CHALLENGES APP
JOYED — 2024
RESEARCH, STRATEGY, PRODUCT DESIGN
PROBLEM ASSUMPTION + SOLUTION
Let’s be honest — these days, we spend more time scrolling through social media than actually doing the things we said we’d do. Most of us have been there: setting big goals, telling everyone we’re going to run every day, eat healthier, or finally write that book… and then stopping after a few days.
And it’s not just because of social media. I was genuinely surprised to see how many people never end up doing the things they’ve always wanted to. Not because they don’t care — but because life gets in the way and it’s hard to stay motivated on your own.
That’s what gave me the idea for Joyed.
It’s an app where people can set challenges and do them together with friends. Want to run every day for six months? Great. Want to meditate, learn Spanish, or just build a new habit? Even better. You do it as a group, track your progress, share updates, and keep each other accountable.
Joyed was about turning “I should really do this” into “Hey, I’m actually doing it” — with the support of your friends.
THE PROGRESS
It all began with me thinking intensely about what kind of problem I wanted to solve — and the solution for it.
The earliest prototype was as simple as it gets: a PDF explaining how someone could do a challenge using a WhatsApp chat.
I shared that with a few people and got some early feedback on the concept.
I went through several design concepts, and finally stuck with the third version.
I then created Figma prototypes and tested them with friends to see how people interacted with the design.
At first, I tried building the entire app using Flutterflow, a no-code/low-code tool.
At some point, I hit a wall. I wasn’t making progress, and it felt like I was going crazy. Error after error.
That’s when I decided to bring in a freelance developer to help move things forward.
After a few months, that collaboration unfortunately fell apart — so I had to pivot and find someone else.
I eventually found a better freelancer, and together we published the app after five months.
The entire process — from idea to launch — took almost two years. Yep, that’s a long time. But hey, worth it.
For the launch, I designed the app’s landing page: joyed.com
And I created all the marketing assets for the app stores, from screenshots to descriptions, and brand assets, form the logo to social media banners.
MY LEARNINGS
This was my very first app that I’ve published in the app stores, and I learned a ton along the way. These are some of the most important learnings.
Really understanding the problem you’re trying to solve.
Finding a specific problem that is important to people and focusing on that.
How to build a mobile app from 0–1.
The importance of early product and problem validation.
The importance of moving fast.
