I–Y

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Unwind is a

Unwind is a

journaling app

journaling app

for

for

releasing

releasing

racing thoughts

racing thoughts

before bed.

before bed.

before bed.

Jan 2026

0 → 1

Product Designer, User Research

The mobile app helps users journal anxious thoughts before bed, helping them

to experience deep uninterrupted sleep and wake up ready to take on the day.

Unwind helps users journal anxious thoughts before bed, helping them to experience deep uninterrupted sleep and wake up ready to take on the day.

SHIPPED

Designing a sleep app that
helps users wake up feeling rested

Designing a sleep app that helps users wake up feeling rested

purple white and orange light

60% of adults wake up during the night with racing thoughts.

I designed Unwind to help people release those thoughts before bed through journaling prompts and a calming release ritual.

The impact → 60% of users reported sleeping through the night after consistent use.

60% of adults wake up during the night with racing thoughts.

I designed Unwind to help people release those thoughts before bed through journaling prompts and a calming release ritual. The impact → 60% of users reported sleeping through the night after consistent use.

60% of adults wake up during the night with racing thoughts. I designed Unwind to help people release those thoughts before bed through journaling prompts and a calming release ritual. The impact → 60% of users reported sleeping through the night after consistent use.

PROBLEM

When the distractions stop,
thoughts appear

When the
distractions stop, thoughts appear

People wake up at night due to random thoughts

People wake up at night due to random thoughts

Karen

24 Jan 2025

Heyy Karen!! What wakes you up at night? 🤔🤔🤔

Hii Isaac, I wake up at 2-3am thinking about work

or things I need to do 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

Hii Isaac, I wake up at 2-3am thinking about work or things I need to do 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

And how does that make you feel the next day?

It makes me feel defeated before I even get out of bed :'(

When lights went out, anxious thoughts surfaced. Work deadlines. Finances. Tomorrow's meetings. Users tried scrolling, white noise, counting sheep. These were distractions, not solutions. The thoughts always came back.

RESEARCH

A gap in the market for prevention

A gap in the market for prevention

Meditations

White Noise

Sleep Stories

Great for falling asleep but doesn't prevent users from waking up at 2am.

Most sleep apps react to anxiety with soothing sounds or guided meditation. Calm, Headspace, and BetterSleep help you feel calm in the moment. But none prevent thoughts from resurfacing. Users still woke at 2am because the root cause — unprocessed thoughts — was never addressed.

SOLUTION

Journal to clear your mind before bed

I explored three psychological approaches: cognitive reframing, journaling, and soothing audio.

Reframing felt like homework. Journaling felt like relief. The experience became three moments:

I explored three psychological approaches: cognitive reframing, journaling, and soothing audio. Reframing felt like homework. Journaling felt like relief.

The experience became three moments:

I explored three psychological approaches: cognitive reframing, journaling, and soothing audio. Reframing felt like homework. Journaling felt like relief. The experience became three moments:

  1. The invitation

A gentle notification: "Ready to unwind?"

Warm, optional, not a command.

II. Three journal entries

Three simple prompts guide users to release their thoughts.

Warm language: "You might notice your shoulders feel tight"

instead of "Where do you feel tense?"

Three simple prompts guide users to release their thoughts. Warm language: "You might notice your shoulders feel tight" instead of "Where do you feel tense?"

purple white and orange light
purple white and orange light

III. The release and exit

Thoughts animate upward as a cloud, dissolving into air.

Testing revealed users felt incomplete without this moment

— it created the psychological closure they needed to let go.

Thoughts animate upward as a cloud, dissolving into air. Testing revealed users felt incomplete without this moment — it created the psychological closure they needed to let go.

REFLECTIONS

Empathy isn't one size fits all

Empathy isn't one size fits all

Users came to the app with wildly different intent. Some were desperate. Others were skeptical. The challenge was designing for the full spectrum of motivation and energy. A gentle invitation had to work for someone at their breaking point and someone just experimenting. Empathy isn't one-size-fits-all. It's designing space for different mindsets to find value in their own way.

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