You Can Focus makes focusing on what’s important easier. It is an app that builds a positive new habit through discipline and mindfulness. The most important element is the unique method, as the user is prompted with a different question every day, and is forced to be mindful in a new way daily. The app’s function is to make the method as easy as possible to learn, helping users learn how to focus on their goals, priorities, and thoughts that might be difficult to access due to distractions.
Everything begins with an idea, a theory of some sort. “You Can Focus” is based on a method that I have used in an analog form, one that does not have any sort of app adaptation. The idea is simply to set your mind on one singular focus for the next day by writing said focus down, so when you wake up in the morning, you don’t have to think about what you will do, it’s already been set in stone. The project ran with the idea of making this method easier to perform through the help of something everyone accesses daily, their smartphone.
To bring the idea into an app form, I learned to program in Kotlin, using Google’s Android Studio to create a beta version of the app for select testers. Users of age groups ranging from 19 - 46 tested the app, and were requested to give feedback on their experience, which helped gather data and understand what features were actually necessary. One of the main values of the app was to be as simple as possible. There was a specific intention to have no bloat, no useless clutter, as forming the habit of the method was the only thing users need to worry about, and a difficult to navigate app being the last. An important feature that was requested was notifications, as they were shown to significantly boost the engagement, therefore building the positive habit much more effectively. Through the research the design was also significantly improved, made both more visually appealing and easier to use, and the user experience was made notably better through this process.
The project is technically on-going. As the closed beta of the app was by no means a perfected version, the app is continued to be worked on, however all the functions are shown by mockups. The eventual future goal of releasing as a fully fledged app on the Google PlayStore for all android devices is something that will happen down the line, once the app is polished and accessible to every user. Apps, however, don’t ever have an end point, as development will keep going as users’ habits evolve.
If you're interested when the app will be finished, I'll inform you to the email below.
I've got it, thanks so much for your interest!