# Mood Tracker case study: A mood check-in short enough to do every day

Most mood apps ask for more than a hard day can give, and a blank journal page doesn't help when you can't name what you feel. Mood Tracker starts with faces instead of words. A check-in takes three taps, and after a few weeks the calendar starts to show patterns, like better days after a walk.

- **Platform:** iOS, iPhone
- **Who it's for:** People who want to understand their moods
- **Our role:** Product design, UX, UI, illustration, prototype
- **Year:** 2026
- **Tags:** iOS app, Mental wellbeing, Product design, UX & UI, Illustration, Clickable prototype

## The problem

People start mood journals with good intentions and stop when the entries start to feel like homework. We designed for the person having a bad day. They have little energy and few words, and they need the app to ask for almost nothing.

- **Feelings are hard to name.** Many people can't describe a feeling beyond fine or bad, and an empty text box doesn't help them find the word.
- **Long check-ins get skipped.** On a busy or low day, anything that takes more than a minute gets skipped, and then the habit is gone.
- **Entries without a pattern.** A list of old entries shows what happened. It doesn't show that sleep, walks, or screen time change how someone feels.
- **Streaks that punish.** Apps that reset a streak or nag after a missed day turn looking after yourself into one more thing to fail at.

## How we approached it

1. **Faces before words.** There are eight moods, each with its own face and color. Picking one means recognizing it, which is easier than finding the right word.
2. **Three taps.** Pick a mood, say how strong it is, tag what's behind it. A note is optional.
3. **A calendar you read without numbers.** Each day shows up as its face on the calendar. A good week or a rough patch is obvious before you read anything.
4. **No penalties.** One reminder a day, no streak-shaming, and goals that don't reset after a missed day.

## Onboarding

**The problem:** People often open a mood app on a bad day. They want to start right away, not fill in forms.

**What we did:**

- The welcome screen asks the question people are already asking themselves: not sure about your mood?
- Sign-up says up front that check-ins are private and only the person can see them.
- People pick as many goals as they like and can change them later. The reminder screen promises one nudge a day and no streak-shaming.

**Screens:** Welcome (The question people already ask themselves); Create account (Private from the first screen); Goals (Pick what to work on, change it later); Reminder (One nudge a day, at a time that suits).

## The daily check-in

**The problem:** If a check-in takes more than a minute, it gets skipped on exactly the days it matters most.

**What we did:**

- Home opens on one question, how are you feeling today, with the mood faces right underneath.
- The whole check-in fits on one screen. Strength goes from 1 to 5 and fills with the mood's color, and tags like Work or Sleep record the cause.
- After saving, the app reflects the check-in back and offers something that fits. Work still on your mind? Try a three-minute breathing reset.

**Screens:** Home (Today's feeling, sleep, stress, and a morning check-in); Log a mood (Mood, strength, and what's behind it on one screen); Check-in saved (Reflects it back and suggests what might help).

## Seeing patterns

**The problem:** Without seeing patterns, people can't tell what actually helps.

**What we did:**

- The calendar shows the month as faces, with the mix of moods, the most common one, and the streak underneath.
- Tapping a day shows each check-in in order, plus that day's sleep, steps, and journal entry.
- Insights link mood to habits in plain sentences, such as more good days when there was a walk and more stress on heavy screen-time days.
- Goals count calm or happy days in a week, and missing a day doesn't reset anything.

**Screens:** Mood calendar (A month of faces, the mix, and the streak); Day detail (Every check-in from one day, in order); Insights (What shapes the mood, in plain words); Mood goals (Missing a day resets nothing).

## Help in the moment

**The problem:** Logging that you feel anxious doesn't help much if the app has nothing to offer next.

**What we did:**

- Explore sorts short practices by how the person feels: anxious, stressed, can't sleep, or low on energy.
- The breathing session is one screen with three patterns and a play button.
- The journal opens with a daily prompt so the page is never blank, and every entry keeps its mood and tags.

**Screens:** Explore (Practices sorted by how the person feels); Breathing session (Three patterns and one play button); Journal (Entries with their mood, filtered by feeling); New entry (A prompt, a mood, and tags).

## Notifications and profile

**The problem:** Wellness notifications that make people feel guilty get muted.

**What we did:**

- Each notification gives a reason to open the app: an afternoon check-in, a streak, a new insight, or the weekly recap.
- The profile shows check-ins, best streak, and journal entries, with export and delete kept under Privacy.

**Screens:** Notifications (Check-ins, streaks, insights, and the weekly recap); Profile and settings (Progress, reminders, connected apps, and privacy).

## The visual system

The faces carry the emotion, so the layout stays quiet: white cards on a pale background, one typeface, and black for actions.

- **Faces instead of icons.** Each mood is a drawn face in its own color. The same eight faces are used in the check-in, the calendar, the journal, and the insights.
- **Soft cards.** White and tinted cards sit on a pale background, with large corner radii and a floating tab bar.
- **Questions lead.** Each screen opens with a large question set in Mona Sans. You always know what the app is asking.
- **Built to be used.** Main touch targets are at least 44 points, icon-only buttons are labeled, and each day on the calendar is described in words for screen readers.

## How success is measured

The numbers that show whether the design fixes the problem.

- How many people check in at least five days a week
- Average time to finish a check-in
- How many people come back after missing a few days
- How often a practice or insight gets opened after a check-in

HTML: https://www.choie.co/work/mood-tracker