V1
Testing the waters with a lucid dreaming offering
- ⚡️ The average interest rate among 7 participants was 3.0
- ⚡️ The language around trauma and PTSD scared people away
- ⚡️ It was not clear what lucid dreaming is and what the offering is
Dreamsome
Not only a design project, but a full-on startup journey. From concept discovery, product design and creative direction to securing public funding, building a team, mastering public speaking and financial planning. I combined creative expertise with strategic business thinking to drive product development.
ux/ui design
2024 - now
Everybody dreams. But not everybody remembers their dreams. Dreams hold the key to our emotional processing, and show tremendous potential for improving mental health. A dream diary is essential for dream recall and any further dream work. As someone passionate about dreams, I decided to build a user-friendly digital journal. This is my journey as a product designer, and a founder.
Validation
was conducted through landing page testing and user feedback on the offering
V2
Shifting from trauma language, explaining lucid dreaming
- ⚡️ The average interest rate among 20 participants was 7.7
- ⚡️ User journey of the product was not clear
- ⚡️ Visual language received mixed opinions
V3
Redefined a clean offering for broader audience interested in dreams
- ⚡️ The average interest rate among 18 participants was 9.0
- ⚡️ It was clear what the app is doing
- ⚡️ Design was well-received. Described as clean, not overwhelming, playful, beautiful
Competitor analysis
Helped identify the gap on the market for a digital dream diary that strongly focuses on well-designed user experience. I made a strategic decision to avoid AI interpretation as it opposes the purpose of deep self-reflection. Besides, it goes against particular dream work methods that Dreamsome upholds.
Customer Profile
Helped answer the questions: "who will use the app and how to reach them?"
Key features of the diary
were defined through card sorting
Usability
Was tested at public UX testing events, as well as private interview calls.
Total research participants
100+
Testing rounds (so far)
6
Developer handover
Included detailed flows, component library and a style guide
Branding
Dreamsome has a heart
Custom logo
Unique custom lettering and a mark inspired by the infamous Inception movie
Socials
The idea was to create playful visuals that combine elements of realistic imagery and imaginary cartoons - to create a sense of dreams and reality merging together
Educational content's aim was to debunk popular myths about dreaming and motivate the potential users to pick up the dream practice
Stickers
Were designed to be shiny, playful, delightful and attract attention
That must be it.
But not quite. I've also pitched on stage, wrote business & financial plans, researched incorporation options, deepened my knowledge of dream work, organized events and received 2 startups scholarships.
Today Dreamsome continues to grow through bootstrapping and I'm happy to join teams who value multi-faceted players. After this experience I know there is nothing I can't do or learn. Want a team player like that on your side? Get in touch!
Today Dreamsome continues to grow through bootstrapping and I'm happy to join teams who value multi-faceted players. After this experience I know there is nothing I can't do or learn. Want a team player like that on your side? Get in touch!
Acknowledgments
Developer:
Irina Shumilova
Coaches & Mentors:
Charlie Morley,
Angel Poon,
Adam Formanek,
Dr. Katharina Feldmann,
Sandra Thumm,
Katrin Jahnke
Supporters:
Lin Cassie Zhen,
Robert Eckstein,
Dr. Karine Miras