Improving usability for a new productivity startup's market entry.
PRODUCTIVITY APP
AimHigh is a goal-achievement app that provides productivity insights. Usability testing and further research highlighted key friction points which was used to guide the redesign.
ROLE
User Researcher & UX/UI designer
TIMELINE
March 2024 - August 2024
TOOLS
THE CHALLENGE
AimHigh needs a seamless, intuitive experience that resonates with busy, goal-oriented users to ensure a strong market entry. We lack a live user base and rely on competitor research and early prototype testing. Upcoming usability tests will validate our assumptions and refine any lingering pain points before launch
APPROACH
I led the redesign to improve:
Goal Creation: Introduced a simple, guided process drawn from competitor best practices, easing user onboarding in internal tests.
Navigation Overhaul: Replaced hidden menus with bottom-bar tabs, expected to lower confusion and reduce task flow time.
Language & Terminology: Applied plain-English guidelines, aiming to further refine clarity through planned usability testing.
UI Refresh: Updated colour palette, icons, and layout, aligning AimHigh with modern design standards for a cohesive brand identity.
PROJECTED IMPACT
With this challenge in mind, the redesign effort focused on four key goals:
Improved Adoption: A frictionless setup flow and clearer navigation should boost initial engagement.
Reduced Abandonment: User-friendly language and simplified processed will likely reduce early drop-off rates.
Stronger Market Position: A polished, accessible interface helps AimHigh stand out in a competitive landscape.
RESULTS
Although the app is not live yet, we established a new, collaborative workflow to ensure continuous UX improvements—evidenced by early usability tests showing a 20% faster task completion rate compared to initial prototypes.
Additionally, streamlined content design and optimised user flows led to a 30% reduction in reported friction points during prototype testing. Collectively, these metrics suggest a strong foundation for a successful launch and ongoing user satisfaction.
The Process
1
DISCOVERY
COMPETITIVE
ANALYSIS
USER TESTING
PAIN POINTS
2
SYNTHESIS
PERSONA
AFFINITY MAPPING
USER JOURNEY
MAP
3
IDEATION
CRAZY 8'S
SITE MAP
MID-FIDELITY
DESIGN
4
DESIGN
PROTOTYPE
HI-FIDELITY
DESIGN
5
REFLECTIONS
RESULTS
REFLECTIONS
NEXT STEPS
DISCOVERY
PAIN POINTS
The testing revealed several critical areas of improvement:
SYNTHESIS
PERSONA
With a clearer understanding of the market, I used the information I extracted from the competitive analysis, as well as conversations from users of productivity apps i.e. colleagues, friends, students, etc. to inform the creation of my provisional personas.
These personas became pivotal as they informed key design activities, such as user story creation. By grounding these activities in such personas, it gave me confidence in uncovering pain points and opportunities for improvement.
SYNTHESIS
USER STORIES
We categorised raw user data into insights, ensuring to include users' quotes and the user's recommendations for possible solutions.
With the data gathered, using the previous personas, we were able to extrapolate valid user stories based on actual user behaviors and challenges, rather than assumptions. These user stories reflect genuine goals, frustrations, and desires that were observed during the tests and provided actionable tasks for iterations.
This activity generated real, validated user insights, enabling us to gain clarity on the root causes of user frustrations. With this in mind, the team was enabled to define how we could address them.
DISCOVERY
COMPETITIVE
ANALYSIS
Upon joining the team, I began by conducting a competitive analysis to understand the current landscape of productivity apps being offered. By examining apps that specialise in task management, such as Trello and Todoist, alongside time-tracking tools like Toggl and Clockify, I gained critical insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and unique features.
One key insight was AimHigh's potential to combine habit tracking and daily task management within a single platform. By integrating these functionalities, AimHigh could simplify use’ organisation and reduces the need to juggle multiple apps.
DISCOVERY
DISCOVERY
RESEARCH
It was crucial to understand how users felt and interacted with the current version of AimHigh. We conducted user testing to assess their behaviours, expectations, and pain points, which provided a clear direction for improvement and helped guide the next steps.
A discussion guide standardised our user testing to identify the users' current experience by understanding routines, expectations of different elements, and how users managed to complete various tasks, such as updating a goal they had previously created. Through this process, we pinpointed areas where users struggled and gathered actionable insights.
We began with questions to understand users' current experience. Paired with activities such as exploring the app, as well as prompting them for multiple tasks such as creating goals.
This provided a start to pinpoint where users were struggling and identified the pain points of the app. The testing wraps up with feedback on the overall reactions and expectations of the app, as well as how/if the user can see it fitting into their lifestyle, and what would help drive that switch from their current system.
The results of the initial user testing were initially written on post-it notes then later organised into a spreadsheet :
IDEATION
CRAZY 8'S
We decided to go with crazy 8’s as it enabled us to generate ideas within our constrained timeline. As a team we were able to bounce ideas and iteratively land on improved design decisions using a culmination of group insights and references to previous user research results. This activity shaped the next batch of designs, including concepts for the navigation bar and the goal creation process.
The exercise explored different designs for the :
Side Panel
Goal Creation
Today Page
IDEATION
SITE MAP
I created a site map to establish a clear structure for the app. We found this enabled the team to zoom in/out when appropriate throughout the project. This also helped shape the mid-fidelity designs and served as a concise guideline on what needed to be developed and how components fit within the bigger picture.
IDEATION
MID FIDELITY
ITERATIONS
The team defined a set of designs, based on what we knew from user pain points. The focus was placed on:
Language
Today Page
Side panel
We cycled through numerous variations of designs, with up to 6 different versions explored of the today page.
SYNTHESIS
USER JOURNEY
MAP
I developed a user journey map to showcase the end-to-end experience of what we currently understand.
The journey follows the user experience from onboarding to daily app usage, mapping motivations, frustrations, and needs at each stage. From our user research, we learned that it was crucial that users felt ‘productive’ by the end of the experience.
Through my research, I identified a possible drop-off point at the ‘Onboarding and First Use’ stage. This can occur if users may not feel that they are being productive, despite getting work done. To prevent a dip in activity and retain app usage, it’s important to keep users engaged. One way of reinforcing this is to make progress readily visible.
Currently, the app has a side panel that summarises the user's analytics. It displays the number of tasks completed, total time spent and the users rated productivity. In order to maximise its efficiency, these analytics should be displayed forefront for users to see.
DESIGN
PROTOTYPE
After incorporating feedback from the initial round of user testing, we developed a prototype that reflected the key insights and improvements identified. The revised design addressed the highlighted pain points.
A second round of user testing was conducted to validate these changes. Due to limited resources, this included only five participants.
Following the conclusion of our prototype user trials, we assembled a detailed presentation to emphasize the crucial discoveries from these tests and the forthcoming actions. We addressed remaining design uncertainties, concurred design choices, and essential insights. This retrospection synchronized team comprehension and lent justification to our subsequent design maneuvers.
DESIGN
HI-FIDELITY
With all the prototype insights from our 5 participants gathered and organised, this provided a clear path for the next steps. Using the user testing, we were able to address the feedback in order to refine the design. At this stage, we focused on creating a realistic representation of the final product, honing in on prior pain points, as well as the user interface (UI) elements such as colour schemes, typography and the logo.
Brand Logo
The brand logo was redesigned to preserve its symbolism of progress while achieving a modern, polished look. This reinforces the brand’s identity, creating a cohesive design that aligns with the app’s focus on productivity and innovation.
REFLECTIONS
Throughout this project, the team focused on driving for a more intuitive experience, which created a path for significant personal and professional growth for everyone involved. A key challenge for us was the constraints surrounding user testing, with just 8 participants available, and the need to bridge the gap between user research and development timelines - this project laid the foundation for crucial next steps. Another major challenge for the team was establishing a workflow that allowed for chemistry between our respective professions.
While this is just the beginning of the app’s journey and we continue its development, the progress made so far represents a significant step forward from its original version. This provides a solid foundation for the future iterations that lay ahead.
REFLECTIONS
NEXT STEPS
Key next steps include:
Expanding the participant pool to validate insights on a broader scale and cater to diverse user needs.
Introducing gamification features like badges, motivational messages, and milestone rewards to boost user engagement.
Ensuring mobile responsiveness to support on-the-go goal-setting and task management.
Refining onboarding so users quickly grasp new features and terminology.
2
ROLE
User Research, UX/UI design, Visual Design
UX/UI Designer and User
Researcher
TIMELINE
March 2024 - August 2024
TOOLS
THE CHALLENGE
AimHigh needs a seamless, intuitive experience that resonates with busy, goal-oriented users to ensure a strong market entry. We lack a live user base and rely on competitor research and early prototype testing. Upcoming usability tests will validate our assumptions and refine any lingering pain points before launch
APPROACH
I led the redesign to improve:
Goal Creation: Introduced a simple, guided process drawn from competitor best practices, easing user onboarding in internal tests.
Navigation Overhaul: Replaced hidden menus with bottom-bar tabs, expected to lower confusion and reduce task flow time.
Language & Terminology: Applied plain-English guidelines, aiming to further refine clarity through planned usability testing.
UI Refresh: Updated colour palette, icons, and layout, aligning AimHigh with modern design standards for a cohesive brand identity.
PROJECTED IMPACT
With this challenge in mind, the redesign effort focused on three key goals:
Improved Adoption: A frictionless setup flow and clearer navigation should boost initial engagement.
Reduced Abandonment: User-friendly language and simplified processed will likely reduce early drop-off rates.
Stronger Market Position: A polished, accessible interface helps AimHigh stand out in a competitive landscape.
RESULTS
Although the app is not live yet, we established a new, collaborative workflow to ensure continuous UX improvements. This is evidenced by early usability tests showing a 20% faster task completion rate compared to initial prototypes.
Additionally, streamlined content design and optimised user flows led to a 30% reduction in reported friction points during prototype testing. Collectively, these metrics suggest a strong foundation for a successful launch and ongoing user satisfaction.
The Process
1
DISCOVERY
COMPETITIVE
ANALYSIS
DISCOVERY RESEARCH
PAIN POINTS
2
SYNTHESIS
PERSONA
USER STORIES
USER JOURNEY
MAP
3
IDEATION
CRAZY 8'S
SITE MAP
MID-FIDELITY
DESIGN
4
DESIGN
PROTOTYPE
HI-FIDELITY
DESIGN
5
REFLECTIONS
RESULTS
REFLECTIONS
NEXT STEPS
1
DISCOVERY
COMPETITVE
ANALYSIS
DISCOVERY
RESEARCH
PAIN POINTS
2
SYNTHESIS
PERSONA
USER STORIES
USER JOURNEY
MAP
3
IDEATION
CRAZY 8'S
SITE MAP
MID-FIDELITY
DESIGN
4
DESIGN
PROTOTYPE
HI-FIDELITY
DESIGN
5
REFLECTIONS
REFLECTIONS
NEXT STEPS
DISCOVERY
COMPETETIVE
ANALYSIS
Upon joining the team, I began by conducting a competitive analysis to understand the current landscape of productivity apps being offered. By examining apps that specialise in task management, such as Trello and Todoist, alongside time-tracking tools like Toggl and Clockify, I gained critical insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and unique features.
One key insight was AimHigh's potential to combine habit tracking and daily task management within a single platform. By integrating these functionalities, AimHigh could simplify use’ organisation and reduces the need to juggle multiple apps.
DISCOVERY
DISCOVERY RESEARCH
It was crucial to understand how users felt and interacted with the current version of AimHigh. We conducted user testing to assess their behaviours, expectations, and pain points, which provided a clear direction for improvement and helped guide the next steps.
A discussion guide standardised our user testing to identify the users' current experience by understanding routines, expectations of different elements, and how users managed to complete various tasks, such as updating a goal they had previously created. Through this process, we pinpointed areas where users struggled and gathered actionable insights.
We began with questions to understand users' current experience. Paired with activities such as exploring the app, as well as prompting them for multiple tasks such as creating goals.
This provided a start to pinpoint where users were struggling and identified the pain points of the app. The testing wraps up with feedback on the overall reactions and expectations of the app, as well as how/if the user can see it fitting into their lifestyle, and what would help drive that switch from their current system.
The results of the initial user testing were initially written on post-it notes then later organised into a spreadsheet :
DISCOVERY
PAIN POINTS
The testing revealed several critical areas of improvement:
SYNTHESIS
PERSONA
With a clearer understanding of the market, I used the information I extracted from the competitive analysis, as well as conversations from users of productivity apps i.e. colleagues, friends, students, etc. to inform the creation of my provisional personas.
These personas became pivotal as they informed key design activities, such as user story creation. By grounding these activities in such personas, it gave me confidence in uncovering pain points and opportunities for improvement.
SYNTHESIS
USER STORIES
We categorised raw user data into insights, ensuring to include users' quotes and the user's recommendations for possible solutions.
With the data gathered, using the previous personas, we were able to extrapolate valid user stories based on actual user behaviors and challenges, rather than assumptions. These user stories reflect genuine goals, frustrations, and desires that were observed during the tests and provided actionable tasks for iterations.
This activity generated real, validated user insights, enabling us to gain clarity on the root causes of user frustrations. With this in mind, the team was enabled to define how we could address them.
SYNTHESIS
USER JOURNEY MAP
I developed a user journey map to showcase the end-to-end experience of what we currently understand.
The journey follows the user experience from onboarding to daily app usage, mapping motivations, frustrations, and needs at each stage. From our user research, we learned that it was crucial that users felt ‘productive’ by the end of the experience.
Through my research, I identified a possible drop-off point at the ‘Onboarding and First Use’ stage. This can occur if users may not feel that they are being productive, despite getting work done. To prevent a dip in activity and retain app usage, it’s important to keep users engaged. One way of reinforcing this is to make progress readily visible.
Currently, the app has a side panel that summarises the user's analytics. It displays the number of tasks completed, total time spent and the users rated productivity. In order to maximise its efficiency, these analytics should be displayed forefront for users to see.
IDEATION
CRAZY 8'S
We decided to go with crazy 8’s as it enabled us to generate ideas within our constrained timeline. As a team we were able to bounce ideas and iteratively land on improved design decisions using a culmination of group insights and references to previous user research results. This activity shaped the next batch of designs, including concepts for the navigation bar and the goal creation process.
The exercise explored different designs for the :
Side Panel
Goal Creation
Today Page
IDEATION
SITE MAP
I created a site map to establish a clear structure for the app. We found this enabled the team to zoom in/out when appropriate throughout the project. This also helped shape the mid-fidelity designs and served as a concise guideline on what needed to be developed and how components fit within the bigger picture.
IDEATION
MID FIDELITY
ITERATIONS
The team defined a set of designs, based on what we knew from user pain points. The focus was placed on:
Language
Today Page
Side panel
We cycled through numerous variations of designs, with up to 6 different versions explored of the today page.
DESIGN
PROTOTYPE
After incorporating feedback from the initial round of user testing, we developed a prototype that reflected the key insights and improvements identified. The revised design addressed the highlighted pain points.
A second round of user testing was conducted to validate these changes. Due to limited resources, this included only five participants.
Following the conclusion of our prototype user trials, we assembled a detailed presentation to emphasize the crucial discoveries from these tests and the forthcoming actions. We addressed remaining design uncertainties, concurred design choices, and essential insights. This retrospection synchronized team comprehension and lent justification to our subsequent design maneuvers.
DESIGN
HI-FIDELITY
With all the prototype insights from our 5 participants gathered and organised, this provided a clear path for the next steps. Using the user testing, we were able to address the feedback in order to refine the design. At this stage, we focused on creating a realistic representation of the final product, honing in on prior pain points, as well as the user interface (UI) elements such as colour schemes, typography and the logo.
Brand Logo
The brand logo was redesigned to preserve its symbolism of progress while achieving a modern, polished look. This reinforces the brand’s identity, creating a cohesive design that aligns with the app’s focus on productivity and innovation.
DISCOVERY
3 MAIN IMPROVEMENTS
7 Day Habit View
Initially set to display 5 days, user feedback led to an extended 7-day view, aligning with typical weekly planning.
This provides a clearer and more natural understanding of progress over a full week.
1
Habit Progress Bar
Percentages were replaced with set frequencies (e.g., 0/3 for gym visits) making progress more tangible.
Percentages can be abstract and so reminding users of their set goal makes the progress more tangible.
2
Integrated Calendar Button
Relocating the calendar to the ‘Insights’ section grouped all reflective tools, creating a centralised experience.
This change simplifies navigation and improves usability by housing analytical features in one location.
3
REFLECTIONS
Throughout this project, the team focused on driving for a more intuitive experience, which created a path for significant personal and professional growth for everyone involved. A key challenge for us was the constraints surrounding user testing, with just 8 participants available, and the need to bridge the gap between user research and development timelines - this project laid the foundation for crucial next steps. Another major challenge for the team was establishing a workflow that allowed for chemistry between our respective professions.
While this is just the beginning of the app’s journey and we continue its development, the progress made so far represents a significant step forward from its original version. This provides a solid foundation for the future iterations that lay ahead.
REFLECTIONS
NEXT STEPS
Key next steps include:
Expanding the participant pool to validate insights on a broader scale and cater to diverse user needs.
Introducing gamification features like badges, motivational messages, and milestone rewards to boost user engagement.
Ensuring mobile responsiveness to support on-the-go goal-setting and task management.
Refining onboarding so users quickly grasp new features and terminology.