Today — Add 5 daily tasks and complete them!

A UX case study.

Introduction

Today is a simple to-do app designed for personal use. It’s focus is on helping users stay organized and on track by allowing them to add and manage up to 5 daily tasks. The app is designed for individuals who may find traditional to-do apps overwhelming and want a more streamlined solution for managing their tasks.

Duration: 7 days

My role: UI/UX design

Problem

One of the biggest challenges faced by individuals when it comes to managing their tasks is feeling overwhelmed by the number of things they need to do. Traditional to-do apps often allow users to add an unlimited number of tasks, which can be overwhelming and make it difficult for users to prioritize their time effectively. Additionally, many to-do apps are feature-heavy and can be difficult for users to navigate, making them less user-friendly and more time-consuming to use.

Some common problems of to-do app users:

• Users forget their task.
• Users find their to-do lists too easy or too difficult.
• To-do apps are distracting and overwhelming to use because they are feature heavy.
• Users feel that the app is not personalized to them.
• Users procrastinate on the existing tasks.

Research

The main objective of my research was to gain information about the user and find out how a user actually interacts with a to-do app. I conducted both primary and secondary research for this project. I found this wonderful article which answered a lot of my questions. During my secondary research I got an idea of the kind of problems an average user faces and so in my UX survey I asked questions to validate my assumptions.

Survey questions

• Do you use a productivity app like Todoist, Asana, Google tasks, etc?
• What productivity app do you currently use?
• Are you satisfied with your current productivity app?
• How would you rate your experience of using a productivity app out of 5?
• Do you use the app on a regular basis?
• Why do you use a productivity app?
• How many tasks do you usually add to your list?
• How many tasks do you think you manage to complete?
• Do you find yourself switching between different productivity apps?
• Why do you switch between different productivity apps?

Insights

• Users keep switching between different to-do apps.
• 3–5 is the optimum number of tasks in a to-do list.
• Majority users use a to-do app for it’s reminders and ease of access.
• A large number of tasks never gets completed.
• A lot of users use the default notes app as their to-do list app.
• A good to-do app must ease the zeigarnik effect.

The Zeigarnik Effect is the psychological phenomenon that people are more likely to remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. Named after psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, it suggests that our brain tends to hold onto unresolved tasks in order to complete them.

Journey of an average to do list app user

Many users open a productivity app with the goal of increasing their productivity and getting things done. However, a common challenge faced by users is that they often enter tasks into the app but forget or neglect to complete them, leading to a backlog of tasks that remain unresolved for long periods of time. This can be disheartening and lead users to search for a new task management app, only to repeat the cycle.

Solution

After a lot of research and brainstorming I came to a conclusion that the best way to tackle the problems of users is to restrict the amount of tasks a user can add to their list. According to my research I found that 3–5 is the optimum number of tasks for a day where most users can maintain a balance between quality and quantity. This will help them:

• Remember their tasks.
• Prioritize their tasks.
• Focus on each task.
• Not get overwhelmed by their list.
• Avoid procrastination.

For most people, I recommend starting out by limiting yourself to three to five tasks per day. It might not sound like a lot, but if you focus on writing down the three most important things you need to do today, you might find that’s already a lot to get through. — Jill Duffy

Final prototype

1. Add a task

2. Add a subtask

3. Analytics

4. Task completed

Iterations

1. Progress ring

To enhance the understanding of progress, I have updated the progress ring to include two variants — one displaying the numbers (for home page) and the other showing the percentages (for analytics section). This makes it easier for the user to comprehend the status and progress of their tasks.

2. Navbar

To streamline the user experience and align with the natural flow of iOS apps, I updated the tab bar to a simplified version. This new design takes up about same space as the previous one, but simplifies the process and shortens the task flow for certain steps, making it a more suitable and efficient solution.

3. Analytics bar graphs

In the analytics section, I noticed that the bar graphs were causing visual inconsistencies when partially or entirely empty, leading to a suboptimal user experience. To address this issue, I iterated the design to ensure a more consistent appearance even in empty or partially filled states. The new design also provides a clearer display of daily progress.

4. Task screen

To improve the task management experience for the user, I implemented several streamlining features on the task screen. These include direct access to the Repeat, Remind, and Attach options, as well as the ability to add subtasks without navigating away from the task screen. These changes simplify the task creation and management process, making it more efficient for the user.

Final screens

That’s it folks🙏

I appreciate you for taking the time to read this article. My goal was to present the information in a clear, concise, and easily understandable manner, and I hope that I have achieved that.

Future scope

• In the future, I would like to dedicate more time to exploring the various screen states and handling edge cases. Unfortunately, in this current version, I was unable to design empty states for every screen or address the initial user experience.
• Work on the onboarding experience of the app. Since this app works a little differently as compared to the conventional to do apps, I feel like it’s important to work on the onboarding experience.
• In the future, I aim to enhance the user experience by incorporating gamification elements into the app. This will add a sense of accomplishment for users as they achieve their goals.
• Improve the micro interactions within the app to add more premium details.
• I would love to conduct a more comprehensive survey on wider audience to gain more insights and to know more about the pain points of a user. That will help to iterate and make the solution even better.
• I would also like to work on the settings section of the app where I could add features like different themes and profile badges, etc.
• I plan to work on the revenue model of the app. I believe that a subscription-based model would be the most suitable option to meet both the business and user needs.

Get in touch

Thank you for reading this UX case study! Your feedback and thoughts are greatly appreciated. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to share them in the comments section.

If you’d like to get in touch with me, you can find me on Instagram, Behance, Dribbble, Twitter. I am always open to new opportunities in the UX field, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any projects or collaborations in mind.

Thank you again for taking the time to read this case study. I look forward to connecting with you!