Exploratory and Evaluative Research on Sleep Technology Experience:
A Multi-Phase User-Centered Investigation for Sleep Buds Optimization
The Goal: Crafting the ultimate sleep experience
The S Sleeping Earbuds were designed to help people sleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed.
The challenge? Making them ultra-comfortable—even for side sleepers—while ensuring they seamlessly integrate into sleep habits. Beyond software, this project required deep human factors research, ergonomic considerations, and digital app experience optimization.
This project is my proudest hardware research effort, showcasing my expertise in ergonomics, digital UX, and human behavior analysis.
Besides software testing, I have 50% efforts on hardware usability which isn't just about the interface—it’s about the physical and cognitive relationship between the user and the product.
My Role
UX Researcher
Research Plan & Analysis
Segmentation
Storyboard
Visualization for Stakeholder Communication
Client
Stealth Startup
Research Type
Exploratory research
Descriptive research
Qualitative research
Research Methods
Diary Study
User Interview
Survey Deisgn & Analysis
multiple round Prototype Testing
Tools
User Interview
SurveyMonkey
Miro
Outcomes
Recognized by design leadership
refine its market positioning
The Challenge: Two Major Roadblocks
1. Bridging the Engineering Knowledge Gap
Coming from a psychology and business background, understanding the technical and ergonomic design principles of noise-canceling earbuds was a steep learning curve.
Here is how I tackled it:
Collaborating closely with engineers to understand component constraints
Conducting grip force and material testing to ensure comfort for long-term wear
Evaluating sleep ergonomics, ensuring the design didn't cause pressure pain for side sleepers
2. Managing Sequential Mixed Methods Research
Mixed methods research is like a Jenga tower—one weak link can throw off the entire structure. Balancing qualitative insights and quantitative validation required strategic planning:
Immediate synthesis post-interviews to prevent insight decay
Flexible milestone mapping to adjust timelines without compromising rigor
Data triangulation, ensuring multiple methods aligned for actionable insights
Structured Research Approach:
Phase 1: Market Analysis & Competitor Benchmarking
The team had gathered basic competitive insights, but they lacked depth in user experience benchmarking. I led a deeper dive by:
Conducting comparative usability testing across competitor earbuds
Identifying feature gaps through user feedback and behavioral mapping
Phase 2: Usability Testing & User Typologies
Using insights from Phase 1, I defined 3 distinct user personas (see below):
The Disruptive Partner (shares a bed, struggles with noise control)
“The Busy Mind (trouble falling asleep due to stress or racing thoughts)
The Comfort Seeker (struggles with fit and pressure points)
To validate these archetypes, I designed a screener survey to refine participant selection, and then conducted one-on-one usability tests, comparing the early prototypes against competitors. Most importantly, I measured real-time ergonomic feedback using heat maps and pressure sensors.
Additionally, to evaluate user interaction with the earbuds, I mapped out feature controls, touch gestures, and user response variations (see below) based on usability tests.
Below are two diagrams that illustrate key interaction flows and control variations identified during testing.
Phase 3: Longitudinal Diary Study & Mobility Considerations
Because sleep is an ongoing experience, single-session tests were insufficient.
We ran a two-week diary study, asking users to track real-world sleep patterns while using Dreambuds.
I found this very helpful and consider it as the primary method in testing the second refined prototype
Identify long-term comfort trade-offs
Understand habit formation and friction points in using the app
Evaluate mobility—how users integrated the device with other nightly routines (charging habits, repositioning in bed, interaction with the app during wake-ups)
The Plot Twist: Unexpected Challenges & Adaptations
We thought we nailed it—users loved the noise masking, sleep tracking, and audio immersion!
However, real-world testing flipped the script:
Too much comfort? Some users found them so lightweight they’d lose them in the sheets.
The noise-masking dilemma: some loved the isolation; others found it unnatural and jarring.
Setup confusion: Users struggled with app pairing and WiFi connectivity, leading to a frustrating onboarding experience.
Adapting & Overcoming: Additional Research Efforts
To tackle these pain points, I redesigned setup flows with clearer onboarding prompts and feedback loops (simplified the connected app experience)
I also proposed the team to introduce A/B testing for noise masking—offering adjustable intensity levels
Throughout the process, I worked closely with data scientists to segment users based on ear shape variations and sleep position preferences
Final Impact: Research that Moved the Needle
Recognized by design leadership as "one of the most actionable and thorough research projects”
Directly influenced hardware and software design, leading to final refinements before mass production
Helped the startup client refine its market positioning, differentiating it from competitors like Bose Sleepbuds
Key Takeaways
⇧ Cross-functional collaboration
I found studying design elements, collaborating with engineering teams, and clarifying product usage is useful for communicating with different roles
⇧ Ergonomic and digital considerations must go hand in hand
I realized that comfort isn’t just about fit, it’s about long-term wearability and frictionless interaction. In future research design, thinking about the concept from different perspectives is important for researchers to design tasks and test the concept.
⇧ Immediate synthesis of findings and flexible, strategic planning to align research phases
⇧ Mixed-method research discrepancy
Through multiple stages of iterative research design, I learned to analyze that method alone and rely on the strengths of that method and not get misled