Habit tracking app:
ProgressPath
Created with discovery and brand from ChatGPT 3.5
Dec 2023
Objectives
AI won’t replace designers, but designers who use AI will replace those who don’t.
Having stumbled across this quote, mostly out of curiosity, I decided to create a habit tracking app with discovery decisions and brand guidance provided by ChatGPT. Once this has been created, I will then test this on users to understand where ChatGPT excels and if it really does consider all user needs and hit the mark.
I have conducted no research into habit tracking apps, so I am trusting ChatGPT completely for the discovery stage.
When ChatGPT provides multiple options, I will be making the final decision, such as the app name: ProgressPath.
Setting the scene:
Brand mission and story telling
(provided by ChatGPT)
Mission:
"To empower individuals on their journey of self-improvement by providing a user-centric habit tracking platform that fosters consistency, accountability, and positive lifestyle changes."
Values:
Empowerment: Empower users to take control of their habits and lifestyles, enabling them to make positive changes.
Consistency: Encourage and support users in building consistent habits, recognizing the incremental progress towards their goals.
Accountability: Foster a sense of accountability through tracking and visualization of progress, helping users stay committed to their habits.
Adaptability: Offer flexibility and adaptability in tracking various habits, understanding that everyone's journey is unique.
Positivity: Cultivate a positive environment that focuses on encouragement, motivation, and celebrating small victories.
User-Centricity: Prioritize user needs, feedback, and experiences, continually improving the app to better serve users.
Privacy & Trust: Uphold strict privacy standards, ensuring user data security and building trust among users.
Community & Support: Foster a supportive community where users can connect, share experiences, and inspire each other towards their goals.
These values align with the mission of promoting personal growth, healthy habits, and a positive mindset, fostering a culture that supports users in their pursuit of self-improvement and better living through habit formation.
Story telling:
Imagine a world where every individual has the power to transform their lives, one habit at a time. It's a journey fuelled by determination, fuelled by the desire for self-improvement and a quest for personal growth.
ProgressPath was born from the belief that every small step towards positive change matters. It tells the story of countless individuals who dreamt of better days, healthier habits, and a life filled with purpose.
The app understands that change isn't just a single event; it's a series of daily choices, habits, and commitments.
It celebrates the triumphs, no matter how small – the morning runs, the pages read, the glasses of water consumed – each step etching a story of determination and resilience.
ProgressPath's tale is one of inclusivity, inviting users from all walks of life to embark on their unique journeys. It embraces diversity, acknowledging that every person's path is distinctive and deserves support and encouragement.
The app's narrative revolves around the idea that progress isn't always linear. It acknowledges setbacks and offers a helping hand, fostering a supportive community that uplifts, inspires, and motivates.
It's a story of empowerment, determination and positive lifestyle changes.
Building a persona
I asked ChatGPT to create a persona for the habit tracking app, and organised the information provided.
I would usually base a Persona from patterns found during research conducted in the discovery phase. I asked ChatGPT what information ‘Julia’ was based on, here is the response:
The persona creation involves a mix of hypothetical details and typical characteristics commonly found in certain demographics. For instance, in creating the persona for "Julia," I considered several factors:
Demographics: Age, gender, location, occupation - these aspects help in understanding the general context of the user's life.
Common Behaviours and Interests: The interests and challenges mentioned in the persona are common among many individuals, especially those in demanding professions like software development.
General User Patterns: The goals and pain points highlighted in the persona are typical for someone seeking work-life balance, consistent exercise, and stress management.
Assumptions Based on the App's Purpose: The preferences and goals of "Julia" were outlined considering the habit tracking app's features and benefits, assuming they align with what such users might seek.
User Experience Expectations: The technology proficiency level and preferences for specific app features were based on typical user expectations for habit tracking apps.
User flow
I asked Chat GPT to suggest a user flow, I have mocked this up visually along with ChatGPT’s suggested content for these pages. This showed a mostly hub and spoke approach.
Wireframes
Due to completely skipping out the discovery process, I then needed to know specifically what was needed on each page to create wireframes, so I asked ChatGPT to create a checklist for UI elements required on each screen of the user flow it had recommended.
There were elements I felt were missing, such as a password checklist, and the habit creator screen turned into a 4 page journey, but ChatGPT had been thorough in what was required. Having this list also made page creation easier.
Brand styles, chosen by ChatGPT
Font
The suggested font for the app, due to readability, was Roboto and Open Sans. ChatGPT also provided the type sizing for content on the site. One element I did notice was that accessibility wasn’t considered with the navigation text suggested. Navigation text is advised to have varying weights or to be underlined for accessibility, not only highlighted by a variation in colour.
Colours
ChatGPT suggested a colour palette and where these should be used. These aren’t colours I would typically use, so I’m looking forward to working with a much brighter palette.
Visuals
When responding with brand guidance, ChatGPT previously stated illustrations should be used, so I asked for inspiration and recommendations. Out of the 7 illustrators ChatGPT suggested, Olimpia Zagnoli was the only style to fit the colour palette. I will be using her flat, bold styling in my designs. ChatGPT stated it suggested Olimpia’s work for her ‘lively and engaging’ style.
Playing with brand
Using the brand elements provided by ChatGPT, alongside the copy, I created a log and three different visuals. Although ChatGPT advised the background should be purple (#3F51B5), I found text on top of this colour wasn’t clear and wouldn’t pass accessibility unless a large font was used.
I expanded the colour palette but kept the core colours the same as ChatGPT chose.
Playing with app style
User testing preparation
The screens have been created and prototyped for user testing. I will be testing two elements:
1. Design elements to understand if the component styles chosen meet the users mental model.
2. Whether ChatGPT has successfully advised what my target audience wants from a habit tracking app.
I asked ChatGPT 3.5 for a discussion guide for my user test. ChatGPT provided me with a hugely slimmed down version from what I would usually use. ChatGPT also missed the generic “this is a test of the app, and not a test of you”, “I didn’t design this so I can’t take credit for any positives, and I won’t be offended by any negatives” etc intro.
