A solo concept exploring habit-building through playful UX and emotional engagement

Stride with Pacer is a mobile concept designed to turn walking into a rewarding daily habit. Built entirely as a solo project using AI tools, the experience combines habit tracking with emotional feedback, gamification, and a digital companion to foster long-term engagement.

The goal was to create an app that blends physical wellness with emotional connection where users return not just for stats, but to care for a loyal sidekick named Pacer.

Habit trackers often focus solely on data. This leads to low emotional buy-in and high abandonment. How might we create a system that feels more like play than pressure and motivates users to keep going?

Create a reason to return daily through emotional bonding and positive reinforcement

Blend real-world behavior (walking) with in-app interaction

Minimize friction in onboarding and check-ins

Incorporate fun, collectable elements to build stickiness over time

1. Home Screen Hub

Quick overview of daily progress, streaks, and current mood of Pacer

Jump into key actions like “Start Walk” or check rewards

2. Pacer's Mood

A dynamic avatar that responds to user activity (happy, tired, excited)

Acts as a subtle nudge to engage and build accountability

3. Gacha Reward System

Users earn daily spins to collect accessories and fun rewards

Encourages consistency and light gamification

4. Map & Social Layer

Discover hidden rewards, connect with nearby friends

Encourage exploration and light community

Daily routine: Open app → see mood and stats → start walk → check map or spin for reward → review streak

ChatGPT (ideation, flow logic)

Figma (wireframes, UI components)

Midjourney, Photoshop & Illustrator (visuals)

Notion (documentation)

This project was a great exercise in building a product from scratch while focusing on user emotion and motivation. The Pacer concept helped explore how digital companions can encourage real-world behavior — a theme I find especially relevant in wellness, education, and behavior-driven products.