Selected Project:
Above 90
How to foster sustainable habits, by relieving the pressure of maintaining perfect, unbroken practice streaks.
OVERVIEW
Platform
iOS
Role
UX/UI Designer
UX Writer
Tools
Figma
Miro
Usability Hub
Optimal Workshop
Photoshop
About the Project
Many habit-tracking apps focus on maintaining perfect streaks, yet they often fail to deliver lasting results. Why? Because human behavior is complex, and setbacks are inevitable. Streak-based approaches can lead to frustration and abandonment when goals aren't met.
Recognizing this, I set out to design a habit app based on the latest behavioral research, aiming to support users through setbacks and encourage sustainable, long-lasting habit formation.
Problem Statement
People trying to improve their lives need an effective system to help them build healthy habits because relying solely on willpower or self-discipline often fails to produce long-lasting results.
Objective
Create a mobile app that guides users through the most effective way to build a healthy habit and provide users with a means to monitor and track their own habit practice.
Core features:
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1. Create a Habit
2. Log a Habit
3. Message a Friend
Process
DISCOVER
Research Goals
To build a deep understanding of the complexities surrounding habit formation, I embarked on an exploratory research phase. The key research goals that guided this investigation were as follows.
RESEARCH GOALS
Learn what motivates people to build new habits.
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Discover why people lose motivation when trying to build new habits.
Determine why people give up when attempting to build new habits.
Document any habit-building tools people have used previously and note their experiences, likes, and dislikes.
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Competitive Analysis
I gained strategic insights into existing habit-tracking app designs by researching over twenty competitors. I then conducted detailed SWOT, UX, and marketing analyses on two very different, yet both highly rated habit apps.
To see the full competitive analysis that I conducted, click this link.
Key Findings & Insights
HEAVY EMPHASIS ON UNBROKEN STREAKS
Existing habit tracking apps want users to maintain long, unbroken practice streaks. But what happens to motivation when a streak is interrupted or broken?
INFLEXIBLE SCHEDULING
Many habit apps restrict how often users practice their habits. Instead, users should be able to customize their habit schedule and practice frequency however they want.
LACK OF COACHING & GUIDANCE
Most habit tracking apps function primarily as record-keeping tools and lack coaching to help users improve habit practice skills. Why aren't more apps leveraging research studies on human behavior and habit formation to better assist users?
COMPLICATED SETUPS
Many habit apps overwhelm users with confusing settings and user interfaces. A habit tracking app shouldn’t feel like another obstacle to overcome.
Secondary Research
I made sure to draw from existing knowledge on human habit formation by exploring various resources on human behavior. Studying these sources closely enabled me to grasp the challenges individuals face when striving to develop long-lasting habits.
INSIGHTS FROM ATOMIC HABITS
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Habits are a pattern of behavior that consist of: (1) a cue, (2) craving, (3) response, and (4) reward.
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Environments have a huge impact on the human behaviors within them.
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The most effective way to form habits is to make habit practice: (1) obvious, (2) attractive, (3) easy, and (4) satisfying.
INSIGHTS FROM TINY HABITS
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To create a habit, one needs: (1) sufficient motivation, (2) ability, and (3) a prompt.
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Start by making the action to form the desired habit as small as possible.
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Feeling rewarded after practicing a habit helps the brain connect the behavior with a sense of pleasure.
INSIGHTS FROM THE POWER OF HABIT
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Habits are behaviors that are repeated over time.
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The more often a habit is repeated, the stronger the habit becomes.
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Anticipating obstacles and challenges ahead of time makes them easier to overcome later on.
User Research
I conducted user research through an online survey and interviews with five potential users. The target audience for my app consists of individuals aged 25 to 35 who engage with mobile apps daily and have an interest in health, fitness, and personal growth.
Survey Results
To better understand people's past successes and challenges in forming new habits, I conducted a user survey.
To see the complete report of the survey I conducted, click this link.
User Interviews
Central to my UX design project was the need to conduct thorough user interviews, systematically exploring the motivations, expectations, frustrations, thoughts, and feelings of actual users as they navigate the challenges of forming new habits—an essential step to inform a user-centered and empathetic design approach.
INTERVIEW WITH SETH
Q: What is your name, age, and occupation?
A: My name is Seth. I am 33 years old, and I work as a landscape architect.
Q: Can you tell me about what your experience has been with trying to form new habits or routines?
A: I am currently trying to get into the habit of doing morning meditation. I want to start my day with a clear mind and balanced emotional state, and feel ready to go. My goal is doing 10 minutes of guided meditation at least five times a week, so at least Monday through Friday.
Q: What do you find most helpful when starting a new habit?
A: Doing it first thing in the morning. And putting myself in a place or environment that’s enjoyable, so that I look forward to waking up and meditating. Here in Utah when the weather is nice, I'd go and I'd sit outside on the grass. And then I'd usually just YouTube a 10-minute guided meditation.
Q: What do you find most challenging when starting a new habit?
A: I want to make meditating a habit all the time instead of just when I need it. There’s plenty of mornings when my meditation feels like a chore. Sometimes I’d work a late shift and feel really tired in the morning so then I wouldn’t meditate. Going to bed late makes practicing my habit in the morning more unlikely. And I’m really picky about the videos I listen to when I meditate. If the person’s voice is really annoying I struggle to get into meditation.
Q: How important is it to you to have a specific goal in mind when starting a new habit?
A: It wasn’t really necessary. The end goal was to create a habit where I didn't have to think about it. So that it just becomes a part of my morning routine.
Q: Did you ever have days or moments when you didn’t want to do your habit? How were you able to push through and complete your habit in those moments?
A: One thing I tried to do when I don’t feel as motivated to meditate, is try to remember that it’s not a chore. It’s something that is going to benefit me overall. It’s like a little bit of a pep talk.
Q: Did you ever use any tools of any kind to help you stay motivated? If so— what were they? How well did those tools work for you? What did you like or dislike about using those tools?
A: When I first started meditating I used the Headspace app. The reminders in the app were really helpful. Like the nighttime reminder would bring meditating back to the forefront of my mind so I was more likely to do it the next morning.
Q: How do you feel about streaks? In other words, practicing your habit as many days in a row as possible without missing a single day?
A: I feel like everyone goes through streaks and eventually you get burnt out being repetitive. Sometimes a break helps reinvigorate the desire to do the habit.
Q: How important is it to you to have others supporting you, cheering you on, or encouraging you? Is accountability a motivator for you? What about positive praise and encouragement?
A: There's definitely habits where having other people is helpful, like studying with others. But I've found that when I'm developing a new habit, it's easier for me to do it personally. I feel like it's like my own journey, and I don't like the pressure of someone else.
Q: Have you ever had a habit that you haven’t been able to keep up? ​​Would you mind sharing a bit about why you stopped doing the habit?
A: I’ve wanted to do affirmations on a daily basis. But I sometimes forget because I wake up and I’m just tired, and I just forget without meaning to.
Q: Is there anything that could have been done to help you keep your habit going?
A: I need a reminder, like an alarm clock, to go off that reminds me to do it every morning. And I need a reminder of what my affirmations are.
Q: Is there anything else that you’d like to share or mention regarding your habits, your habit practice, or developing long term habits?
A: It’s very easy to lose sight of the habit when you stop feeling like you’re making progress. But no, I think those were all really good questions. They got me thinking about every avenue of creating a habit.
To read all of the interviews I conducted, click this link.
Affinity Mapping
Utilizing an affinity map to organize and analyze collected user data, I synthesized key insights into two main categories: 'Habit Formation' and 'App Features.' These insights played a crucial role in guiding my decisions throughout the design process.
To see my complete affinity mapping process, click this link.
KEY USER INSIGHTS
HABIT FORMATION
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Even small or seemingly insignificant actions are important when building new habits.
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Seeing and feeling progress can help habit practitioners stay motivated.
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Users must first acquire the knowledge and ability to complete a habit, before they can start practicing it.
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Having a clear and compelling reason to practice habits helps keep users motivated.
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Minimizing logistical obstacles ahead of time reduces the willpower needed to complete habits.
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Making the activity enjoyable helps motivate users to practice their habit more often.
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Feelings of guilt and shame can hinder the habit building process for users.
APP FEATURES
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Users need help anticipating, planning for, and bouncing back from setbacks or missed days.
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Earning a reward for practicing a habit can be motivating for users.
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Goal setting can be a helpful way for habit practitioners to stay motivated.
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Having the support of others can help habit practitioners stay motivated.
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Being part of a community is motivating and enjoyable.
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Reminders and notifications are a helpful cue for users to complete their habit.
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Maintaining unbroken streaks can be addicting— but also very discouraging when streaks are lost.
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Lack of perceived progress can hinder the habit building process for users.
DEFINE
User Personas
Based on my user research, I identified two types of users whom I called the “Thriving Optimist” and the “Self-Doubter.” I created a user persona for each to help establish empathy with users and ensure a clear understanding of my target audience.
User Journeys
User journey maps enabled me to visualize how users would interact with the app while considering their thoughts and feelings. These maps served as a great starting point to begin creating specific user flows.
User Flows
Starting with a detailed task analysis, I created user flows to to identify the specific screens required for users to achieve their objectives seamlessly and without frustration.
CREATE A NEW HABIT FLOW
RECEIVE A FRIEND'S MESSAGE FLOW
IDEATE
Site Maps
In designing the structure of the app, I employed a site map to establish page hierarchy and navigation, aiming for a minimalistic user interface to enable users to focus on one task at a time.
SITE MAP VERSION 1.0
To evaluate the sitemap, I conducted a card sorting exercise with five participants and twenty cards. The learnings helped me refine the information architecture of my initial sitemap design.
SITE MAP VERSION 2.0
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
My initial designs were hand-sketched to generate numerous ideas and concentrate on the essentials, avoiding premature fixation on minor details.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Next, I transferred my sketches to Figma, refining and iterating my designs until they were ready for testing with real users.
'CREATE HABIT' SCREEN EVOLUTION
'LOG HABIT' SCREEN EVOLUTION
'MESSAGE FRIEND' SCREEN EVOLUTION
TESTING
Usability Testing
I recruited six participants and conducted moderated remote sessions to assess the learnability of new users in creating a habit, logging a completed habit, and sending a message in the app.
To view the test plan and script I wrote, click this link.
Using an affinity map, I organized the data I collected into errors, observations, and important user quotes. I rated the errors using Jakob Nielsen’s Severity Ratings scale, then transferred the information to a Rainbow Spreadsheet for analysis.
USABILITY TESTING: KEY FINDINGS
ISSUE #2: CONFUSING CHECKBOXES
2 out of 6 participants were initially confused by the checkboxes on the habit card; however, all 6 participants eventually understood that the checkboxes represented the practice frequency and completion status of the habit.
ISSUE #4: HELP NEEDED
4 out of 6 participants found it challenging to quickly locate explanations for terms used in the habit prompts, expressing a desire for a more efficient and accessible solution.
ISSUE #1: MAIN OBJECTIVE UNCLEAR
When asked, "How would you know if you're on track to building your habit successfully or not?"*, 4 out of 6 participants did not mention the app's goal of maintaining a habit completion rate of 90% or better, despite being shown a tooltip during onboarding.
* The wording of this question may have contributed to this issue. A clearer way to ask this question would have been, “How would you measure success in the app?”
ISSUE #3: HARD-TO-FIND INSTRUCTIONS
3 out of 6 participants were frustrated by the placement of instructions at the very bottom of the habit lessons.
ISSUE #5: FRIEND STATUS WANTED
2 out of 6 participants wanted to know the status of their friend request after sharing their new habit in the app.
SOLUTIONS & HIGH-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
SOLUTION #1: CLARIFYING THE +90% COMPLETION OBJECTIVE
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Utilized both a visual state change and a color change of the habit meter to signal when users' objectives were achieved.
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Rebranded the app from 'MyHabits' to 'Above 90' to strengthen the emphasis on maintaining a 90% or higher habit completion rate.
SOLUTION #2: CLARIFYING THE CONFUSING CHECKBOXES
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I decided against adding a label or help icon next to the checkboxes to avoid cluttering the habit card since users were able to figure out their usage without additional assistance.
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Instead, I improved the tooltip copy to provide clearer explanations for the checkboxes.
SOLUTION #3: EASY-TO-FIND INSTRUCTIONS
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Introduced new shortcut button, providing instant access to instructions while ensuring a seamless experience for users who prefer to read the entire habit lesson and those who wish to skip ahead.
SOLUTION #4: PROVIDING HELP
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Implemented a help icon next to each prompt, providing users with a shortcut to the specific section in the habit lesson explaining the prompt.
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By directing users to the relevant explanation in the habit lesson, the importance of the content in each habit lesson is reinforced.
SOLUTION #5: FRIEND STATUS ADDED
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Added text indicating the current status of users' friend invites next to each friend's name.
Prototype
Explore the high-fidelity prototype by watching the demo below.
REVISED DESIGN
High-Fidelity Wireframes
With a solid understanding of the issues users were having with the app, I devised targeted solutions that addressed each problem. I then implemented my solutions as I worked on creating high-fidelity wireframes.
GUIDELINES
Design Language System
To conclude this project, I established a design language system with the aim of guiding the product's design and user experience. The goal was to enable other designers and developers to effortlessly understand the tone, interactions, and overall aesthetic of Above 90.
To see the complete design system for Above 90, click this link.
CONCLUSION
What I Learned
Throughout this project, I learned the importance of each phase of the design thinking process in shaping the overall user experience. Though executing the entire process in real-life projects isn't always feasible, understanding the role of each phase—especially user research and usability testing—is crucial for creating user-centered digital products.
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I also gained a strong appreciation for how much users dislike reading text instructions. To address this, I would incorporate engaging animated video lessons, playful design elements, and intuitive navigation cues. Animated videos can simplify complex lessons, while playful design elements make the process more enjoyable—both critical for sustaining engagement in a habit-building app.
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Ultimately, this project highlighted the need for designing with empathy and adaptability, ensuring users can build healthy, long-lasting habits in a way that aligns with their natural behaviors and tendencies.