Duration
Team
Tools
Type
10 weeks
Linh Chi Le, Chris Moy Jimin Sung, Safa Jamal, Michelle Kim
Figma, Miro
Class project
Overview
Recognizing the challenges college students face in managing their drinking habits, BevBuddy was created to support healthier choices and recovery. For my class focused on designing for personal health and wellness, we created BevBuddy, an app that aims to provide a non-judgmental, accessible solution for tracking alcohol consumption, staying motivated, and fostering accountability.
![[Mockup] iPhone 16.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cae845_06ab6604c7a34e5cbe8d50dff911c9ae~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_9,w_1078,h_1538/fill/w_348,h_496,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BMockup%5D%20iPhone%2016.png)
PROBLEM
The College Drinking Dilemma
In college, drinking often feels like a rite of passage—woven into parties, traditions, and nights out with friends. But for many students, this culture makes it hard to see when casual drinking turns into a problem. Balancing academic stress, social expectations, and financial struggles, students can find themselves stuck in harmful patterns that take a toll on their health, grades, and relationships.
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Despite these challenges, students often lack access to relatable and supportive tools to help them take control of their drinking while navigating the demands of college life.
DESIGN QUESTION
How might we support college students struggling with alcohol use in fostering healthier drinking habits and navigating their recovery journey?
LITERATURE REVIEW
Inside the College Drinking Experience
Our first step was doing a thorough review of relevant literature and qualitative coding to better understand the experiences, challenges, and needs of college students struggling with alcohol use. Below are key insights from the articles we studied:
IDEATION
Exploring Possibilities
We used insights from the research articles to brainstorm features and concepts for our app. Drawing from the challenges and needs highlighted in our research, we generated a range of ideas that could support college students in managing their drinking habits.
Designing with Intent
Prioritization matrix of which features matter most in creating an effective solution
Feature Breakdown
Ideation of features in 4 possible categories for a well-rounded approach: community, motivation, reflection, and resources
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Breaking Down the Competition
We analyzed three competitors’ existing solutions to see what their approach was for the problem. Most of these did not have progress tracking or a modern UI.
USER SURVEYS
What Students Really Think About Drinking
To better understand our target audience, we conducted a survey with 26 college students to better understand the drinking habits and challenges that they face.
Social stigma is a barrier
Self-regulation is difficult for some
Lack of motivation
Drink tracking, resources, and mocktail recipes are important features to have
PERSONA
A Look Into Our User
Based on our research and survey insights, we created a persona to represent the challenges, motivations, and needs of college students struggling with alcohol use, helping us design with empathy and purpose.
WIREFRAMES
From Concept to Design
Our initial wireframes focused on translating the key features identified during the ideation phase into a functional layout. We prioritized a clean, intuitive design that highlighted features like goal tracking, educational resources, and a mocktail library.
USER TESTING AND ITERATIONS
Perfecting the Experience
To validate our design decisions, we tested BevBuddy with college students to observe how they interacted with the app. Their feedback revealed key areas for improvement, from usability concerns to feature enhancements.
Mocktails Screen
Originally, drinks were displayed in rectangular boxes with small images beside them, requiring users to scroll down to see more options. To improve usability, I redesigned the layout with large, square images and drink names underneath, allowing users to browse by swiping horizontally.
This change enhances the experience by:
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Prioritizing visuals – Larger images make drinks more appealing and easier to recognize.
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Reducing cognitive load – A cleaner layout makes browsing more intuitive.
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Improving navigation – Horizontal scrolling creates a smoother, more modern experience.
Alochol Tracker Screen
One of the biggest issues was the drinking trend chart. While originally intended to help users track their progress, some participants mentioned that seeing a visual representation in that format of their alcohol consumption unintentionally encouraged them to drink more—since people tend to associate upward-trending charts with progress and achievement.
What we changed:
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Removed the drinking trend chart – Users associated upward trends with progress, unintentionally encouraging more drinking (added a new version on another screen).
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Added streak icons – Reinforces positive habits by rewarding consecutive days of staying on track.
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Added a “Why Am I Doing This?” section – Helps users stay motivated with personal reminders.
FINAL SCREENS
Introducing BevBuddy
Your personal progress tracker
A streamlined way to monitor alcohol intake, set goals, and build healthier habits. Streaks and goal-based tracking provide motivation without pressure, making it easier to stay in control.
Consumption trend
Track alcohol consumption trends with a detailed bar graph, offering a clear view of changes over time.
Find your perfect mocktail
Alcohol-free options designed to make cutting back or going sober a more enjoyable experience.
Guidance and support
Browse a variety of resources such as podcasts and videos that provide insights and strategies to ensure long-term success in reducing alcohol consumption.
REFLECTION
What I learned...
​Through my work, I’ve learned that balancing users' choices and the ability to personalize goals is essential in creating a user-centered design. Providing appropriate guidance and ensuring information accuracy play a significant role in helping users feel supported and informed. Additionally, conducting surveys has proven to be a valuable tool in gathering insights and understanding user needs, allowing me to make data-driven decisions to enhance the design. These insights have deepened my understanding of how to create meaningful, user-focused experiences that cater to individual preferences while also offering guidance and accuracy.