Conceptualized a gamified productivity app to ease project stress - Part 1
Problem:
Users often suffer from feelings of procrastination, demotivation, & overwhelm when it comes to completing various projects/tasks.
Goal:
The goal was to create an innovative solution that didn’t just address procrastination and overwhelm but actively transformed the experience. I aimed to reduce stress by designing a solution that felt engaging, motivating, and enjoyable—making doing project tasks feel rewarding rather than burdensome.
Solution:
Conceptualized a gamified productivity app mid-fidelity prototype that transforms task and project management into an engaging experience. The solution is to break Project works into tiny tasks, and earn points, badges, and rewards for completing tasks within set timeframes. Once the entire project is completed, users will receive an achievement summary that helps increase user motivation.
This case study is concentrated on the qualitative research part to find a novel solution. It has a followup redesign case study. View part 2 of this case study
Tools Used
Webex for user testing
Qualtrics for research
Figma
UX Techniques
User flow
Mid-fidelity prototype
Qualitative Research
General overview
Project Type: Solo
Time taken: 12 weeks
The Design Process
Empathize & Define
The Problem
According to researchers, procrastination, demotivation and the feeling of overwhelm when completing projects affects about 15%–20% of adults.
Research on the Problem
After conducting a thorough research on the problem, the results showed that users rated themselves relatively high, indicating a strong motivation to be productive. However, 88% of users reported grappling with procrastination, highlighting a critical pain point the app aims to address.
This indicates that motivation alone isn’t sufficient to drive productive behaviors; users need additional support, tools, or guidance to overcome barriers to action.
The interesting aspect here is the gap between intent and behavior. It suggested that the app’s role should be to provide actionable, engaging solutions that bridge the gap between users’ desire to be productive and their actual ability to follow through. This insight was key for designing solution that actively supports task completion and minimize procrastination triggers.
16
Survey responses
3
One-on-one interviews
Age 20-40
Research focus group - Students & professionals
Research participant shares…
Ideate & Prototype
Problem Solution
From problem research results, the gap between intent and behavior suggested that the solution should provide actionable, engaging solutions. Leveraging the results and after thorough analysis, I opted to use gamification principles as a core part of the solution.
Recognizing the need for a more engaging task management solution and a gap in existing productivity apps, a gamified platform to address procrastination and project completion challenges was conceptualized. The concept includes innovative features like personalized quest creation leveraging AI, self-reflection after task completion, reward system, and other elements - all integrated into a mid-fidelity prototype with user registration, avatar creation, and task completion functionalities.
For example, a student with a large assignment can enter their project as a ‘Quest’ in the app. The AI then breaks it down into manageable ‘Levels,’ each containing small, actionable tasks. As the student completes each level, they earn points and reflect briefly on their progress. When the entire Quest is completed, they advance on the leaderboard, earn additional points, and receive an achievement summary—making the project journey structured, engaging, motivating, and rewarding.
Design Strategy
It is like breaking a giant mountain into boulders and breaking those boulders into pieces of rock and tackling one rock at a time to clear the way and move forward.
Breaking down the Project tasks
User's project taks will be broken down into manageable levels.
3 Methods of project breakdown
Using AI
Using pre-made templates
Creating your own from scratch
Reward upon project completion
Users will earn a final reward that celebrates achievements, offering reflection and motivation.
Leaderboard
Users will climb the leaderboard by leveling up and earning points.
The Userflow
The primary focus was to clearly communicate the core problem and solution. I prioritized testing essential functionality, user interactions, and gamification elements, while other features were set aside for a second prototype.
Design decisions behind key features backed by previous research results
Avatar Creation:
Design Decision: To enhance personalization and increase engagement, I incorporated avatar creation as part of the app’s gamified experience. By allowing users to build a virtual identity with a custom avatar, the app feels more personal and immersive. The personalized avatar adds a sense of ownership and enjoyment, making the app experience not only functional but also enjoyable and motivating.
Quest Creation:
Design Decision: To support effective project planning and management, I introduced Quest Creation, allowing users to set up projects with start and end dates, leveraging AI to break the project tasks. This feature helps users organize their workload by breaking larger projects into manageable steps, reducing feelings of overwhelm. With AI support, users receive structure in defining clear milestones and realistic timelines, making complex projects feel more achievable and enhancing their ability to focus on one step at a time. This structured approach aims to build user confidence and improve their overall project management experience.
Reward mechanism for task completion:
Design Decision: To boost motivation and make productivity engaging, I integrated a reward mechanism for task completion. Users can mark tasks as complete, earn rewards, and progress through levels, transforming their project journey into a game-like experience. This approach makes each task completion feel satisfying and provides a sense of achievement, reinforcing users’ motivation to stay on track. Through this approach, I aimed to create a positive feedback loop that keeps users invested and makes goal completion more enjoyable.
Reflection after level completion:
Design Decision: To foster self-reflection and personal growth, I implemented a feature encouraging users to reflect on their progress and input their thoughts once a level was completed. This intentional pause allows users to recognize their achievements, understand their learning journey, and develop self-awareness. By highlighting their accomplishments and challenges, the reflection feature not only reinforces motivation but also builds a sense of continuous improvement, keeping users inspired and engaged for future tasks.
User's achievement summary after Quest completion:
Design Decision: To reinforce a sense of accomplishment, I introduced rewards upon quest completion, which is points and achievement summary. Each completed quest provides tangible benefits, celebrating users’ progress and achievements. This approach highlights their success, creating a rewarding experience that motivates continued engagement with the app.
The User Testing
Through moderated live user testing with six participants, I gathered valuable insights into the prototype’s task breakdown and gamification features. Feedback pointed to key areas for enhancement, such as improving the visual design, adding clearer guidance, and allowing more flexibility in completing tasks. Participants emphasized on wanting animations, real-world incentives as reward, and user-controlled rewards to make the experience more engaging. These insights underscored the importance of an iterative design process and the ongoing role of user feedback in refining core features and optimizing user satisfaction.
Key Areas for Enhancement:
Visual design adjustments to create a more appealing interface.
Clearer, more detailed guidance on how to navigate the app.
Greater flexibility in task completion to accommodate different user workflows.
User Suggestions for Engagement:
Adding animations for smoother transitions and a dynamic feel.
Real-world incentives to motivate continued use and engagement.
User-controlled rewards to personalize and enhance the experience.
User testing data was gathered through two methods: 6 responses from moderated user testing interviews, providing in-depth insights through real-time observation and feedback, and 5 responses from unmoderated user testing, offering additional perspectives in a natural, user-driven setting. Together, these responses provided a comprehensive view of user interactions with the prototype, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.
Q: How did the concept of turning project tasks into levels and missions impact your motivation to work on your tasks? Please explain.
I find this concept quite unique compared to other productivity apps with gamified features. It feels like I'm playing a game while actually leveling up by completing tasks. When I'm motivated and already working on two tasks, I feel inclined to tackle a third. However, I'm not a fan of the small fonts in the app and would appreciate some animations to enhance the experience.
Q: What did you like and dislike about the app prototype most, and why?
I think it's a fantastic idea because when I have a task, I often feel overwhelmed by its magnitude and the time required. Breaking it down into smaller goals makes it more manageable and increases the likelihood of completion. I appreciate the structured path you've shown from step 1 to step 2 and so on, but I believe adding a visually animated version of that route would make the experience even more engaging and exciting for users like me.
The Analysis
Core solution approach to tackling the problem was perceived positively.
The majority of participants responded positively to the app’s approach of breaking down projects into smaller, manageable tasks. This feedback validated the core design strategy for tackling procrastination and overwhelm: users found that smaller steps made the overall project feel more achievable. The fact that this method resonated well with users, it builds a strong support for continuing to use task segmentation as a means to reduce procrastination and keep users engaged in their progress.
Needs more dynamic experience.
One participant noted they would give the app a try but expressed uncertainty about long-term engagement, feeling that the experience might become too static and eventually boring. This feedback highlighted the need for a more dynamic experience, with participants expressing interest in animations and additional gamified elements to keep the app engaging over time.
Found the visual style to be unique.
Some participants appreciated the unique visual style, finding it well-suited to the gamified concept. However, others raised concerns about certain design choices, specifically the use of multiple colors, small text sizes, and the selected font family. These insights highlight both the appeal and areas for refinement in creating a balanced and accessible visual experience.
Challenges
Balancing engagement & gamification with productivity functions:
Blending gamification with productivity posed a unique challenge. While users valued the playful elements, they also expected the app to be highly effective for task management. Achieving the right balance between engaging design and functional efficiency is essential to meet user expectations, which I plan to work on in the redesign.
Crafting a universally appealing UI despite subjective preferences:
Feedback indicated that the app’s UI/UX required refinement to broaden its appeal. Achieving the right balance between aesthetics and functionality proved to be a delicate but essential task.
Handling all development phases alone, balancing time and resources efficiently:
Managing all phases of development independently provided valuable freedom in decision-making. However, the time-intensive nature of this approach underscored the advantages of collaborative development, where shared efforts in research, design, and prototyping could have streamlined the process.
Continuous refinement driven by user insights to optimize experience:
Participant feedback offered valuable insights into the app’s strengths and areas for improvement. I will be using this feedback to refine the design for enhancing its potential as a productivity tool that is both engaging and practical.
Reflection
Most of the time was dedicated to in-depth research on the problem and understanding how target users were affected by it. This foundational work was essential in crafting a novel solution designed to effectively address the challenges of overwhelm and procrastination in project completion.
User feedback highlighted the app’s strengths and areas for improvement. Breaking projects into smaller tasks was praised for helping manage procrastination and making projects feel achievable. However, some users found the app too static, suggesting more dynamic elements like animations and interactive features for sustained engagement. Visual tweaks were also recommended to enhance readability and overall satisfaction.
Next Steps:
Enhance Dynamic Elements: Introduce animations, progress tracking, and interactive features to create a more engaging experience and prevent the app from feeling static.
Refine Visual Design: Optimize color use, increase text sizes for readability, and select a font that combines uniqueness with clarity. Additional usability tests will validate these visual updates.
User Feedback Iteration: Continue gathering feedback on these enhancements, using an iterative approach to ensure the app evolves to meet user needs and expectations, resulting in a more engaging and user-centered experience.
This case study has a follow up case study where I redesigned the UI/UX by addressing the user pain points discovered from the user testing:
