Bet on Yourself—without losing a dime
A mobile app designed to help users stay motivated and accountable without fear of failure.
“I bet $500 that I’ll meditate everyday for the next month!”
Sometimes we need a little motivation to achieve a goal or build a habit. Placing a bet could provide a fun incentive, but for someone seeking motivation, it’s hard to find that sweet spot where the stakes feel real without feeling too high.
The Catch 22
Understandably, those seeking motivation probably don’t feel too confident about following through, so making a bet feels risky and intimidating. To lower that risk, they might lower the stakes, which lowers the motivation. Worse, they may back down from the gamble altogether, leaving them in the same place of stuckness.
The Solution
Moneyvation leverages the motivation of betting on yourself, but removes the fear failure. Instead of losing your money, it’s just temporarily withheld by an accountability partner. Complete a task, earn a little back. Miss one, add more to the pot. The stakes are real, but the loss isn’t, helping users commit one-step-at-a-time.
The Design POV
Before sketching task flows and wireframes, I defined a point of view grounded in the needs of someone struggling with motivation, and identified behavioral principles to guide the design.
For example, imagine someone trying to wake up earlier. In a groggy, half-awake state, they need a simple screen without visual noise and limited interactions. They need be in and out of the app quickly to avoid falling into their phone. Or consider a a busy parent squeezing in a workout. They should be able to understand their progress at a glance, check off a task, and request a payout all while walking out of the gym.
The app can’t feel like another task or something else to manage.
Financial incentives create tangible stakes that trigger loss aversion and reward pathways by connecting action with outcome
| Getting started
| Finding consistency
| Managing Distractions
Social accountability leverages our desire for positive perception and fear of letting others down
Breaking larger goals into smaller tasks reduces overwhelm and provides frequent wins that fuel motivation while building momentum and confidence
Progress visualization satisfies our need to see concrete movement toward goals, while also tapping on our nature to close the loop on incomplete tasks
Consistency over intensity prevents burnout and builds psychological momentum, while celebrating small wins activates reward pathways to reinforce continued effort
Core Needs
Core Principles for Motivation
These needs and principles call for a pared-back user experience, with anticipatory and prompt-driven interactions
The UX/UI is distilled to quick check-ins, reduced interactions, simple and productive confirmations, at-a-glance metrics, and larger tap targets.