Let's do something about climate change.
During an ultra-marathon swim, Will was alarmed by the pollution he saw, sparking his drive to take action. This led to the creation of Something, a climate-action program designed to cultivate a purpose-driven culture within companies.
Aiming to rebrand climate change, Will set out to modernize a web-based mobile platform to encourage employees to learn about climate issues and advocacy.
Stakeholders
Founder
IT Lead
Software Engineer
responsibilities
tasks
User Interviews
C&C Analysis
Design Systems
Low-fi Wireframes
Mid-fi Wireframes
Hi-fi Prototype
Usability Testing
Timeframe
5 Weeks
challenge
Engagement of the new app was declining. Users mentioned feeling little inspiration and motivation to continue learning and earn points.
solution
Utilize insights of team dynamics and gamification to assess the app and design new features to improve engagement amongst users.
OUtcome
Increased awareness of personal progress and team camraderie, leading to 60% increase in motivation to engage with product.
After initial product testing, the company discovered a decline in user engagement after reading through numerous modules.
Given that the app was intended to foster team bonding in business environments, I brainstorm goals that my design needed to incorporate in order meet the founder's needs.
Goal #1: Increase reading engagement
Goal #2: Create user interaction among users
Goal #3: Create an environment where users felt that their progress contributed to a larger goal
Research & Insights
client wants to increase engagement.
client wants to
increase engagement.
Through user interviews, I asked professionals what they looked for in the mobile apps they use. From language learning to fitness tracking, I learned that users valued:
Community: "I am more engaged in apps that establish a sense of community so that I can stay up-to-date with peers and their accomplishments."
Competition: "Mobile apps that have a sense of competition are addicting and make me feel productive with my time."
Interaction: "Interacting with the app and seeing my progress helps me feel accomplished and keeps me motivated. It reinforces that the small steps I’m taking are making a difference, making the journey rewarding and encouraging me to stay consistent."
users want more than reading.
users want more than reading.
Research & Insights
client wants to increase engagement.
After initial product testing, the company discovered a decline in user engagement after reading through numerous modules.
Given that the app was intended to foster team bonding in business environments, I brainstorm goals that my design needed to incorporate in order meet the founder's needs.
Goal #1: Increase reading engagement
Goal #2: Create user interaction among users
Goal #3: Navigate resources more easily
Through user interviews, I asked busy professionals what they looked for in the mobile apps they use. From language learning to fitness tracking, I learned that users valued:
Community: "I am more engaged in apps that establish a sense of community so that I can stay up-to-date with peers and their accomplishments."
Competition: "Mobile apps that have a sense of competition are addicting and make me feel productive with my time."
Interaction: "Interacting with the app and seeing my progress helps me feel accomplished and keeps me motivated. It reinforces that the small steps I’m taking are making a difference, making the journey rewarding and encouraging me to stay consistent."
users want more than reading.
Design system
With a loud, bold, modern branding system to revamp a decades old topic of climate change, I utilized their primary colors and fonts to create a design system that is consistent between their reading materials and web app.
Tracking progress
Feature Ideation
Feature Ideation
The team had an existing point system in place, but the initial design provided minimal visibility of users' progress. Beta testers mentioned that they didn't understand the goal of collecting the points.
Through a competitor analysis, I was able to isolate successful point system features that would inspire my design. I landed on an interactive line graph that showcased users' weekly progress in a visually dynamic way. This graph provided users with a clear, upward trajectory of their achievements, giving them a visual representation of their journey and motivating them to continue engaging with the platform. Users could also filter by type of points to gain insights into how points were accumulated and in which focus areas.
Subsequent user testing reported that 100% of users felt more engaged as they became aware of their progress. By blending visual motivation with functional insights, this feature encouraged a stronger connection to personal goals and kept users invested in their continuous learning journey.
Before
Before
after
Before
after
teamwork & competition
teamwork & competition
teamwork & competition
Users needed to feel that individual achievement contributed to a team success. After analyzing gamification strategies and iterating different user flows, I designed a team profile view with a dynamic leaderboard feature to track user contributions across specific learning modules. This feature allowed users to visualize their individual progress while motivating them to strive toward shared objectives. The team view offered two primary features:
Team Goal Progress: Users could see their team's overall progression toward a common points goal, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Individual Module Leaders: Users could also view a breakdown of top contributors in each category, introducing a friendly competitive element that encouraged continuous learning.
Users loved the new feature user testing, I refined these elements to ensure they were intuitive, visually engaging, and motivational. This balance between individual recognition and team-based motivation helped users feel both personally rewarded and invested in the team’s achievements. This gamified approach not only encouraged sustained learning but also built a stronger community within the platform.
Users needed to feel that individual achievement contributed to a team success. After analyzing gamification strategies and iterating user flows, I designed a team profile view with a dynamic leaderboard feature to track user contributions across specific learning modules. This feature allowed users to visualize their individual progress while motivating them to strive toward shared objectives. It offers two primary features:
Team Goal Progress: Users could see their team's overall progression toward a common points goal, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Individual Module Leaders: Users could also view a breakdown of top contributors in each category, introducing a friendly competitive element that encouraged continuous learning.
Users praised the new feature during testing, with 60% mentioning an increased motivation in contributing to their teams success. This balance between individual recognition and team-based motivation helped users feel both personally rewarded and invested in the team’s achievements.
Users needed to feel that individual achievement contributed to a team success. After analyzing gamification strategies and iterating user flows, I designed a team profile view with a dynamic leaderboard feature to track user contributions across specific learning modules. This feature allowed users to visualize their individual progress while motivating them to strive toward shared objectives. It offers two primary features:
Team Goal Progress: Users could see their team's overall progression toward a common points goal, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Individual Module Leaders: Users could also view a breakdown of top contributors in each category, introducing a friendly competitive element that encouraged continuous learning.
Users praised the new feature during testing, with 60% mentioning an increased motivation in contributing to their teams success. This balance between individual recognition and team-based motivation helped users feel both personally rewarded and invested in the team’s achievements.
Users needed to feel that individual achievement contributed to a team success. After analyzing gamification strategies and iterating user flows, I designed a team profile view with a dynamic leaderboard feature to track user contributions across specific learning modules. This feature allowed users to visualize their individual progress while motivating them to strive toward shared objectives. It offers two primary features:
Team Goal Progress: Users could see their team's overall progression toward a common points goal, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Individual Module Leaders: Users could also view a breakdown of top contributors in each category, introducing a friendly competitive element that encouraged continuous learning.
Users praised the new feature during testing, with 60% mentioning an increased motivation in contributing to their teams success. This balance between individual recognition and team-based motivation helped users feel both personally rewarded and invested in the team’s achievements.
Tracking Progress
feature ideation
The team had an existing point system in place, but the initial design provided minimal visibility of users' progress. Beta testers mentioned that they didn't understand the goal of collecting the points.
Through a competitor analysis, I was able to isolate successful point system features that would inspire my design. I landed on an interactive line graph that showcased users' weekly progress in a visually dynamic way. This graph provided users with a clear, upward trajectory of their achievements, giving them a visual representation of their journey and motivating them to continue engaging with the platform. Users could also filter by type of points to gain insights into how points were accumulated and in which focus areas.
Subsequent user testing reported that 100% of users felt more engaged as they became aware of their progress. By blending visual motivation with functional insights, this feature encouraged a stronger connection to personal goals and kept users invested in their continuous learning journey.
Before
Before
after
Design System
With a loud, bold, modern branding system to revamp a decades old topic of climate change, I utilized their primary colors and fonts to create a design system that is consistent between their reading materials and web app.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Cross-functional Collaboration
During the lo-fi phase, I found it important to collaborate closely with engineers and IT leads to ensure technical feasibility and gather valuable input. This approach allowed me to identify potential challenges early on, align on requirements, and iterate quickly based on feedback, leading to a more refined and implementable design solutionColor Accessibility
Considering their branding, I had to ensure that colors were bright enough to be visible, but not takeaway from any primary or secondary CTA's. I also had to revisit their font style guide to ensure that content would be legible with the dark background.Qualitative > quantitative
As the primary goal was to increase engagement and utility, it was more important to understand how users became motivated, and what competitors did to engage and enhance motivation.
Cross-functional Collaboration
During the lo-fi phase, I found it important to collaborate closely with engineers and IT leads to ensure technical feasibility and gather valuable input. This approach allowed me to identify potential challenges early on, align on requirements, and iterate quickly based on feedback, leading to a more refined and implementable design solutionColor Accessibility
Considering their branding, I had to ensure that colors were bright enough to be visible, but not takeaway from any primary or secondary CTA's. I also had to revisit their font style guide to ensure that content would be legible with the dark background.Qualitative > quantitative
As the primary goal was to increase engagement and utility, it was more important to understand how users became motivated, and what competitors did to engage and enhance motivation.
