Reimagining Actionable Affirmations
Problem
Affirmation apps offer inspiration, but no path to practice. Users scroll, bookmark, then abandon—because reading an affirmation isn't the same as practicing it.
Solution
Generate personalized practices from user-selected affirmations. When a user taps an affirmation, the app instantly presents a curated set of practices that connect to that affirmation's meaning. These range from awareness exercises to journaling prompts–all logged for completion at the user’s own pace.
Impact
Currently in development with TestFlight launch planned for Q1 2026. Early prototype testing validated the core concept and informed the final design direction.
Kick-off
The Challenge
I set out to build an affirmations app that actually drives behavior change. Having tried popular apps myself, I knew something was missing—but I needed to understand exactly what and why.
My high level goals were to:
Identify the specific feature gap through competitive analysis
Design a feedback loop that converts inspiration into action
Validate the concept with a functional iOS prototype
I tested 5 popular affirmation apps over a week.
The overall user experience was remarkably similar across all of them: select a category, swipe through affirmations, favorite them, and loop back. The experience began and ended with browsing.
This pattern raised a question: Could passive consumption explain why mindfulness apps struggle with retention? (real-world usage data across 93 popular apps found median daily engagement around 4%, with retention dropping below 4% within the first few weeks.)
My hypothesis: Users abandon affirmation apps in part because reading doesn't lead to doing. Without a bridge from inspiration to action, the apps become digital quote collections, instead of tools for change.
“Without a bridge from inspiration to action, the apps become digital quote collections, instead of tools for change.”
Ideation
The Missing Link
Bridging this feature gap required extensive ideation and testing
I experimented with several different approaches, including a multi-step ‘flow’ model, taking users through a series of micro-practices in sequence, before giving them the option to select one practice to complete later.
In early prototype testing, however, users found the flow model too cumbersome. The sequential format also created a design constraint: most practices had to be completable in the moment, limiting what could be included.
Consolidation
Introducing Practices
The breakthrough came when I simplified based on user feedback. Instead of a fixed sequence, what if users simply chose from a curated selection of practices matched to the affirmation they wanted to embody? This shifted the model from "follow this path" to "pick what resonates today."
The solution evolved into two connected pieces:
Practice Selection Screen
When users tap an affirmation, they see 4-6 relevant practices. Each is semantically matched to the affirmation's tags. "I trust my intuition" surfaces body scans, journaling prompts, and decision-making exercises.
Action Library
Selected practices save to a personal to-do list. Users check them off as they complete them, whether immediately or throughout their day. This freed practices from needing to be app-bound and created a tangible sense of progress.
Typical Flow
New Flow
Reflection
Key Learnings (so far)
The biggest shift in this project came from realizing that structure can be counterproductive in reflective contexts. My initial instinct to guide users through a fixed sequence felt logical, but early testing showed that autonomy mattered more than completeness. Designing for variability — in energy, time, and intention — led to a simpler and more sustainable interaction model.
Next Steps
Soulful is still an active side project. The next step is focused usability testing to better understand how users discover and return to practices over time, followed by a TestFlight release planned for Q2 2026.