A daily micro-interaction app for estranged adult looking to reconnect with their families
Client
SVA Spring 2024
Role
UX / UI Design
UX Research
Prototyping
Design Systems
Visual Design
timeline
8 Weeks
(Feb - Mar 2024)
tools
Figma
After Effects
Illustrator
Photoshop
Procreate
80% of people in US often feel disconnected from their families, but they’re not sure how to reconnect and feel a sense of burden when it comes to putting in the effort.
Problem
why should we care?
Emotional Bankruptcy
According to the "Emotional Bank Account Theory," family estrangement occurs when repeated negative interactions outweigh positive ones, draining the emotional account.
Mission
How might we make reconnecting with family feel light and enjoyable, so people naturally continue doing it and rebuild relationships over time?
The outcome
Solutions
feature 1
Personalized family experience
Tailored onboarding and communication paths based on each family's relationship stage
Real-time onboarding to create shared context
Short check-in to assess dynamics and goals
Flexible nudge timing: scheduled 📅 or random 🎲
feature 2
Micro Quests & Buddy
for Everyday Reconnection
Lightweight daily quests and a shared character name "Buddy" that visualize progress and encourage continued connection
Lightweight and approachable quests — e.g. “good morning”
Designed to build momentum through small, consistent actions
"Buddy" reflects family progress and evolves as engagement grows
feature 3
Progressive quests by chapter
Quests gradually evolve across chapters, encouraging deeper emotional sharing as families grow closer
Later chapters unlock deeper, more personal prompts
Designed to grow with the user’s comfort level
Buddy evolves (e.g., hatching) to represent growing connection
feature 4
Bridge chapter wrapped
Because relationship changes often don’t feel immediate, each chapter ends with a visual and measurable recap to help users feel real progress and stay encouraged.
Highlights emotional growth through quantified milestones
Strengthens connection by celebrating shared effort
Brings back favorite quest moments to reflect and smile
Motivates continued connection into the next chapter
research
Discover the problem
secondary research
Scoped down to what individual can resolve
Before i deep dived into the project, I have discovered that there are various of family disconnection factos range from severe cases such as Emotional & physical Abuse which requires expert intervention to minor disputes such as Communication Breakdown, Traumatic Family Events that can be able resolved with personal effort and time. And I scope down to focused on where personal effort can be 효과가 있는.
70 Million People estranged
in Amercian are currently estranged.
Discover
What do people say?
The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to know the common factors of family disconnection from participants in the US, UK and South Korea, aged between 18 and 54 years. As shown in the survey, over 80% of people hoped to bond the family relationship but usually failed to encounter. This result serves as a great guidance for me later on on designing daily quest feature.
I want to reconnect, but I’m scared and don’t know where to begin.
내가 나쁜 자식처럼 느껴져요. 근데 다시 관계를 맺고 싶긴 해요.
I want to reconnect, but I’m scared and don’t know where to begin.
Learning
User interview insights
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
01
Emotional safety first
A safe space where the person won't be hurt again, and can share their feelings and thoughts freely—without pressure to heal or be fixed.
02
Personalized & guided journey
A safe space where the person won't be hurt again, and can share their feelings and thoughts freely—without pressure to heal or be fixed.
03
Playful & approachable design
A safe space where the person won't be hurt again, and can share their feelings and thoughts freely—without pressure to heal or be fixed.
persona
User interview insights
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
ideation
Ideate based on the opportunity
According to the "Emotional Bank Account Theory," family estrangement occurs when repeated negative interactions outweigh positive ones, draining the emotional account.
Learning
Storyboard
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
Learning
User journey Map
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
Learning
User Flow
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
feature 4
Sketches
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
feature 4
Sketches
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
Iteration
Usability testing and feedback
According to the "Emotional Bank Account Theory," family estrangement occurs when repeated negative interactions outweigh positive ones, draining the emotional account.
feature 4
User Testing
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
Learning
Iteration 1
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
Learning
Iteration 2
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
Learning
Iteration 3
Before conducting user research, I performed secondary research to understand the various causes of family disconnection. The survey received 50 responses to gather quantitative data to
Reflection
Learnings & If I had more time
Complex problems can be solved through light and enjoyable experiences.
Tying negative consequences to a lack of engagement can hurt retention, as it feels forced and pushes users away.
I’d explore linking it with a physical product, such as a Lovebox that sends a signal to family members when a quest is completed.
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