Guided Reset
A structured check-in that narrows the focus and helps someone choose one realistic action.
Align
Making space for what
matters
An AI-infused companion designed to help people see where their energy is going and take one realistic step toward greater life balance.
My Role
Align was my individual capstone project. I led the process from research and product strategy to interaction design, prototyping, and usability testing.
Context
Where it all
started
Life gets full quickly: work, relationships, health, family, growth, rest. When everything feels important, it can be hard to know what actually needs our attention.
I wanted to explore how to help people recognize those patterns and make more intentional choices as they balance life.
AI in My Process
I used AI to organize assumptions, compare directions, develop flows, and make sense of user feedback. Research, testing, and my own design judgment guided what made it into Align.
Digging deeper
What
balance
really looks like
I wanted to understand what feeling "balanced" actually looks like in a busy life. I started by researching, asking AI for typical pain points, behaviors of typically busy audiences to draw common patterns. I then spoke with two people about their routines, stressful moments, and the support they turn to. Their stories helped me see where my starting point held up, and where it needed to change.
What the conversations brought into focus
Across both conversations, one thing stood out: the people I interviewed already knew many of the things that helped them feel well. Making room for those activities was harder when everything else felt urgent.
What stayed with me was how personal support can be: a conversation, a walk, prayer, something creative, or simply a pause. I wanted Align to help people make room for what already grounds them, without adding another thing to keep up with.
Maya - Our Persona
Knowing isn’t
the problem
I know what helps me. I just don’t always make room for it.
Maya, research-based persona
She’s balancing work, family, relationships, faith, and personal growth. She knows what helps her feel well, but supportive routines slip when life gets busy. She needs room to reflect in her own words, see what matters now, and choose one small action that fits her day.
Problem statement
The Opportunity
A little clarity: One
realistic
step
How might Align help someone move from “everything feels important” to “this is one thing I can realistically do today”?
The opportunity was to connect reflection, whole-life awareness, and realistic action. Align would help people notice where their attention is going, choose what matters now, and take a small step that fits their energy and their day.
From awareness to
action.
Align is an AI-powered life balance companion that helps people see what needs attention and choose a realistic next step. Quick check-ins, thoughtful guidance, and flexible planning turn reflection into support that fits their life.
Concept Exploration
One problem,
three
directions
I developed three possible approaches with AI as a brainstorming partner, then compared them with what I had heard in the interviews.
Conversational Companion
A natural conversation with room to talk through what is happening before deciding what to do.
Balance Map
A visual way to see how attention is spread across different areas of life.
The final experience combined
the strongest parts of all three.
Task Flow
From scattered
to clear
Bringing those ideas together led to a simple core experience: check in, notice, rebalance, and act. AI helps interpret the reflection and suggest actions, while the user decides what feels right.
- Check in
Begin with how you feel today.
- Notice
See where your attention has been going.
- Rebalance
Choose what needs more or less attention.
- Act
Choose one realistic action for today.
Testing the Design
What
changed
when people used it
I tested the mid-fidelity experience remotely through Maze and Zoom. Two participants completed a daily check-in and chose one AI-recommended action.
Task completion
Both people completed the check-in and chose an action.
Overall experience
Experience rating for the mid-fidelity prototype.
Participants
Remote sessions through Maze and Zoom.
The numbers told me people could complete the experience. Watching them use it told me what needed to change.
“Understand me” should extend beyond one conversation.
Users wanted Align to understand and remember them over time. Memory, journaling, and progress became directions for future work, requiring further design and testing.
Visual Design
Making balance feel
lighter
Align deals with a serious challenge, but I wanted the experience to feel approachable. Bright life-area colors, rounded components, friendly illustrations, and simple language helped keep it calm and purposeful.
01 / THE IDENTITY
Live intentionally,
not reactively.
02 / TYPOGRAPHY
Aa
Manrope
Regular · Semibold · Bold
Clear, friendly type that gives each thought room to breathe.
03 / EIGHT AREAS. ONE WHOLE LIFE.
#7A5CFF
#A8D64A
#FF6BA0
#4DB6F6
#18C5A6
#FF8A3D
#FFC107
#8EDCCF
04 / CHARACTER
Gentle linework and human details make reflection feel welcoming.
05 / IN USE
Color connects each life area to the balance wheel, choices, and actions.
AI Boundaries
AI should
support
,
not decide
I used synthetic information for Maya while exploring and testing AI in this project. Real journals, health information, and personal records stayed out of those tools. The principles below shaped both my research process and the kind of support I wanted Align to offer.
User-defined
Align doesn’t decide what a balanced life should look like.
Correctable
People can change priorities, responses, and recommendations.
Transparent
People should understand what information is used and why.
Non-diagnostic
Align supports reflection and does not replace professional care.
Final Design
What Align
became
A quick moment of reflection. A clearer view of what matters. One realistic next step.
The final prototype brings together research, concept exploration, AI experimentation, and usability testing into one connected experience.
Closing Reflection
What I
learned
Align gave me a chance to explore AI throughout the UX process. It also reinforced something I care about: AI is most useful when it expands the design process.
I could move quickly with AI, but I still had to pause and ask whether an idea would actually help someone. The conversations and tests brought me back to that question whenever I got caught up in what the tools could do. I learned to leave room for people to surprise me, and to change direction when their experience challenged mine.
AI helped me explore more. People helped me understand more. Design connected the two.
Where I’d go next
I’d test Align over a few weeks to see which suggestions people use, skip, or adapt, and whether they choose to come back. That would help me refine the recommendations and understand where people need more control. I relate to the problem myself, but I’d also want to learn from people whose routines and priorities differ from mine and from those of the people I interviewed.
Let’s make the next step feel easier.
Have a thoughtful product in mind? I’d love to help shape the experience.