Gobi: A Sobriety Tracking App
Kateryna Kravchenko
Gobi
A sobriety tracking app
A gamified sobriety app with intuitive, mobile‑first design that helps sober‑curious users track progress, build habits, and celebrate small wins—without the clinical feel.
Client
Self-initiated concept project
An exploration of how design can support behavior change and make sobriety feel more engaging, human, and motivating.
Info
Role: UX/UI Designer
Timeline: 12 weeks
Tools: Figma, Procreate
Team: Kateryna Kravchenko, Kayla Danio, Fernanda Alonso Castrejon, Ryan Leskiw
Gobi Videos:
A sobriety tracking app - Part 1 - YouTube
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A sobriety tracking app - Part 1
A sobriety tracking app - Part 2 - YouTube
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A sobriety tracking app - Part 2
Understanding the Problem
We started our design journey exploring sober-friendly third spaces — like cafés or events — to support people cutting back on alcohol. But the more we dug in, the clearer it became that awareness of spaces wasn't the real barrier.
Our initial hypothesis: young adults aged 19–29 struggle to find and access alcohol-free social activities and spaces.
Our research told a different story. The real opportunity wasn't an event discovery app — it was something that helps people stay motivated once they'd made the choice to cut back.
Primary Research
To explore the problem, we combined surveys, interviews, and venue observations to understand not only how people drink but why — and how social environments influence those behaviors.
Venue Observations
We began with in-context observations, visiting the following locations to understand how people interact within social environments centered around alcohol:
🌭Casual Eatery with Mocktails
🛍 Non-Alcoholic Retail Space
🍻Traditional Bar
🎲 Activity-Based Venue (Games + Food)
Observations revealed that alcohol is deeply embedded in social environments, making it difficult for individuals to make different choices without feeling excluded or unsupported.
Surveys
Survey data revealed that many participants felt there was a lack of appealing or well-promoted alcohol-free options.
24.1% of participants thought there were enough alcohol-free events in their area.
37.9% were unsure if there were enough diverse alcohol-free activities nearby.
58.6% would be more likely to attend an alcohol-free event if marketed differently.
53.3% of participants thought alcohol-free drink options could be better.
Interviews
Interviews highlighted that people’s relationship with alcohol is complex and often tied to social habits. Many participants were not looking to quit entirely, but struggled with consistency and motivation when trying to cut back.
Research Summary
One thing kept surfacing:
The rise of the sober-curious movement.
Our primary research led us to the creation of Gobi through the ideation phase following our analysis. We identified the sobriety tracking market as the easiest to break into successfully while producing the most impact for our target users.
Instead of building another event app, we shifted focus to what sober-curious people actually need: something that keeps them motivated and makes the process feel fun, not clinical.
Solution
Meet Gobi 💚
Gobi is a goblin — a creature not exactly known for personal growth. They're stubborn, chaotic, and set in their ways… which is exactly why Gobi works. It flips the script: even the most unlikely characters can change — and so can we.
Gobi begins as "Primitive Gobi" — a symbol of starting fresh, unsure, but open to change. As users take on challenges and reflect on their journey, Gobi grows with them — unlocking new looks and milestones that celebrate progress.
Core Design Principles
Progress over perfection — no shame, just steps forward
Gamified feedback loops that feel rewarding, not clinical
Visual identity tied to personal growth milestones
Measurable wellness metrics (sleep, heart rate, savings)
Key Features
Personalised challenges (e.g. one drink per week path)
GobCoins reward system for engagement & reflection
Gobi avatar that evolves with the user's progress
Sober-friendly events discovery feed
Wireframing
Our wireframe plan for Gobi creates a motivational, gamified experience for users tracking their financial savings and health improvements while quitting alcohol. With personalized coaching styles, challenges, health tracking, and rewards, the app keeps users engaged through data-driven insights and interactive progress tracking.
User Flow
Wireframes
Usability Testing
We utilized a multi-method research approach to understand user motivations and pain points.
Method: Usability testing via Zoom, standard interviews, converted observations of social spaces, and secondary research.
Usability Goals: To evaluate interaction flows, identify "dead ends," and gauge the emotional success of our app features.
Key Findings
The Gobi Mascot: Users felt a strong emotional connection to the mascot. Feedback included, "I really love the Gobi," and "I feel like I've disappointed my Gobi," suggesting the mascot effectively reduced the "clinical" feel of tracking.
Journaling as Motivation: Journaling was seen as a powerful tool for building awareness, especially when tied to emotional triggers.
The "Farming" Risk: Users flagged that "reflection farming" (writing short, low-quality entries to gain rewards) could be an exploit, leading us to emphasize quality over quantity.
Final UI
We began the visual design with an established direction — Gobi as the central character of the experience. From there, we aimed to create a clean and minimal interface that wouldn’t overwhelm users.
Profile Page Design
I started by exploring the profile page, developing two layout directions. One focused on a more open composition, while the other prioritized a compact structure with a clearly visible challenge timeline.
As a team, we chose the second direction for its clarity and more efficient use of space.
The visual system balances playfulness and structure — pixel-art energy grounded in a clean, legible UI. Poppins provides warmth and readability; the purple-forward palette anchors the brand in a sober-curious, wellness-forward space.
Onboarding & Registration
Questionnaire
Tracking Progress
Changing Outfit
Takeaways
Pivot early, pivot confidently
Our initial hypothesis (alcohol-free spaces) was reasonable but surface-level. The research forced a meaningful pivot toward internal motivation — a harder but more impactful design space.
Personality is a design system
Gobi the goblin wasn't decoration — it was the emotional core of the entire product.
Gamification requires restraint
Adding GobCoins, streaks, and avatar customization creates genuine engagement — but each mechanic needs a clear reason to exist.
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Posted Jun 19, 2026
A gamified sobriety app designed to help users track their progress and build habits in a non-clinical way.
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