CoreFour
A gamified wellness UX case study for middle school girls.
CoreFour is a research-led wellness experience that helps middle school girls build healthier routines across fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, and health through age-appropriate challenges, rewards, and social encouragement.
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Project snapshot
Most wellness apps target adults or younger children and do not holistically support middle school girls with practical guidance across movement, nutrition, stress, and social motivation.
2024
- Role
- UX researcher and product designer (end-to-end case study)
- Timeline
- 2024
- Tools
- Figma • Desk research • Competitive analysis • Survey design • User interviews • Wireframing
Overview
Most wellness apps target adults or younger children and do not holistically support middle school girls with practical guidance across movement, nutrition, stress, and social motivation.
I combined desk research and competitive analysis with interviews, focus groups, and a 30-question survey of nine middle school girls. The findings became a four-area app structure with daily challenges, streaks, rewards, short-form content, profiles, and messaging.
Outcomes
- Validated that streaks and gamification are key motivators, while users still need clear wellness guidance they can follow independently.
- Defined the CoreFour architecture across Fitness, Nutrition, Mindfulness, and Health, with Home, Reels, Profile, and Messaging connecting the experience.
- Produced end-to-end wireframes and mockups for challenges, videos, quizzes, rewards, progress, and supportive social interaction.
Full case study
The complete project, presented in sequence with every slide fully visible.
CoreFour
CoreFour: a gamified wellness experience designed for middle school girls.
CoreFour
The opportunity connects teen technology habits with the need for approachable, holistic wellness support.
CoreFour
Desk research established the physical-activity gap and the role technology plays in everyday behavior.
CoreFour
Competitive analysis compared wellness, learning, habit, and social products used by adjacent audiences.
CoreFour
A detailed feature matrix exposed gaps in age fit, holistic wellness, guidance, and safe social motivation.
CoreFour
The opportunity map positioned CoreFour between wellness guidance, gamification, and age-appropriate community.
CoreFour
Interviews, surveys, and focus groups explored routines, motivation, technology, and wellness knowledge.
CoreFour
A 30-question survey with nine participants quantified the appeal of streaks, games, and clearer guidance.
CoreFour
Qualitative feedback revealed social motivation, transition-related routine changes, and uncertainty about healthy choices.
CoreFour
The Elise persona translated research into goals, behaviors, motivations, and everyday constraints.
CoreFour
The journey map traced the emotional and practical friction of trying to build a healthier routine.
CoreFour
The design question focused on helping middle school girls independently build balanced wellness habits.
CoreFour
Pains were reframed as opportunities for confidence, clarity, motivation, and supportive accountability.
CoreFour
Early wireframes established Home and Profile foundations for daily progress and personalization.
CoreFour
Challenge-discovery wireframes explored how users enter each wellness area and choose an activity.
CoreFour
Completion and reward states turned small wellness actions into visible momentum.
CoreFour
Short-form content wireframes made education feel familiar, visual, and easy to revisit.
CoreFour
Additional flows refined challenge instructions, active states, and clear completion feedback.
CoreFour
Messaging and social touchpoints were designed around encouragement and shared progress.
CoreFour
The sitemap organized Home, Reels, four wellness areas, Messaging, and Profile into one coherent system.
CoreFour
The visual direction combined energetic color, rounded forms, candid photography, and expressive type.
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Final Home and Reels screens balance progress, daily prompts, educational content, and peer activity.
CoreFour
The Mindfulness flow guides a small daily challenge from discovery through completion and reward.
CoreFour
The Fitness flow turns movement into a clear, selectable, video-supported activity.
CoreFour
The Nutrition flow uses approachable prompts and choices to build practical food knowledge.
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The Health flow uses guided questions and positive feedback to make daily self-care achievable.
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Profile and Messaging bring together progress, identity, rewards, and supportive conversation.
CoreFour
The final system unites four wellness areas in one motivating, age-appropriate experience.