Goal: To design an alarm app that helps college students and individuals with sensory or emotional sensitivities wake up effectively and positively.
Traditional alarms are rigid, aggressive, or easy to ignore. Hypnos provides a gentler, emotionally supportive, and customizable alternative for college students and individuals with sensitivities.
We interviewed a diverse group of students including night owls, early risers, and individuals with sleep/sensory issues for 15-30 minutes each. Interviews focused on waking habits, emotional states, and alarm frustrations. Then, the data was gathered into the following affinity diagram to pinpoint user pain points.
Research : Some users wanted advanced features, while others preferred defaults.
Insight : Customization must be modular to avoid cognitive overload.
Research : Users snoozed repeatedly or unconsciously turned alarms off.
Insight : Snoozing fragments sleep and increases morning stress.
Research : Students woke up anxious or in “fight-or-flight” mode.
Insight : Abrupt alarms raise cortisol and set a negative tone.
Research : Plans and accountability improve wake-up success.
Insight : Motivation matters more than alarm intensity.
From visual/audio themes to adaptive difficulty and mood-based mascots, Hypnos prioritizes comfort and user confidence every morning.
Hypnos reduces alarm stress and builds better habits. It supports sleep hygiene, improves time management, and meets mental health needs in a holistic, human way.