Solace
A gamified wellness app designed to support iron workers in recovering their physical and mental well‑being. Iron work often involves intense physical strain, unpredictable schedules, and cultural pressure to "tough it out," leading many workers to unhealthy coping mechanisms like painkillers or alcohol. Solace addresses these challenges with an engaging, AI‑personalized recovery experience built around daily exercises and a responsive mascot system.
Problem
Iron workers face unique physical and mental challenges for which most wellness tools are poorly suited:
- Recovery advice often assumes predictable work schedules.
- Generic wellness apps do not address chronic physical strain.
- There's cultural stigma around self‑care in trade environments.
- Workers resort to harmful coping strategies due to lack of better options.
These factors revealed a clear gap: no existing tools provide engaging, practical, and personalized recovery support for this specific audience.
Solution
Solace fills this gap by transforming recovery into a gamified, AI-personalized experience:
- Users complete daily physical and mental exercises to earn XP, build streaks, and strengthen a mascot, which mirrors their wellness progress.
- Missing a day injures the mascot, providing a visual and motivational reminder to engage.
- The app adapts recovery routines to match the user's type of work, pain areas, and energy levels.
By making wellness engaging, rewarding, and practical, Solace encourages sustainable, healthy habits instead of short-term fixes.
Target Audience
- Iron workers aged 20–40
- Experiencing chronic pain, fatigue, and stress
- May have developed unhealthy coping habits due to time constraints and lack of resources
- Looking for accessible, motivating, and practical ways to recover physically and mentally
Persona Image
User Stories
My Approach
Leadership & Project Management
I structured our workflow around weekly sprint standups and meetings with instructors and advisors, ensuring the team stayed coordinated and on track. I aimed to create an environment where progress was clear but creative experimentation was encouraged. I documented decisions and feedback in a shared Google Drive and Notion, which helped us track progress and reflect on learned insights as we pivoted or refined features.
Curiosity-Driven UX Research
I invested heavily in UX research to truly understand iron workers' lived experiences. Through interviews, surveys, and empathy mapping, I learned:
- What recovery looks like in the context of long shifts
- How workers think about "self‑care"
- What motivates them and what feels like extra work
This curiosity shaped feature prioritization and ensured our designs responded to real needs, not assumptions. Every feature decision was informed by questions like: Will this fit into their day? Will it feel motivating rather than like another task?
Conceptualization & Prototyping
We walked through low‑fidelity wireframes, mid‑fidelity flows, and high‑fidelity interactive prototypes. Every design decision was backed by research insights — not just aesthetic preferences. Where possible, we included user quotes and validation points to support decisions.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Mid-Fidelity Prototypes
High-Fidelity Prototypes
User Flow Diagrams
Design & Development Integration
I helped implement the app in Expo and connected our AI systems using OpenAI APIs to deliver personalized prompts and mascot speech interactions. Bridging UX thinking with real implementation ensured our vision wasn't lost in translation between design and code. This collaboration improved feasibility and helped us refine designs with engineering constraints in mind.
Process Highlights
Research & Discovery
- Interviewed target users
- Defined personas
- Researched competitors
- Synthesized research insights into design opportunities
This phase shaped the core mechanics of the app (XP/streak system and mascot), showing how emotional engagement could drive behavioral changes.
Ideation & Design
- Developed wireframes for key screens
- Designed flows illustrating how users would discover and complete activities
- Iterated designs based on feedback and usability testing
Design Iteration 1
Design Iteration 2
Final Design
Testing & Iteration
- Conducted usability tests with peers, mentors, and target users
- Refined interactions based on observed friction or confusion
- Improved clarity and feedback loops (e.g., streak breaks, XP rewards)
Key Features & Rationale
- Mascot System
Reinforces emotional connection to progress. Visual feedback motivates daily engagement. - Personalized Daily Checklist
AI‑generated routines based on user context. Reduces decision fatigue. - Exercise Catalogue
Gives users autonomy and variety. Encourages exploration beyond minimum requirements. - Mental Recovery Tools
Supports emotional wellness with low‑effort practices. - XP & Streak System
Engages users through progression and game mechanics.
Mascot System UI
Daily Checklist Screen
Exercise Catalogue
XP & Streak Dashboard
Mental Recovery Tools
User Flow Diagram
Outcome
- Delivered a fully functional, gamified prototype integrating both physical and mental wellness routines
- Successfully translated user research into engaging design and development features
- The project was developed for the BCIT D3 FSWD Annual Showcase, where it was presented as a polished, end-to-end product concept and earned 2nd place overall
- Demonstrated that trade-specific wellness tools can be both practical and motivating
Metrics & Analytics
User Feedback & Testimonials
Showcase Presentation / Awards
Learnings
- Balancing multiple roles — project management, UX research, and full-stack development — strengthened my ability to connect user insights to technical execution
- Deep curiosity about the user group was critical in shaping meaningful features
- The importance of aligning research insights with development
- Clear communication and structured sprints are essential for cross-functional collaboration