Product Design for a Personalized Alarm App

Hypnos Guide

Goal: To design an alarm app that helps college students and individuals with sensory or emotional sensitivities wake up effectively and positively.

Problem Space

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.

User Research

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.

Key Insights

• Customization of sensory cues is essential.
• A unique wake-up system should be implemented to ensure that user's wake up on the first alarm..
• User mental well-being should be a priority.

Core Features

• Onboarding: Includes mascot Hypnos, theme selection, and visual feedback bars.
• Custom Alarms: Time, repetition, name, sound/vibration, and check-in selection.
• Wake Mates: Shared alarms with social nudges and check-in sync.
• Check-Ins: Challenges (puzzles/photos), streaks, stats, and peer comparison.
• Settings: Preferences for themes, privacy, alerts, and accessibility.

From visual/audio themes to adaptive difficulty and mood-based mascots, Hypnos prioritizes comfort and user confidence every morning.

Impact

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.