Project type :
UX,UI Case study
Duration:
102 hours
My Role:
UX/UI Designer (End-to-End)
Tools:
Figma, FigJam, Google Forms, Zoom, Miro
BrewBalance
about.
BrewBalance is a mobile app designed to help coffee drinkers monitor their daily caffeine intake, understand how caffeine affects their bodies, and make healthier beverage choices. While many health apps focus on calories, nutrition, or fitness, very few provide an experience centered on caffeine management.
This project challenged me to design an experience that fit naturally into users' routines without making tracking feel like another chore. My goal was to create a product that encourages awareness through simple interactions, personalized insights, and an approachable interface.
challenge.
Many people consume caffeine every day without realizing how much they're actually drinking. Existing apps often require extensive manual logging or prioritize calorie tracking over caffeine awareness, making it difficult for users who simply want to build healthier habits.
Another challenge was the lack of direct competitors or design references. There are very few dedicated caffeine-tracking applications, so I couldn't rely on existing patterns to guide my design decisions.
Instead, I explored habit trackers, nutrition apps, and wellness platforms to understand how users interact with health-related information and adapted those design patterns to fit BrewBalance's goals.
Understanding Users
To better understand users' caffeine habits, I conducted five moderated usability tests with regular coffee drinkers to evaluate BrewBalance's core user flow. Each participant completed three tasks: logging a drink, completing the wellness tracking flow, and reviewing the summary screen.
The research focused on:
Daily caffeine consumption
Current tracking methods (if any)
Health concerns
Motivations for reducing caffeine
Frustrations with existing wellness apps
Hidden Caffeine Intake
Many users underestimated how much caffeine they consumed each day because they rarely tracked it consistently.
Manual Tracking Fatigue
Existing wellness apps required too much manual input or focused on calories instead of caffeine, making daily tracking feel tedious.
Limited Awareness
Users wanted to build healthier habits but lacked clear insights into their daily caffeine intake and its impact on their well-being.
Limited Design Standards
Few dedicated caffeine-tracking apps existed, requiring the experience to be informed by habit trackers and wellness platforms rather than direct competitors.
research.
Defining the Experience
Using the research insights, I developed personas and mapped the primary user journey.
My design goals became:
Make beverage logging fast.
Present caffeine information clearly.
Encourage healthier habits without overwhelming users.
Create a welcoming experience for both casual coffee drinkers and health-conscious users.
Designing the Solution
Before designing the interface, I mapped the app's information architecture and key user flows.
This helped simplify navigation and reduce unnecessary steps throughout the experience.
From there, I created low-fidelity wireframes to test layouts and interactions before moving into visual design.
Early exploration focused on:
Quick logging
Personalized dashboard
Daily caffeine progress
Educational content
Recommendations
Building the Interface
I created a clean and approachable visual language that makes health information feel simple rather than intimidating.
The design system included:
Reusable components
Accessible color palette
Clear typography hierarchy
Consistent spacing
Simple iconography
The dashboard was designed to highlight the most important information first while keeping secondary details easily accessible.
User Personas
testimonial.
Testing and Iteration
I conducted usability testing using an interactive prototype to evaluate how users completed common tasks.
What I Learned
Users consistently preferred:
Faster logging
Less manual input
Clear visual feedback
Simpler navigation
One unexpected insight was that participants cared more about seeing their progress than entering detailed information about every beverage.
Based on this feedback, I:
Simplified navigation.
Reduced unnecessary screens.
Improved the beverage logging flow.
Refined visual hierarchy.
Reduced cognitive load throughout the app.
Final Solution
The final BrewBalance experience allows users to:
Log drinks in seconds.
Monitor daily caffeine intake.
Receive personalized recommendations.
Visualize long-term habits.
Learn about healthier caffeine consumption.
The final prototype reflects an end-to-end UX process driven by user research, testing, and continuous iteration.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges was designing for a niche problem with very few existing references.
Unlike budgeting apps or fitness trackers, there are limited examples of dedicated caffeine management products. Rather than copying unrelated interfaces, I studied adjacent products—including habit trackers, nutrition apps, and wellness platforms—to identify patterns that users already understood.
This approach allowed me to create an experience that felt familiar while solving a unique problem.
Reflection
BrewBalance taught me that good UX isn't about adding more features—it's about helping users accomplish their goals with as little friction as possible.
This project strengthened my skills in user research, information architecture, visual design, usability testing, and iterative problem solving.
The biggest takeaway was learning to design with confidence even when there isn't an obvious solution to reference. User feedback became my most valuable guide, helping me make informed design decisions throughout the project.
100% Task Completion
All five participants successfully completed every task—from logging a drink to reviewing the summary—without major usability issues.
4.2/5 User Confidence
Participants reported a high average confidence rating, indicating the interface felt intuitive and easy to navigate.
3/5 Noticed Navigation Friction
Three participants hesitated at the Next button, suggesting clearer visual hierarchy and feedback would improve the multi-step flow.
5/5 Valued the Summary Screen
Every participant appreciated reviewing their entries before saving, saying it increased confidence and made error-checking easier.
