Overview

StudySync is a productivity app targeting Gen Z students who struggle with consistency and focus while studying. Although the app had strong initial downloads, its user retention after 7 days was below 25%. The founders approached us to rethink the app’s experience from the ground up, focusing on helping users enter a “flow state” quickly and stay productive without feeling overwhelmed.

Research & Discovery

Objective: Understand why students abandon productivity apps after downloading, and identify what experience elements actually help them stay productive.

Methods Used:

• 1:1 interviews with 8 students across universities in Lagos, Accra, and Nairobi

• Diary study with 4 participants tracking their productivity for a week

• Competitive analysis of Notion, Forest, and Pomofocus

• Product usage data analysis (Session drop-off points, heatmaps)

Findings:

• Students don’t want full-featured tools—they want fast and frictionless workflows

• Notifications and unnecessary “gamification” were major distractions

• Customization often leads to procrastination (e.g., “I spent 30 mins setting up Notion”)

• Most used just 3 features: timers, quick task entry, and recap of progress

UX Approach

We stripped the experience down to three functions:

1. Quick Task Logging (from homescreen)

2. Pomodoro Timer (with focus mode)

3. Weekly Overview (no streaks, just simple tracking)

Instead of asking users to “build” their own planner, we pre-filled the layout with defaults and offered light personalization later.

Design Decisions:

• Used calming neutral colors to reduce mental load

• Timer screen had only one CTA: “Start Focus Session”

• During focus mode, all notifications were blocked, including internal popups

• Used AI to detect when users miss tasks and gently suggest reallocation

• “Insights” page showed gentle visualizations, not badges or scores

Tools & Tech:

• Figma (Design + Prototypes)

• Maze (Usability Testing)

• Firebase Analytics

• OpenAI API for smart scheduling suggestion logic

Testing & Results

Usability tests with 6 students showed immediate success:

• 100% could start a focus session within 10 seconds of opening the app

• 5 of 6 preferred StudySync over existing tools due to clarity and speed

• Session duration increased from 9 mins avg → 21 mins

After launch:

• Retention on Day 7 increased to 53%

• The “Focus Mode” was used by 72% of active users daily

• App Store rating rose from 3.5 → 4.7