3. introduction
People 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
5. SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 6
creative brief & timeline
This 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
7. SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 10
research
ABC NEWS
abcnews.go.com/GMA/american-coffee-habits-spend-coffee/story?id=16923079
ART OF MANLINESS
artofmanliness.com/2011/02/07/unleash-the-power-of-the-nap/
FAST COMPANY
fastcompany.com/3017356/work-smart/the-revealing-science-behind-what-
naps-do-to-your-brain-and-why-you-should-have-o
FOX NEWS
foxnews.com/health/2013/05/01/how-to-power-napand-why-should/
HOWSTUFFWORKS
health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/sleep/basics/5-effects-of-sleep-depri-
vation.htm#page=1
IO9
io9.com/the-science-behind-power-naps-and-why-theyre-so-damne-1401366016
JANELANGILE
janelangille.com/the-health-benefits-of-napping/
LIFEHACKER
lifehacker.com/5950732/the-science-of-the-perfect-nap
lifehacker.com/306029/reboot-your-brain-with-a-caffeine-nap
lifehacker.com/5928593/for-the-best-benefits-take-an-ultra+brief-nap
lifehacker.com/5932754/the-science-behind-why-power-naps-help-you-stay-
productive-and-creative
lifehacker.com/5478053/naps-can-seriously-improve-all+day-learning-abilities
PROACTIVE SLEEP
proactivesleep.com/napping.php
SLEEP OUTFITTERS
sleepoutfitters.com/learning-corner/sleep-health/benefits-of-napping/
WEBMD
webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss
webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/important-sleep-habits
8. SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 12
personas
i fall asleep
ACCIDENTALLY
sometimes, but i
wake up feeling terrible.”
Steven Rilster, 18
student
i nap all the time,
but for
TOO LONG
& my homework
doesn’t get done.”
David Vinat, 28
web designer
i don’t have time to nap,
that would be a
“
“
“
COMPLETE
waste of time.”
Kevin Trina, 42
sports journalist
10. SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 16
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% of
Americans
nap regularly
work here & nap freely: famous nappers:
WHY WOULD I DO THAT?
studies show napping has many benefits:
TIPS
FOR A GOOD DAY’S SLEEP
work here & nap freely:
famous nappers:
WHY WOULD I DO THAT?
studies show napping has many benefits:
TYPES OF NAPPING
“SHEEP” CYCLE
34% of
Americans
nap regularly
34% of
Americans
nap regularly
‘lil tired?
“SHEEP” CYCLE
TYPES OF NAPPING
WHY WOULD I DO THAT?
studies show napping has many benefits:
work here & nap freely:
famous nappers:
poster magazine web
11. SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 18
initial models
STUDIES 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 1
transition into sleep
thoughts loosen
2-5 minutes
STAGE 2
motor skills solidified
energy & stamina lifted
senses sharpened
50% of sleep
STAGE 3& 4
slow wave sleep
body clean up & repair
mind cleared
30% of sleep
REM SLEE P
memories stored
creativity boost
perception sharpened
20% of sleep
TYPES OF NAP S
ultra-short nap , 2-5 minute s
improves declarative memory, improving
ability to recall facts & knowledge
power nap, 20 minut es
many benefits, including stamina boost
drink a cup of coffee beforehand for a
caffeine nap to increase alertness
lazy-man’s nap, 60 minute s
improves cognitive memory and learning
processing ability
epic nap, 90minutes
one complete sleep cycle
increases creativity
boosts 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% of
workplaces had
nap rooms
34% of people said
their employers
allow naps
16% said their
workplaces have
napping areas
in 2011, 6% of
workplaces had
nap rooms
of Americans
nap regularly
13. SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 22
description & inspiration
At 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
19. SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 34
final applications
single-page ease-scrolling website, shown with hover states activated object
20. SLEEP DEPRIVATION | AMARILIS CONCEPCION 36
conclusion
The 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
