Case Study: Done
Habit tracking app for adults to create and maintain healthy habits.
Project Overview
Services
UX Design, UI Design, UX Researcher
From concept to hi-fi prototype
Duration
October 2022 - December 2022
Responsibilities
Foundational research, user personas, paper and digital wireframes, low and high fidelity prototypes, and usability study research
Platform
Figma
Google Slides
Google Sheets
Adults are so busy between work demands, or taking care of their family, that even though they want to better themselves, it is hard to get started on creating healthy habits. Every new years the intention to start healthy habits is present, but the method is not there to maintain those habits. Thus, the idea for habit tracker was created. The goal of the habit tracker is to help users complete healthy habits that can help them grow physically, mentally, fiscally, and/or emotionally.
User Research
I conducted user interviews to better understand the target user, adults between the ages 24-65, and their needs. I discovered that many target users start strong when creating habits, but tend to forget to complete them as time progresses. Life or work gets in the way, and it’s hard to stay motivated when there is so much to attend to on a daily basis.
Awareness
Users would start their new habit for a week or two, but would get distracted and end up forgetting about building their new habit. This was be a constant cycle for most targeted users, and all them wished for some external support.
Accessibility
Users were also discouraged by the need of items for certain habits. One user wanted to journal but found it too difficult to keep finding the notebook since their kids kept hiding it. Another said that she forgot to buy a new notebook, and never started.
Support
Users said that making these changes was hard to do by themselves and would have liked support. However, they found it difficult asking friends or family who didn’t share the same goals as them or couldn’t understand their frustrations.
Consistency
Users would get excited to start the habit, but if they missed one or two days they no longer felt like completing it. Users wanted a way to keep track of their progress and see how long they can keep up with a habit.
Based on the pain points I developed 2 personas, Sonia, a college professor who dropper her kids in college, and Liam, an investment banker who was just diagnosed with high blood pressure. They both have demanding jobs and lifestyles, but are determined to better their health. Using the habit tracker, Sonia can start working on her mental health while Liam starts creating a better habit of taking his medication and start working out.
Paper Wireframe
When creating paper wireframes for this app, I looked at how to address current pain points for targeted users. I wanted to make sure that since my target user was older that the screens had just enough content for them to successfully track their habits. A big pain point when completing the competitive analysis was that when it was complicated, older users tend to give up. I wanted to make sure I was creating a tool for them to use to succeed and not feel frustrated.
Digital Wireframes
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Notes
When completing certain habits, such as journaling, the notes section immediately appears so users can make the appropriate note, from tracking medicine, exercise reps, or just journaling about their day. This helps users keep everything in one app.
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Creating Habit
Users have a variety of healthy habits to choose from to creating an option for flexibility was crucial to the design process. I included an ability to chose the frequency of the habit, adding a reminder, and finally a way to track the habit (if the user prefers setting a timer or just checking it off).
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Support Group
A main pain point with users was the lack of accountability, so users will have an option to join support groups for their specific habit. This will allow users to share frustrations or wins, which is proven to help encourage users to continue with their habits.
Low Fidelity Prototype
When deciding how to create a user flow, I thought about the path that a user would go through when scheduling their first session. First was adding a habit, then customizing the frequency and type of tracking for the habit, and finally selecting a support group to join. Then I had users complete the habits, including one that requires using the notes feature to make sure it was intuitive. I finally had users go through the support group to see if I had properly addressed the initial pain point of accountability.
“The process is simple, and I liked the ease of tracking a habit”
-Feedback after usability study
Usability Study
Unmoderated remote usability studies were conducted with 5 people between the age of 24-65. The results from the study showed a general understanding of the user flow but there was certain aspects that made it difficult for users to complete certain tasks.
Creating Habit
Most users found that the creating habit screen had too many options on it that made it confusing to know what to select. They preferred to focus on one selection at a time.
Support Groups
Some users found the icon caption “support” as confusing. Some also thought it would be better to have a group posting rather than getting texts and not being able to keep up with it.
Quick Access
Some users preferred to have a button to click everyday or weekdays so that they didn’t have to click on every single day. Adding those small details could make it easier for users.
Mockups
Homepage
Support Group Format
I adjusted the starting page by removing the complete circle from start here button so it isn’t confusing for users. I also changed the icon name for support group from “support” to “groups.”
Based on user feedback, I changed the format of the support group from chatting to a post type form. This allows everybody to keep track of previous information but also contribute through the comment section.
Notes
Creating a Habit Format
I adjusted the format of this page as well to make it more streamline, and modern. This fit better for making it more intuitive for users since college students prefer having a separate section for requests.
I broke down the creating habit screen into 2 different screens, one specifically for frequency and set reminders, and the other screen for deciding how to track. By separating them, it should make it easier for users to create habits.
Final Prototype
Responsive Design
Takeaways
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Accessibility
I developed a color palette that passes the WCAG 2.1 Level AA to increase accessibility to those who are vision impaired and it passes contrast checker for color-blind users.
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Impact
People are always working hard to better themselves, and having an all-in-one habit tracker can help them on their journey. As we get older, we allow other tasks take priority, so having a habit tracker puts the user’s health front and center. This concept can help adults start having daily habits that can help them feel more fulfilled and productive on a daily basis.
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What I Learned
With this design challenge, I was thinking not only of the next billion users but the current billion users. I had to rethink how some of the older targeted user will use my product, which led to adapting more screens so that users aren’t confused. I learned that matching design choices to targeted audience can make a huge impact on how intuitive it is for the user. Ultimately, for an app that is meant to better their lives, I think using something easy and not compacted can make a big difference in keeping a habit.
Next Steps
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Small Groups
Currently, I have the support groups set up as a posting forum, but based on user research, some users might benefit more from a smaller, intimate chat. In the next iteration, I want to create a way for users to join chat groups of less than 10 people so that those who need the extra push has the support they need to build healthy habits.
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Incentive
While building healthy habits are important, sometimes having an incentive can make it easier to keep track of habits. I want to include a way to reward users who complete all their tasks for the week, which can motivate them to keep tracking their habits.
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More Habits
As more users test, it would be nicer to be able to add habits that meet every target group. From adding a daily study session, or a weekly yoga class, I want to add more customizability to this concept.