Context
Intro
Nunu is a mobile app grounded in behavioral science focused on collaboration in organizing household tasks, streamlining routines and completing chores, turning domestic tension into productive collaboration. It helps distribute tasks equally and improves chore management over time. This is an ongoing, self-initiated project.
Full-Stack Designer
Role
I’m responsible for research, strategy, UX/UI design, branding, illustration, animation and interaction design.
Team
Collaboration with Software Engineer
We co-designed app features and UX flows. I supported implementation with specs and prototypes for a smooth handoff.
Strategy
Research
UX Design
UI Design
Design System
Documentation
Scope of work
Visual Design
Brand Design
Illustration
Animation
Interaction Design
Prototyping
Figma
FigJam
Jira
Principle
Software
Illustrator
Procreate
Photoshop
After Effects
Household responsibilities are often unevenly distributed, causing tension, frustration and mental overload. People struggle with routines, forget tasks, or lack awareness of what needs to be done. Cognitive biases like overestimating one's contribution can exacerbate misunderstandings and conflicts even further.
Problem Statement
Process
Approach
I applied Design Thinking and Agile principles, using the Double Diamond model to explore user needs and iteratively refine solutions, guided by behavioral insights, UX research and continuous user feedback.
Simplified Timeline
Discovery
Driven by a motivation to understand the problem, empathize with users, and ensure viability, I conducted user interviews, behavioral research, market analysis, and explored the business landscape.
Problem Exploration
Business landscape
The market for productivity and household management digital products is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing adoption of digital tools to enhance efficiency in both personal and professional settings. Key trends include: Rise of Digital Planners and Utilization of Smart Home Technologies.
Market analysis
To ensure Nunu delivers a unique value proposition, I conducted a competitive analysis across apps focused on productivity and chores organization. This revealed a market gap: while most focus on task tracking, few offer a user-driven, emotionally intelligent approach to managing shared responsibilities. Tools like Tody and Cozi address household tasks but lack UX maturity.
Competitors Analysis
Behavioral Angle
UX research revealed that many users struggle to stay motivated when managing routines and household tasks. To support engagement and encourage equal contribution, I first needed to address the root causes behind this motivational gap.
Intro
Motivation Types
To deepen my understanding, I explored behavioral science and the psychology of motivation. Research shows that behavior change depends on autonomous motivation. Actions should align with a person's internal goals and values, rather than being imposed externally.
According to Amy Bucher in Engaged, motivation thrives when experiences support users' basic psychological needs:
Autonomy
The ability to make meaningful choices
Competence
A sense of progress and mastery
Relatedness
Connection to others and a greater purpose
Key Insight
Nunu should support users in feeling more in control, competent, and connected with others while they manage shared responsibilities.
Define
Research Synthesis
Research led to the creation of personas, journey maps, and JTBDs, helping identify key moments of friction. Insights from behavioral science informed the product strategy and shaped feature priorities for the MVP.
Pain Points
Shaping the Problem Space
Affinity mapping supported synthesizing pain points. A recurring theme was self-serving bias and a sense of unfairness that created emotional tension, not just logistical problems.
Nunu should not only track tasks, but foster mutual recognition, collaboration and decrease mental load.
Strategy Insight
Strategic Brand Framing
Summary
To ensure viability and alignment with user values, I also focused on brand strategy. I facilitated a Brand Sprint workshop and created a Creative Brief, Value Proposition and Business Model Canvas to define Nunu’s visual storytelling and differentiation in the market.
Ideation
I mapped out the app's core features and prioritized early co-creation by gathering feedback on low-fidelity prototypes. It enhanced my understanding of users’ needs. As I iterated, I continuously validated design decisions against the strategy and research insights.
Iterative Approach
Information Architecture
Structure
The structure reflects key user goals: managing chores, navigating shared spaces, viewing household dynamics, and accessing personal or system-wide settings. It’s organized around three main navigation layers: Bottom Navigation (core features), Top Navigation (global access), and a Floating Action Button (quick task creation).
Intuitive discovery
Organizing features around user intent (To-Do, Spaces, Household)
Scalability
Separating content (Spaces), collaboration (Household), and personal/user-level data.
Mental load reduction
Grouping secondary actions (Settings, Account management, FAQs) into a dedicated Side Drawer.
Quick interaction
Context-aware actions like adding a chore or task via the Floating Button.
Individual / group use
Personal stats vs. group insights, ensuring users feel both autonomy and connection.
Solution
Idea
Nunu reflects shared responsibility and mutual influence in daily routines. The intertwined N and U form a loop of collaboration, symbolizing how one person’s actions affect another. This represents interdependence and social reciprocity, which foster accountability and cooperation.
Joint Chore
Chore is split into smaller, linked actions shared among the users: when one person loads the dishwasher, the other is prompted to unload it at a specific time. This feature draws on the principle of implementation intentions. It also supports autonomy and relatedness.
Reframing chores as a collaborative, emotionally intelligent process, helps reduce friction, increase perceived fairness, and strengthen relationships.
Main Features
Problem Solving
I addressed the pain points through targeted UX solutions. Each design decision is grounded in either a usability challenge or a behavioral insight, helping reduce cognitive load, promote fairness, and support collaboration.
Onboarding flow
Insights
Nunu pushed me to grow across disciplines. It deepened my interest in behavioral design and expanded my technical knowledge through close collaboration with a developer. Working end-to-end inspired continuous learning across UX, strategy, communication, and product thinking.
Lessons Learnt
Behavioral Product Design
Designing for human behavior was both challenging and rewarding. I learned how biases and motivation gaps can sabotage even well-structured systems. It fundamentally reshaped my approach to product design.
Ownership of the Process
Leading the app from research to interactive prototype sharpened my ability to prioritize, iterate fast, and align user needs with implementation realities.
Multi-Disciplinary Thinking
Working across design, product, and communication roles helped me see the big picture while staying grounded in detail. It was essential for shaping both the user experience its implementation.
Developer Collaboration
Working closely with a front-end developer strengthened my ability to translate design into implementation, from providing clear specs and prototypes to aligning on UX decisions and edge cases.
Next Steps
Nunu is still a work in progress, with much to refine, from polishing the existing UI and defining new features, to sharpening the brand communication and marketing strategy. To stay focused and iterative, I’ve prioritized the following areas:
Organize and optimize design system for handoff and scalability.
Improve Documentation
Build & Test MVP
Develop core features like joint chores, timeline, and spaces to perform beta testing.
Iterate Routine Builder
User flow that allows customizing the experience, creating routines and forming lasting habits.
malekalicja@gmail.com
© 2025 Alicja Malek