explain charts.
Provide onboarding tooltips the first time a user interacts with insights.
Project overview and introduction
Project Overview
Project type: Group project (UX/UI Bootcamp)
Duration: 3 weeks
Team members: 4 designers (research, ideation, UI design, prototyping)
My role: UX Research & UI Design.
Tools: Figma, Figjam, Miro, Notion, Google Forms, Framer, Canva.
Goal: Design an experience that encourages users to reduce compulsive phone use by visualizing their behavior and emotional state through a dynamic “aura” that evolves with their digital habits.
During our UX/UI Bootcamp, we developed Aura, a group project focused on improving users’ relationship with their smartphones. The idea emerged from a common frustration: despite being aware of our screen time, most of us still struggle to disconnect.
Our team wanted to explore how design could help people build healthier digital habits — not through restriction, but through awareness, reflection, and empathy.
Problem Statement
Users who struggle with excessive phone use lack tools that help them reconnect with their digital well-being in an empathetic, visual, and sustainable way.
Existing solutions mainly focus on limiting screen time or blocking apps, but they fail to create emotional awareness or provide positive feedback that motivates long-term behavior change. As a result, users often ignore or disable these features and continue their compulsive usage patterns.
How does compulsive phone use affect people’s emotions, and how might design help them regain a sense of balance?
Key Insights
These insights come from a series of street interviews we conducted with people from different age groups and backgrounds.
We asked them about how they feel after using their phones, what triggers their screen time, and which habits they find hardest to control.
The goal was to uncover the emotional patterns and motivations behind everyday phone use — beyond numbers or screen time reports.
The problem isn’t just about screen time — it’s about context.
People’s emotions and motivations behind phone use (boredom, notifications, waiting moments) matter more than the total hours spent.
Different groups experience different emotions.
Teenagers often feel guilt, denergized, or lose sleep after late-night scrolling, while adults view phone use as normal and functional.
Current control methods fail to motivate change.
Built-in limits and reminders are easy to bypass and feel punitive rather than supportive.
People don’t want to “use their phones less.”
They want to gain more from life — better sleep, focus, and real connections.
What We Learned About Digital Habits
Who We Reached
Most participants were 26–45 years old and employed.
85% admitted spending too much time on their phones.
Main triggers: notifications, boredom, and waiting moments.
Emotional Impact
Top feelings after long use: distraction, guilt, and fatigue.
72% said their phone use affects mental health negatively.
Many use their phones to cope with stress or social discomfort.
Usage Patterns
Social media is the main driver — especially Instagram (76%).
Most users scroll without purpose, often late at night.
Sleep issues are common due to bedtime use.
This data is based on a survey of 76 participants conducted through Google Forms.
We explored behaviors, emotions, and coping strategies around phone overuse, focusing on how people manage time, notifications, and social media.
The responses helped us identify common pain points — like distraction, guilt, and fatigue — and understand how digital habits affect mental wellbeing.
Competitive Analysis
How might we turn digital awareness into a visual and emotional journey?
User persona
Sketches
Sketches
Site map
Prototype
Iteration
Aura was my first group case study during the bootcamp. Beyond the final result, it was a process full of learning — from coordinating different ideas and styles to dealing with inevitable creative disagreements. I learned to listen, negotiate, and find balance between my vision and the team’s, always keeping the user at the center.
During the research, we realized that the problem of phone overuse is not only about time, but about context: boredom, notifications, and waiting moments. The biggest insight was understanding that people don’t want to use their phones less — they want to live better with them.
Designing from that place of empathy completely changed my perspective. Aura taught me that good design doesn’t impose limits — it accompanies, guides, and gives control back to the user. It became a turning point in how I understand product design: collaborative, human, and purpose-driven.
Retrospective
Retrospective
Thank you
Would love to hear from you
Would love to hear from you
Your brand deserves better. Let’s build it right.
Your brand deserves better. Let’s build it right.
Ederne Serena
2025©All rights reserved.
2025©All rights reserved.