Sanyukta Bhagwat
Nirvana
A Responsive Web E-Learning platform for Aromatherapy
Client Think Round Inc, San Francisco
Timeline Q1 2026 - present (Launching- Q3 2026)
Role UX UI Designer (Team of 3 )
User Experience | B2C | E-learning
Collaborators Product Management, Engineering
Process User Research and synthesis Ideation, Information Architecture, Prototyping
Overview Nirvana is a segment of Virtual Center for the Human Family and Healing Rooms
A responsive web E-Learning platform that is a part of healing rooms focused on Aromatherapy.
Details
by
01
Educational content
02
Wellness
Apps
03
E-Commerce
Guides
Fragmentation creates a major usability gap
The Challenge: of fragmented Wellness Experience
After long workdays, many people search for ways to unwind—lighting a candle, making tea, or using essential oils to relax. Interest in aromatherapy and natural wellness is increasing, but digital resources remain fragmented.
Educational articles explain the benefits of oils, e-commerce stores sell hundreds of products, and wellness apps offer meditation routines.
These experiences rarely connect in a meaningful way.....
How Might We
design a digital platform that bridges learning, wellness routines, and oil discoveries without overwhelming users?
If aromatherapy learning and product discovery are structured as a guided experience journey, users will move more confidently from curiosity --> consistent usage.
• Practice aromatherapy regularly
• Develop mindfulness habits
• Discover products naturally through usage
Nirvana is a digital experience designed to help users integrate aromatherapy into their everyday lives through education and guided routines
The Solution: Unifying Learning, Discovery & Wellness
User Landscape
To understand the needs of aromatherapy users and wellness practitioners, we conducted a mixed-method study combining secondary data, user interviews, and expert consultations.
Methods
Competitive product analysis | User interviews | Secondary content research | Behavioral analysis of existing aromatherapy resources
Key Insights from User Pain points // painpoint **opportunity
// Users struggle to translate knowledge into action
87% users read about oils but don't use them in structured routine
** Passive learning into guided routines
// Actionable guidance on incorporating the therapy is missing
78% practitioners said that users with guided information feel confident
** Habit-focused and practical information
// Fragmented Digital Experience
Blogs- Learning
Ecommerce- Products
Wellness apps- Routines, usage
** Consolidated platform
// Difficulty choosing oils and blends
Users were 2x likely to use oils when informed about the profile
** What, When & How answers to the oils usage
// Cognitive load reduces interest
Users spend avg. 5 mins on leaning articles before dropping off
** Modular, bite-sized information across the platform
Through Competitive lenses...
Analyzing some of the most popular Aromatherapy resources revealed that the platforms tended to have a certain niche functionality or a content tone. Each platform focused on some similar aspects; whether it could be educational or product-based; or differed by design elements, navigation and information architecture
What the 'Wellness users' told us...
To understand how people learn and practice aromatherapy, we conducted semi-structured interviews with both wellness practitioners and everyday users who regularly use essential oils.
How often do you use aromatherapy in your daily life?
In what situations do you typically use essential oils?
What type of information do you look for before using a new oil for routine?
"I read about lavender helping with sleep, but I’m not sure how to actually create a nighttime routine."
“I worry about buying the wrong oil.”
“I trust educational websites more than stores.”
What challenges do you face when selecting products online?
What features would make an aromatherapy website more helpful for you?
“Most websites explain oils but don’t tell me how to use them.”
Would guided routines or step-by-step instructions improve your experience?
Do you currently follow any aromatherapy routines?
Do you prefer simple & calming interface for your wellness?
How would you see the platform- heavy product based or minimal information?
“I don’t like when wellness sites feel overly commercial.”
Building Empathy & Persona
The competitive analysis and user interviews gave a better understanding of who the users were and how they might use the website.
Based on above insights, two personas were developed - the curious newcomer (Alex) and an experienced integrator (Ember).
Since the goal of the project was to make aromatherapy more accessible to everyone, intuitive and easy-going interface was the key
Use the slider to meet Alex and Ember
Most of the therapy happens outside the platform
 User Journey MapThe experience extends far beyond simply online reading... |  A story.....The storyboard helped translate insights into a human-centered narrative, showing how a user moves from recognizing a wellness need to integrating aromatherapy into their daily routine. |
|---|
It often starts by recognizing a need-----then to What might help ?------and then the actual practice that happens offline in personal spaces with diffusers, meditation and yoga
Digital Armature
Given that this is a website focused on wellness routines, oils discovery, and education, we proposed a site map that incorporated core content for browsing oils, building routines, and accessing guided learning resources.
Testing the Hypothesis
We conducted an A/B validation between a traditional discovery-based homepage and a more emotionally guided exploration experience to understand how users engaged with wellness content, navigated blend discovery, and responded to intuitive quiz-driven interactions.
Content discoverability • Emotional engagement
Conventional Browsing
Variant A: traditional navigation-first experience
A direct content-browsing flow to test whether users still default to traditional discovery.
Emotionally Guided Discovery
Variant B: Immersive, emotional engagement experience
An intuitive exploration to test whether sensory storytelling could replace the deterministic flow
Outcome
The emotionally guided exploration model emerged as the stronger direction, helping users engage more naturally with wellness content through personalized rituals, intuitive discovery, and sensory-driven interactions.
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**This project is actively in progress- We are currently designing Low-fidelity wireframes to quickly iterate on high-fidelity prototypes
**Current Status**-
✅ Discovery & Research complete (competitor audits, user interviews)-
✅ Information Architecture mapped (sitemap, user flows)-
⏳ Next: A/B testing + refinement (May 2026)
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