DWELL: Reimagining productivity with focus and simplicity.
OVERVIEW
A simple yet powerful productivity app that helps creative freelancers stay organized, track progress, and stay motivated—without the overwhelm. With intuitive goal-setting, stress-free progress tracking, and a seamless onboarding experience, this app makes productivity feel natural and rewarding.
ROLE
Product Designer
YEAR
2025
TOOLS
Figma, Miro
DELIVERABLES
Mobile App Design, User Research, Wireframes, Prototypes, User Testing
(verb) to remain for a time, or to keep the attention directed.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
THE PROBLEM
The struggle is real. Productivity burnout is real and it affects over half of the working population.
THE HUMAN ELEMENT
Why should we care?
*Quotes from user interviews.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The user research said…
People find it hard to balance work and personal life. Typically, they experience burnout from feeling unproductive.
So I thought…
There needs to be an easy-to-use and emotionally rewarding approach to productivity.
And then I built…
A visually pleasing productivity app that feels and looks as good as it works. Visualize progress with ultimate simplicity and seamless functionality to increase motivation and overall happiness.
RESEARCH METHODS
All insights derived from 1:1 interview, data analysis from articles and studies, and an online survey.
KEY QUESTIONS
What does productivity mean to you?
When do you feel like you need to make a to-do list?
How do you balance and organize the different aspects of your life?
What keeps you motivated to pursue your career goals or passions?
If you could have one magical tool today to help you with productivity, what would it be and why?
USER PERSONAS
Who exactly are we designing for?
These personas were created from user insights synthesized from primary and secondary research and data.
ALWAYS USES PRODUCTIVITY APPS
RARELY USES PRODUCTIVITY APPS
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
How do we stand out?
THE CHALLENGE
How might we build a productivity system that reduces mental load, increases motivation, and helps users balance work and personal life seamlessly?
To design the solution, I developed an information architecture through user testing, card sorting, and tree testing.
KEY FEEDBACK:
(1) Users like simplicity and ease of access.
(2) Users sometimes mistakenly define "goals" vs. "tasks" as synonymous.
(3) Users expect seamless integration from other apps.
(4) Users find at-a-glance views very helpful.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
ONBOARDING FLOW
INPUT TASK FLOW
FEEDBACK AND ITERATION
User Testing Low to High-Fidelity Prototypes
LOW-FIDELITY WIREFRAME USER FLOWS
HIGH-FIDELITY 3-STEP ONBOARDING USER FLOW
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
I designed a quick and easy onboarding process because getting started shouldn’t feel like a chore. Many productivity tools overwhelm users with lengthy setups, forcing them to make decisions before they even understand the product.
Instead, I focused on a frictionless, intuitive experience—guiding users with minimal steps, clear prompts, and smart defaults so they can dive in and see value immediately. The goal? Reduce cognitive load, eliminate frustration, and make productivity feel effortless from the very first interaction.
MID TO HIGH-FIDELITY HOME PAGE
MID-FIDELITY
HIGH-FIDELITY
FEEDBACK
There is not enough complexity
Not sure how to add tasks from the home page
Not sure about the functionality of the top right orange button
CHANGES
Four views: All, Late, Today, Scheduled
Fixed "+" button
Timer button made more apparent and obvious
MID TO HIGH-FIDELITY FOCUS SPACE
MID-FIDELITY
HIGH-FIDELITY
HIGH-FIDELITY FINAL
FEEDBACK
Notes feature overcomplicates things and is not a necessary feature
Don't need the pomodoro timer to be extremely accessible
Users want customization and aesthetics, while keeping things simple
CHANGES
Notes feature removed
Pomodoro timer tucked away
Light vs. dark mode
DESIGN SYSTEM
What will it look like?
THE FINAL PRODUCT
Hi-Fidelity Prototype
The hi-fidelity prototype was user tested with 5 features, and several more visual and aesthetic points of feedback led to this final iteration.
(1) VIEW & ADD TASKS
Users who are on-the-go want efficiency and ease. Tasks can be viewed at a glance in four different ways: All, Today, Late, and Scheduled.
For ease of use, users can add tasks in one click.
(Left) Add task
(Right) View tasks
(2) IN-APP CALENDAR & DATE PICKER
Visual learners can see their day, week, or month with the in-app calendar, or date picker feature on the home page, which shows you a list of your tasks based on the day you select.
Users can also conveniently add tasks from any page.
(3) STATISTICS AND FOCUS TRACKING
Users who like long-term planning can track how many high priority items vs. low priority items they are completing for each focus.
The statistics feature gives users a bird's eye view of their progress.
(4) FOCUS TIMER
The pomodoro tool is helpful for users who want to do deep work and get several tasks done in one work session.
To maximize emotional satisfaction for users, nature sounds and colour customization are included.
(5) FOCUS SPACES
Users who want to prioritize certain areas of their life can use the 'Focus Space' to zone in on one facet.
The focus space gives you three different views of your focus: Do, Doing, and Done.
Light and dark mode available for users who want to personalize their space to increase motivation.
NEXT STEPS
What's next with DWELL?
Based on user feedback, these are features I would prioritize in order of importance and impact.
LESSONS LEARNED
My three learnings!
