Designing Calm and Connection: My Work on Balloon

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 look while creating a more immersive and illustrative world. This shift moved away from clean, minimal screens to a richer visual experience that guides and supports users.

A key focus of my work was developing and introducing a flexible design system to make the user experience more consistent across the product. What began as a basic style guide evolved into a comprehensive component library, ensuring visual and functional alignment throughout the app. Regular user testings and close collaboration with the support team ensured that user needs remained central to every design decision. In early 2024, I led the transition from Sketch to Figma and supported the implementation of Storybook for the web platform to establish a consistent and scalable 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 sleep aids. I was responsible for redesigning the library’s UI/UX to improve navigation, introduce filtering options, and enhance content discovery with categorized collections and user-validated tags.

A new color and imagery system, inspired by the joy of discovery, improved navigation and created a more engaging experience. Unique visuals and covers strengthened emotional connections.

In addition to leading the UI/UX design, I supported the project by contributing to user testings and design QA, ensuring the final implementation aligned with user needs and the overall vision.

Fostering Mindfulness: My Work on the “Impulse” Feature for Balloon

Feature Entwicklung | UX Design | UI Design

As part of the Balloon app, I collaborated with the product team to design and implement the “Impulse” feature, inspired by mindfulness cards created by Helga and Thomas Ulrich. This weekly feature delivers practical mindfulness prompts introduced through audio by our expert Boris and allows users to set personalized goals via a dedicated library.

In my role as product designer, I guided the feature from wireframes to implementation, crafting both the user interface and the user experience. UI-wise, we focused on preserving the feel of a card game, integrating the visual and interactive elements of drawing cards into the design rather than relying on conventional UI patterns.

User feedback during testing highlighted the value of the “Impulse” feature, which has proven to be a meaningful addition to the app by seamlessly supporting users in integrating 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 like customizable fasting intervals, a “cheat day” option, and progress tracking through visual highlights and retrospective overviews.

To improve usability, the interval display was enhanced with clear time and date details, ensuring intuitive navigation. I also participated in usability tests with users and non-users, using their insights to refine the final design and deliver a more flexible and accessible fasting experience.