Anushka Vhatkar | Increment

Increment: Countering the not-enough narrative in young adults

PRODUCT

WELLNESS

ROLE

Product Designer

TEAM

Solo

TIMELINE

8 weeks

SKILLS

Product Design
Product Strategy
Motion Design

Brand & Identity

Product Design
Product Strategy
Motion Design

Brand & Identity

Problem

Young adults are drowning in “shoulds”

Small wins. Big picture.
Everything that you're already accomplishing, finally made visible.

Young adults navigating school, work, relationships, and personal growth simultaneously experience their progress as a series of deficits rather than achievements.

The irony? They're often accomplishing more than they realize. But without making their progress visible and celebrated, the narrative of "not enough" becomes their reality.

Young adults navigating school, work, relationships, and personal growth simultaneously experience their progress as a series of deficits rather than achievements.

The irony? They’re often accomplishing more than they realize. But without making their progress visible and celebrated, the narrative of “not enough” becomes their reality.

Solution

Small wins. Big picture. Everything you're already accomplishing, finally made visible.

Small wins. Big picture.
Everything that you’re already accomplishing, finally made visible.

Track & filter
Your progress, beautifully organized

Capture & celebrate
Make every win feel like one

Reflect & recognize
Gentle pattern recognition for your journey

Pathways
Growth without the pressure

Process

Researching how young adults currently track and celebrate progress…

1

What is the psychology behind achievement and recognition?

What Happens on a Good Day
A Harvard Business School organizational psychology analysis of over 12,000+ diary entries found that progress, even the smallest steps forward, occurred on 76% of people's best days.

What Happens on a Good Day
A Harvard Business School organizational psychology analysis of over 12,000+ diary entries found that progress, even the smallest steps forward, occurred on 76% of people’s best days.

[AMABILE & KRAMER, 2011]

The Invisible Achievement Cycle
Hard work becomes invisible without acknowledgement, leading to a cycle of no recognition → feeling demotivated → work seems meaningless → perceived failure → back to no recognition.

[AMABILE & KRAMER, 2011]

Chasing Happiness Backfires
Research on Ideal Affect shows that everyone wants to feel more positive than they are actually feeling, but the extreme pursuit of any ideal state increases dissatisfaction.

[TSAI, 2007]

2

Synthesizing user interviews into two distinct design targets

3

Why current tools aren't enough (finding market-fit)

User Testing

How does my design resonate with users?

1

Clinical expertise meets design: adding a Lessons tab

FINDING

-> Sarah Simon (my professor with clinical experience at Mount Sinai) recommended applying Positive Affect Treatment (PAT) theory to the app

-> She suggested integrating lesson extraction specifically

IMPACT

-> PAT research shows that narrative construction around experiences creates lasting positive affect (happiness!)

-> By leveraging this, the app helps users build a personal reflection repository alongside momentary celebrations.

2

One-size-fits-all goal generation overwhelms already stressed users

FINDING

-> One of my target personas (the Overwhelmed Olives) felt additional pressure from auto generated goals

-> AI-prompted goals felt like more "shoulds" added to their plate, contrary to the product mission

IMPACT

-> This led to making Pathways an opt-in feature with customizable intensity levels

-> Ensuring it supports users wherever they are rather than adding to their burden

Design Details

Reflection

1

Recognition vs optimization

My hardest design challenge wasn't adding features—it was consistently choosing recognition over optimization. My early versions added AI task suggestions, prominent analytics and statistics—all technically sophisticated but psychologically counterproductive for users already drowning in 'shoulds.' I had to resist the urge to help users improve, and instead trust that visibility/recognition itself is supportive.

2

Language and interface work together

Focusing on copywriting and language was equally critical. Simple changes changed how features felt. Every word either reinforced deficit thinking or validates what already exists. I held onto this philosophical consistency as a North star, over any one specific feature.

Thanks for stopping by, don't stay a stranger

Increment: Countering the not-enough narrative in young adults

Increment: Countering the not-enough narrative in young adults

ROLE

TEAM

TIMELINE

SKILLS

Young adults are drowning in “shoulds”

Young adults are drowning in “shoulds”

Small wins. Big picture. Everything that you're already accomplishing, finally made visible.

Small wins. Big picture. Everything you're already accomplishing, finally made visible.

Small wins. Big picture. Everything that you’re already accomplishing, finally made visible.

Researching how young adults currently track and celebrate progress…

Researching how young adults currently track and celebrate progress…

1

1

What is the psychology behind achievement and recognition?

What Happens on a Good Day A Harvard Business School organizational psychology analysis of over 12,000+ diary entries found that progress, even the smallest steps forward, occurred on 76% of people's best days.

What Happens on a Good Day A Harvard Business School organizational psychology analysis of over 12,000+ diary entries found that progress, even the smallest steps forward, occurred on 76% of people’s best days.

[AMABILE & KRAMER, 2011]

The Invisible Achievement CycleHard work becomes invisible without acknowledgement, leading to a cycle of no recognition → feeling demotivated → work seems meaningless → perceived failure → back to no recognition.

The Invisible Achievement CycleHard work becomes invisible without acknowledgement, leading to a cycle of no recognition → feeling demotivated → work seems meaningless → perceived failure → back to no recognition.

[AMABILE & KRAMER, 2011]

Chasing Happiness BackfiresResearch on Ideal Affect shows that everyone wants to feel more positive than they are actually feeling, but the extreme pursuit of any ideal state increases dissatisfaction.

Chasing Happiness BackfiresResearch on Ideal Affect shows that everyone wants to feel more positive than they are actually feeling, but the extreme pursuit of any ideal state increases dissatisfaction.

[TSAI, 2007]

2

2

Synthesizing user interviews into two distinct design targets

3

3

Why current tools aren't enough (finding market-fit)

How does my design resonate with users?

1

1

Clinical expertise meets design: adding a Lessons tab

FINDING

-> Sarah Simon (my professor with clinical experience at Mount Sinai) recommended applying Positive Affect Treatment (PAT) theory to the app

-> She suggested integrating lesson extraction specifically

IMPACT

-> PAT research shows that narrative construction around experiences creates lasting positive affect (happiness!)

-> By leveraging this, the app helps users build a personal reflection repository alongside momentary celebrations.

2

2

One-size-fits-all goal generation overwhelms already stressed users

FINDING

-> One of my target personas (the Overwhelmed Olives) felt additional pressure from auto generated goals

-> AI-prompted goals felt like more "shoulds" added to their plate, contrary to the product mission

IMPACT

-> This led to making Pathways an opt-in feature with customizable intensity levels

-> Ensuring it supports users wherever they are rather than adding to their burden

1

1

Recognition vs optimization

2

2

Language and interface work together

Small wins. Big picture.
Everything that you're already accomplishing, finally made visible.

Small wins. Big picture.
Everything that you’re already accomplishing, finally made visible.

What Happens on a Good Day
A Harvard Business School organizational psychology analysis of over 12,000+ diary entries found that progress, even the smallest steps forward, occurred on 76% of people's best days.

What Happens on a Good Day
A Harvard Business School organizational psychology analysis of over 12,000+ diary entries found that progress, even the smallest steps forward, occurred on 76% of people’s best days.

The Invisible Achievement Cycle
Hard work becomes invisible without acknowledgement, leading to a cycle of no recognition → feeling demotivated → work seems meaningless → perceived failure → back to no recognition.

The Invisible Achievement Cycle
Hard work becomes invisible without acknowledgement, leading to a cycle of no recognition → feeling demotivated → work seems meaningless → perceived failure → back to no recognition.

Chasing Happiness Backfires
Research on Ideal Affect shows that everyone wants to feel more positive than they are actually feeling, but the extreme pursuit of any ideal state increases dissatisfaction.

Chasing Happiness Backfires
Research on Ideal Affect shows that everyone wants to feel more positive than they are actually feeling, but the extreme pursuit of any ideal state increases dissatisfaction.