Designing Products to Meet Consumer Sleep Needs: A Conversation Between Laurie Dewan & Jason Russell

The Director of Product at Ōura Health explains why and how improving user sleep is baked into the Ōura Ring experience. 

Sleep is having a moment. Consumers recognize that sleep is foundational to overall well-being, and more products are designed with this revolutionary understanding in mind. One of the pioneers in this space is Ōura Health.  

In this video conversation, Laurie Dewan, Vice President of Brand, Insights and Communications at Healthline Media, speaks with Jason Russell, Director of Product at Ōura Health, about the mission and functionality of the Ōura Ring, now in its third generation. 

The conversation offered unique insights into product design and strategy, digging into how the Ōura Ring empowers users to improve sleep and overall wellness. Topics of discussion included: 

• Sleep as the central pillar of health: When the Ōura Ring first came out in 2016, most health wearables were related to fitness. But as Jason pointed out, not everyone exercises every day, while sleep is universal, and closely related to other areas: “Sleep being foundational to our health is a big reason why we’ve chosen to focus on it.”

• The power of personalization with a purpose: “People want takeaways tailored to their goals, and that’s exactly what we give them,” Jason said. Users share their goals in the Ōura Ring app, making it possible for the interface to surface the most relevant data and takeaways. 

• Why empathy is key to motivating healthy action: At Healthline Media, we don’t just present accurate, relevant information — we aim to motivate people to act. Jason spoke to this question of motivation, explaining that the product team thinks carefully about how to speak to the user’s intrinsic motivations and goals. A big part of that? “Using an empathetic tone — not telling people to ‘be different’ or ‘try harder.’” 

• What’s next for the Ōura Ring: The third generation of the Ring includes more women’s health capabilities. Watch the video to learn more about how the Ōura Ring is intended to serve as a “check engine light” for potential health conditions, including COVID-19. 

Learn more about the sleep wellness revolution, with insights into Healthline’s approach to sleep content, what consumers are looking for, and how brands are pivoting to do more in the sleep vertical. Read about the Ad Age Next: Health and Wellness conversation between Erin Edge, Editor-in-Chief of Healthline.com, and Karina Kogan, Chief Marketing Officer at Ōura Health. 

For more information on Healthline Sleep or to learn how we can work together to empower audiences to sleep well, contact your Healthline Media representative or email us today.