Less app, more evening

Tidepool had grown into a menu of sessions, streaks and soundscapes that asked people to make decisions right before bed. We cut the home screen down to a single question — how was today? — and let the app choose the right wind-down from there.

Designing for tired thumbs

Every interaction was tested in a dark room at arm’s length. Type grew, contrast dropped, motion slowed to a breathing pace. Retention on day thirty rose by 41%, and support tickets about ‘too many options’ disappeared.

The design system now ships with a night palette, haptic patterns and a motion scale tuned to four-second breaths.