UI / UX Design
Adulting: UX/UI & Product Design
Adulting's second phase moved from concept to product. Built on a validated UX foundation, this phase delivered a complete design system, a high-fidelity interactive prototype, and a refined user experience: translating research insights into deliberate UI decisions across every screen and interaction.
Year:
2026
Industry:
Mental Health
Client:
The Valley Business School
Project Duration:
3 months
CONTEXT
Adulting entered its second phase with a validated concept, a clear user archetype, and a functional low-fidelity prototype. The challenge shifted from defining the problem to building the product.
This module focused on transforming the UX foundations into a cohesive, high-fidelity experience: a complete design system, deliberate UI decisions, and an interactive prototype that demonstrates the full user journey. The core insight remained the same, young adults don't lack information, they lack structure, but the work now lived in execution: how every screen, component, and line of copy makes that structure feel real and accessible.
CHALLENGES
Building a design system from scratch
The product needed a visual language that could scale, one consistent enough to feel like a single product, flexible enough to support multiple content categories.
Translating emotional nuance into UI The onboarding had to feel personal without feeling clinical. Every step needed to earn the user's trust before asking for input.
Balancing personalization and simplicity The first prototype was flagged as too form-like. The redesign had to offer meaningful customization without increasing cognitive load.
Designing for emotional states, not just tasks A user with low energy and high stress needs a different entry point than one who is motivated and focused. The UI had to accommodate both.
Iterating under real constraints Feedback from faculty and user testing had to be absorbed and translated into concrete design decisions within a limited timeframe.
SOLUTION
The second phase delivered a complete product design across all core features.
We built a full design system
Color palette with category-coded colors, type scale, spacing rules, and a component library covering cards, buttons, inputs, tabs, and navigation. This became the foundation that kept the product coherent across features and team members.
The onboarding was redesigned around user state.
A five-step flow with visible progress gives users two paths from the start: voice input for those who want to express themselves freely, or a short structured test for those who prefer speed. An emotional check-in step adjusts the intensity of recommended actions based on how the user feels that day. Every step includes a skip option with a clear explanation of the tradeoff, respecting autonomy without penalizing the choice.
The home screen acts as a daily hub
Personalized greeting, today's action with estimated time, active goals with progress rings, and a community block surfacing real stories from other users. Goal management enforces a maximum of three active goals simultaneously, a product rule derived directly from the research: the problem isn't motivation, it's prioritization.
Micro-lessons
Short videos by verified experts are surfaced contextually based on the user's progress, not as a passive content feed. The community space allows users to share completed goals, turning private milestones into social proof. The profile section includes explicit controls for AI personalization and data privacy, designed around transparency rather than buried in settings.
Accessibility was treated as a design criterion from the start
Verified contrast ratios, minimum 14pt body text, 44px tap targets, and icons always paired with descriptive labels.
OUTCOME
Delivered a high-fidelity interactive prototype covering the full user journey: onboarding, goal management, micro-lessons, community, and profile.
Iterated across multiple rounds of faculty feedback, translating each correction into documented design decisions.
Validated core flows with real users, focusing on onboarding friction, the three-goal rule, and community engagement.
Presented to a jury of industry professionals at the end of the module.
Adulting was selected as one of the best pitches of the night for the second consecutive phase.
The jury highlighted the idea's potential and encouraged the team to explore further development, including connecting with investors or startups interested in bringing it to market.
The project closes this academic phase as a fully realized product concept: validated, designed, and ready for the next stage.
More Projects
UI / UX Design
Adulting: UX/UI & Product Design
Adulting's second phase moved from concept to product. Built on a validated UX foundation, this phase delivered a complete design system, a high-fidelity interactive prototype, and a refined user experience: translating research insights into deliberate UI decisions across every screen and interaction.
Year:
2026
Industry:
Mental Health
Client:
The Valley Business School
Project Duration:
3 months
CONTEXT
Adulting entered its second phase with a validated concept, a clear user archetype, and a functional low-fidelity prototype. The challenge shifted from defining the problem to building the product.
This module focused on transforming the UX foundations into a cohesive, high-fidelity experience: a complete design system, deliberate UI decisions, and an interactive prototype that demonstrates the full user journey. The core insight remained the same, young adults don't lack information, they lack structure, but the work now lived in execution: how every screen, component, and line of copy makes that structure feel real and accessible.
CHALLENGES
Building a design system from scratch
The product needed a visual language that could scale, one consistent enough to feel like a single product, flexible enough to support multiple content categories.
Translating emotional nuance into UI The onboarding had to feel personal without feeling clinical. Every step needed to earn the user's trust before asking for input.
Balancing personalization and simplicity The first prototype was flagged as too form-like. The redesign had to offer meaningful customization without increasing cognitive load.
Designing for emotional states, not just tasks A user with low energy and high stress needs a different entry point than one who is motivated and focused. The UI had to accommodate both.
Iterating under real constraints Feedback from faculty and user testing had to be absorbed and translated into concrete design decisions within a limited timeframe.
SOLUTION
The second phase delivered a complete product design across all core features.
We built a full design system
Color palette with category-coded colors, type scale, spacing rules, and a component library covering cards, buttons, inputs, tabs, and navigation. This became the foundation that kept the product coherent across features and team members.
The onboarding was redesigned around user state.
A five-step flow with visible progress gives users two paths from the start: voice input for those who want to express themselves freely, or a short structured test for those who prefer speed. An emotional check-in step adjusts the intensity of recommended actions based on how the user feels that day. Every step includes a skip option with a clear explanation of the tradeoff, respecting autonomy without penalizing the choice.
The home screen acts as a daily hub
Personalized greeting, today's action with estimated time, active goals with progress rings, and a community block surfacing real stories from other users. Goal management enforces a maximum of three active goals simultaneously, a product rule derived directly from the research: the problem isn't motivation, it's prioritization.
Micro-lessons
Short videos by verified experts are surfaced contextually based on the user's progress, not as a passive content feed. The community space allows users to share completed goals, turning private milestones into social proof. The profile section includes explicit controls for AI personalization and data privacy, designed around transparency rather than buried in settings.
Accessibility was treated as a design criterion from the start
Verified contrast ratios, minimum 14pt body text, 44px tap targets, and icons always paired with descriptive labels.
OUTCOME
Delivered a high-fidelity interactive prototype covering the full user journey: onboarding, goal management, micro-lessons, community, and profile.
Iterated across multiple rounds of faculty feedback, translating each correction into documented design decisions.
Validated core flows with real users, focusing on onboarding friction, the three-goal rule, and community engagement.
Presented to a jury of industry professionals at the end of the module.
Adulting was selected as one of the best pitches of the night for the second consecutive phase.
The jury highlighted the idea's potential and encouraged the team to explore further development, including connecting with investors or startups interested in bringing it to market.
The project closes this academic phase as a fully realized product concept: validated, designed, and ready for the next stage.
More Projects
UI / UX Design
Adulting: UX/UI & Product Design
Adulting's second phase moved from concept to product. Built on a validated UX foundation, this phase delivered a complete design system, a high-fidelity interactive prototype, and a refined user experience: translating research insights into deliberate UI decisions across every screen and interaction.
Year:
2026
Industry:
Mental Health
Client:
The Valley Business School
Project Duration:
3 months
CONTEXT
Adulting entered its second phase with a validated concept, a clear user archetype, and a functional low-fidelity prototype. The challenge shifted from defining the problem to building the product.
This module focused on transforming the UX foundations into a cohesive, high-fidelity experience: a complete design system, deliberate UI decisions, and an interactive prototype that demonstrates the full user journey. The core insight remained the same, young adults don't lack information, they lack structure, but the work now lived in execution: how every screen, component, and line of copy makes that structure feel real and accessible.
CHALLENGES
Building a design system from scratch
The product needed a visual language that could scale, one consistent enough to feel like a single product, flexible enough to support multiple content categories.
Translating emotional nuance into UI The onboarding had to feel personal without feeling clinical. Every step needed to earn the user's trust before asking for input.
Balancing personalization and simplicity The first prototype was flagged as too form-like. The redesign had to offer meaningful customization without increasing cognitive load.
Designing for emotional states, not just tasks A user with low energy and high stress needs a different entry point than one who is motivated and focused. The UI had to accommodate both.
Iterating under real constraints Feedback from faculty and user testing had to be absorbed and translated into concrete design decisions within a limited timeframe.
SOLUTION
The second phase delivered a complete product design across all core features.
We built a full design system
Color palette with category-coded colors, type scale, spacing rules, and a component library covering cards, buttons, inputs, tabs, and navigation. This became the foundation that kept the product coherent across features and team members.
The onboarding was redesigned around user state.
A five-step flow with visible progress gives users two paths from the start: voice input for those who want to express themselves freely, or a short structured test for those who prefer speed. An emotional check-in step adjusts the intensity of recommended actions based on how the user feels that day. Every step includes a skip option with a clear explanation of the tradeoff, respecting autonomy without penalizing the choice.
The home screen acts as a daily hub
Personalized greeting, today's action with estimated time, active goals with progress rings, and a community block surfacing real stories from other users. Goal management enforces a maximum of three active goals simultaneously, a product rule derived directly from the research: the problem isn't motivation, it's prioritization.
Micro-lessons
Short videos by verified experts are surfaced contextually based on the user's progress, not as a passive content feed. The community space allows users to share completed goals, turning private milestones into social proof. The profile section includes explicit controls for AI personalization and data privacy, designed around transparency rather than buried in settings.
Accessibility was treated as a design criterion from the start
Verified contrast ratios, minimum 14pt body text, 44px tap targets, and icons always paired with descriptive labels.
OUTCOME
Delivered a high-fidelity interactive prototype covering the full user journey: onboarding, goal management, micro-lessons, community, and profile.
Iterated across multiple rounds of faculty feedback, translating each correction into documented design decisions.
Validated core flows with real users, focusing on onboarding friction, the three-goal rule, and community engagement.
Presented to a jury of industry professionals at the end of the module.
Adulting was selected as one of the best pitches of the night for the second consecutive phase.
The jury highlighted the idea's potential and encouraged the team to explore further development, including connecting with investors or startups interested in bringing it to market.
The project closes this academic phase as a fully realized product concept: validated, designed, and ready for the next stage.