Team

Product design User Testing Lead
User Research
Product strategy Accessibility Lead

Role

Product design
User Research
Product strategy

Year

2023

Zephyr

Corporate wellbeing app that aims to help and elevate corporate wellness stress while fostering a stronger sense of community among users and increasing productivity.

Overview

Zephyr was born from a vision to transform the workplace into a thriving center for employee wellbeing and growth. Recognizing the challenges of traditional workplaces with stress, disengagement, and difficulty balancing work and life, we set out to create a solution. Our belief was that a harmonious work environment could enhance individual wellbeing, productivity, and foster a supportive culture. With this mission, we developed a platform to address all aspects of employee wellbeing, including physical, mental, emotional, and social dimensions.

Problem

Despite the increasing prevalence of remote and hybrid teams, with 40% of UK adults working remotely, there are challenges impacting workers' mental health. While remote work offers flexibility, there's a gap in leveraging smartphones to enhance cognitive abilities and overall mental wellbeing. This gap extends to the corporate wellness realm, where organizations have yet to fully utilize smartphones to promote cognitive fitness among employees. As a result, productivity, engagement, and mental wellbeing are compromised.

Understanding what people want

The user research for the Zephyr app involved a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to gain comprehensive insights into potential users' needs and preferences. The user interviews allowed for us to delve deeper into individual experiences and motivations, while the survey provided broader insights and statistical data.

Survey results indicated that 74% of respondents expressed a desire for it to be easier to navigate workplace stressors and maintain a sense of community within their workplace.

After speaking directly to current well-being app users in the workplace, some clear themes emerged from interviews:

  • Absence of community engagement: Many users seek community-oriented features, similar to those found on social platforms, to foster connection within the app.

  • Challenges in accessing specific resources: Users express the need to easily locate relevant well-being materials within the app.

  • Limited accessibility and personalization options: Users want enhanced accessibility features and personalized experiences.

Competitor Research

The making of Zephyr

In the realm of well-being apps, the digital health and fitness space is highly competitive. We wanted to explore leading competitors to note their strengths and what could be improved. This involved analyzing their strengths, areas for improvement, and conducting both pluses and deltas analysis as well as feature inventory analysis. Weaknesses were identified, including limited content, intrusive onboarding processes, personalized & accessibility issues, and diverse content offerings.

The goal of our app is to integrate the tools of mental fitness and well-being apps with the tools of workplace well-being solution platforms, creating a comprehensive ecosystem that addresses the holistic wellness needs of individuals. By bringing together these diverse resources, our app aims to provide users with a centralized hub where they can access a wide range of tools, content, and support services to enhance their mental health and overall well-being.

SOLUTION FEATURES

Building community through interactivity

Distinct emphasis on community engagement, which goes beyond the standard features offered by typical workplace apps. While many apps might prioritize task management, communication, and collaboration, Zephyr recognizes the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and connection among remote workers.

Effortlessly access a wide array of exercises tailored to meet your specific needs

Users can access a wide array of exercises tailored to meet their specific needs, ensuring a personalised and effective experience.

Engage in curated exercises to enhance your workday experience

Users can discover and engage in curated exercises to enhance the workday, or easily share them with colleagues to boost productivity together.