Addressing meditation needs in a 4.3 Billion Dollar Industry

UX Research • Discovery

8 min read

Through user research, I uncovered key needs and preferences for a personalized meditation app (Inner Compass) targeting busy professionals. This 2-month research sprint yielded insights that informed design decisions, leading to a more accessible and engaging user experience.

Timeline

8 weeks
Feb - April 2024

My Role

UX Researcher & Strategist

Collaborators

Product Manager
UX/UI Designer
Developers

Deliverables

Competitor Analysis
Affinity Clustering
Stakeholder Map
User Types Matrix
Personas
User Storyboard

In today's fast-paced world, meditation apps are booming, but many lack personalization and struggle to integrate seamlessly into busy lives. This research aimed to uncover user needs and preferences for a meditation app that caters to working professionals seeking stress reduction and improved well-being.

75%

of Americans experience moderate to high stress levels which can significantly impact focus, productivity, and overall well-being.

By 2027, the global meditation app market is expected to reach a value of

$4.3 Billion

The Calm Before the Storm: Understanding the Meditation App Landscape

Charting the Course: Defining the Research Process

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Uncover the Deepest Desires and Frustrations: 
Delve into the hearts and minds of our target audience to understand their motivations for meditation, hidden desires for a perfect meditation app, and the pain points they face with existing offerings.

Identify Friction Points in the User Journey: 
Map out the user journey for meditation practice, pinpointing where users encounter friction, frustration, or abandonment.

Inform a User-Centered Design for Inner Compass: 
Translate user needs and pain points into actionable insights that will shape the design of Inner Compass, ensuring it seamlessly integrates into busy lives and empowers users to cultivate a personalized meditation practice.

Navigating the Competition: A Deep Dive into the Meditation App Market

During the competitor analysis, it was observed that the majority of meditation applications available in the market suffered from a lack of personalized practices and complex onboarding experiences.

Headspace for Beginners:
Offers beginner-friendly meditation courses, sleep aids, and progress tracking but with limited customization. Some users find the voice-over repetitive. Very long onboarding process.

Calm for Sleep & Relaxation:
Provides sleep stories, music, and breathing exercises for relaxation. Focuses on sleep but lacks detailed meditation techniques without a premium subscription.

Waking Up for Experienced Meditators:
Tailored for experienced users with a focus on Vipassana meditation. Sam Harris offers unique and in-depth meditation insights. Subscription required for all features.

Unraveling the User Journey: Exploring the Minds of Our Target Audience

10 interviews, 15 survey responses, & 5 observational studies

To gain insights into the requirements and challenges encountered by users when using current meditation applications, I carried out 10 detailed user interviews, collected feedback from 15 surveys, and watched 5 individuals interact with existing meditation apps. Through affinity diagraming and thematic analysis I identified key themes and major pain points:

  • Users feel overwhelmed by traditional meditation practices.

  • A need for personalized meditation experiences tailored to individual goals and schedules.

  • Existing apps lacking user-friendly interfaces or clear instructions.

  • Users desiring a supportive community for motivation and connection.

  • "It's relaxing to go through morning rituals and feel ready for the day."

    Interview participant

  • "Mindfulness came up with big life changes like working and having two kids, I needed a way to be mindful and calm."

    Interview participant

  • "A great interface is so important. If an app doesn't look great, I’m immediately gone. "

    Interview participant

Illuminating the Path: Discovering User Needs and Pain Points

  1. Lack of Personalization: Existing apps felt generic, failing to cater to individual goals, time constraints, and meditation experience levels.

  2. Difficulty Integrating Meditation: Users struggled to find time and motivation to meditate consistently within their routines.

  3. User Desire for Thematic Content: Users expressed interest in guided meditations focused on specific themes like stress reduction, sleep improvement, or focus enhancement.

  4. Importance of Accessibility: Inclusive design practices were crucial to cater to users with diverse needs.

Building the Foundation: Mapping Out Key Players and Collaborators

Busy Professionals

Mindfulness Seekers

Inner Compass caters to a diverse range of stakeholders. Our primary focus is busy professionals and mindfulness seekers. Mental health professionals also represent a key stakeholder group, as they can recommend Inner Compass as a complementary tool for their clients. Additionally, potential investors and partners may be interested in the app's potential for growth and its positive impact on user well-being.

Unmasking the User: Building User Types for Inner Compass

To truly understand the diverse needs of our target audience, I created a user types matrix. Based on demographics, behaviors, and meditation goals, I gained invaluable insights for tailoring Inner Compass.

Key User Segments:

  • The Stressed Executive: Juggling a high-powered career, this user seeks quick, effective stress relief and improved focus.

  • The Sleep-Deprived Student: Balancing academics and social life, this user prioritizes sleep improvement and enhanced focus.

  • The Wellness Enthusiast: Committed to holistic well-being, this user desires a variety of meditation practices and personalized recommendations.

  • The Beginner Meditator: New to meditation, this user seeks guided practices and clear instructions to build a consistent routine.

Meeting the Mindfulness Seekers Behind Inner Compass: Crafting Personas for Calm

These personas represented the primary target audience for Inner Compass and allowed us to deeply understand their motivations, behaviors, and pain points. By prioritizing these core user groups, we could effectively tailor the app's features and messaging to meet their specific needs and preferences.

A Day in the Life: Mapping the User Journey Before and After Using Inner Compass

Before Inner Compass

After Inner Compass

Inner Compass's Unique Value Proposition: Navigate Your Inner Calm

Personalized Meditation Experience Cater to a wider audience (beginners & experienced) by recommending meditations based on individual goals, preferences, and progress.

Balance of Accessibility & Depth
Provide user-friendly features for beginners while offering in-depth content for experienced practitioners.

Variety of Meditation Styles
Offer guided meditations beyond mindfulness (e.g., breathing exercises, guided imagery) to appeal to diverse user needs.

Potential for Supportive Community
Build a forum or chat room for users to connect and share experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and motivation.

Lessons Learned: Insights and Takeaways from the Research Journey

This research project reinforced the importance of user-centered design. By prioritizing user needs and preferences, we were able to create a product roadmap for Inner Compass that catered to the specific needs of working professionals. This project also highlighted the value of collaborating with cross-functional teams - the research insights seamlessly translated into design decisions that ultimately benefited the user experience.

Discover how research insights were transformed into a seamless user experience for Inner Compass.