(01) 

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Define

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Breaking bad habits and maintaining good ones can be challenging. To address this, I wanted to design an app that supports users in habit formation by incorporating a reward-based system. The app leverages positive reinforcement to encourage consistency and motivation, helping users build and sustain habits effectively.

(02) 

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Ideate

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With this concept in mind, I began designing the wireframe for the app. The core idea was to allow users to select a virtual plant and link it to either "starting a good habit" or "stopping a bad habit." As users make progress, their plant grows incrementally, providing a visual representation of their achievements.

Additional features were integrated to enhance user engagement and motivation:

• Achievement Board: A dedicated space to showcase the user’s highest accomplishments, fostering a sense of pride and progress.
• Monthly Reports: A tool for short-term checkpoints, offering an overview of the past month's milestones and achievements to reflect on progress and stay motivated.

These features are designed to build momentum and maintain motivation, aligning with the app’s primary goal of supporting users in their habit-building journey through engaging and rewarding experiences.

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(03) 

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Prototype + Refine

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The prototype was developed in Figma, following the initial wireframe I created. However, during the process, I identified key flaws in the original concept and design.

Initially, the app's core idea revolved around plants growing as users maintained good habits or avoided bad ones. While this concept aligned with the habit-building goal, insights from a workshop revealed that users benefit from more frequent rewards to sustain engagement. Based on this, I introduced a new feature: users now earn a water drop for their plant every 5 days and see a new leaf grow every 10 days. This incremental reward system actively involves users in the plant’s growth, reinforcing daily engagement and motivation.

Additionally, as I progressed with the design, I encountered challenges with implementing multiple plant types. Designing the growth stages for just one plant was complex and resource-intensive, and expanding this feature to include various plants would require extensive research on plant types, growth patterns, and design consistency. While I aim to incorporate this feature in the future, I decided to streamline the current design by focusing on a single plant type for simplicity and feasibility at this stage.

(04) 

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Final design

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Introducing Plant Pal: Your Companion for Growth

Plant Pal is a habit-building app designed to make personal growth engaging and rewarding. Whether you're starting a good habit or breaking a bad one, Plant Pal is here to support your journey.

Core Features:

• Grow with Your Habits: Choose a plant to represent your habit. As you make progress, watch your plant thrive and grow, visualizing your achievements.
• Achievement Board: Celebrate milestones with a dedicated board showcasing your highest accomplishments to keep you motivated.
• Monthly Reports: Reflect on your progress with concise monthly summaries, highlighting your wins and providing a checkpoint for your journey.

Why Plant Pal?‍

Breaking bad habits and maintaining good ones is tough. Plant Pal gamifies the process, rewarding you with small, meaningful incentives to build momentum and motivation. Designed with user-friendly UI/UX principles, it acts as a supportive "pal" on your path to growth, helping you cultivate habits and reach your goals.

Grow habits, nurture success, and bloom into your best self with Plant Pal. 🌱

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(05) 

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Takeaways

• Some ideas are easier said than done: Translating concepts into functional designs often involves unforeseen challenges that require innovative problem-solving and adaptability.

• ‍Toolbar feature: Designing an effective toolbar demands careful consideration of usability, ensuring it is intuitive, accessible, and efficiently organizes essential features for the user.‍

• Interactive design: Crafting interactive elements requires a focus on responsiveness and user engagement, blending creativity with functionality to deliver a seamless and enjoyable experience.

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(06) 

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Next steps

• Refining the design for a breathable feel: Explore adjustments to layout, spacing, and visual hierarchy to create a cleaner, more open aesthetic, enhancing user comfort and engagement.

• ‍Collaborating with developers: Partner with a development team to ensure a smooth handoff, providing comprehensive design documentation and maintaining open communication throughout the implementation phase.‍

• User research on plant variety: Investigate user preferences for multiple plant types through surveys and testing to determine if this feature aligns with the needs and interests of the target audience.

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