Sproutling
Design a mobile app and brand identity for a water intake tracker app.
Amid the challenges of the pandemic, college students struggled to maintain healthy habits—particularly staying hydrated. Despite understanding the importance of water intake, many lacked the motivation, tools, or awareness to meet their daily needs. Sproutling is a gamified hydration app designed to make drinking water simple, fun, and rewarding. By combining user research, market analysis, and playful design, Sproutling addresses key pain points and encourages consistent hydration through an empathetic and engaging digital experience.
Research
To better understand the issue, we conducted a survey with 50 college students. Over 80% acknowledged they should be drinking more water, yet 53% admitted they still didn’t meet their daily intake.
In parallel, we conducted market research on existing hydration apps and identified several shortcomings: many were overly complex, lacked input customization, and failed to offer incentives for continued use. These insights informed our design approach to create a more engaging and effective solution.
Ideation
Our goal was to design an app that made hydration simple, fun, and motivating. Key features included:
Fast Input
Pushing button quickly inputs fluid intake rather than putting in exact numbers.
Challenges
Daily challenges encourages users to open the app and rewards when completed.
Reward System
Coins can be redeemed for accessories, new sprouts, backgrounds, etc.
Sproutling Avatar
Levels of empathy when Sproutling is dying and personalization to make it fun.
Together, these elements created a gamified experience that motivates users to stay hydrated while fostering a sense of connection and achievement.
Birth of Sproutling
Sproutling sets itself apart from other hydration apps by combining utility with delight. Users are accompanied by Sproutlings—adorable avatars that grow plants from their heads as hydration goals are met. As users log their water intake, they not only help their Sproutling flourish, but also earn coins that can be used to customize avatars and unlock new features. This engaging, reward-driven approach transforms a daily health habit into a fun and rewarding experience.
Final Deliverables
