TimeOut!
A mobile app that allows users to improve their quality of life, by equipping them with the tools and information to easily track their habits around spending quality time outdoors. In today’s busy world, it’s imperative for good mental health to know when to take a much needed TimeOut!
Product Experience
Problem Statement
The average person needs to increase the amount of time they spend outdoors, because time in nature reinforces healthy habits and improves mental health.
Problem Background
Various studies show that spending time outside is beneficial to both mental health and physical wellbeing. This includes strenuous efforts like exercise and sports, as well as more leisurely activities like reading a book, socializing at a park, gardening or going for a walk. Unfortunately for the average person, life tends to get in the way of them spending more quality time outdoors. Other times there might just be a complete lack of motivation to leave the comfort of one’s home. Whatever the reason may be, the problem has been getting worse in recent decades.
Research Insights
We performed an online survey of 40 participants, in which 62% of all participants estimate that they spend less than 240 minutes outside on a weekly basis. When asked to rate their level of satisfaction with the amount of time that they currently spend outdoors, only 48% of participants responded with “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied.” This means that more than half of our participants felt that there was room for improvement.
For reference, if you set aside at least 30 minutes a day to spend time outdoors, that would add up to 210 minutes at the end of the week. Interestingly enough when we asked our participants what amount of time outside they thought most people should be striving for, the consensus was around 60 minutes a day as the ideal, or 420 minutes for the week.
We asked our participants to give examples of what tends to stop them from spending more time outdoors. We had our assumptions of what some of the deterrents might be. The survey responses confirmed that work, weather, and family obligations were the top 3 most likely deterrents - in that order.
Proposed Solution
Key characteristics of our mobile app
For our MVP:
- Simple and easy to use interface to start, stop & save your outside timer.
- Built in analytics to keep users informed of how much time they’ve spent outdoors this week, last week, or last month.
In the Future:
We want to foster a community where our users can cheer on and challenge one another to want to do better
- Allow users to set personal goals, along with customizable reporting metrics (daily, weekly, monthly) to track progress.
- Ability to create group challenges, along with competition leaderboards and badges.
- Implement a share to social media button to empower users to share their progress and their wins.
- Push notifications to remind the user to go outside.
- Activity trend analysis and forecasting.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Juan Munoz
Through the Sprint program I developed great foundational knowledge about a Product Manager’s responsibilities. The biggest takeaway for me was just how laser focused PMs have to be about their problem space. The PM must seek to become a subject matter expert on the problem that is being solved. Framing the problem space is how the PM enables Developers and Designers to build the right solution.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.