Zen Mode
Background: The Digital Dilemma
Smartphone addiction is an escalating concern. People are increasingly glued to their phone, even during moments meant for enjoying quality time, like a cozy movie night, a romantic date, or a family dinner. This makes phones to the point of distractions rather than tools.
This dilemma served as the impetus for Zen Mode, an application preload on OPPO and OnePlus devices. Designed to counteract smartphone addiction by disabling most phone features for a set period, Zen Mode embodies my belief that technology should enhance, not disrupt, our lives.
Research: Is Phone Addiction a Real Problem?
To validate the necessity of Zen mode, I initiated a survey within the OnePlus global community, to explore two critical dimensions:
Perceptions of phone addiction: The aim was to understand users’ awareness and sentiments regarding this increasingly prevalent issue.
Strategies for combating addiction: The survey sought to identify practical approaches individuals take to mitigate phone addiction.
The survey produced invaluable data and narratives about the impact of excessive smartphone usage on personal relationships and overall well-being. These insights played a critical role in shaping the design philosophy for Zen Mode.
Concept: Phones Down and Enjoy Life
A typical user flow of a “Zen Session” is straightforward - 1. a short onboarding to introduce the app; 2. participants’ contract and the rules about disabling majority of the smartphone’s features; 3. a count down timer running on top layer of the device; and 4. after session statistics.
Several core abilities are kept during a Zen Session:
Receiving phone calls
Making emergency calls
Displaying time, date, and battery
Optional ambient music
Basic camera features - purely as a tool to document real life moments
And several statistics are shown after the session:
Duration of this session
Total time in Zen Mode
Completed times
Notifications blocked during the session
These numbers can make participants feel accomplished, similar to a fitness tracker experience.
What’s Working - Applying the Peak-End Rule
The Peak-End Rule: people judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak and at its end, rather than the total sum or average of every moment of the experience.
In the early stages of usability testing, I discovered that the emotional peak for majority of the participants when using the Zen Mode was the starting of the countdown, right after reading the rules. First time participants, in particular, felt strongly nervous about disconnecting from their devices for the next 20 minutes. While some were worried about accidentally triggering a Zen Session.
These concerns made them hesitate to start this Zen journey, and it is vital to make the participants feel supported during the emotional peak. So the solutions I provided were:
A 5-second countdown with a “Cancel” option before the Zen Session starts
A concise yet encouraging message, like “You are off to a good start!” below the timer
These enhancements boosted the opt-in rate by 24%, while reducing the incidence of accidental session starts, in the later usability testing sessions.
Approaching to the end of a session, participants will also see encouraging messages like “Keep going - you are almost done!” These prompts help them maintain their patience during the final minutes.
Upon completion, participants will see a “Fantastic!” card with statistics, allowing them to exit Zen Mode with a sense of accomplishment.
What’s Not Working - Overemphasis on Formality
Initially, the user flow featured a contract requiring an e-signature from participants before their first Zen Session, akin to the sign-up sheet for a marathon game. The intention behind was to emphasize the company’s commitment to supporting users’ well-being. It was also sending a message that the 20-minute phone-free challenge would not be easy at the beginning.
However, subsequent usability tests revealed that participants perceived this step as an unnecessary advertisement, in contrast to activities like marathon sign-ups, which users feel proud to share on social media.
Our users seek a moment of tranquility to stay focus, and the product team wants to promote engagement and sharing. Are there alternative approaches to ahieve these goals?
In response, the product team decided to eliminate the contract concept from the user flow. Instead, we aimed for a more personal and shareable statistics-based approach upon Zen Session completion, which aligned better with our participants’ preferences.
Achievement and Impact
As of 2023, Zen Mode has garnered over 50 million downloads from the Google Play Store in addition to being globally preloaded on OPPO and OnePlus devices. Furthermore, the app was honored with the prestigious iF Design Excellence Award in 2021, showcasing its well-being focused design concept and its social impact.
This impact extends far beyond statistics; it has become an integral part of users’ lives. People from diverse backgrounds have shared their Zen Sessions on the community forum. From students staying focused while preparing for finals, to couples enjoying uninterrupted date nights, and individuals seeking moments of tranquility in places of worship, Zen Mode has enable users to embrace its slogan: “phone down, enjoy life.”
