Work

Art

About Me

Work

Art

About Me

Index
Problem
Problem
Research
Research
Solution
Solution

Improving Time Management with Gamification

Improving Time Management with Gamification

Design project that improves users' mood and productivity through gamified task management
Design project that improves users' mood and productivity through gamified task management

Duration

6 months

Team

5 member team project

Role

Product Designer

Task

Design an application that modifies user behaviors

Project Overview

As the Product Designer, I created wireframes, user flows, mockups, and prototypes for the digital product
Skip to the prototype?
Initial Problem Discovery

Most college students encounter some form of mental health challenges during their academic journey.

Most college students encounter some form of mental health challenges during their academic journey.

Most college students encounter some form of mental health challenges during their academic journey.
Up to 41% of college students in the U.S. had symptoms of depression in 2023. 36% reported that they had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime.
Why focus on time management?
Why focus on time management?
Procrastination can lead to lower grades, decreased class satisfaction, and higher student dropout rates.
Procrastination can lead to lower grades, decreased class satisfaction, and higher student dropout rates.
Academic procrastination is caused by motivation toward school tasks and personality orientation.
Academic procrastination is caused by motivation toward school tasks and personality orientation.
Students' organization style was the only factor that really improved their ability to have control over time.
Students' organization style was the only factor that really improved their ability to have control over time.
Design Goal

How might we help students manage their time in a way that reduces mental stress?

How might we help students manage their time in a way that reduces mental stress?
UX Research Method 01: Focus Groups
I interviewed 20 students across 9 different majors and 3 different degree categories: undergraduate, master, and Ph.D.These are some of the notable quotes.
"Task management feels like finding the right timing to do multiple things at once."
"Task management feels like finding the right timing to do multiple things at once."
"Everyday, I need to do something, and if I don't finish, there's more and more things to do tomorrow."
"Everyday, I need to do something, and if I don't finish, there's more and more things to do tomorrow."
"Once I start procrastinating on small tasks, it eventually leads to being unable to finish entire assignments."
"Once I start procrastinating on small tasks, it eventually leads to being unable to finish entire assignments."
UX Research Method 02: Affinity Diagram
After collecting data from the focus groups , I contextualized them into categories by affinity diagramming to draw insights.
I need to help students maintain a sustainable balance between work and personal life.
When a task feels fun or when the student sees value in it, the more approachable it's perceived.
Students need to feel motivated to complete everything on their schedule.
Defining the Problem

How does poor time management affect students' mental health?

How does poor time management affect students' mental health?
What are students' pain points?
What are students' pain points?
Pain Point 01
Most tasks or assignments don't feel very enjoyable.
Pain Point 02
It's challenging to stay focused for hours to complete one task.
Pain Point 02
Constantly thinking about school and workload leads to more stress and anxiety.

Let's Check out Gamification

Along with being motivated, students must find joy in completing their tasks. Mutliple interview participants also mentioned gaming as a stress reliever. Students need to not feel like the task is tedious or overwhelming. For those reasons, I intermix work and play to gamify task management.
Design + Iteration

How might we integrate our research findings into design concepts for user testing?

How might we integrate our research findings into design concepts for user testing?
Wireframing Feedback
After gathering insights from the student focus groups and expert consults, I feel ready to brainstorm design iterations. After each iteration, I tested my wireframes with college students for feedback.
Users expressed their confusion about the different components of the application and how they would like to be instructed what to do first.
I discovered that I needed to readjust the focus to fostering self-motivation and empowerment instead of application usability.
Users need flexibility in how they finish their tasks, and they would like the choice to step away from the game progression.
The Solution

Fluffy Focus is a web application that reduces the stress of schedule management by intermixing self-affirmation and gratification gameplay elements.

Fluffy Focus is a web application that reduces the stress of schedule management by intermixing self-affirmation and gratification gameplay elements.

All about Fluffy Focus

With Fluffy Focus, users can discover and customize new environments by completing their real-life tasks.
After completing a task, users receive experience points (XP) and rewards such as environment decorations and avatar accessories.
With enough XP, users are able to level up and unlock new customizable environments.

Final Mockups

Personalized Companion Guide

Personalized Companion Guide
Personalized Companion Guide
Structured guidance and tutorial from a customizable avatar
Structured guidance and tutorial from a customizable avatar
Structured guidance and tutorial from a customizable avatar

Positive Self-Talks

Positive Self-Talks
Positive Self-Talks
Encouraging dialogue that fosters self-encouragement
Encouraging dialogue that fosters self-encouragement
Encouraging dialogue that fosters self-encouragement

Pomodoro Structure

Pomodoro Structure
Pomodoro Structure
Users are able to break longer tasks into intervals, separating periods of work with short breaks
Users are able to break longer tasks into intervals, separating periods of work with short breaks
Users are able to break longer tasks into intervals, separating periods of work with short breaks

Adaptive Productivity

Adaptive Productivity
Adaptive Productivity
Flexible tools that allow users to manage their task load
Flexible tools that allow users to manage their task load
Flexible tools that allow users to manage their task load

View the Prototype

Click to View

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