Designing a gamified time-management app that helps students build strong, long-term time management habits.
Designing a gamified time-management app that helps students build strong, long-term time management habits.
Designing a gamified time-management app that helps students build strong, long-term time management habits.
Individual
UX/UI Design
UX Researcher
Individual
UX/UI Design
UX Researcher
Individual
UX/UI Design
Capstone Project
Capstone Project
Capstone Project
5 Weeks
2025
5 Weeks
2025
5 Weeks
2025
Figma
Illustrator
Figma
Illustrator
Figma
Illustrator
CONTEXT
CONTEXT
NOVICE is a time management app designed to help students build consistent study habits through guided planning and gamified focus sessions. Instead of relying on self-discipline alone, the app supports students with structured guidance, motivation, and feedback, making time management easier to sustain over time.
NOVICE is a time management app designed to help students build consistent study habits through guided planning and gamified focus sessions. Instead of relying on self-discipline alone, the app supports students with structured guidance, motivation, and feedback, making time management easier to sustain over time.
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
For many students, managing time feels like a constant uphill battle. Balancing courses, assignments, jobs, and personal life leaves little room for intentional planning. Frequent distractions and unclear priorities make focus difficult, while productivity tools get used inconsistently or abandoned entirely.
The result: escalating stress, a persistent feeling of falling behind, and a cycle of reactive rather than proactive planning.
For many students, managing time feels like a constant uphill battle. Balancing courses, assignments, jobs, and personal life leaves little room for intentional planning. Frequent distractions and unclear priorities make focus difficult, while productivity tools get used inconsistently or abandoned entirely.
The result: escalating stress, a persistent feeling of falling behind, and a cycle of reactive rather than proactive planning.
How might we create a time-management tool that makes planning fun and engaging so students can build strong, long-term time management habits?
How might we create a time-management tool that makes planning fun and engaging so students can build strong, long-term time management habits?
How might we create a time-management tool that makes planning fun and engaging so students can build strong, long-term time management habits?
USER RESEARCH
USER RESEARCH
I conducted co-design sessions and interviews with working students (18–24) to uncover their experiences balancing school and work. Using an Empathy Map, I identified stress points, motivations, and coping behaviours. Insights were prioritized with MoSCoW analysis to guide realistic, user-centered features for a time management app.
I conducted co-design sessions and interviews with working students (18–24) to uncover their experiences balancing school and work. Using an Empathy Map, I identified stress points, motivations, and coping behaviours. Insights were prioritized with MoSCoW analysis to \guide realistic, user-centered features for a time management app.
KEY INSIGHTS
KEY INSIGHTS
01
Students need guidance,
not just tools
Students need guidance,
not just tools
Students lack core planning skills like prioritization and task breakdown. They want guided support, not tools that expect time-management expertise.
Students lack core planning skills like prioritization and task breakdown. They want guided support, not tools that expect time-management expertise.
02
One system does not fit every student
One system does not fit every student
Students process information in different ways. Flexible, customizable tools are key to effective time management.
Students process information in different ways. Flexible, customizable tools are key to effective time management.
03
Engagement supports long-term use
Engagement supports long-term use
Consistent use depends on tools that motivate and support students rather than add friction or stress.
Consistent use depends on tools that motivate and support students rather than add friction or stress.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
I analysed Duolingo, Evernote, and Forest — each representing a distinct strength aligned with Novice's concept. Studying these together clarified how to balance motivation, organisation, and focus into a single, cohesive experience students would actually stick with.
IDEATION
IDEATION
I studied gamified apps including Duolingo, Kahoot, and Forest to identify how rewards and progression sustain motivation. Based on these insights, I designed a Pomodoro-based challenge system with daily focus goals, rewards, streaks, and levels to support consistent study habits.
After organizing and prioritizing features, I translated these insights into a site map to define the app’s structure and guide user flow and clarify how users move between core features. By mapping each pathway from task creation to challenges, rewards, progress tracking, and profile customization, I was able to identify key decision points, streamline navigation, and remove unnecessary steps.
With the site map in place, I could analyze the user journey to uncover pain points and opportunities that would directly inform feature design. It also highlight opportunities where the app can support users with guidance, timers, rewards, and reminders. This helped ensure that each feature in my app directly responds to a real moment of need in the user's experience.
WIREFRAMES
From research into design by turning concepts into wireframes to test core flows and interactions.
I translated early sketches from mid-fidelity to high-fidelity wireframes to define the core user flow and test the app’s game-based mechanics. Starting at mid-fidelity allowed me to shape layout, hierarchy, and interaction patterns early, especially around the focus-session experience.
I analyzed gamified platforms like Duolingo and Forest to understand how rewards and progression drive consistency.
Design decision: I introduced a Pomodoro-based challenge system with streaks, levels, and rewards tied to completed focus sessions.
Impact: This shifts productivity from a task users have to do into something they feel motivated to return to, supporting long-term habit formation.
After organizing and prioritizing features, I translated these insights into a site map to define the app’s structure and guide user flow and clarify how users move between core features.
With the site map in place, I could analyze the user journey to uncover pain points and opportunities that would directly inform feature design. This helped ensure that each feature in my app directly responds to a real moment of need in the user's experience.
WIREFRAMES
From research into design by turning concepts into wireframes to test core flows and interactions.
I translated early sketches from mid-fidelity to high-fidelity wireframes to define the core user flow and test the app’s game-based mechanics. Starting at mid-fidelity allowed me to shape layout, hierarchy, and interaction patterns early, especially around the focus-session experience.
By incorporating colour, typography, and micro-interactions, I was able to create a polished prototype that closely represents the final user experience while making it easy to test and iterate on key features.
By incorporating colour, typography, and micro-interactions, I was able to create a polished prototype that closely represents the final user experience while making it easy to test and iterate on key features.
VISUAL COMPONENTS
This visual identity board combines my mood-board and early style guide, showing the core look and feel of the app. The pastel colours, rounded shapes, and playful illustrations set a friendly, game-like tone, while the UI elements: buttons, cards, icons, and typography, start to define a consistent design system.
FINAL DESIGNS
FINAL DESIGNS
To-do list
To-do list
To-do list
with gamified feature
with gamified feature
with gamified feature
Students often feel overwhelmed by large tasks and unclear priorities.
I designed a to-do list with priority levels and time estimates, integrated directly with Pomodoro sessions.
This helps students break work into manageable steps and immediately act on tasks, reducing overwhelm and improving follow-through.
Students often feel overwhelmed by large tasks and unclear priorities.
I designed a to-do list with priority levels and time estimates, integrated directly with Pomodoro sessions.
This helps students break work into manageable steps and immediately act on tasks, reducing overwhelm and improving follow-through.
Students often feel overwhelmed by large tasks and unclear priorities.
I designed a to-do list with priority levels and time estimates, integrated directly with Pomodoro sessions.
This helps students break work into manageable steps and immediately act on tasks, reducing overwhelm and improving follow-through.
Pomodoro Game
Pomodoro Game
Pomodoro Game
Students struggle to stay focused and maintain consistency over time.
I turned focus sessions into a game where users earn rewards, track streaks, and stay accountable with friends.
Encourages repeat engagement and makes focus sessions feel rewarding rather than restrictive.
Students struggle to stay focused and maintain consistency over time.
I turned focus sessions into a game where users earn rewards, track streaks, and stay accountable with friends.
Encourages repeat engagement and makes focus sessions feel rewarding rather than restrictive.
Students struggle to stay focused and maintain consistency over time.
I turned focus sessions into a game where users earn rewards, track streaks, and stay accountable with friends.
Encourages repeat engagement and makes focus sessions feel rewarding rather than restrictive.
Activity Report
Activity Report
Activity Report
Students often lack awareness of how they actually spend their time.
I created a report system showing time spent, progress, and patterns.
Helps users reflect, self-correct, and stay motivated through visible progress.
Students often lack awareness of how they actually spend their time.
I created a report system showing time spent, progress, and patterns.
Helps users reflect, self-correct, and stay motivated through visible progress.
Students often lack awareness of how they actually spend their time.
I created a report system showing time spent, progress, and patterns.
Helps users reflect, self-correct, and stay motivated through visible progress.
REFLECTIONS
NOVICE transforms time management from a passive planning activity into an active, guided experience. By combining structured planning with gamified motivation:
Students can start tasks faster with less friction
Focus sessions feel more engaging and rewarding
Planning becomes easier to maintain over time
The design shifts the experience from “managing time” to building consistent habits, which is a key gap in existing tools.
NOVICE transforms time management from a passive planning activity into an active, guided experience. By combining structured planning with gamified motivation:
Students can start tasks faster with less friction
Focus sessions feel more engaging and rewarding
Planning becomes easier to maintain over time
The design shifts the experience from “managing time” to building consistent habits, which is a key gap in existing tools.
NOVICE transforms time management from a passive planning activity into an active, guided experience. By combining structured planning with gamified motivation:
Students can start tasks faster with less friction
Focus sessions feel more engaging and rewarding
Planning becomes easier to maintain over time
The design shifts the experience from “managing time” to building consistent habits, which is a key gap in existing tools.
This project shifted my perspective on time management: from a scheduling problem to a behavior design challenge. I learned that consistency is less about discipline and more about reducing friction and increasing motivation through the experience itself.
This project shifted my perspective on time management: from a scheduling problem to a behavior design challenge. I learned that consistency is less about discipline and more about reducing friction and increasing motivation through the experience itself.
• How intuitive and low-effort is the Pomodoro experience for students during busy or stressful days?
• Which game mechanics are most effective at maintaining long-term motivation and consistency?
• How well does the system support habit formation, especially after missed sessions or broken streaks?
• How can personalization and social features better adapt to different schedules, stress levels, and comfort with sharing?
• How intuitive and low-effort is the Pomodoro experience for students during busy or stressful days?
• Which game mechanics are most effective at maintaining long-term motivation and consistency?
• How well does the system support habit formation, especially after missed sessions or broken streaks?
• How can personalization and social features better adapt to different schedules, stress levels, and comfort with sharing?
• How intuitive and low-effort is the Pomodoro experience for students during busy or stressful days?
• Which game mechanics are most effective at maintaining long-term motivation and consistency?
• How well does the system support habit formation, especially after missed sessions or broken streaks?
• How can personalization and social features better adapt to different schedules, stress levels, and comfort with sharing?