Headspace
Pulse
Chakra Meditation
Pulse by Headspace is a guitar tuner for chakra meditation. It uses biofeedback on the Apple Watch to make meditation an active and engaging experience.
While I was at VCU Brandcenter, we were tasked with connect an audience to a product or service from a global brand in a way that wasn't possible three years ago. I collaborated with a strategist on research and the production of the case study video.
My Role
Concept Development, UX/UI
Team
Kyle Stolcis
Headspace is on a mission to improve the health and happiness of the world. Their goal is to make meditation accessible for everyone but they lack engagement with audiences that unwind through active experiences.
In 2017, they redesigned their mobile app which included a few notable changes. They transitioned from a timeline to focus on discovery and introduced game elements so users could track their progress and earn rewards. Most importantly, Headspace added a new category called 'Minis'. This was a sign that they started to focus on the user's immediate needs.
Some users still don't feel the app works for them. Headspace needs to offer an active mediation experience to gain and retain users.
"It’s not that I don’t believe in the power of mindfulness, it’s simply that meditation as a practice doesn’t fit with where I currently am in my life! I’m too excited, too optimistic and enthusiastic to sit still."
Jonathan Courtney
"I often find my own thoughts louder than the words coming out of another person's mouth."
Valentina Palladino
"I wondered if I was doing it wrong but didn’t know what to change."
Kira Newman
Headspace
Notes on Chakra Meditation
"This meditation technique is aimed at keeping the body’s core chakras — centers of energy — open, aligned, and fluid. Blocked or imbalanced chakras can result in uncomfortable physical and mental symptoms, but chakra meditation can help to bring all of them back into balance."
How Might We
- Invite participation with existing technology?
- Gamify ancient meditation practices?
- Make meditation feel like physical exercise?
Using the Taptic Engine on the Apple Watch allows Headspace users to feel the chakra tone to vocalize, making it a more rewarding experience.
The Seven Chakras
Root Chakra
Feeling of being grounded, safe and secure
Sacral Chakra
Feeling pleasurable, accepting, creative and abundant
Solar Plexus
Feeling confident and in control, self-worth
Heart Chakra
Feeling loved and giving love, inner peace
Throat Chakra
Being able to communicate and express, both inwardly and outwardly
Third Eye Chakra
Feeling able to understand situations and perceive meaning
Crown Chakra
Feeling beautiful, connected and purposeful
Solution
Pulse by Headspace
Pulse by Headspace is a guitar tuner for chakra meditation. It uses biofeedback on the Apple Watch to make meditation an active and engaging experience. Traditionally, meditation instructors provide auditory feedback to guide students with which chakra to vocalize. Using the Taptic Engine on the Apple Watch allows Headspace users to feel the chakra tone to vocalize, making it a more rewarding experience.
How it works
Once the user hums in the range of the chakra tone, the watch begins pulsing at one second intervals to let the user know they are on the right track. After the user holds the tone for 10 seconds, the watch sends two pulses to let them know they have completed the exercise.
Feedback
Haptic and visual
Each chakra has a frequency can be mapped to music notes and colors on the light spectrum. This informs what the user will see and what tone they should vocalize.
Low-Fidelity
I created wireframes and flows for three scenarios: Discover, Single exercise, suggested exercise.
Exercise Selection
Users can choose a full chakra meditation where they vocalize each of the seven chakras or they can select them individually if they know which chakra they need to focus on.
Smart Notifications
The EKG sensor monitors the user's biometrics and invites them to meditate when they need it most.
