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FocusBuddy




Role
UX & Visual Designer

Timeline
Summer 2023

Tools
Figma, Balsamiq



Context

I worked in a team of three students to develop a mobile app designed to support college students focus better in studying while stimulating positive mental health. Together, we brainstormed ways to make an exciting mobile application that made use of the Pomodoro method, calendar scheduling, and surveys to reflect on studying experiences. We used a series of iterative interviews with college students, and followed a design thinking process to formulate our final presentation.

Problem Statement

How might we help college students spend quality time studying while managing external stress like academics or social life?
Our Solution

FocusBuddy is a mobile application aimed to help students manage their time, while providing motivational support as a digital study buddy.

User Personas



It was important to consider personas and our users when designing a study-based mobile application. After conducting in-depth interviews with college students (ages 18-21), we identified the specific user needs and desires to improve studying while stimulating positive mental health.

Additionally, we collaborated with ChatGPT to create two user personas based on our interview analysis. Both personas helped us research studying practices and behaviors to implement into our mobile application.


User Flow


We created a mapping chart with how we would envision our application to run-through as a flow. We started with creating a task for the user to document, how to envision our ideas, and implement them into tracking and documenting work. Additionally, we wanted the user to have a positive experience and stimulate positive attitudes for mental health. We invited users to reflect on their experience studying, as well as drag a mood scale to visualize these emotions.



Wireframe Prototype


After receiving feedback on our ideation and flow design, we decided to visualize our themes into a wireframe prototype. We then conducted user interviews keeping track of how users interacted with the prototype. Taking note of mistakes, button use, and general user insight, we knew how best to move forward when conducting our final prototype design.


High Fidelity Prototype





2026