01 Context02 Overview03 Background04 Ideation05 Final Design06 Next Steps
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Overview

PRIZEBOX is a comprehensive productivity tool designed to combat modern distractions and promote focus. Combining an electronic lock box with a customizable task management app, PRIZEBOX locks away distractions or stows rewards until tasks are completed. Users can set task difficulty, break projects into steps, and earn badges based on progress. With a built-in game as a playful reward and accountability features through "Pepper Masters," PRIZEBOX is ideal for classroom or home use, helping children and teens aged 8-18 enhance their productivity and achieve their goals efficiently.

What I Accomplished

  • Design the logo for Prizebox
  • Design and created a new app within 10 weeks that help users to stay focused, keep organized, and achieve their goals
  • Design and implemented a new gamification idea and interaction game in the app to motivate users to use the app

My Role

UX Designer — Interaction Design, Visual Design, App Design

Team

Matthew Jones, Project Lead

Bowen Li, Product Designer

Timeline

Mar - May, 2024 (10 weeks)

Highlights

Unlock your focus, earn rewards, and achieve more with a fun and motivational productivity system.

Shown below is a glimpse of our final solution. We’ll be going over the final solution and design rationale in more depth here.

01 Background

What is PrizeBox?

Pepper Theme
Customizable Task Management
Gamification
The PRIZEBOX app is a customizable task manager for phones and desktops designed to enhance productivity. It locks access to a "Prizebox" until a selected task is completed. The app also includes a social network to share achievements, with a unique pepper-themed reward system where users earn badges (bronze, silver, gold) based on task milestones. Additionally, users unlock time-limited access to a simple game as a reward for completing tasks. The app incorporates an accountability feature called "Pepper Masters," who assist with task difficulty settings and are notified of task completions, providing support and emergency access if needed. We believe the PRIZEBOX experience can help students and children focus on what matters most and get it done in record time!

Problem

Distraction Occur Oftenly In Our Life  

Our modern era is filled with distractions, with technologies increasingly designed to capture people's attention. Netflix's CEO even considers sleep as a top competitor for engagement. Children, particularly tweens, are already spending significant time on screens daily. This trend is alarming because it disrupts the state of "flow," a deep focus that enhances creativity and well-being. PRIZEBOX aims to counteract this by offering a product and service that promotes sustained focus and potentially facilitates flow for both children and adults.

02 Ideation

Target User

Children From 8~18
Teacher and Parents --> Pepper Master
PRIZEBOX would be used in a classroom or home setting with children and teens ranging from 8-18. The teachers or parents would function as the Pepper Masters and could therefore help set up a course or household chores as projects that help students earn their bronze- , silver- , and gold-level badges. Distracting devices could be locked in the PRIZEBOX during class or important family time. Rewards or prizes fora job well done could be locked in the PRIZEBOX for just when the students complete their homework, class project, or other important task(s).

Low-Fidelity Design

The low-fidelity design features a task management page that displays all tasks assigned to users by the Pepper Master. Users can track the progress of other students' tasks through the community page, which also displays the points each user earns from the in-app game. Additionally, recent achievements of classmates are highlighted to inspire others to complete their tasks. I also designed a badge page showcasing all collected badges, which also serves as a gateway to the game integrated within the app.

Testing Insights

1| Include Detail Task Page for All Tasks

2| Allow User Contact Pepper Master

3| Redesign the Badges Page

4| Create the in-app Game

03 Final Design

Prizebox App

Our PRIZEBOX app is here to help you stay focused, keep organized, achieve your goals, and share your success! Relying on powerfully effective gamification, you can set your own tasks, rate the difficulty, and earn hot badges that keep you sizzling. Team up with a Pepper Master (an accountability partner) who can help you stay committed to your goals and keep you honest in not unlocking your coveted phone inside your lock box before you’re ready. After bronze, silver, and gold standard badges are earned, you gain access to our Hot Pepper Run game for a limited time! Get the high score in record speed under the hour and brag to your friends that you are the heat.

PrizeBox Dashboard

The PRIZEBOX dashboard presents all the user's active tasks, including the count of pending tasks they have at any given time. The users can easily see all the ongoing tasks by simply click the “See All” button. Users can quickly search for tasks by using the search button. The dashboard also displays the number of tasks the user has completed in the past and the badges they have earned, providing a clear visual summary. Additionally, it features a group progress chart that illustrates the percentage of the user's progress to group tasks, along with the previous week's progress for comparison.

Emergency Button

Problem Statement

Users might accidentally lock their phone into the lockbox . the emergency button allows users to contact the pepper master for the password of the lockbox.

Task List Page

The task page provides an overview of all ongoing and completed tasks for the user. Users can search and sort tasks by due date, name, or recency. The dashboard displays the names of completed tasks, along with their due dates, team members, and progress. For ongoing tasks, users can see the name, due date, team members, task difficulty, class, and progress. Users can add new tasks to the list by clicking the "Add New Task"button. By selecting a task, users can access the task detail page, which displays the pepper master (referred to as the accountability partner) and a detailed task description. Once a task is completed, user can choose to share it with the community or simply save and mark it as complete.

Community Page

The community page enables users to share information with their friends. They can showcase badges earned within the app or share tasks they've completed. The leaderboard page displays the user's points from the "Pepper Run" game, allowing them to compete with friends and see each other's rankings. We incorporated this feature in the app as we believe it's important for users to share their badge collections and task completions with friends. This can help motivate users to accomplish more tasks and attracts the user to willing to use the app more often.

Highlights

Compete With Friend And Motivate Ourselves

Badges Design

PEPPER RUN- The Game

When users click on the map, they are directed to the "Pepper Run" game. The game's design is inspired by Flappy Bird, aiming to offer a simple yet engaging experience to draw users in when they complete their tasks. When a user completes either a set of bronze, silver, or gold-level badges, the user gains limited access to this mobile game. With only a limited amount of time and a limited number of lives, the user must achieve the highest score possible. Scores are shared (optionally) in the social media component of the game. We believe the game's inclusion will boost the app's gamification, benefiting our target audience of young students.

Highlights

Gamification That Attract Young Students To Done More Tasks

04 Next Steps

What's Next

Building Desktop Website

Currently, we’ve only developed the app interface without a corresponding desktop version. To make PrizeBox accessible to a broader audience, it’s crucial to offer the platform on multiple devices, including desktop. One of our primary goals for PrizeBox is to help students stay focused by locking their phones to prevent distractions. However, if the phone is locked, users would need another way to access the platform, making a desktop interface essential. By expanding PrizeBox to desktop, we can ensure that users can continue managing their tasks, tracking progress, and interacting with the app even when their phone is locked. Additionally, having a desktop interface broadens the app’s usability across different environments, like study sessions where a larger screen is preferred. Offering both mobile and desktop versions also increases flexibility, allowing users to choose the device that best suits their workflow. This approach would ultimately enhance the overall user experience and make PrizeBox more versatile and accessible to different user preferences.

Connect The App With Physical Prototype

Ensuring that the app integrates effectively with the physical prototype is vital because the core concept of PrizeBox revolves around the interaction between the app and the lockbox. The physical box is designed to store and secure the student’s phone or other distracting items, creating an environment that encourages focus and productivity. For the solution to be truly effective, the app must sync perfectly with the lockbox, enabling users to lock and unlock it, track their tasks, and monitor their progress. By ensuring that the app and the lockbox work cohesively, we can provide a seamless experience that meets the primary goal of reducing distractions and helping students stay on task.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

This project was a major milestone for me, as it was the first time I had full creative control over an app’s design and functionality. I led the entire process—from branding and logo creation to designing the UI, establishing the design library, and developing all visual assets. A key aspect was incorporating gamification, which included designing a simple in-app game. Although basic, it was my first time creating a game, offering new insights into interactive design. What made this experience truly rewarding was transforming an idea into a fully functional app. I learned how to balance creativity with usability while gaining a deeper understanding of the design process from start to finish. This project boosted my confidence and left me eager to tackle more ambitious and innovative designs in the future.