Hatch Rest 2.0

Simple for core users, advanced for power users

Our approach began with extensive user research to understand how different customer segments used the product. We discovered that while our product served various age groups, the majority of our users were expecting parents or those with infants. This insight helped us reshape our product strategy to focus on simplifying the core experience while maintaining advanced features for power users. The research phase revealed that users primarily wanted three things: quick access to basic controls, reliable connectivity, and an intuitive way to save their preferred settings.

In collaboration with customers

Working closely with engineering and product teams, we prototyped various interface solutions that would make the experience more intuitive while maintaining the product's advanced capabilities. This involved numerous iterations and user testing sessions to validate our assumptions.

Designed for tired, sleepy hands

The redesigned experience focused on surfacing essential controls more prominently while thoughtfully organizing advanced features in accessible but unobtrusive locations. Through a simplified navigation structure and reduced steps for common tasks, we created a more streamlined experience. The new home screen emphasized immediate control, while simplified onboarding helped new users get started quickly. Features were organized more intuitively, with a clear separation between basic and advanced functionality, ensuring parents could easily access what they needed when they needed it most.
With XFN teams at Hatch
2023
My Role
Design Lead: Simplified the mobile app through a complete redesign, balancing basic needs with advanced features.

The Challenge

After launching the second-generation of the product- Rest, user feedback indicated that the product had become too complex. While numerous innovative features were added, the core experience of controlling a light and sound machine had become less intuitive. New parents, the primary users, found themselves navigating through multiple screens to accomplish basic tasks. Additionally, the business faced increasing competition from new market entrants offering similar experiences. As the company's flagship product and primary revenue driver, with over 35,000 Amazon reviews and a history as the #1 Best Seller in its category, getting this redesign right was crucial for the business's continued success.

Reimagining the app experience for sleep-deprived parents

Where we landed

The redesign met with mixed feedback, highlighting both successes and areas for continued improvement. While some users appreciated the simplified interface and more reliable core functionality, others needed time to adjust to the changes. This mixed response reinforced key learnings about balancing product evolution with user familiarity - particularly the challenge of introducing new features while maintaining an intuitive experience.

Through continued user research and feedback, we've kept iterating on the Rest experience, adapting to our users' evolving needs and working to find the right balance between simplicity and sophistication. This project taught us valuable lessons about the complexity of redesigning a beloved product and the importance of bringing users along on the journey of change.