Designing Calm and Mindfulness: The Evolution of Balloon’s Design

Design System | Redesign | UX Design | UI Design | Prototype | User Testing | Feature Entwicklung

Over four years at Balloon, I have continuously refined the app’s visual identity. My goal was to further develop the "Balloon feeling" — maintaining the soft pastel colors, large tiles, and gentle aesthetics that don’t overwhelm but rather ground users in the present moment while creating a more immersive and illustrative world that invites them to dive deeper into their mindfulness journey.

A key focus of my work was developing and introducing a flexible design system to ensure a more consistent user experience across the product while also improving communication between the design and development teams. What began as a basic style guide evolved into a comprehensive component library, providing visual and functional alignment throughout the app. Regular user testings and close collaboration with the support and product teams ensured that user needs remained at the heart of every design decision.

In early 2024, I led the transition from Sketch to Figma, enabling more efficient workflows and collaboration, and supported the implementation of Storybook for the web platform, establishing a consistent and scalable design foundation.

Designing a Sleep Aid Library for Better Nights

Redesign | UX Design | UI Design | Prototype | User Testing | Feature Entwicklung

User testing in 2021 revealed a need for more diverse and accessible sleep aids. I was responsible for redesigning the library’s UI/UX to improve navigation, introduce filtering options, and enhance content discovery through categorized collections and user-validated tags.

To create a more engaging experience, I implemented a new color and imagery system inspired by the joy of discovery, which enhanced navigation and encouraged exploration. In addition to leading the UI/UX design, I actively participated in user testings and design QA, ensuring the final implementation aligned with user needs and the overarching vision for the app.

Mindful Moments: Integrating the “Impulse” Feature into Balloon

Feature Entwicklung | UX Design | UI Design

As part of a collaborative effort with the content, product, and development teams, I contributed to the concept and design of the "Impulse" feature for Balloon. Inspired by mindfulness cards created by Helga and Thomas Ulrich, this feature offers users weekly mindfulness impulses with practical, everyday tasks introduced through audio by our expert Boris.

In my role as product designer, I guided the feature from wireframes to implementation, crafting both the user interface and the user experience. To preserve the feel of a card game, we intentionally avoided standard UI patterns and instead integrated the tactile and visual elements of drawing cards into the design.

User feedback during testing highlighted the value of the “Impulse” feature, showing it to be a meaningful addition to the app by helping users integrate mindfulness into their daily lives.

Optimizing Flexibility: Redesigning the Fasting Planner for Hirschhausen’s Diet App

Redesign | Feature Entwicklung | UX Design | UI Design | Prototype | User Testing

One of my first projects after joining MissionMe full-time was a comprehensive redesign of the fasting planner’s user interface for the Hirschhausen Diet app. Guided by user feedback from testing and support inquiries, I introduced features such as customizable fasting intervals, a “cheat day” option, and progress tracking with visual highlights and retrospective overviews.

I also participated in usability tests with both users and non-users, leveraging their insights to refine the final design and deliver a more flexible, user-centered fasting experience.