Between – A Personal Assistant App Design



Between is a personal assistant app that can track user’s daily activities with the help of technologies. Then it will analyze them and give feedback to help users have more control over their technologies and lives.




This project started doing a gamified to-do list app. When I first started researching about what I could do for grad project, I found out that some people tend to lose interest with they are using to-do list app, and gamification is one of the ways to bring people’s interest. So I want to bring those two things together.

Here are some ideas I got from doing research and asking people about to-do list app.


Google calendar function
Some people use Google Calendar as their to-do list. Some functions are useful.
AI would help people to make to-do list.
Some people would love to have an AI to help them organize their daily task.
Location based notifications for to-do list app
Some people suggested me to add location-based notification would be useful.
Not-to-do list for your life
Some people say to make a not-to-do list will interesting too.


After a lot of brainstorming with my fellows and Instructor, I decided to introduce more functions to the app, and make it the ultimate to-do list app. Of course, as you can imagine, it’s never good an idea to design something like the ultimate solution. So I run into a trap.

Notes from talking to my classmates and instructors.
Notes from talking to my classmates and instructors.



Luckily, I was able to speak to a great designer called Minh Dao. He opened up my mind to make a to-do list. He suggested me to instead of just doing a to-do list app; there will be way more possibilities for expanding to cover more parts of people life. So I am starting to thinking quantify user’s life and give them a score and rewards to motivate them to do better next time.


Design criteria for gamifying life idea.
Design criteria for gamifying life idea.
Design criteria for Between personal assistant app
Design criteria for Between personal assistant app


After putting more thought into this idea, I decided to make a personal assistant app. This app will collect data of users daily life from other different apps; then the app will examine them and give users feedback at the right time. I want my app to be a friend to the users. I want to this app to create a healthy relationship between users and the technology they use in their life. This is why I called my app Between.



After I get this idea down, I began to start wireframe and user testing. I want to create an easy onboarding experience and an overall easy-to-use app. I did two rounds of wireframing and testing. I got quite some solid feedbacks from it.

During the first round, the first tester feels like it jumps too fast from the last welcome screen to the home screen. To her, it doesn’t seem the last welcome screen is the end of welcome screens. There should be another screen to end it. She also thinks the information I showed is too simple. She wants to more of the weekly report or a rating from the app indicate how well she did. The second tester mentions she’s not sure about how the transition between screens. She understands where she clicks to go to the status screen from the home screen and go back. But she can’t imagine how it works on the phone.




For the second round, the first tester feels kind wired to see the pop-ups showing follow each other closely. He still understands what to do. It’s just happening too fast. This just because I didn’t do the timing right. There are couple places he doesn’t know that they are buttons to click because there are no visual clues to distinguish between button and text. The second tester doesn’t like the fact that it automatically goes to the next screen. He wants to be able to control that. He also mentioned some screens have too much text for him to read.



After the wireframe, it comes my favorite prototype part. For Between, I want to create a friendly, colour interface. I chose three colorful gradient patterns. Each of them will be one part of the app. There are two main versions I have made. I have also made small revisions in between.


Here is a video of final Prototype.

Grad Show

Here is a video I made for my grad show and the booth I set up.