App Design: Up!

We often think of technology as something that keeps us sitting — working, scrolling, or streaming for hours on end. But what if technology could help us do the opposite?

The brief, titled App 360, was to create an app under the premise of a design competition brief for a six-month internship at a leading design studio. The challenge was to design a smartphone app for a physical device commonly used by international students in the UK, demonstrating creativity, practicality, and emotional resonance.

University students, particularly international students balancing academics, part-time jobs, and new routines spend long hours sitting. Research shows that sitting for more than seven hours a day increases health risks, yet most students average between 8–10 hours of sedentary behaviour daily.

The aim was to create a product that not only monitors this pattern but also encourages healthy movement and mindful breaks throughout the day.

Up! works alongside a small sensor device attached to the bottom of a chair or bed. Together, they form a system that reminds users to get up, stretch, and move.

How it works:

• The sensor monitors how long the user has been sitting.

• After a set time (e.g., 30 minutes), it buzzes the chair and sends a notification through the app.

• The app tracks daily sitting time, helping users visualize their habits.

• It also provides simple desk exercises and posture tips for short, achievable movement breaks.

• Users can customize their notification tones to find what motivates them best.

The goal: make standing up feel as natural — and rewarding — as sitting down.

To ground the concept in reality, I focused on international postgraduate students living in the UK — a group often juggling coursework, jobs, and cultural adjustment.

Meet Intira Kulap, 22, a Thai postgraduate student in Textile Design living in London.

• Suffers from neck and back pain due to long hours sitting.

• Struggles to balance productivity with self-care.

• Misses her active lifestyle back home.

Her goals:

• Manage discomfort and reduce sedentary time.

• Find a simple, non-intrusive reminder to move.

• Build healthier habits without losing focus on her studies.

These insights shaped Up’s tone: supportive, friendly, and realistic about student life.

The design process followed a clear UX flow — from research and ideation to prototyping and testing.

Key ideation takeaways:

• Movement reminders must feel helpful, not disruptive.

• Motivation works best when visualized (e.g., progress tracking).

• Users respond positively to personalisation and reward mechanisms.

Features refined through testing:

• Added quick links to exercise videos for neck and arm relief.

• Introduced alarm and vibration options for stronger reminders.

• Included a hydration prompt for overall well-being.

• Added navigation at the bottom for better usability.

• Proposed a reward system: earn credits for consistent activity, which could be used to customize a virtual pet.

Testing videos and walkthroughs can be viewed here.

For future iterations, Up! could expand by:

• Integrating with smartwatches for more accurate activity tracking.

• Allowing users to attach and move the sensor easily between chairs at home or university.

• Offering deeper analytics on sitting vs. standing trends over time.

These enhancements would help the app grow from a student-focused prototype into a holistic tool for health and productivity.

App360 combines empathy with innovation — transforming a common issue among students into a simple, behavior-driven solution.

This project reminded me how UX design can bridge physical and digital experiences to promote healthier, more human habits. By focusing on how people use devices — and how those devices can gently improve behaviour — design becomes not just functional, but truly meaningful.