
Owlet SleepSmart
a smart device + app pairing to assist parents and children with bedtime routines and healthy sleep habits
Owlet SleepSmart was an individual studio project under the prompt to design a smart product + app pairing. This was the third studio in the product design major studio sequence, completed in Fall 2019.
What is the problem?
Sleep is one of the most important parts of a child's growth, both mentally and physically, and getting the right amount of sleep is especially important for kids. Inconsistent routines and nap times, sugar and caffeine intake, and screen time all impact the quality of sleep children get. Lack of sleep can impact physical health and wellbeing and may cause educational and learning difficulties.
Screen time and overstimulation cause sleep issues, and digital interactions do not give kids the tools they need for cognitive, social, and behavioral development. Yet more than 85% of children use or own tablets by age 4, and 24% of parents admit to using devices to help get their kids to fall asleep.
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So, how might we use play to help eliminate sleep distractions for children, while allowing parental insight and tracking of routines and devices using a smart device?
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I know I can't keep the tablet away from my son all the time, but I don't want him to get addicted or use it too much.
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We sometimes struggle to stay on track with bedtime routines and would love a better way to manage sleep schedules.
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Meet Michael, Jess, and Luca.

Michael & Jess
This is Michael and Jess.
They're Luca's parents.
Concerns
They're worried about their son's use of his tablet and other technology exposure. They know it's important to have boundaries but sometimes fall into the habit of just letting Luca play games to get him to quiet down and go to bed.
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They need an easy solution to help track routines, solve tech-use tensions between them and their son at bedtime, and help him get on track with sleep.

Luca
This is Luca.
He's six years old.
Concerns
Luca likes to play games and watch videos on his tablet, and he doesn't like it when his parents take it away in the middle of something.
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Sometimes Luca feels cranky and overwhelmed at school because he is tired. He needs help getting on track with sleep habits and having the perfect bedroom environment to sleep well each night so he can feel good in the morning.
Ideation, Research, and Insights

User Journey of Parents vs. Child
Market Research - Baseline
Product: LullySleep
(& other vibration or sonic wave devices)
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- Bluetooth device connects to an app
- Vibrates to counteract night terrors
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Issues:
- Only addresses one issue, may not work

Product: Mella Little Hippo
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- Alarm clock changes colors and
expressions to train a sleep schedule
- Plays sleep sounds and glows yellow to
easily wake in the mornings
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Issues:
- Focuses only on schedule training with
one external factor

Product: Bose SleepBuds
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- Noise-cancelling ear buds stay fully in
your ear while sleeping​ and play white
noise
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Issues:
- Does not allow for parental interaction
- Noise-cancelling may scare children

After user research and interviews, interacting with children and parents near bedtime, sketching and brainstorming, market research, I could highlight a few experiences that were important to consider.
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These included:
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a playful, game-like experience to keep kids interested and wanting to follow along with bedtime routines.
2.
giving control over bedtime, routine steps, game content, etc. to parents, with highly customizable and easily adjustable controls.
3.
encouraging kids and parents to work together through bedtime and building healthy habits. providing knowledge and resources to both the child and parents
Branding and Design Aesthetic
Trust is very important when it comes to products parents pick out for their kids, especially in relation to health and security. After research into the Owlet brand, it made sense to build on the trust and peace of mind they give to their customers.
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Owlet currently focuses on infant and young toddler products, including a nursery monitor camera system, an infant sleep/wellness tracker, and an accompanying app. The brand specializes in children's health, safety, and wellbeing, so it makes perfect sense to expand on this well-known product lineup into a slightly older age group.


UX Prototyping



The parent's app allows for control and tracking of sleep habits, routines, screen time, and more to help ensure children get enough quality sleep each night.
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After connecting to the child's app on their tablet, the parent will then be prompted to set up steps and timing for a bedtime routine, select their child's age and gender for customized games, and control the speaker and nightlight settings on the SleepSmart device.
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After setup, the parent can see how much time remains until the child's bedtime routine begins, and how much time is left in the routine once the child begins their bedtime game. They can also set access times for the SleepSmart device to unlock the child's tablet in the morning after it has been locked down and charging during the night.
Final design and wireframes
Owlet SleepSmart is an innovative app and home device pairing to help parents and children work together toward better bedtime routines and healthy habits.
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The system consists of a SleepSmart device, which is placed in the child's bedroom and acts as a sound machine, nightlight, and charging dock for the child's tablet. In addition, the SleepSmart system includes an app for both the parent's phone or tablet and the child's tablet, which allows for parental control and monitoring of bedtime routines and screentime for their child, and sends healthy habit forming games to the child's tablet in the evening to walk them through their bedtime routine in a fun, engaging way while also encouraging them to put away the tablet before bed and locks access overnight.
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So, here's how it works:
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Parent sets up steps of child's bedtime routine, selects start time, and sets up nightlight/sleep sounds for SleepSmart in their child's bedroom.
At bedtime an engaging game is prompted on child's tablet which walks them through their bedtime routine and let's them know it's time to wind down.
Once the game and routine come to an end, the child must dock the tablet on the SleepSmart device to 'win', which locks access to the tablet for the night and charges.

