01 • Origin Story: A Joy Meter for My Final Project
Originally, it was a Joy Meter app I created for my final UX design project. The goal was
simple: track the small moments that made me smile throughout the day. I wanted a space
where joy was both measurable and intentionad.
First Iteration
- How would the data store?
- What backend structure would be required?
- How could I design something that felt emotional, yet functional?
- What metrics reflected joy without turning feelings into homework?
This pushed me outside the boundaries of purely visual design and into system
architecture, information storage, and usability flows. I had to think like a designer and
a developer.
02 • A Shift: From Tracking Joy to Tracking Myself
The more I worked on the Joy Meter, the more I realized that joy was only one part of what
I wanted to understand.
I didn’t just want to measure happiness - I wanted to track:
- my energy
- my clarity
- my habits
- my patterns
- how I was actually living
The project naturally evolved from an emotional snapshot to a more holistic reflection
system. The Joy Meter grew into Pure Progress - a tool to keep account of not just joy,
but of myself, in a deeper and more honest way.
This shift marked the beginning of my designer journey into emotional-centered systems.
03 • Early Concepts, Experiments & Structural Exploration
Second Iteration
- Whitespace = emotional breathing room
- Typography sets the psychological tone
- Tracking should feel supportive, not clinical
- Systems must adapt to the user's real life, not forced routines
I explored daily logs, mood entries, seasonal themes, and even hybrid layouts combining
data and reflection.
Pure Progress was becoming a system designed not only to track life - but to honor it.
04 • Wireframes & Designing for Emotional Flow
[Insert Image: Wireframe Grid / Structural Overview]
- Hierarchy: Gentle guidance without overwhelm
- Flow: Moving intuitively from emotion - habits - clarity
- Modularity: Users can choose what they need each day
- Layout Rhythm: Calm, readable, open
Design became a balance between information and emotion.
05 • User Feedback, Pain Points & Critical Insights
I shared prototypes with peers and early testers. The feedback completely reshaped the
project.
What Users Loved
- “I love the concept and would use it daily.”
- “This would be amazing as a mobile app with reminders.”
- “The spending section is so helpful.”
- “Changing themes/seasons makes it feel personal.”
- “The summary section makes the data meaningful.”
Pain Points & Frustrations
- Too much scrolling in the early layout
- Too many sections stacked vertically
- Risk of overwhelm - which could deter consistent use
- Navigation felt linear instead of fluid
-
Desire for grouping: Health & Wellness, Habits & Activities, Finance & Spending
What Users Requested
- Dashboard-style grouping
- Cards or panels instead of long pages
- A mobile-first version
- Trend summaries
- Quick-entry interaction
This feedback was pivotal. It pushed me to think like a product designer, not just a
visual designer.
06 • Iteration: Solving the Overwhelm
[Insert Image: Card Layout Iteration]
- Card-Based Layout System
-
Modular Categories: Health & Wellness, Habits & Activities, Spending & Finance,
Reflection & Joy, Weekly Review
-
Dashboard Overview: Mood trends, Habit snapshots, Spending visuals, Quick actions,
Weekly highlights
-
Mobile Exploration: Swipe-able cards, Quick-entry mini prompts, Soft push reminders,
Accessible daily check-ins
[Insert Image: Mobile UI Sketch]
Pure Progress became lighter, calmer, and more intuitive.
07 • The Final Direction: A Holistic, Habit Tracking System
[Insert High-Fidelity Screens]
- emotional reflection
- personal organization
- clarity-focused design
- flexible daily usage
- mood - habit - spending insights
- seasonal personalization
This version is fully aligned with the original intention: creating a system that’s
gentle, honest, and organized.
08 •What I learned in this journey
Pure Progress represents a defining moment in my growth as a designer.
- I’m a systems thinker. I understand how structure shapes emotion and usability.
-
I’m a designer who moves beyond visuals. This project pushed me into development
thinking, backend logic, data models, and interaction flows.
-
I design for clarity and emotion simultaneously. I see design as a tool for
organizetion, not just aesthetic.
- I iterate with intention. User feedback guided every shift in the product.
-
I create with empathy. Pure Progress reflects how people genuinely think, feel, and move
through their days.
Why this project matters in my portfolio:
- Create original concepts
- Evolve ideas based on needs
- Solve overwhelm with clear interaction design
- Think across UX, UI, product, and development
- Build something that grows beyond its original scope
Pure Progress didn’t just make me a better designer. It helped me understand myself and
the type of experiences I want to create for others.
