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Yauga

2024

Overview

Yauga set out to redefine the connection between biofeedback data and real-world wellness practice through their smart ring and app.

While smart rings and health trackers were already popular, most companion apps barely went beyond displaying raw metrics, missing the opportunity to guide users meaningfully toward better mental and physical wellbeing.

I was the sole product designer on the project, responsible for designing the app from the ground up.

The goal was to transform biometric data into personalised, actionable wellness journeys, blending technology, education, and experience in one seamless platform.

Contributions
Design Lead — Interaction Design, Visual Design, Prototyping, User Flows, Copywriting

Timeline
3 months

Tools used
Figma, Adobe CC, MIdjourney

HOW MIGHT WE

How might we turn biometric data into personalised wellness journeys that users trust, enjoy, and stick with over time?

Discovery

We kicked off with a collaborative onboarding workshop to understand Yauga’s mission and the functional ambitions behind the product.

Through research and competitor mapping, it became clear that while devices captured health data well, few translated it into real understanding or motivation for users.

Throughout early discovery and ideation, I worked closely with engineers, product managers, and client stakeholders. It was critical to ensure design priorities aligned with technical realities and that feedback loops across disciplines informed the product vision from the start.

The opportunity wasn’t just to visualise numbers. It was to guide users toward building habits, understanding their own bodies, and seeing tangible improvements over time.

Early user flows mapping onboarding, wellness tracking, and practice navigation pathways.

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Core challenges identified

Bridge data and practice

Translate raw biometric insights into clear, actionable wellness recommendations.

Build trust through education

Demystify wellness practices like meditation and yoga, making their benefits tangible and relatable.

Drive engagement through personalisation

Adapt experiences to each user’s goals, needs, and changing biometric states to drive consistent long-term use.

Concept ideation

To rapidly explore potential flows and validate the core structure of Yauga’s experience, I created low-fidelity wireframes focused purely on information architecture and journey mapping, not aesthetics.

These early sketches enabled quick feedback cycles with stakeholders and users familiar with meditation and wellness apps, surfacing navigation pain points and helping to refine key interaction models before moving into detailed visual design.

The final product design evolved significantly from this early foundation, guided by real-world feedback, shifting product priorities, and iterative design refinement.

Early low-fidelity wireframes exploring onboarding, dashboard, and practice flows.

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Concept ideation

Early wireframes focused on building out the broader information architecture of Yauga, from onboarding to practice flows.

As these structures were validated through stakeholder and user feedback, we refined individual user journeys to deliver a more intuitive, seamless experience.

Below is a demonstration of the final onboarding flow, one example of how the core architecture translated into a polished, user-centered journey.

HOW MIGHT WE

How might we design an app that transforms biofeedback data into actionable insights while encouraging long-term user engagement through interactivity and community?

Streamlined onboarding — from ring pairing to daily readiness tracking.

VIDEO LOOP

Approach & execution

Designing Yauga meant building a wellness experience that felt natural, personal, and actionable - more than just a data tracker.

I structured the app around key pillars: a centralised dashboard, contextual health recommendations, practice-driven navigation, and adaptive engagement mechanics.

Each element worked together to turn biometric data into a meaningful daily journey.

HOME DASHBOARD

The home dashboard anchored the Yauga experience around the user’s “Wellbeing Score” - a composite measure tracking trends like sleep, stress, and recovery over time.

Rather than overwhelming users with isolated metrics, the dashboard wove insights naturally into everyday practices, grounding data in daily action.

CONTEXTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS

One of the core design challenges was translating complex health data into simple, motivating prompts.

I designed a modular notification system - lightweight suggestions triggered by shifts in sleep, stress, or heart rate - each paired with a direct, contextually relevant action users could take.

Approach & execution

Early wireframes focused on building out the broader information architecture of Yauga — from onboarding to practice flows.

As these structures were validated through stakeholder feedback, we refined individual user journeys to deliver a more intuitive, seamless experience.

Below is a demonstration of the final onboarding flow — one example of how the core architecture translated into a polished, user-centered journey.

Wellness scores connected seamlessly to daily practice suggestions.

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Concept ideation

The final product design evolved significantly from this early foundation — guided by real-world feedback, shifting product priorities, and iterative design refinement.

Discovery

We kicked off with a collaborative onboarding workshop to understand Yauga’s mission and the functional ambitions behind the product.

Through research and competitor mapping, it became clear that while devices captured health data well, few translated it into real understanding or motivation for users.

Throughout early discovery and ideation, I worked closely with engineers, product managers, and client stakeholders — ensuring design priorities aligned with technical realities and that feedback loops across disciplines informed the product vision from the start.

The opportunity wasn’t just to visualise numbers — it was to guide users toward building habits, understanding their own bodies, and seeing tangible improvements over time.

The dashboard: biometric trends contextualised into simple, actionable guidance.

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Health insights surfaced with immediate, relatable next steps.

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Approach & execution

PRACTICE-FOCUSED NAVIGATION

Rather than structuring the app around “data” vs. “content,” I built navigation around the practices themselves - Yoga, Meditation, and Sleep - blending tracking, learning, and doing into each section.

Each practice section housed guided content, community features, and insight-driven progress tracking, making the user’s daily wellbeing journey intuitive and rewarding.

GAMIFIED PROGRESS TRACKING

To sustain engagement over time, I introduced meaningful gamification: streak tracking, level progression within yoga and meditation practices, and milestone rewards for consistency. Always framed as self-growth, not external competition.

Progress tracking encouraged users to measure growth against their own wellbeing goals, rather than external benchmarks.

Seamless integration of guided practices, tailored to user needs and goals.

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Growth over goals — designed to motivate without pressure.

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Custom visual language

To elevate the emotional resonance of the app, I created a custom set of abstract, ethereal graphics representing different meditation states and challenges.

These visuals reinforced the brand’s goal: making the invisible journey of inner wellbeing feel tangible, inspiring, and beautiful.

Design challenge: Meditation Flow

Design challenge:
Meditation Flow

While designing Yauga’s meditation experience, we faced a specific challenge:

The client wanted users to be able to customise background music during sessions - selecting soundtracks and controlling ambient volume separately from the meditation guide’s voice.

This introduced a layer of complexity, as it required balancing multiple audio sources without disrupting the flow or simplicity of the meditation experience.

SOLUTION

I designed a minimalist, adaptive meditation interface that allowed users to dynamically browse and select background soundscapes mid-session, fine-tune music volume independently inside the app, and use device hardware buttons to control the meditation voice volume.

This structure preserved immersion, reduced friction, and made the experience feel flexible without overwhelming the user - allowing natural personalisation while staying aligned with core mindfulness principles.

Adaptive meditation journeys — dynamic background music selection during sessions.

VIDEO LOOP

Custom visual language

To elevate the emotional resonance of the app, I created a custom set of abstract, ethereal graphics representing different meditation states and challenges.

These visuals reinforced the brand’s goal: making the invisible journey of inner wellbeing feel tangible, inspiring, and beautiful.

Early wireframes focused on building out the broader information architecture of Yauga — from onboarding to practice flows.

As these structures were validated through stakeholder feedback, we refined individual user journeys to deliver a more intuitive, seamless experience.

Below is a demonstration of the final onboarding flow — one example of how the core architecture translated into a polished, user-centered journey.

Build

Translating Yauga’s design vision into a working product meant collaborating closely across engineering and product teams.

I partnered with developers throughout the build process, adapting interaction flows like adaptive meditation journeys and contextual notifications to technical realities without losing design intent.

Through regular feedback loops, we refined onboarding experiences, dashboard performance, and real-time data displays, ensuring the app stayed intuitive, responsive, and true to its wellbeing focus as it evolved toward launch.

Early low-fidelity wireframes exploring onboarding, dashboard, and practice flows.

IMAGE

Health insights surfaced with immediate, relatable next steps.

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Outcomes

Validated practice engagement
During internal user testing and prototyping sessions, contextualised recommendations drove significantly higher adoption rates compared to generic wellness suggestions - validating the power of personalised guidance.

Positive early retention signals
In simulated user journeys, participants showed strong intent to return and continue building daily habits. This reinforced the value of blending education, data, and personalisation into one experience.

Tangible wellness understanding
Prototype feedback indicated that users were able to track improvements in stress and sleep patterns through the app’s feedback loops, making abstract wellness concepts feel accessible and actionable.

IMPACT

Yauga demonstrated the potential to transform wellness tracking from passive data review into active daily habit-building, bridging the gap between insight and action in a tangible, engaging way.

KEY INSIGHT

The real power of wellness tech lies not in tracking, but in building trust, momentum, and daily belief.

Project Takeaways

Personalisation drives engagement

Tailoring wellness prompts to real-time biometric shifts drove stronger user adoption compared to generic recommendations.

Robust architecture enables growth

Frequent collaboration with stakeholders and iterative design feedback were key to aligning user needs with business goals.

Emotional resonance builds habit

Designing a visual language around personal growth helped users connect emotionally and embed wellness practices into daily routines.

Build

Translating Yauga’s design vision into a working product meant collaborating closely across engineering and product teams.

I partnered with developers throughout the build process — adapting interaction flows like adaptive meditation journeys and contextual notifications to technical realities without losing design intent.