MOBILE APP · PRODUCT DESIGN

Pulse — helping people turn small intentions into daily momentum.

Pulse — helping people turn small intentions into daily momentum.

Pulse — helping people turn small intentions into daily momentum.

A case study on reframing a habit app from a streak tracker into a supportive, context-aware companion.

A case study on reframing a habit app from a streak tracker into a supportive, context-aware companion.

A case study on reframing a habit app from a streak tracker into a supportive, context-aware companion.

ROLE

Senior Product Designer

SCOPE

Research · UX · Visual Design

TEAM

PM, 2 Engineers, Me

Prototype & testing

09:41

Make space for what matters.

TODAY’S INTENTION

Take a 10-minute walk after lunch

09:41

Good morning, Maya.

One small action is enough to keep your rhythm.

09:41

A softer way to start again.

You showed up. That’s the point.

01 · CONTEXT

The original product rewarded perfect streaks — and made ordinary interruptions feel like failure.

The original product rewarded perfect streaks — and made ordinary interruptions feel like failure.

Pulse began as a promising habit tracker, but retention data told a harder story: people left after their first missed day. The team asked me to design a more humane recovery experience without reducing the clarity of progress.

THE DESIGN QUESTION

How might we help people re-enter their routine with confidence after they fall off track?

01

Make returning feel achievable in under 30 seconds.

02

Preserve a clear sense of progress without guilt-driven language.

03

Create a foundation for personalised prompts over time.

02 · RESEARCH

People didn’t need another reminder. They needed permission to begin again.

People didn’t need another reminder. They needed permission to begin again.

12 INTERVIEWS

“Missing one day made it feel like I’d broken the whole promise.”

BEHAVIORAL DATA

Most churn happened within 48 hours of a broken streak — not after low engagement.

DESIGN PRINCIPLE

Design for a return, not a reset.

03 · FLOW

We turned a broken streak into a guided path back to the next meaningful action.

We turned a broken streak into a guided path back to the next meaningful action.

01

Notice

A calm check-in replaces the missed-streak alert.

02

Choose

A lightweight menu makes restarting feel specific and doable.

03

Act

One action is confirmed now — the plan can adapt later.

04

Reflect

A small reflection reinforces identity rather than streaks.

04 · OUTCOME

A supportive loop that gives progress a more honest shape.

A supportive loop that gives progress a more honest shape.

+18%

return rate after a missed day

2.1×

more users completed a next action

REFLECTION

The strongest product moments often live after the ideal path breaks. Designing that moment with care made Pulse feel less like a tracker — and more like a partner.