Headspace
Crafting a check-in feature that drives daily engagement
Services
Key outcomes
- Encouraged daily, meaningful interaction beyond just meditation
- Reinforced habit formation by integrating check-ins into a regular flow
- Increased user self-awareness through emotional tracking
- Strengthened retention by making the app feel more personalized and reflective
About
Headspace, a global leader in meditation and mental wellness, wanted to enhance user engagement by integrating a daily check-in feature into their app. The goal was to encourage reflection, reinforce meditation habits, and deepen user connection to the app. Supergood Apps stepped in to design an experience that was frictionless, engaging, and habit-forming.
The challenge
- Encourage regular engagement without feeling like a chore
- Provide value in under a minute, ensuring users could reflect quickly
- Personalize the experience while maintaining simplicity
- Integrate smoothly with the existing Headspace ecosystem.
Our approach
We focused on designing a low-friction, rewarding check-in flow that naturally fit into users’ daily routines.
From emotional check-ins to daily planning, we helped Headspace design a more intuitive, emotionally intelligent app experience—one that supports users throughout the day with personalized content, mindful nudges, and delightfully crafted UX moments.
Designing for support through the day
To make Headspace feel present across different moments of the day—not just during morning meditations—we helped design a system that syncs with a user’s calendar and daily rhythm. The app now gently surfaces contextual support, suggesting mindfulness exercises and meditations based on what’s coming up in your schedule.
By aligning with real-world moments, the app became a more responsive, helpful companion, rather than a fixed destination.
We reimagined the Headspace home screen as a gentle launchpad for your day
The Day Planner feature was designed to help users visualise their time and reclaim it mindfully. It identifies free pockets throughout the day and encourages users to take short restorative breaks, turning downtime into intentional care.Tapping on a task block launches a Focus Timer, guiding users through a short countdown that builds anticipation for a mini-break. These moments celebrate the effort users have already put in—and reward them with space to just be.
We designed the Day Planner to surface free time between calendar blocks—nudging users to take mindful mini-breaks
Frictionless check-ins
We introduced a mood-tracking interaction that relied on emoji-based responses. Users could quickly choose from a range of expressive icons to indicate how they felt. This was:
- Visually engaging
- Low effort
- Universally accessible—no need for lengthy reflection or text input
This made the interaction feel casual, playful, and emotionally honest.
The mood slider helps users pause and reflect—setting the tone for a more mindful day
By reflecting on recent life events, users build self-awareness and create a clearer link between mood and context
Our energy levels and sleep slider helps users self-assess rest quality
Contextual personalisation
Immediately after a mood check-in, the app surfaced content recommendations aligned with the user’s emotional state—like meditations for anxiety, exercises for calm, or mindful walks for energy. This turned the check-in into a gateway, not just a dead-end input. It closed the loop and made emotional logging immediately useful.
We also introduced subtle moments of joy throughout the product to celebrate consistency and encourage positive reinforcement.
- Earn-able badges mark milestones and habits, acting as proof that the user is showing up for themselves—even on hard days
- Completing activities occasionally triggers tiny visual surprises, like gentle shifts in background or animations.
These moments were designed to be non-intrusive but emotionally resonant, reinforcing momentum with delight rather than pressure.
After each check-in, users receive tailored recommendations—grounded in behavioural psychology—to help manage what’s most present
Our rewards system recognises the power of consistency -- every badge is a step toward lasting self-care
The results: A habit-forming feature that keeps users engaged
Supergood Apps designed a frictionless, rewarding, and personalised check-in experience that helped Headspace:
- Boost daily app engagement through effortless tracking
- Reinforce habit formation, increasing long-term retention
- Provide deeper value to users with personalised insights
- Seamlessly integrate check-ins into the existing meditation experience