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HabitZoo began as a creative experiment to address a common issue in habit-tracking: the lack of engagement and long-term motivation. Traditional habit-tracking apps often focus on efficiency, reducing the process to checklists that users find repetitive and uninspiring. Inspired to make habit tracking more enjoyable, the project evolved into a playful app that transforms the task into a visually rewarding experience. By gamifying the process, HabitZoo allows users to grow and customize a virtual zoo as they track their habits, merging functionality with an element of fun.
Creating HabitZoo was a fun but tricky balancing act. I wanted the app to feel simple and intuitive while still being exciting enough to keep people coming back. Early on, I struggled with figuring out how to make the rewards engaging and provide satisfying feedback when users checked off a habit. Talking to 50 users and diving into competing apps helped me pinpoint what was missing, but it also highlighted how much work was ahead to make something truly different.
I’m proud that HabitZoo turned habit tracking into something people actually enjoy. Thanks to user feedback, I added fun updates like more animals, instant feedback, and ways to customize their zoos. Learning Blender to include 3D models made the app even more playful, and seeing it all come together was a great reminder of how creativity and research can make even the most mundane tasks feel exciting.
Type
Mobile App Design
Role
Research, Development, UX/UI
Timeline
April-June 2024
One of the primary considerations I had to make during the HabitZoo project was addressing two critical aspects of the design spectrum — user engagement and habit-tracking effectiveness. While my research goals were largely focused on creating an enjoyable and motivating experience for users, I also prioritized functional goals to ensure the app supported users in building sustainable habits. This dual approach helped strike a balance between making the app playful and ensuring it served its primary purpose effectively.
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01 Overwhelming for New UsersHabitica’s interface can be cluttered and confusing, making it difficult for first-time users to navigate and engage with the app.
02 Niche AppealThe heavy focus on RPG elements may not resonate with users who prefer a simple, straightforward habit tracker.
03 Time-Consuming SetupSetting up habits and understanding how the gamified elements work can be time-consuming, which may discourage users who want a quick and easy way to start tracking their habits.
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01 Increase in EngagementGamification significantly boosts engagement, with 80% of U.S. workers finding game-based learning more engaging and websites with gamification experiencing a 29% increase in site actions.
02 Improved Productivity and Social InteractionGamification increases productivity and social sharing, with 60% of employees becoming more engaged through gamified training, and social sharing rising by 22% due to gamified strategies.
03 Preferred Gamification StrategiesAdult learners favor gamified features such as progressing to different levels (30%), earning points/scores (27%), and receiving real-time performance feedback (26%), highlighting the importance of dynamic and interactive experiences.
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01 Intuitive and Minimalist DesignStreaks has a clean and simple interface that makes habit tracking straightforward and visually appealing, ideal for users who prefer a no-frills approach.
02 Limited Habit SlotsUsers can only track up to 12 habits at a time, which has its pros and cons, but users feeling restricted by become an overarching feeling.
03 Subtle GamificationThe main aspect of this app that is gamified is the idea of maintaining a streak with hobbies. This may not be as effective as a more robust incentive framework.
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To stand out, Habit Zoo must combine the best of both worlds: an intuitive, accessible interface with gamified elements that inspire long-term engagement and adaptability to individual user needs.
Understanding the needs, motivations, and challenges of potential users was a critical step in designing Habit Zoo. I sent out surveys with more general questions to fifty participants, but honed in on a group of 5 diverse users to gain insights into their experiences with habit-tracking apps and what they desired in a more engaging solution. This process helped me empathize with users and tailor the design to address their pain points while incorporating features that would truly resonate with them.
Interview Goal 01
Who are the users?
Understanding their daily habits, goals, and the role visual rewards play in their motivation.
Interview Goal 02
What motivates them to track habits?
Identifying the emotional and visual drivers that make habit tracking feel rewarding and engaging.
Interview Goal 03
What challenges do they face with other habit trackers?
Exploring issues like lack of fun, loss of motivation, or frustration with existing habit-tracking apps.
Interview Goal 04
How do they feel about gamification?
Understanding how users respond to the idea of growing a zoo as they build habits and what aspects of gamification excite them.
Here are the recurring themes:
Participants consistently expressed that seeing visual growth, like adding animals and habitats to their zoo, would give them a sense of achievement and keep them excited about tracking their habits.
Many participants emphasized the importance of an interface that would be easy to use. They wanted a habit tracker that made logging habits quick and effortless without feeling like another task.
The concept of gamifying habit tracking by growing a zoo was widely appreciated. Users liked the idea of earning rewards but wanted variety in the animals and habitats to keep the experience fresh over time.
Participants wanted the ability to personalize their experience, such as choosing which animals to unlock, customizing their zoo’s layout, or tailoring the app’s visuals to reflect their preferences.
A common frustration with other apps was losing interest over time. Users suggested that reminders, dynamic feedback, and small surprises (e.g., unlocking rare animals) would help maintain their engagement.
Primary Needs
Motivation: Providing consistent, visually engaging rewards to keep users motivated and excited about tracking their habits.
Simplicity: Designing an intuitive interface that minimizes effort and makes habit logging quick and easy.
Personalization: Allowing users to customize their experience, such as selecting animals, habitats, and goal types that resonate with them.
Primary Challenges
Engagement: Existing habit trackers often fail to maintain user interest over time, leading to dropped habits and app abandonment.
Repetitiveness: Users feel that the lack of variety in rewards or interactions can make habit tracking feel monotonous.
Adoption: Encouraging users to incorporate HabitZoo into their daily routines and commit to building their zoo consistently.
Tyler, like many college students, has good intentions when it comes to building better habits. He knows staying consistent with goals like studying, exercising, or practicing mindfulness is important, and he genuinely wants to improve. However, his busy schedule of classes, part-time work, and social commitments often gets in the way. He’s motivated to make progress but needs a system that feels simple, fun, and rewarding rather than just another task on his to-do list. To better empathize with Tyler, I mapped out his habit-tracking journey to understand where Habit Zoo could fit into his life.
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To start
For Businesses
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Creating user flow diagrams help me to further understand the important functions I need to incorporate in the app design.
User Flow Diagram
After mapping out the app and its features, I moved on to creating the wireframes. I started out with a quick sketch that I turned into a low-fidelity wireframe. I then used this wireframe in a survey with my 5 participants.
Goals for Testing
01: Evaluate user engagement and satisfaction with the gamified habit-tracking experience.
02: Identify areas where the visual feedback or interaction flow could be more intuitive.
03: Assess whether the playful design motivates users to maintain their habits over a 2-week period.
Users valued the gamified experience but suggested additional interactive elements, such as milestone achievements for longer streaks.
Customization increased user connection.
Participants enjoyed personalizing their zoos but wanted more options for layout and animal selection.Playful design encouraged habit consistency.
Users noted that the visual rewards helped them look forward to tracking habits daily.
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01 Visual Rewards Create Connection
Seeing users light up as their zoos grew reminded me how powerful visual progress can be. The playful concept of expanding a zoo turned routine habit tracking into something users felt personally invested in.
02 User Feedback Shaped the Experience
Suggestions like adding more dynamic animations and options to customize the zoo pushed me to make the app more engaging. It was rewarding to see these changes bring the concept to life in ways I hadn’t imagined initially.
03 Simplicity Makes the Difference
Users loved how easy it was to track habits without any unnecessary complexity. This reinforced the importance of designing intuitive workflows that let users focus on what they care about most—their progress.
Habit Zoo was more than just a project; it was a chance to see how thoughtful design can make small, everyday habits feel exciting. It also allowed me to push my design boundaries, having learned blender (a 3D modeling software) to incorporate into the app. Overall, it taught me the value of balancing creativity with user insights to build something truly enjoyable and meaningful.