Spelifiering i en sömnapplikation

Sammanfattning

Sleep problems are a widespread public health issue, and digital sleep applications have become an increasingly common tool for supporting healthy sleep habits. At the same time, gamification is being used to a growing extent in digital services to increase user motivation and engagement. This trend can also be observed in digital sleep applications. Although user experience is a key factor in the continued use of products and services, research on the impact of gamification on user experience in digital sleep applications remains limited. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to investigate how gamification affects user experience in digital sleep applications and how gamification can be implemented to promote a positive user experience. The project was carried out using a human-centered and iterative design process based on the Double Diamond model. During the initial phases of the project, a literature review, benchmarking of existing sleep applications, a survey, and user testing were conducted to identify users’ needs and experiences. The insights obtained were subsequently analyzed and translated into concept development, iterative prototyping, and additional user testing. User experience was continuously evaluated using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). The project resulted in the interactive prototype Sleep Garden, a concept for a gamified sleep application featuring a nature-inspired visual design in which the user’s sleep-related behaviors are visualized through a garden that develops over time. The results indicate that gamification can contribute to a positive user experience in digital sleep applications. At the same time, the findings show that gamification may be perceived as distracting or stressful if implemented without consideration of users’ needs and the purpose of the application. The results further indicate that an iterative design process with continuous user feedback can be an effective approach for developing gamified sleep applications. Furthermore, the findings suggest that user experience is not influenced by gamification in isolation, but rather by the interplay between gamification, usability, and visual design. The findings suggest that gamification has the potential to enhance user experience in digital sleep applications when designed in a thoughtful, human-centered, and context-sensitive manner.