Goalspaces: Gamifying App Experience to Increase User Retention

Goalspaces is a platform that makes it easy to find and collaborate with people who share the same life goals with you. With over 5,000 downloads on App store, Goalspaces is redefining the way people set and achieve their goals.

Retained 500+ more users over 3 months by gamifying user experience in a productivity app, saving an estimated $8,000+ in re-engagement and acquisition costs

Higher app store ratings and user feedback praising the “freshness” and “motivation boost” of the new UX

Low engagement. High dropout. A promising app was losing its spark. Goalspaces, a productivity app built to help users track and achieve their goals, had a good number of downloads on both the Play Store and App Store. However, user engagement and retention were significantly low.

The goal was clear: make Goalspaces more engaging, social, and fun, without compromising its core utility.

I looked into existing user data and spoke to some users. I then uncovered a common theme — users didn’t feel sufficiently motivated or connected within the app. They set goals, but there was no continuous feedback loop or external encouragement.

After identifying this gap, I proposed a complete feature overhaul rooted in gamification and community interaction. I drew inspiration from psychology-driven design frameworks and successful habit-forming models.

A gamified experience for users

Points System: Users earned points for completing goals or daily check-ins.

Badges: Designed different visual badges to represent milestones and achievements. The Gold Badge signified the highest loyalty level.

Stars & Monetization: Accumulated points converted into stars, which could be redeemed within the app for exclusive features.

Compelling Push Notifications (notifications users get outside the app) were designed to encourage users to open the app and complete pending tasks; thereby increasing user engagement and retention.

Goalroom – Where goals meet conversations.

Goalroom, a feature inspired by platforms like Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse, was born to enable users connect, share progress, and learn from others with similar aspirations.