1st90 — a learning platform that embeds skill-building and habit formation into daily workflows. What started with a mobile app redesign evolved into a full ecosystem of design innovation across mobile, web, AI, and community features.
Overview
Streaks was a gamified, yet emotionally grounded engagement layer built for the 1st90 learning platform—a mobile-first app helping users build powerful habits through 90-day behavioral journeys. My goal was to design a feature that supports long-term engagement and reinforces motivation without relying on manipulative gamification.
As Head of Product Design at Brady UX, I led the design, ethics, and delivery of 1st90’s most ambitious engagement update: the Streaks system. Our client sought a new way to enhance habit formation, create daily momentum, and surface user progress in a joyful and meaningful way.
What emerged was a modular experience that balanced behavioral science with ethical UX patterns, resulting in higher user retention and an emotionally resonant connection to the product.
Context
1st90 is a behavioral learning platform built around the Habit Loop framework—designed to improve knowledge retention, personal development, and onboarding at scale.
Before our redesign, 1st90 lacked a visual or structural system to motivate repeated usage. Users had no sense of streak, momentum, or acknowledgment. This created drop-offs, especially after the first 2–3 weeks of use.
Key pain points included:
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No existing feedback or reinforcement system
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Daily use felt unrewarded, leading to drop-off
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Incomplete integration of the platform’s AI persona, Foozi
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No animation, stats, or streak visualization to reflect progress
The Approach
I led the redesign of 1st90’s engagement layer from the ground up—anchored in ethical design, accessibility, and delight.
Gamified Structure with Emotional Resonance:
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Introduced a “Streaks Carousel” on the home screen:
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Foozi, the AI companion, delivers daily affirmations
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Modular tiles reflect daily step count, progress %, XP points, rank, and streak stats
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Designed to be touch- and keyboard-accessible, lightweight, and joyful
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Step Completion Animation:
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Foozi reappears with motivational bursts
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Progress calendars animate to reflect streak weeks and perfect completion
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Progress Drawer Panel:
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Quick-glance streak stats embedded within the progress drawer
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Animated only on data change to avoid cognitive fatigue
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AI-Powered Design Flow:
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Used generative AI to explore early Figma concepts for the carousel and celebration flows
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Developed Foozi’s visual identity, including a constellation-based metaphor (“Foozi Comet”)
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Generated 30+ motivational message variants and logic trees for personalized reinforcement
The Outcome:
The Streaks system became a foundational engagement mechanism for 1st90’s product experience—supporting daily microlearning with minimal friction and maximum delight.
25%
increase in user retention over the first 30 days—attributed to streak visualization and reward clarity
60+
unique daily use messages integrated with AI-driven logic trees to reduce repetition and increase motivation
3x
boost in task completion rates following animation and streak updates
100%
keyboard-accessible engagement system, responsive across devices
Conclusion:
The Streaks feature humanized the learning journey. It transformed a clinical learning app into a motivating companion—powered by behavioral design, emotional feedback, and an AI that felt like a friend, not a trick. As a product designer rooted in ethics, I chose to design with the user, not at them.
This project stands as an example of how ethical engagement design can deepen connection, reduce friction, and help people grow—with joy and integrity.