See The Colour
Cee transforms any photo into a colour palette you can use, complete with all the codes you need.
Year: 2026
Tools: Figma, Whimsical, Rive, Notion, Are.na
Everyone sleeps differently, and many people use auditory sleep aids, commonly called white noise. Often, sleep apps lack personalization, which can limit their effectiveness. Integrating personalized features can better address individual sleep needs and improve user satisfaction.
Over the years, the Sleep app within the Health app has received only a few updates. I propose expanding the Sleep app into a standalone app to enhance the user experience significantly.
Problem Statement
Everyone sleeps differently, and many people use auditory sleep aids, commonly called white noise. Often, sleep apps lack personalization, which can limit their effectiveness. Integrating personalized features can better address individual sleep needs and improve user satisfaction. Over the years, the Sleep app within the Health app has received only a few updates. I propose expanding the Sleep app into a standalone app to enhance the user experience significantly.
Currently, iOS has sleep features spread across different apps and system functions. For example, in the Health app, users can access their sleep health data, but are often referred to other sleep apps for additional features that may be beneficial. Integrating these features into a unified, standalone sleep app would improve user engagement by providing a seamless experience that leverages existing iOS capabilities, such as background sounds in the Control Center and meditation options in the Fitness app.
My primary design rationale throughout this is that the tools and components necessary for a comprehensive sleep app are already integrated into iOS; all that is needed is a way to bring them together to create an essential application within the iOS environment. Many sleep apps today offer a one-size-fits-all experience, lack customization, and deliver repetitive content, which diminishes their effectiveness over time. By developing a dedicated sleep app that offers tailored features and personalized content, it can better meet user needs and encourage adoption, overcoming limitations imposed by paywalls and generic solutions.
Solution Statement
Developing a native application that enables users to create personalized sleep experiences based on their unique sleep needs and preferences. Incorporating sleep aids into existing devices and software for easy access in nightly routines. Offering a variety of sleep sounds with options for specific narrators and evolving content to prevent habituation and maintain effectiveness.
Research Insights
Many Americans are increasingly interested in tracking and understanding their sleep habits to improve their sleep quality, often using wearable devices or mobile apps. A 2023 survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine highlights that over one-third of Americans (35%) have used an electronic sleep-tracking device, showing growing engagement in sleep monitoring. A majority of those who have tried one found the sleep tracker was helpful (77%), and many have changed their behaviour because of what they learned (68%) (Link)
Additionally, a study published in Frontiers in Neurology found that white noise can help people fall asleep 38% faster compared to complete silence, highlighting a simple method to improve sleep onset.
Survey Findings
The target audience is young adults (19-35 years) living in major North American cities who primarily use in-ear headphones and are seeking auditory solutions for stress relief and sleep enhancement.
Users tend to prefer customizable, natural ambient sounds over generic white noise, indicating a desire for authentic relaxation options that resonate with their natural environment. Primary usage occurs during times of stress and at night, indicating that audio solutions serve dual purposes for relaxation and sleep, which can inform research on user routines and preferences. Interestingly, one participant noted using “the steady hum of a fan or air conditioner,” highlighting how incorporating familiar household sounds can enhance relaxation and sleep routines.
Competitive Analysis
While there are many sleep apps available, it would be more beneficial to enhance the built-in functionality of phones rather than contribute to the already crowded app market. I have researched popular third-party sleep apps widely used by many people.
1. Pzizz
Pzizz features a dark blue night-time aesthetic with minimal visual design, utilizing a tonal colour palette centered around consistent blue hues and light stroke-based iconography. The app excels in ease of use with a straightforward, minimal UI that allows simple navigation and gets users to content quickly, with the ability to download and rate tracks for personalized recommendations. However, the minimal approach limits personalization and customization options, with very limited sleep tracking beyond basic track history and session listening time - lacking comprehensive data visualization or advanced sleep metrics. Notable features include a nap module with timer functionality and a focus mode showcasing inspirational quotes alongside timers. While it's very easy to select and start tracks with minimal friction and the light tones create a simple browsing experience, the overall library offers limited variety in track selection.
2. Headspace
Headspace employs a playful and illustrative visual focus with thoughtful, soft tones throughout the design, using nourishing warm colours and a distinctive illustration style that sets the brand apart. The app offers a great selection of courses and content variety with an incredibly pleasing UI that's visually appealing without being overwhelming, featuring highly personalized tracking and sleep history. However, the extensive content library presents potential "over-selection" issues for users trying to fall asleep promptly, and while it offers many useful features, there's limited guidance on what they do or their specific use cases - plus it requires payment for full access, which may feel too complex for users seeking simplicity. Standout features include daily mental check-in prompts, narrator selection options on individual tracks, and in-depth sleep tracking with detailed analysis showing average meditation length, total meditation length, sessions completed, usage streaks, calendar check-in history, and activity history. While the abundance of playlists, tracks, and mental health check-ins is impressive, the extensive library may require more browsing time to find the right content.
3. Calm App
Calm App presents a blue colour palette with calming tones, featuring serif typography with a handwritten feel, rounded corners throughout the interface, and a light, airy aesthetic enhanced by nature photography that creates a peaceful atmosphere. The app offers personalized courses tailored to user needs and sleep tracking capabilities, with exclusive sessions from well-known narrators and voices. However, most premium features are locked behind paywalls with limited functionality in the free version, making full app access require payment. Notable features include word/mood-based search for quickly finding content and scene-based audio sessions that transport users to different environments, with track and audio history available for reviewing past sessions alongside basic sleep tracking without extensive metrics. While it's fairly easy to select and explore potential tracks, the paywalls make accessing desired content difficult, and frequent upgrade prompts can interrupt the browsing experience.