FitPhone
Immersive Technologies
Semester:Smart Mobile
Client company:FitPhone
Rens Leenen
Victor Delamonica
Amin Khachiche
Project description
How can a mobile application effectively raise awareness and promote healthier smartphone usage habits to reduce negative effects on social interaction, concentration, sleep, and stress?
Context
This project was developed within the context of a course focused on behavior change and digital well-being. It explores how persuasive design and mobile technology can support healthier habits in everyday life. The growing concern around smartphone overuse, especially among young adults, provided a relevant societal challenge.
The domain of this project lies at the intersection of mobile development, user experience design, and psychology. Our goal was to design, prototype and develop a mobile app that encourages users to become more aware of their phone usage and supports them in reducing it in a personalized and engaging way.
We approached this challenge through a combination of user research, ideation, and iterative prototyping. Inspiration was drawn from habit-tracking tools, behavior change models, and gamification principles. The final concept, titled FitPhone, introduces a visual and interactive way to reflect on digital habits through a virtual garden that responds to user behavior.
Results
The most important outcomes of this project include both a functional prototype and validated design insights for promoting digital well-being.
Key Products:
A working Flutter prototype of FitPhone, including features such as:
- Custom goal creation related to screen time or app usage.
- A virtual garden that reflects progress using dynamic environmental changes.
- A statistics page showing screen time patterns and most-used apps.
- Community features allowing users to take on group challenges with friends.
A backend setup using Firebase to store personal data, goal tracking, and social interactions.
Key Insights:
- Positive Reinforcement Works: Users responded well to the virtual garden as a motivational tool. The visual feedback was perceived as encouraging rather than punishing, which aligns with theories on intrinsic motivation.
- Customization Increases Engagement: Allowing users to define their own challenges gave them a stronger sense of ownership, making the tool more relevant to individual habits.
- Social Features Amplify Motivation: Group challenges and visible shared progress fostered accountability and social support, which are known factors in sustaining behavior change.
