MOBILE APP
GAMIFICATION
DESIGN
BLOOM
A gentle habit-building app that invites users to care for a virtual plant while cultivating mindful routines. Through soft reminders and motivational messages, it encourages growth without pressure.
2025
YEAR
Figma
PLATFORM
ROLE
Designer
SUMMARY
Bloom is a gentle habit-building app that helps users develop mindful routines through the care of a virtual plant. With soothing visuals and motivational messages, the app encourages small daily actions without guilt or pressure.
This project was completed as part of my HCI 590: Design for Startups course, where I learned how to design, test, and iterate on MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) using lean UX principles and methodologies. Through user interviews, competitive analysis, and iterative prototyping, I focused on designing an experience that prioritizes emotional resonance, simplicity, and meaningful habit formation.
Bloom reflects my exploration of emotional design, user-centered motivation, and building features with purpose and clarity.
THE PROBLEM
Building healthy habits such as drinking water, stretching, or taking screen breaks is essential to physical and mental well-being. But maintaining consistency can be difficult, especially with busy schedules, low motivation, or mental fatigue. Most existing habit- tracking apps focus on checklists, streaks, or gamified productivity systems that can feel rigid, overwhelming, or even discouraging after missed days.
There’s an opportunity to reimagine habit tracking through a gentle, emotionally supportive lens – one that visually celebrates growth and encourages self-care. Bloom is a habit- tracking app where each habit begins as a seed and grows into a thriving plant, mirroring the user’s progress and self-nurturing journey. The goal is to turn personal development into a calming and beautiful experience rather than a pressure-filled task.
BUSINESS OUTCOMES
Lean UX Technique: Outcome Hypothesis
I believe that providing a visual, plant-based habit tracker for users who feel overwhelmed by rigid productivity apps will result in increased emotional engagement and habit consistency because users will feel encouraged by seeing their progress represented through growing and nurturing digital plants.
Measurable Success Metrics
To track Bloom's effectiveness, I measured:
Habit Retention Rate
Goal: 60% of users continue using the app to track at least 1 habit after 30 days.
This measures long-term engagement and user commitment.
Habit Completion Rate
Goal: Users complete tracked habits at least 70% of the time per week on average.
This reflects motivation and the impact of the plant-growth feedback loop.
User Emotional Response
Goal: 85% of surveyed users report that Bloom makes habit tracking feel encouraging, calming, or emotionally positive.
This is gathered through surveys and post-onboarding feedback.
Feature Engagement
Goal: 50% of users interact with their plant/garden view daily, such as watering a plant or checking visual progress.
This would indicate if the visual metaphor is successful in reinforcing habits.
Onboarding to Habit Creation Conversion
Goal: 80% of users who complete onboarding create at least one seed/habit within24 hours.
This measures usability and immediate value.
IDEATION & EARLY EXPLORATION
I first started by brainstorming solutions through “How Might We” prompts to uncover opportunities for emotional engagement. For example, “How might we make habit tracking joyful?” led to showing plant growth instead of streaks, while “How might we support users after missed days?” inspired the idea of “rest” states and kind affirmations.
These explorations guided Bloom’s foundational design principles—gentle encouragement, personal connection, and mindful pacing—which would later shape the core experience.
HYPOTHESIS & RISKEST ASSUMPTIONS
Each hypothesis came with potential risks. For instance, users might find the plant metaphor gimmicky, or prefer stricter productivity systems. I documented invalidation signals such as low engagement or muted notifications to track these risks during testing.
Hypothesis: Visualizing habits as plants will increase habit consistency for users discouraged by traditional productivity tools.
Assumption: Users will feel emotionally motivated by plant growth and find the metaphor engaging.
Risk: If users don't care about the visual metaphor or find it too "gimmicky," they may lose interest quickly.
Invalidation: Low engagement after onboarding or feedback that the plant system doesn't feel meaningful or motivating.
Non-Punitive Design
Hypothesis: Not punishing users for missed days will result in higher retention and less guilt-driven abandonment.
Assumption: Users prefer soft, forgiving process systems over streak-based accountability.
Risk: If users are more motivated by challenge or strict systems, they may not feel "motivated enough" by Bloom's softer approach.
Invalidation: Users stop using the app because they don't feel enough urgency or structure to stick to habits.
Custom Plant Selection (Medium-high Priority)
Hypothesis: Customizing plants increase emotional connection and satisfaction during onboarding.
Assumption: Users want symbolic or aesthetic control over how their habit is represented.
Risk: If customization feels overwhelming, unimportant, or unrelated to goals, it could distract from core functionality.
Invalidation: Users skip or ignore customization features entirely or say it doesn't enhance their experience.
Gentle Affirmation System (Medium Priority)
Hypothesis: Affirmations improve daily engagement and user mood.
Assumption: Users value and are positively affected by soft, reflective messages during habit tracking.
Risk: If affirmations are seen as cheesy, repetitive, or tone-deaf, users may mute or ignore them.
Invalidation: Users turn off notifications or report that affirmations feel inauthentic or unhelpful.
Shareable Garden Snapshots (Medium Priority)
Hypothesis: Letting users share visuals of their progress will increase positive sentiment and organic growth.
Assumption: Users enjoy documenting progress in a visual way and want to share it with others.
Risk: If users feel uncomfortable sharing personal habits publicly or don't find the visuals impressive enough, this feature might fail.
Invalidation: Low usage of share features, no measurable impact on referral traffic or user acquisition.
Garden Overview Dashboard (Medium-low Priority)
Hypothesis: Seeing all habits as plants in one view will help users feel organized and in control.
Assumption: Users want to track multiple habits at once and enjoy visual overviews.
Risk: If users prefer to focus on one habit at a time, the dashboard might feel cluttered or irrelevant.
Invalidation: Users report feeling overwhelmed or confused by the garden view and avoid using it.
VALUE PROPOSITION VALIDATION
What I Tested (the Assumption): Users will feel emotionally connected and more motivated to build habits if they can nurture a digital plant that grows with their progress.
To test this assumption, I created simple, low-fidelity prototype using Figma that illustrated a seed growing into a plant as users completed their daily habits. The prototype showed different stages of growth: a seed, a small sprout, and a thriving plant depending on how consistently the user checked in. I conducted five short user interviews paired with paired with observations. Participants were asked to explore the prototype while thinking aloud, then reflect on how the experience made them feel and whether they'd be likely to use an app with this feature.
What was I trying to learn from my MVP(s)?
I wanted to learn if visualizing habit progress as plant growth could create a stronger emotional reward than traditional trackers, and if that reward would encourage users to maintain consistency. I was also curious to see whether users would respond positively or negatively to pauses in growth when habits were missed, and how forgiving the interaction felt.
Screenshots of MVP(s):
Prototype Overview
Welcome Screen: Users choose and name a plant, setting a personal and calming tone.
Daily Check-In: Completing a habit triggers subtle animations and visible plant growth.
Growth Feedback: Immediate progress reinforces motivation.
Rest State: Missed days show a resting plant with gentle encouragement (“Your plant is waiting for you”).
USABILITY TESTING 1
To evaluate the effectiveness of Bloom, I conducted a test with 5 participant across two rounds. Each participant represented the target demographic of busy individuals interested in self-improvement and mindful living. The testing sessions were conducted remotely via Zoom, with each lasting about 20 minutes. Participants were encouraged to think-aloud while navigating the prototype. Based on the feedback received, the prototype was iterated, and a second round of testing was conducted.
Most users had a noticeably positive response to the concept:
4 out of 5 participants expressed delight of surprise when they saw the plant grow after a check in.
3 participants described the interaction as "cute," "encouraging," and "surprisingly motivating."
One participant said, "It's such a small thing, but seeing the plant grows makes me want to keep going."
Another commented, "It feels like I'm taking care of something that I don't want to let down."
None of the participants felt punished when they saw that the plant stopped growing after a missed day. Instead they expressed curiosity or calmness. One said, "Oh, it just waits? That's kind of nice that the plant doesn't die."
This feedback confirmed that emotional design could strengthen user engagement without adding pressure.
ITERATION
One of the changes I made was pause-state design for the plants when users missed a day. The previous prototype simply stopped growth if a user skipped a habit, but there was no visual feedback or emotional reinforcement. I wanted to create a gentler, more forgiving experience. To support this, I added a visual state where it looks like the plant is patiently waiting with a soft cloudy background paired with messages like "Your plant is resting and waiting for you."
Another change was the addition of personalized onboarding flow where users could select and name their seed at the beginning. Previously, the app randomly assigns a plant without any context or user involvement. After receiving feedback, I created a simple screen where users could pick a plant type and give it a name before starting their habit. This allowed users to express themselves and form a bond with their digital plant.
Users reacted positively to the first change. During the second round of testing, the participants describe the feature as understanding and realistic. One participant said, “It’s comforting to know the app won’t guilt trip me. My life isn’t perfect, and it feels okay to miss a day with punishment.” This reaction validated the emotional safety I was trying to build into the user experience and demonstrated that a non-punitive system could increase resilience and long-term habit engagement.
Users also reacted positively to the second change. The participants referred to their plants more aNectionately and with a sense of ownership. One participant said, “I named my plant Daisy and now I feel like I’m taking care of something that’s important to me.” By giving users a small sense of creative control, the app became more personal and makes the habit journey to feel more meaningful.
USABILITY TESTING 2
For the next usability testing phase, I evaluated how intuitive and engaging the full check-in and habit-tracking experience is across different types of users. While initial feedback validated the emotional appeal of the plant growth mechanic, several important questions remain about onboarding, reminders, habit flexibility, and the resting state.
Key Questions:
Do users understand how to start and maintain a habit using the plant system?
Is the onboarding flow clear and emotionally resonant, or does it require simplification?
Are the check-in reminders and scheduling tools helpful or overwhelming?
Do users find the plant's resting state intuitive and reassuring, or confusing?
How do users react to setting their own check-in frequency and habit goal?
This phase will involve scenario-based testing with a mid-fidelity prototype to gather insights into navigation, emotional tone, feature usefulness, and overall clarity. Feedback from this round will guide decisions on refining flows, simplifying features, and adjusting visual or verbal cues for greater clarity and emotional alignment.
Core Testing Scenarios:
Starting a New Habit – Walk through planting the first seed and setting up a habit.
Goal: Observe how easily users understand onboarding, habit selection, and setup.Daily Check-In and Visual Feedback – Simulate the third day using the app and complete a check-in to see plant growth.
Goal: Test whether the visual progression and check-in process are intuitive and motivating.Missed Day – Open the app after skipping a day to see how the resting plant is represented.
Goal: Assess whether the experience feels gentle, supportive, and non-punitive.
Participants:
I tested with three individuals closely reflecting Bloom’s target users—people who want to build healthy habits but often feel overwhelmed by strict or clinical habit trackers. Participants included:
A graduate student balancing academic stress and work.
A young professional recovering from burnout and rebuilding self-care routines.
A creative freelancer who struggles with consistency.
Main Goals of the Test:
Determine whether users feel emotionally connected to the metaphor of growing a plant.
Assess whether Bloom’s soft visual design and encouraging tone reduce pressure or guilt.
Evaluate users’ ability to intuitively complete core tasks.
Observe reactions to missed check-ins and how users perceive rest states.
Tasks Given to Users:
Start a Habit: Choose a habit, select a plant, and set a check-in schedule.
Daily Check-In: Simulate completing a habit and observe plant growth.
Miss a Check-In: Skip a day and return to see how the app responds.
Insights:
One participant reacted “Aww, it grew!” out loud with delight when their plant sprouted after a habit check in. This moment validated the hypothesis that tying habit progress to plant growth creates an emotional bond. Another participant also mentioned, “It’s kind of silly but this makes me want to come back and see what happens.”
When one participant returned to the app after a missed check-in, they said “Is there something wrong with my plant?” They were momentarily unsure about what was happening. This revealed that the concept of rest is positive but needs more clarity.
Several users hesitated when setting a habit frequency. The phrases “daily for a week” or “check in at this time” were unclear to some. One participant asked “Does this mean I have to check in at exactly this time?” This suggested a need to simplify language and clarify how flexible the app is with timing.
Two users also tried tapping the plant instead of the check in button. They expected the plant to be an action item. This was an insightful pattern that aligns with users’ mental modes of direct interaction.
DISCUSSION
The core design of Bloom was shaped by the hypothesis that users would feel more emotionally connected and motivated to build habits if their progress nurtured a growing digital plant. Early user feedback supported this assumption: participants described the prototype as “cute,” “motivating,” and “gentle.” This emotional response confirmed that the visual habit growth loop—where each check-in visibly contributes to a plant’s development—was central to engagement.
User insights also revealed that many habit trackers feel rigid or judgmental. To address this, I introduced a non-punitive rest state: when a check-in is missed, the plant sleeps rather than withers. One participant noted, “It’s so nice that it waits for me. There’s no pressure and it doesn’t feel like I failed,” validating that grace and gentleness are critical to fostering long-term use and emotional resilience.
To reduce friction further, the onboarding flow was designed to feel calm and personal. Instead of jumping straight into task-setting, users are invited to plant a seed, choose a habit, and set a reflection schedule that fits their life. These flows promote user autonomy and emotional ownership, which were consistent themes across feedback.
Finally, visual clarity and a soft aesthetic were prioritized across the experience. Encouraging language, subtle animations, and progress indicators support mood and motivation, aligning with the insight that users want habit tracking to feel uplifting rather than clinical or pressuring. Together, these design decisions reinforce Bloom’s value proposition: helping users grow meaningful habits with kindness, beauty, and emotional connection.
HI- FIDELITY PROTOTYPES
FINAL DESIGNS
CONCLUSION
Through designing and testing Bloom, I learned that emotional resonance is a powerful driver of user engagement. Tying habit progress to the growth of a virtual plant created a sense of attachment and intrinsic motivation, helping users feel invested in their routines. The non-punitive, gentle approach supported self-compassion, making it easier for users to return after missed days without guilt or frustration.
Personalization also proved critical: allowing users to choose and name their plant fostered ownership and emotional connection, reinforcing consistent engagement. Feedback showed that simplicity, subtle visual cues, and gentle affirmations made the experience feel encouraging rather than stressful, supporting mindfulness and emotional well-being.
Looking ahead, the next phase of Bloom will focus on refining habit tracking logic, expanding customization options, and testing long-term engagement across multiple habits. Future iterations may also explore customizable reminders, varied plant types, and social features to further enhance motivation and emotional connection.
Overall, Bloom demonstrates how habit-building apps can move beyond rigid productivity metrics and gamification, offering a compassionate, visually engaging, and emotionally supportive path to personal growth. This project reinforced my belief that thoughtful, user-centered design can make self-improvement feel achievable, gentle, and even joyful.
GREAT DESIGN IS ITERATION
OF GOOD DESIGN
M. COBANLI