Build better study habits, one Knowt at a time
Knowt
For small wins that actually add up
I participated in Knowt's timed design challenge, where the goal was to design a UI that encourages users to maintain a daily streak and visualize their learning progress. The team wanted to drive consistent engagement and integrate the feature into the existing app alongside Kai, their learning assistant.
My task was to create a streak experience that felt motivating and rewarding without overwhelming users. I led end-to-end UX/UI design, from early research to final visuals, within a two-week sprint.
The Team
Me (UX/UI)
— end-to-end UX/UI for a timed product challenge with Knowt
Timeline
2024 Apr (2 weeks)
Background
Meet Knowt: your AI-powered study platform
Knowt is an AI-powered study platform that transforms class materials—like PDFs, notes, lectures, and homework—into personalized flashcards, summaries, and quizzes.
Unlike most AI tools, Knowt was built to support daily study routines and help learners track meaningful progress over time.
Now, the team is focused on habit-building loops, drawing from Duolingo's streak model, to improve user retention and encourage consistent learning.
Challenges
Many learners lost momentum after just a few days, even when they wanted to keep going
Unclear Progress
Many learners struggled to see how far they'd come, a pattern I later confirmed through research
Rigid Daily Goals
Initial reviews suggested streaks felt inflexible, especially for users with irregular study habits
No Feedback Loop
There was often no "lightweight" reward or reminder to keep users coming back
Goals
I aimed to help learners stay engaged by designing a streak system that feels rewarding, forgiving, and easy to follow
01
Progress at a Glance
Trackable streaks to help learners stay oriented and motivated
02
No Guilt Misses
Flexible pace to reduce guilt and support consistency
03
Feel-Good Wins
Small rewards to make the effort feel seen and motivating
Understanding Users and Market
I ran a mix of qualitative interviews and observational research to understand where learner motivation breaks down. The research focused on asking why they dropped off rather than just asking users what they liked.
Why learners leave, and what I learned from user research
I spoke with 8 users (at least 3 months active on a learning or productivity app). What stood out wasn't how they started, but how hard it was to keep going.
Their struggles tended to fall into three patterns:
The tracker
#progress-driven
Needs visible signs of progress to stay engaged
"Seeing the numbers go up makes me feel like I'm actually getting somewhere."
Look for streaks, charts, or checklists to feel momentum
Gets demotivated when feedback disappears or slows down
The wanderer
#curiosity-led
Get bored by routine, craves variety
"If I have to do the same thing every day, I just stop using it."
Feels stuck with fixed daily goals
Seeks playful options to explore, skip, or jump ahead
The rebounder
#failure-sensitive
Gives up when progress feels lost
"Once I miss a few days, I just don't come back. It feels like I've already lost."
Feels discouraged by excessive alerts, broken streaks, or blame-y copy
Responds better to soft re-entry and friendly guidance
These types helped shape how I mapped core needs, such as validation, self-direction, and forgiveness, into design.
What users say when no one's watching—real frustration in wild
Alongside interviews, I also dug into what users said unprompted on Reddit, Duolingo, Notion, and Habitica. Instead of treating posts as isolated complaints, I grouped 40+ quotes into recurring themes.
What 40+ user quotes from forums told me
Keeps
Visual streak indicators created a sense of progress
Short daily tasks committed feel easy
Gamified elements (badges, XP) made habit-building fun
Breaks
Missing one day felt overly punishing
Notifications were often perceived as pushy or guilt-inducing
Streaks didn't reflect actual learning progress
"Honestly, checking off one tiny thing a day made me feel like I was winning at life."
"The little XP bar and badges? I know they're silly, but I lived for them."
"I kept coming back just to keep the streak alive, even if I wasn't learning much some days."
"Duolingo keeps yelling at me like I committed a crime for missing two days."
"I broke my 100-day streak and just… didn't feel like starting over. It felt like I failed."
"It's wild how fast a 'you missed a day' push turns into a guilt trip."
Quick scan: what others do (and don't)
Exploring how leading competitors engage users revealed both smart tactics and common pitfalls like fast rewards, rigid flows, and emotional nudges. This gave me insights into what sustains long-term motivation.
Gamified app for daily language learning
Works
Streaks, XP boost engagement
Easy to build daily habits
Breaks
Streaks feel pressuring
Limited real-life use
Flashcard-based study tool with content sharing
Works
Huge user-made set library
Game & test-based study options
Breaks
The 1uality of sets varies
Lacks depth structure
AI-driven flashcard and quiz generator
Works
Fast AI-generated flashcards
Easy to get started
Breaks
Hard to ramp up
Outdated UI
User Insights + Business Vision → Design Direction
Interviews, forums, and competitor research revealed common pain points, including rigid streak systems, pressure to keep up, and inflexible goal-setting that overlooks real-life schedules. At the same time, the team aimed for Duolingo-style engagement to drive long-term retention. These insights led to three design opportunities that strikes a balance between motivation and user flexibility.
Where I focused:
Personalized Goal Setting
Let users pick study goals that match their week, not the app's
Meaningful Milestones
Highlight milestones beyond just keeping the streak alive
Friendly Check-ins
Remind without guilt. Celebrate effort, not perfection
Making space for flexible learning
Study goals that fit the user's schedule
Instead of pushing daily streaks, I let users plan study goals around their week, by day, time, or even flashcard type. Because real life isn't one-size-fits-all, and goals shouldn't be either. This way, users can build flexible routines that last, not chase badges and streaks.
Integrated home and goal setup view
These views bring together planning and tracking info into a single, focused flow.
Home Screen
Before
After
Key Enhancements in The New Design
Goal Setting View
Make study progress easy to track & rewarding
While many apps display high-level stats, I introduced granular breakdowns, such as learning accuracy, strengths, and time spent, to drive stronger engagement. These insights not only motivate learners with visible progress but also help build long-term study habits.
Profile redesign for deeper insights
This view shows learners what truly drives their progress beyond streaks or XP games.
Profile View
Before
After
Key Enhancements in The New Design
Positive motivation to encourage consistency
Streaks and badges are widely used to encourage engagement across learning apps. I designed a reward system that highlights consistent effort with upbeat visuals and milestone celebrations to align with user feedback and business goals, without relying on pushy reminders or negative pressure. This helps reinforce study habits through positive feedback loops.
Streak system & milestone rewards
Inspired by familiar engagement systems, this screen celebrates learning streaks and unlockable badges to encourage ongoing effort.
Streak & Badge System
Achievement Celebration View
Outcome
Designed to build habits that stick
Policy errors dropped and match speed improved after structured inputs and real-time checks were introduced.
01_
Visual Momentum
Make streaks and progress easy to track and meaningful at a glance
02_
The new streak system was designed to support Knowt's long-term engagement goals through gamification and progress-driven motivation. Every element, from customizable daily goals to milestone celebrations and social sharing, was designed to make consistency feel rewarding.
Although formal testing wasn't conducted, internal feedback on the final presentations was notably positive. Stakeholders, including the CEO, praised the experience as thoughtful, well-aligned with Knowt's product vision, and motivating for learners. This validation supported its selection as a finalist in the design challenge.
Next Steps
Now that the foundation has been well received, the next steps should focus on reinforcing long-term engagement and driving sustainable growth, particularly by refining the following areas:
Feature A/B Testing
Test which streak or badge mechanics lead to higher return rates and sustained daily engagement
Monetization Strategy
Explore how milestone-based rewards and premium analytics can naturally encourage upgrades
Community Integration
Extend habit-building with shared streaks and peer challenges to deepen community retention