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[Case 01]

Habit Tracking App — 30K+ Downloads

Health & Wellness

HabitFy — Building Better Habits From Scratch

How I Designed a Habit Tracking App That Reached 30K Downloads

[Project Overview]

HabitFy is a habit tracking mobile app designed from scratch for a US-based client. The goal was to help users build, track, and improve daily habits. I led the entire design process — from research and wireframing to high-fidelity UI and developer handoff.

[Problem Statement]

  • Low Engagement: Users were downloading habit tracking apps but abandoning them within the first week due to complicated setup flows.

  • No Clear Motivation: Existing habit apps focused on tracking but failed to show users their progress in a meaningful, motivating way.

  • Overwhelming Onboarding: Users felt overwhelmed by too many options during initial habit setup, leading to decision fatigue and drop-off.

[Industry]

Health & Wellness

[My Role]

Lead Designer

[Platforms]

Desktop and Android

[Timeline]

January 2025- March 2025

Dribbble Portfolio

Dribbble Portfolio

[Persona]

Sarah Mitchell

Young Professional

Sarah is a busy professional trying to build healthier routines. She's motivated but struggles with consistency. She's tried multiple habit apps before but always stops using them after a few days because they feel like a chore rather than a help.

Age: 29

Location: New York City

Tech Proficiency: High

Gender: Female

[Goal]

Simple Setup: Start tracking habits in under 2 minutes without feeling overwhelmed by options.

Stay Motivated: See meaningful progress that makes her want to come back daily.

Build Consistency: Get gentle reminders and streak tracking that encourage daily engagement without being annoying.

[Frustrations]

Too Many Choices: "I open the app and there are 50 categories of habits. I just want to drink more water and read before bed."

No Sense of Progress: "I track for a week but there's no satisfying way to see how far I've come."

Boring Experience: "It feels like filling out a spreadsheet. There's nothing that makes me want to open the app."

[Process]

[01] User Research

Conducted user interviews with 12 participants to understand why they abandon habit tracking apps.

Analyzed competitor apps (Habitica, Streaks, Loop) to identify common UX patterns and gaps.

Identified that the biggest drop-off point was during onboarding — users felt overwhelmed by too many choices upfront.

[01] User Research

Conducted user interviews with 12 participants to understand why they abandon habit tracking apps.

Analyzed competitor apps (Habitica, Streaks, Loop) to identify common UX patterns and gaps.

Identified that the biggest drop-off point was during onboarding — users felt overwhelmed by too many choices upfront.

[01] User Research

Conducted user interviews with 12 participants to understand why they abandon habit tracking apps.

Analyzed competitor apps (Habitica, Streaks, Loop) to identify common UX patterns and gaps.

Identified that the biggest drop-off point was during onboarding — users felt overwhelmed by too many choices upfront.

[02] Insights

Users wanted a quick, guided setup — not an open-ended list of every possible habit.

Visual progress (streaks, charts, completion rings) was the #1 motivator for daily return.

Push notifications were helpful only when they felt personal and timely — generic reminders were ignored or turned off.

[02] Insights

Users wanted a quick, guided setup — not an open-ended list of every possible habit.

Visual progress (streaks, charts, completion rings) was the #1 motivator for daily return.

Push notifications were helpful only when they felt personal and timely — generic reminders were ignored or turned off.

[02] Insights

Users wanted a quick, guided setup — not an open-ended list of every possible habit.

Visual progress (streaks, charts, completion rings) was the #1 motivator for daily return.

Push notifications were helpful only when they felt personal and timely — generic reminders were ignored or turned off.

[03 Design Solution]

Designed a guided onboarding flow that helps users pick 2–3 starter habits instead of overwhelming them with a full catalog.

Created a dashboard centered around a daily streak counter and visual progress rings to make completion feel rewarding.

Built a smart reminder system that suggests notification times based on the habit type (morning habits get morning reminders).

[03 Design Solution]

Designed a guided onboarding flow that helps users pick 2–3 starter habits instead of overwhelming them with a full catalog.

Created a dashboard centered around a daily streak counter and visual progress rings to make completion feel rewarding.

Built a smart reminder system that suggests notification times based on the habit type (morning habits get morning reminders).

[03 Design Solution]

Designed a guided onboarding flow that helps users pick 2–3 starter habits instead of overwhelming them with a full catalog.

Created a dashboard centered around a daily streak counter and visual progress rings to make completion feel rewarding.

Built a smart reminder system that suggests notification times based on the habit type (morning habits get morning reminders).

[04] Testing & Iteration

Conducted usability testing with 10 users on the prototype to identify friction in the onboarding and daily tracking flows

Iterated on the dashboard layout based on feedback — users wanted their streak front and center, not buried below a habit list.

Simplified the habit editing & creatingflow after testing showed users struggled alot to modify habits after initial setup.

[04] Testing & Iteration

Conducted usability testing with 10 users on the prototype to identify friction in the onboarding and daily tracking flows

Iterated on the dashboard layout based on feedback — users wanted their streak front and center, not buried below a habit list.

Simplified the habit editing & creatingflow after testing showed users struggled alot to modify habits after initial setup.

[04] Testing & Iteration

Conducted usability testing with 10 users on the prototype to identify friction in the onboarding and daily tracking flows

Iterated on the dashboard layout based on feedback — users wanted their streak front and center, not buried below a habit list.

Simplified the habit editing & creatingflow after testing showed users struggled alot to modify habits after initial setup.

[Outcome]

30K+ Downloads After Launch
Simplified Onboarding from open-ended setup to guided 2-minute flow
50% Faster Task Completion and Higher Perceived Trust & 3x Higher Daily Return Rate

[Key Learnings]

Simplification is key

Users value a quick and easy process, especially on mobile.

Simplification is key

Users value a quick and easy process, especially on mobile.

Simplification is key

Users value a quick and easy process, especially on mobile.

Iterative testing pays off

Regular testing uncovered hidden issues and ensured the design met user needs.

Iterative testing pays off

Regular testing uncovered hidden issues and ensured the design met user needs.

Iterative testing pays off

Regular testing uncovered hidden issues and ensured the design met user needs.

Details matter

Small improvements, like error validation and mobile optimization, had a significant impact.

Details matter

Small improvements, like error validation and mobile optimization, had a significant impact.

Details matter

Small improvements, like error validation and mobile optimization, had a significant impact.

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