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a sleep deprivation wake-up callwake-up call

Amarilis ConcepcionART444 | Spring 2014San Diego State University

Amarilis Concepcion

introductionPeople today are extremely busy with the constant go-go-go culture we live in. Most people get through it with coffee and energy drinks. However, there is a much more effective solution: napping. Many people attach a sort of social stigma to the idea of napping. They think it is unproductive, child-ish, lazy, and a waste of valuable time. The truth, however, is that napping is extremely beneficial to our health as it allows us to recharge.

Just as we as a society are now placing more emphasis on eating healthy and exercising, we need to inform people on the benefits of napping. Some work places like Google know this and have devoted areas so employees can nap. People can be taught to set aside time during the day to take even just a power nap, which is only 20 minutes long but makes a significant dif-ference in the rest of our day. There are many different types of naps, each good for certain situations & results.

CONCEPT Creative Brief & Timeline Inspiration Research & Data Personas & Scenarios

PROCESS Wireframes Initial Models

NEW DIRECTION Description & Inspiration Revised Models

SOLUTION Final Elements Final Models Final Applications

CONCLUSION

problem

solution

table of contents

SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 4

CONCEPT


creative brief & timelineThis information graphics project will focus on the harms of sleep depri-vation and provide napping as the effective solution. Approximately 50% of Americans admit to being sleep deprived, yet make no efforts to fix the problem. Sleep deprivation has many harms beyond just being tired at work, and it can even harm your long-term health. Most of us turn to coffee as a quick fix, but there is another solution that works better and lasts longer but we always seem to look down on it: napping. Throughout the various appli-cations of this project I will discuss napping as a solution to sleep depriva-tion, and I will describe the different aspects of why and how it works.

My audience is people who are very busy and do not get enough sleep. They are constantly scrambling and never give themselves time for a break, instead they simply grab a cup of coffee and run to their next task. This has become our lifestyle, where people see being busy as an accomplishment because it means we have responsibilities. While this can be good and pro-ductive, it harms our health. When we do not get enough sleep, our brains and bodies do not work as well as they should because they do not get time they need to repair and recharge. My audience will likely scoff at the idea of napping, which is why I will show them that they do not have to take a long nap in order to reap the benefits. I will also show them that some reputable employers encourage napping to increase productivity.

The project will consist of a poster, magazine spreads, an interactive web-site, and an item of clothing. Each application will have different levels of information so the viewer can learn more about the topic instead of simply looking at the same thing all over again.

The goal of my project is to help people understand that by continuously working while tired is actually less productive than taking a break for a nap. When we try to “power through” on little sleep our brains cannot function as well. We lose focus, creativity, alertness, and as a result our work suffers. As a takeaway the audience should understand that even a short 20-minute nap can help them get more work done.

overview

solution

applications

goals

late January through early February topic choice and research

February through late April development

April through early May testing and refinement

mid-May final application


inspiration


researchABC NEWSabcnews.go.com/GMA/american-coffee-habits-spend-coffee/story?id=16923079

ART OF MANLINESSartofmanliness.com/2011/02/07/unleash-the-power-of-the-nap/

FAST COMPANYfastcompany.com/3017356/work-smart/the-revealing-science-behind-what-naps-do-to-your-brain-and-why-you-should-have-o

FOX NEWSfoxnews.com/health/2013/05/01/how-to-power-napand-why-should/

HOWSTUFFWORKShealth.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/sleep/basics/5-effects-of-sleep-depri-vation.htm#page=1

IO9io9.com/the-science-behind-power-naps-and-why-theyre-so-damne-1401366016

JANELANGILEjanelangille.com/the-health-benefits-of-napping/

LIFEHACKERlifehacker.com/5950732/the-science-of-the-perfect-nap lifehacker.com/306029/reboot-your-brain-with-a-caffeine-naplifehacker.com/5928593/for-the-best-benefits-take-an-ultra+brief-naplifehacker.com/5932754/the-science-behind-why-power-naps-help-you-stay-productive-and-creativelifehacker.com/5478053/naps-can-seriously-improve-all+day-learning-abilities

PROACTIVE SLEEPproactivesleep.com/napping.php

SLEEP OUTFITTERSsleepoutfitters.com/learning-corner/sleep-health/benefits-of-napping/

WEBMDwebmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-losswebmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/important-sleep-habits


personas

i fall asleep ACCIDENTALLYsometimes, but iwake up feeling terrible.”

Steven Rilster, 18student

i nap all the time,but for TOO LONG

& my homeworkdoesn’t get done.”

David Vinat, 28web designer

i don’t have time to nap,that would be a

“

“

“

COMPLETEwaste of time.”

Kevin Trina, 42sports journalist

PROCESS


wireframes

THINK NAPS ARE FOR CHUMPS? how you could benefit from

couting some sheep after lunch

“SHEEP” CYCLE

TYPES OF NAPPING

TIPS FOR A GOOD DAY’S SLEEP

‘lil tired?34% ofAmericansnap regularly

work here & nap freely: famous nappers:

WHY WOULD I DO THAT?studies show napping has many benefits:

TIPSFOR A GOOD DAY’S SLEEP

work here & nap freely:

famous nappers:


TYPES OF NAPPING

“SHEEP” CYCLE

34% ofAmericansnap regularly

34% ofAmericansnap regularly

‘lil tired?

“SHEEP” CYCLE

TYPES OF NAPPING


work here & nap freely:

famous nappers:

poster magazine web


initial modelsSTUDIES SHOW NAPPING

improves alertness by 54%

decreases chance of dying from heart-related condition by 37%

improves performance by 34%

improves performance by 34%

improves learning & retention by 25%

COMPLETE 90 MINUTE SLEEP CYCLE

STAGE 1transition into sleepthoughts loosen2-5 minutes

STAGE 2motor skills solidifiedenergy & stamina liftedsenses sharpened50% of sleep

STAGE 3& 4slow wave sleepbody clean up & repairmind cleared30% of sleep

REM SLEE Pmemories storedcreativity boostperception sharpened20% of sleep

TYPES OF NAP S

ultra-short nap , 2-5 minute simproves declarative memory, improving ability to recall facts & knowledge

power nap, 20 minut esmany benefits, including stamina boostdrink a cup of coffee beforehand for a caffeine nap to increase alertness

lazy-man’s nap, 60 minute simproves cognitive memory and learning processing ability

epic nap, 90minutesone complete sleep cycleincreases creativityboosts emotional/procedural memory

SOME COMPANIES LET THEIR EMPLOYEES NAP!

34% of people said their employers allow naps

16% said their workplaces have napping areas

in 2011, 6% ofworkplaces hadnap rooms

34% of people said their employers allow naps

16% said their workplaces have napping areas

in 2011, 6% ofworkplaces hadnap rooms

of Americansnap regularly

NEW DIRECTION


description & inspirationAt this point in my project, I realized that I was not achieving what I wanted to achieve. I knew that I wanted it to be simple, eye-catching, and convinc-ing. The cartoon-style graphics I was working with were not conveying the feeling that I had in mind. I decided to step away from the project and do more research, looking at other information graphics and how different top-ics were being treated. This led me to a much more simplified, clean, delicate approach that really portrayed the feeling of sleep but did not associate it too much with night sleep. My new graphics were strictly white with round-ed edges and blurred elements. I decided to go with a gradient, Gaussian blur background to give it a very dreamlike feel. As soon as I showed this to people, they said it made them calm and sleepy, so I knew this was the way to go. My biggest goal with this new approach was to make it easy and quick to read, because I knew that my target audience of busy people would not take the time to read an information-packed piece.

a change in thought


revised models

SOLUTION


final elements

ComfortaaCANTER

fonts poster background

magazine background colors, shown at full opacity and saturation

C=72M=39Y=18K=17

C=69M=58Y=16K=20

C=80M=62Y=18K=1


final models


final applications24x36 poster 11x17 magazine spreads


final applicationssingle-page ease-scrolling website, shown with hover states activated object


conclusionThe making of this information graphics series was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. I explored many areas and learned new methods that I did not know about before. The biggest challenge with making this was the fact that I did not have color to help with hierarchy and leading the eye. Once I decided that all of my elements were white, I knew I would have to depend only on type, scale, and opacities in order to make it interesting and lead the eye around the information. This forced me to reexamine the design tools at my disposal, and I realized just how important color is. This project allowed me to experiment with type and really see the power it has to add life to a piece. It was a long journey to get to these final pieces, but I am happy with the result and I feel that they catch attention and impact the audience.

the journey