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Case study · Mobile · Wellbeing · 2022

Building a gratitude journaling app.

Waveflow is a community-driven platform that helps people cultivate gratitude in their daily lives.

  • Product discovery
  • Branding
  • Mobile development
  • Backend development
Client
Waveflow
Service
MVP Development
Founder
Kyla Hilboldt
Year
2022
Two surfers walking towards the sea at sunrise, in a tilted photo frame over a hand-drawn yellow grid.

01 · Challenge

Scoping the MVP.

Waveflow is a community-driven platform that helps people cultivate gratitude in their daily lives.

The company’s goal is to promote mindfulness, presence, and connection among its users through gratitude circles, both in-person and virtual, and a gratitude mobile app.

Waveflow’s Founder and CEO, Kyla Hilboldt, approached WeaveLines to help create an MVP version of the app, which would serve as a focused tool for gratitude journaling.

The challenge for Waveflow was to develop an MVP that would effectively convey their unique value proposition to potential users.

The ideation phase required extensive efforts to identify the key features and functionalities that would support people in practicing gratitude every day.

The team needed to prioritize features that would differentiate their app from competitors and create a user experience that would be engaging and easy to navigate.

02 · How it was built

From discovery to a launched MVP.

WeaveLines offered comprehensive MVP development services to Waveflow, ensuring an efficient and cost-effective app launch. Our structured process supported the Waveflow team from ideation to launch, crafting a customized process to meet their unique needs and expectations.

  1. Product Discovery

    A comprehensive five-step UX design process

    Through a systematic approach, we transformed research into a user-centric Waveflow app prototype, refined for optimal experience.

    Our team of experts followed a structured approach to ensure that Waveflow’s app was user-friendly and met their unique needs.

    Through extensive research and analysis, we were able to ideate and create a prototype, which was then evaluated and refined to ensure the final product was optimized for a fluid user experience.

    Included in this phase

    • ResearchWe began by conducting extensive research on gratitude journaling apps to understand the current market landscape. We also conducted user research to understand the target audience’s needs and pain points.
    • AnalysisBased on the research findings, our team analyzed the data to identify key trends and user insights that could inform the development of Waveflow’s unique value proposition.
    • IdeationOur team then engaged in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for Waveflow’s features and functionality. We worked closely with Waveflow’s team to ensure that the ideation process aligned with their vision and goals.
    • PrototypeOnce we had a solid idea of the features and functionality, we moved on to creating a prototype. This involved designing wireframes and user flows to visualize the app’s user interface and experience.
    • EvaluationFinally, we conducted usability testing and gathered feedback from beta testers to evaluate the app’s overall performance and user satisfaction. Based on the feedback, we made necessary changes and improvements as needed to ensure success.
    Diagram of the five-step UX design process, from Research through Analysis, Ideation and Prototype to Evaluation, with the deliverables of each step, among them stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, personas, a user journey map, user flows and stories, sketches, wireframes, a hi-fi prototype and user testing
  2. User Personas

    Defining the target audience

    Using in-depth research, we crafted detailed user personas for Waveflow, ensuring the app resonates deeply with its target audience.

    WeaveLines conducted comprehensive research to understand the preferences and needs of Waveflow’s target audience.

    Our team developed detailed user personas based on the research insights, providing valuable information about user demographics, behavior, and motivation. The user personas we created helped us to design an app with a user-centered approach that resonates with the intended audience, ultimately driving engagement with the app.

    A user persona card for Maria, with her photo, a short profile of a busy working mother who forgets to take time for herself, and her needs and frustrations with existing apps
  3. Wireframing

    Mapping user journeys

    In the wireframing phase, we visualized and tested Waveflow’s user journeys, ensuring a clear and intuitive app structure.

    During the wireframing phase of the Waveflow app, our team used Sketch for design and InVision for prototyping.

    The primary objective of this phase was to validate user journeys and refine the MVP scope.

    This process helped us to visualize the app’s structure and flow, test its usability, and make necessary adjustments before moving to the next phase of development.

    A grid of about twenty low-fidelity phone wireframes for Waveflow, covering sign-in and sign-up, onboarding, the gratitude feed, profiles, follow requests, notifications and settings
  4. Branding

    Crafting the look and feel of the app

    Through thoughtful design, WeaveLines sculpted Waveflow’s brand identity, merging simplicity with symbolism for a memorable app presence.

    WeaveLines created a distinctive and memorable brand for Waveflow by designing a unique logo and applying it to the app’s wireframes.

    • The logoThe logo is simple, minimalist, and elegant.
    • The sunThe sun symbolism represents life, energy, positivity, clarity, confidence, and more.
    • The wavesThe waves logo design represents an influx of fresh ideas.
    How the Waveflow logo is built, as an orange sun plus three blue waves combine into the app icon
  5. UI Design

    Crafting a consistent and intuitive user interface

    We applied the Waveflow branding to our wireframes, creating a polished and visually appealing UI design.

    We applied the Waveflow branding to our wireframes, creating a polished and visually appealing UI design. Our team selected color schemes, typography, and graphics that aligned with the app’s brand identity.

    With Sketch for design and InVision for prototyping, we created interactive prototypes, allowing the client to experience the app’s look and feel. This approach helped us to refine the design and ensure that it met the client’s expectations.

    Two phones showing Waveflow’s onboarding, a welcome screen with the sun-and-waves mark and an Upload button, and a “Follow your friends” tip screen with a Next button
  6. Mobile Development

    Bringing Waveflow to every hand

    Building on React Native with Expo, we crafted a versatile mobile experience for Waveflow users across both iOS and Android.

    React Native with Expo was our chosen framework for the Waveflow mobile app, allowing us to launch on both iOS and Android. Using React Native with Expo brought several benefits.

    • Cross-Platform CompatibilityThe app serves both iOS and Android, ensuring consistency and reducing development time.
    • Rapid Development & IterationExpo provides a suite of tools that streamline the app development process, allowing for quicker testing and deployment.
    • Community SupportWith a vast community of developers, solutions and updates are readily available, ensuring the app remains current.
    • Enhanced Reliability with TypeScriptBy integrating TypeScript, we ensured a more reliable codebase, catching potential issues early and improving code readability.
  7. Backend Development

    A reliable and scalable backend solution

    Pairing the reliability of Nest.js with the efficiency of GraphQL, we built a backend that ensures Waveflow operates smoothly and responsively.

    For the backend of Waveflow, we opted for Nest.js, enhanced with GraphQL for data management and retrieval. Several advantages informed our choice.

    • ModularityNest.js offers a modular architecture that allows for easy organization and scalability as Waveflow grows.
    • VersatilityIt integrates cleanly with various libraries, ensuring flexibility in our development process.
    • Developer ProductivityNest.js provides tools and features that streamline the development process, allowing our team to build more efficiently.
    • Optimized Data Fetching with GraphQLGraphQL ensures efficient data retrieval, fetching only the data the app needs. This results in faster load times and a smoother user experience, while also offering flexibility in data requests.

03 · Outcome

An MVP on iOS and Android.

Waveflow is an easy-to-use gratitude journaling app that offers tools to develop a practice of reflection, connection, and deep sharing with others.

Keywords

  • Wireframing
  • User Personas
  • UX/UI
  • React Native
  • Expo
  • Node.js
  • Nest.js
  • TypeScript
  • GraphQL

WeaveLines delivered an easy-to-use mobile app. They were great listeners and collaborators, ensuring transparent communication and regular updates. Moreover, they provided clear timelines in advance.

Kyla HilboldtFounder & CEO of WaveflowWaveflow