BED+TIME: An Alarm Clock for CFS sufferers

Under the course ‘Smart Objects’ at the School of Visual Arts, my teammates (David Mahmarian, Alexa Forney) and I explored a way to solve the problems related to human health in cities, and the consequences of gentrification and density. We particularly shared a common interest in Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS. Chronic fatigue afflicts 1-4 million Americans per year. However, since there is not yet a cure for CFS, the key to living with CFS is treating symptoms. So we created a special alarm clock called BED+TIME that tracks one’s condition such as their diet, sleep patterns, and activities so that CFS sufferers can manages their symptoms easily. This will help them feel better and will allow them to take control or the CFS.

Year2016AffiliationSVA MFA Interaction DesignRoleConcept development, UI/UX, Visual DesignCollaboratorsDavid Mahmarian, Alexa ForneyLinkvimeo.com

Chronic fatigue is incurable, but it is NOT unmanageable
For CFS suffers, a successful self-care regimen comes from maintaining and tracking habits
over a period of months or years. To develop an easy tracking tool, we sketched various ideas and developed initial prototypes
such as a smart sleeping mask, a worry robot and an energy tracking app.
The tracking app is great, but how do we make it become a daily routine?
We wanted to make our solution simple enough to become a daily routine so that CFS suffers can easily use it without pressure.
We were inspired by alarm clocks and phone chargers, technology that is essential to our daily lives. Finally we came up with a new concept for
a smart phone dock alarm clock paired with a mobile app that can track and manage CFS symptoms in a natural way.
Early App Screen Design
Iterate, iterate, iterate until we get it right
Using the common habit of recharging the phone at night was a good start.
We re-iterated our prototype to achieve the optimum product size, look and feel, and clearer interaction.
After going through this process, the final product was produced.
Phone dock alarm clock
This alarm clock is paired with the mobile application. When
the mobile phone is mounted inside the clock, it automatically
shows the alarm mode on the screen.
Set your energy level to activate Alarm
There are five buttons which indicate energy level.
You will set your energy level in the morning and at night.
Before setting your energy level, you can’t set the alarm
or shut off the sounds from the dock.
Track your data through the app
When the mobile phone is not mounted on the dock,
it automatically goes into data mode. You can access
your personal data and check your activities
through the app in this mode.
Alarm Mode Screens
There are two alarm modes; Morning and Night.
In the morning, we provide activity suggestions depending on your energy level and show your sleep data.
At night, we will ask you energy level and check activities you did. This data will be collected over time.
Data Mode Screens
During the daytime, you can access your data through the app. It consists of energy level you log,
sleep data, and activities you did. Also you can track past data weekly or monthly. This app will remind you of
your activity choice and provide various suggestions as well.