Joey Cabreros | Cognitive Alarm Mode

Cognitive Alarm Mode

Helping users start the day right by engagingtheir mind instead of snoozing it.

#mobileappfeature #ux/uidesign #research

Collection of high-fidelity screens from the Cognitive Alarm app, including the snooze screen, pattern-drawing challenge, and alarm settings interface.

Overview

Cognitive Mode was designed to help users break the habit of hitting the snooze button.

This was a design project created as a concept rather than a product used by an actual company.

Cognitive Mode helps users take control of their mornings by promoting mental focus through a quick thinking task, encouraging alertness and engagement.

Tools Used

Figma FigJam

Status

Completed

My Role

For this project I was the researcher and designer.

I sketched concept ideas, created user flows and wireframes, and designed the final product.

The Problem

For many, hitting snooze over and over has become part of the morning routine.

Snoozing has become a bad habit for a lot of people and current alarms make it too easy for them to hit the snooze button and go right back to sleep. This could lead to a lot rushed mornings and possibly a very bad start to their day.

Business Goals

The goal is to design a solution that helps users wake up by engaging them in a way that makes it easier for them to get their morning started.

With this goal in mind, there are also some business goals for this feature as well.

User Engagement

Creating an alarm that actually helps users wake up will lead to higher usage.

Conversion Rates

If users find the feature helpful, positive reviews and word of mouth could attract more users.

User Retention

If the feature is genuinely useful, users will be more likely to stick with the this alarm instead of another.

Research

A lot people struggle with snoozing their alarm and could benefit from a better solution.

I searched the web to find out what things can sway people from tapping snooze and actually get them up and going in the morning. Here are a few things I discovered:

Passive actions

Actions like tapping the snooze button make it really easy to fall back to sleep.

Cognitive load

Tasks that require a little more brain power reduces the likeliness of someone going back to sleep.

Activation

Behavioral activation helps you feel more energized and motivated by getting you to do small, meaningful activities.

I asked the question "How might I activate a user’s brain just enough to get them to perform a simple task and wake up?"

Ideation & Sketching

I sketched out a few ideas i had in mind.

Looking at the pattern unlock grid, I wanted to figure out how many dots I wanted to use. The more dots, the more complex the pattern, the more thinking needed to stop the alarm. It seemed like a good idea.

User Flow

Since drawing a pattern is a good way to mentally engage the user, I wondered, "What happens if they keep getting it wrong?"

Creating a user flow helped me figure out what should happen after a few attempts. But how many attempts was the right number?

Just like we've seen on other phones, 3 attempts seemed to be the right number. So what happens after 3 failed attempts? Entering a passcode seemed to be the best option.

Flowchart diagram of the Cognitive Alarm app’s user journey, detailing the steps from alarm activation to successful pattern matching or fallback passcode entry.

Wireframes

While running through the wireframes, I realized something about the dot grid.

I originally wanted to incorporate patterns like a star, octagon, and trapezoid as options. Then I started to draw the grid out and attempted to use lines to draw out those patterns. They were a lot harder to complete than I thought, and I could imagine the frustration it would bring if you're barely awake.

So I decided to make these changes:

3x3

Instead of the original 5x5 grid, I opted out for the 3x3 grid. In this case, an easier pattern would work best.

3 attempts

After 3 incorrect attempts, I added a fallback option that allows the user to enter in a passcode.

6-digit passcode

If they make 3 incorrect attempts, they’ll be prompted to enter their 6-digit passcode, the same one used to unlock their phone.

Mockups

After some brainstorming, I made a few adjustments and added a few extra features.

Below the three highlighted features, you can view full-resolution captures of the main screens.

Screenshot of phone with a 3x3 dot grid and a line pattern above it.

I ultimately decided on a 3x3 dot grid.

A 3x3 grid still offered many options for patterns but they were also easy enough not to overwhelm the user.

3x3 dot grid with red circles around the dots.

Visual feedback is given depending if the correct pattern was drawn.

As the user draws the pattern, a white circle appears around each dot with a line connecting to the next, showing their progress. If the pattern is incorrect, each dot used will be marked with a red circle. For a correct pattern, the circles will be green.

Together with the passcode fallback, this should provide enough mental activation to help get the user up.

Screenshot of settings for Cognitive Alarm, showing Snooze or Cognitive as options.

Not all users need this this feature.

Not everyone will need this to wake up, so I’ve made it an option in the Alarm Settings, with a quick description below to explain what Cognitive Mode is.

Below I've provided the main screens for this feature.

Tap on any image below to see the full resolution.

Potential Impact

Cognitive Alarm Mode makes waking up more engaging and effective for users.

This feature gives users a little mental task to help them wake up, hopefully making their mornings a lot better.

Below are some of the potential impacts:

Higher user retention

If users find value in this feature and set it as their daily alarm, it could potentially increase user retention by 15-20%.

Better user satisfaction

Users who like the more engaging wake-up could feel 50-70% more satisfied with the app, which might lead to higher ratings and better reviews.

Less user abandonment

If the feature makes the wake-up process more engaging, it could potentially lead to 5-10% fewer user abandonment over time.