Productivity for women takes a completely different approach than from a man’s. A man has a 24 hr hormone cycle. A woman has a 28 day hormone cycle. The question begs if the difference in hormone cycles and energy levels between men and women affect productivity. How can we optimize productivity in women by syncing with her cycles?

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BACKGROUND

A man has a 24 hour hormone cycle.
A woman has a 28 day hormone cycle.

How can we optimize productivity in women by syncing with her cycles?

Men created the business world—standardizing it. Women fought to join the man’s world conforming to these standards, while still rising to leadership positions. She can do it all. Today, a handful of women leaders are questioning this masculine business standard. Can there be a feminine business standard?

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THE PROBLEM

Women have historically been expected to adapt to male-dominated workplaces. However, with more women than ever reaching senior positions, it is time to consider how to break the glass ceiling. By understanding and utilizing their hormonal cycles, women can optimize their productivity and achieve success.

UNDERSTAND AND TRACK
SYNCHRONIZE
TAKE ADVANTAGE

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SOLUTION SUMMARY

As a working woman coping with my hormonal fluctuations throught less than ideal times, I had my experience define a problem but didn’t want to be influenced by my bias. To be thorough, I explored the following research methods.

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RESEARCH

“ educating women on the importance of diet, exercise and stress management to help promote improved hormonal balance, which can then allow them to take advantage of the varying strengths that they will experience as their natural cycle progresses."

WHITE PAPER

I reached out to working women, moms, young and old, glass ceiling chasing, and entrepreneurial women. I was genuinely curious how women were coping with their periods every month.

USER INTERVIEWS

“ Is there anything out there helping women navigate their fluctuating hormones and careers?”

There’s a handful of , fertility trackers, ovulation trackers, pregnancy trackers. They provide useful information to get data about women’s health.

I took a look at a handful of period trackers and realized while there are so many period trackers there are none that provide daily reminders with daily habit tracking or a calendar to schedule with.

PRODUCT RESEARCH

Women who used period tracker apps were more likely to be satisfied with their menstrual cycle and to feel in control of their bodies
Women who did not use period trackers thought it was a hassle or felt too busy to track and check their apps regularly

Women who were happy with their workplace and menstrual cycle were more likely to have upper management who were empathetic and understanding of periods and well-being.
Women who were not happy with the workplace were more likely to have managers who did not understand nor would they allow women dignity when dealing with their periods.

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ANAYLSIS AND INSIGHTS

Instead of seeing a woman’s cycle as a weakness, how might we empower women through her cycles and fluctuations?
How might we equip women to optimize their productivity based on her natural hormonal cycle?
How might we take advantage of a woman's natural cycle?
How might we explore hormones in the context of productivity?
How might we make period tracking seamless and effortless?
How might we remind women of their energy peaks and trenches?

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HOW MIGHT WE…

According to a study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2019 found that 33% of women use some type of cycle tracking app. The numbers are expected to rise as more women become aware of the benefits of tracking their cycles.

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IDEATING SOLUTIONS

Based on my research it became clear, I needed a period tracking app that was also a daily calendar and scheduling app.

At first I spent 2 weeks creating an all encapsulating platform, that included a period tracker, calendar, project management capabilities, and health + wellness reminders that was also social but I realized some problems:

That is a really complicated project with huge opportunities for bugs
people are less likely to want to switch over to a complete new system for all of these components
A project management platform that also tracks periods might be considered an invasion of privacy.

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SETBACKS & A NEW DIRECTION

Through user testing and feedback, I realized I would be much simpler to create a period and health habit tracker that has an option for scheduling but also can integrate with existing calendar software. Less invasive and easier for users to adopt into their lives.

I first wanted to know the usability of the moodboarding feature. I made a mid-fidelity flow mock-up to test on a few potential users.

Through usability testing, I learned:

users who were already using a calendar or scheduling app were not likely to use my product
users thought seeing reminders alongside their digital calenders would be very helpful
uses agreed energy and habit tracking was they key to unlocking a more balanced worklife balance
users wanted different ways of tracking their daily habits than through notifications from the app
users knew they could balance their hormonal fluctuations through diet and exercise but didn’t know what or how to do it

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USER TESTING

With the Products app, I aimed to create a calming or energizing UI that adapts to a woman's hormonal cycle. The app's aesthetically pleasing design encourages usage and serves as an information hub for women to learn about their bodies, hormones, and the latest research. Daily reminders tailored to a woman's energy levels and cycle phase are delivered in the morning, suggesting optimal food choices, exercise intensity, and social activity levels. An integratable extension seamlessly integrates with existing calendar apps, enabling women to plan and schedule around their periods.

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FINAL PRODUCT & PROTOTYPE

If I were to revisit this project, I would definitely allocate more time and attention towards enhancing the overall desktop experience and fine-tuning the user interface. In today's digital age, where individuals have varied habits and preferences, it is absolutely vital to meticulously consider the unique details of each use case in order to effectively cater to both habit tracking and non-habit tracking users. By embracing a user-centric approach, focusing on optimizing the desktop experience, and refining the user interface, we can ensure a seamless and satisfying user journey for all.

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REFLECTIONS

CYNC