Through ideation, we distilled key user insights and prioritized the most impactful design directions. Our goal was to create a seamless, engaging, and emotionally rewarding productivity experience—one that not only helps users complete tasks but also keeps them motivated, connected, and inspired.
Anna is a busy student juggling classes, club activities, and job hunting. She needs a tool that keeps her organized, motivated, and makes her progress feel rewarding.
Meet Anna
User Persona & Journey
Our research started with one-on-one interviews with six participants (30 minutes each). Through affinity mapping, we identified three major insights:
Task-Oriented
Time-Oriented
Team-Oriented
4 out of 6 users prefer breaking down their tasks into smaller steps.
6 out of 6 users want to visualize their time to manage tasks effectively.
6 out of 6 users feel more accountable when sharing progress with others.
Marcus seeks personal growth and a flexible task management tool to enhance work-life balance, but struggles with prioritizing tasks due to multiple ongoing projects.
Meet Marcus
Finding the Gap
Competitive Analysis
Uncovering the Problem
Key Insights
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Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word Seirios "glowing" or "scorching". Sirius is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star.
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Introducing StarPath
Now, let’s start from the beginning to see how we arrived at our solution!
Understanding the Problem
Process
Redefining Productivity Tools with an AI-Powered, Emotionally-Driven Approach
Empowering Productivity Tools with AI and Emotional Engagement
Role
Design Lead, Researcher, Concept holder
Timeline
Sept - Dec 2024
Team
Gerard Samson
Tool
Figma
Empowering Productivity in the Digital Era with Emotional Engagement and AI
Context
In the digital era, productivity tools are abundant, yet most fail to keep users engaged over the long term. Despite having good intentions to stay productive, many people struggle to maintain focus and follow through with their goals. This challenge is compounded by the lack of emotional connection and personalized support in most tools, which leaves users feeling overwhelmed and disconnected.
We saw a unique opportunity to change this by creating a productivity tool that addresses both emotional engagement and personalization. In a world where motivation and meaning often determine success, our solution focuses on fostering a deeper connection to tasks and progress. Additionally, as AI continues to evolve, we recognize its potential to empower users by offering dynamic, adaptive features that respond to their individual needs. By leveraging AI, we can adapts to users' evolving goals.
This project seeks to redefine productivity tools for the digital era, bridging the gap between intention and action by blending emotional engagement with the power of AI to create a more rewarding, sustainable, and connected experience for users.
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Users struggle with starting tasks due to overwhelming mental effort, leading to procrastination.
Problem #1
Productivity tools often feel transactional, making it hard for users to stay engaged.
Problem #2
Without feedback or accountability, users lose momentum.
Problem #3
Cognitive Overload
Lack of Motivation
Distraction & Drop-off
Most tools focus on efficiency but fail to create emotional engagement.
While some apps offer collaboration, they lack engaging ways to share progress meaningfully.
Limited accountability
Rigid structure
Lack of motivation
Users often abandon tools due to lack of tangible, rewarding progress.
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📋
🎯
We analyzed leading productivity tools and identified 3 key gaps:
A Guided, Engaging Productivity Experience
Design Solution
Driving Retention & Engagement
Why This Works
Emotional Connection → A constellation that evolves over time makes progress more personal.
Habit Formation → Reducing cognitive load and reinforcing small wins builds long-term routines.
Collaboration & Gamification → Social elements and real-time feedback make productivity dynamic.
Unlike traditional productivity apps that focus solely on efficiency, StarPath focuses on stickiness—an experience users want to return to.
Empowering Productive Journeys
Key Features
Refining the Experience Based on Real User Feedback
User Testing Insights
