Hello :)
I’m Rutuja, a UX Designer with 3+ years of experience in UX Design and over 4 years in the design industry.
SaaS
Corporate Wellness
Behavioural Design
BreatheBoard
BreatheBoard is a B2B wellness platform designed for HR teams and People Managers to foster daily momentum, emotional wellbeing, and high-performance habits within distributed teams.
It addresses the growing gap between employee engagement and recovery needs, especially in hybrid and remote-first workplaces.
My Role: UX Designer
Timeline: 4 weeks
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Initial Research Takeaways: Informing Design Priorities
In early conversations with HR managers and team members, several patterns emerged, hinting at gaps in current practices and opportunities to drive deeper engagement and wellbeing at scale.
5 interviews conducted (3 HR managers, 2 team members)
Participants spanned Big 4 companies and a mid-sized startup
Early-stage exploration to capture emotional, operational, and engagement gaps from both leadership and team perspectives
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Tools used :
Slide 3
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Personas
The persona were finalised based of the interviews and observations.
The Self-Aware Supporter
Aditi Rao
Hobbies: Journaling, Mandala Art
Punch-out Time: 6:00 PM
Performance Score: 8.2/10
I want to get better — if I have the right tools to track my mental health.
The Burnt-Out Skeptic
Kunal Mehra
Hobbies: None
Punch-out Time: 10:30 PM
Performance Score: 5.8/10
“I don’t have time for all this mental health stuff. I just need to finish my work.”
The Purpose-Driven HR
Neha Joshi
Hobbies: Reading productivity books, Yoga
Punch-out Time: 6:30 PM
Performance Score: N/A (Admin Role)
“I want people to love coming to work — not dread it.”
Tools used :
Slide 4
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
The Customer Journey Map of Self-Aware Supporter
Let's peek into Aditi's day at work
Tools used :
Slide 5
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 6
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
The Customer Journey Map of Burnout Skeptic
Let's peek into Kunal's day at work
The Customer Journey Map of The Silent Supporter
Let's peek into Neha's day at work
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 7
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
System-Level Journey Map
Lack of personal productivity insights (Aditi)
No burnout monitoring analytics (Kunal)
No wellbeing awareness or team pulse (Neha)
No shared language for team wellbeing
No proactive burnout detection
Productivity is measured, wellbeing isn’t
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 8
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Where BreatheBoard Breaks Away
While traditional wellness tools focus on top-down initiatives, BreatheBoard empowers teams with real-time insights, micro-actions, and self-driven wellbeing experiments for lasting impact.
Existing Corporate Wellness Tools
BreatheBoard
Generic wellbeing tips with little customisation
Behavioural science-backed prompts tailored to team mood & fatigue levels
Focus heavily on annual surveys
Focus on daily micro-momentum and real-time nudges
Siloed wellbeing programs, separate from workflow
Integrated nudges inside daily team operations (no context switching)
Minimal feedback loops (only yearly reports)
Continuous feedback with micro-check-ins and wellness experiments
Static, one-size-fits-all modules
Adaptive modules that evolve based on team needs and behavioral signals
Tools used :
Slide 9
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Admin UX Flow & Feature Architecture
Tools used :
Slide 10
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Mid-fidelity UI Screens
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 11
Components Library
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 12
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Screen 1: Home Dashboard – Your Team’s Wellness Pulse at a Glance
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tune Into Team Energy Before It Turns Into Fatigue
See what's driving team energy and momentum
Showcase small wins and promote healthy competition
Track engagement and emotional safety
Investigate missed deadlines and wellbeing links
Year-on-Year Wellness Trends: Measure progress, adapt strategies
Longitudinal tracking identifies patterns, making wellness measurable (important for leadership buy-in). Transparent tracking was a key driver in countries with highest employee wellbeing.
Timely Nudges to Protect Energy and Momentum
Real-time notifications create Just-In-Time Interventions. Reminders about upcoming audits (stressors) and mood dip alerts allow proactive support before burnout or disengagement spirals.
Tools used :
Slide 13
Screen 2: Team Insights – Burnout Risk & Energy Rhythms
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Decode Emotional Patterns and Surface Hidden Risks
Quick Action Buttons: “View Micro Trends”, “Schedule Follow-up”, etc.
Integrating instant micro-actions supports the Action-Trigger-Ability model from BJ Fogg. Reducing the effort between insight and action drives timely interventions and higher manager participation rates compared to passive report-reading.
Energy Flow by Hour Visualisation inspired by Daniel Pink "When"
Hourly energy mapping was inspired by Daniel Pink’s "When", which emphasizes biological energy rhythms in daily productivity. Visualizing team peak and dip hours empowers leaders to plan critical tasks during "high engagement windows" and avoid overloading teams during natural slumps.
Burnout Signal Alert Bar
A bright, persistent banner informs users two weeks ahead of potential risk spikes, framing it as a "manageable adjustment" rather than a "crisis response."
Tools used :
Slide 14
Screen 3: Peer Recognition – Powering a Culture of Appreciation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Fuel Connections, Celebrate Contributions
Surface Imbalances to Promote Fair Visibility
Highlighting recognition gaps (e.g., cross-team imbalance, blind spots) brings unconscious biases to light — inspired by research from Google’s Project Aristotle on psychological safety and fair acknowledgment across teams. Visibility drives a more equitable culture.
Make Silent Signals Visible to Catalyse Engagement
Spotting "Silent Teams" aligns with Behavioural Design principles (Richard Thaler) — where making invisible behaviours visible helps drive course correction.
Tools used :
Slide 15
Screen 4 Action Centre – Turn Insights into Impact
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
From Insight to Action: Nudges That Build a Stronger Culture
Design a High-Impact Daily Flow
Quick Actions at the top help admins intervene precisely—nudging teams toward better focus, energy, and wellbeing.
Keep Progress Visible, Always Actionable
'Due Today' and 'Follow-up Scheduler' sections surface pending actions contextually, reducing decision fatigue.
Turn Small Wins into Big Momentum
Micro-wins are highlighted to prime users with early success signals, boosting confidence and motivation.
Make Wellness Sprints a Team Habit
Ongoing Modules use progress markers and nudges to encourage micro-habit formation across teams.
Tools used :
Slide 16
Screen 5 Rewards Hub – Track Your Wellness Points & Perks
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Incentivising Wellness: A Central Hub to Track, Earn, and Celebrate Healthy Workplace Behaviours
Tools used :
Slide 17
Constraints
Legal & Environment Constraint- Realistic context simulation was limited due to legal constraints around workplace testing.
While participants were engaged for interviews and usability testing, conducting tests in their actual office environments was restricted due to privacy policies and legal approvals. This limited the ability to observe behaviour under real-world collaboration tools like MS Teams or Jira. I mitigated this by designing tasks based on common team workflows gathered during interviews.
Data Sensitivity & Access Constraint-Access to real HR datasets was restricted due to data sensitivity and compliance policies.
Designing for enterprise HR tools often involves sensitive employee wellness data. Due to privacy regulations, I worked with proxy data and anonymised user journeys to model team behaviours. While this limited direct access to live analytics dashboards, it challenged me to think modularly and design scalable frameworks for insights.
Integration Complexity Constraint- Certain platform integrations (e.g., Outlook, Jira) were scoped as future-state features due to technical complexity.
Although research participants highlighted the need for wellness prompts within their existing tools, integrating these in the prototype was deferred. I documented these as roadmap-level ideas and focused on designing for modularity and future extensibility in the UI architecture.
Tools used : -
Slide 18
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Mindful Cooking
Mental Health
Catharsis
Catharsis is a mindful cooking app designed to support emotional regulation through culinary rituals. It helps users channel their moods into intuitive, therapeutic cooking experiences by combining journaling, personalised recipes, and sensory engagement. Rooted in behavioral psychology and emotional design, Catharsis turns everyday cooking into a self-care practice.
My Role: UX Designer
Timeline: 8 weeks
Why?
Despite increasing awareness around mindfulness, most digital solutions fail to embed it into everyday routines. Cooking—an activity homemakers spend significant time on—remains treated as a task, not a therapeutic experience.
The challenge was to design a mobile experience that gently weaves mindfulness into cooking, turning a daily responsibility into a moment of emotional care and mental well-being.
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Slide 20
In-Depth Research Backed by 52 Surveys, 10 Interviews & 7 Core Insights
I used this research to truly step into the shoes of homemakers—understanding their emotional world and letting their voices guide every step of the design.
Survey (Quantitative research)
Conducted a Qualtrics survey with 52 respondents to understand home cooking behaviours, digital usage, and emotional experiences, revealing that most participants did not feel relaxed after cooking.
User Interviews (Qualitative research)
Conducted semi-structured interviews (20-30 mins) with six selected participants, categorised by cooking experience (0-15 years & 15+ years) to understand pain points, needs, and goals.
Participant Recruitment & Ethics
Used a User Recruitment Advertisement reflecting the product’s visual identity, ensuring participants received an information sheet and consent form before interviews.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 21
PrIMARY PERSONA
The Busy Home Chef: Simplifying Meals and Life
This persona represents a busy parent or homemaker who seeks convenient solutions for meal planning, cooking, and managing family needs, valuing both practicality and emotional support.
Jenny
Content
Age: 29
Location: Goa
Tech Proficiency: Moderate
Gender: Female
Goal
Wants to maintain mental stability without taking extra time out of her routine.
Desires a platform where she can share her skills and feel valued.
Needs a service that simplifies tasks like grocery shopping to reduce stress.
Frustrations
Feels overburdened by daily household responsibilities with no time for herself.
Lacks emotional support, making it difficult to share her struggles.
Struggles to find joy in routine household tasks.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 22
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 23
Customer Journey Map
A day in life of Jenny
This journey map follows Jenny, a homemaker whose day is filled with constant responsibilities. While she seamlessly manages her household, she suppresses her own emotions to maintain peace. The journey highlights how her emotional needs remain unmet, building the case for a mindful space like Catharsis within her daily routine.
Stages
What Jenny does
Emotions
Pain Points
Opportunities
Morning Hustle
Jenny’s day begins before everyone else — cooking, cleaning, making sure her home runs smoothly.
🥱
Jenny rushes through her morning routine, juggling multiple tasks without a moment to pause or reflect.
Introduce small mindful moments in her morning prep (e.g., guided breathing while cooking) to set a calmer tone for the day.
Endless Chores
From morning to night, she keeps moving, with no room to pause or process how she feels.
😮💨
Repetitive household tasks leave her physically drained and mentally disengaged.
Integrate mindful audio prompts during chores to help her reconnect with her senses and feelings.
Emotional Isolation
Tensions at dinner simmer, words are exchanged, and everyone disappears into their own rooms.
🙄
Jenny has no one to talk to about her emotional struggles, leading to internalised stress.
Create a safe space within the app for emotional journaling, venting, or gentle self-talk sessions.
Overwhelmed & Unnoticed:
She’s left alone in the kitchen — not just with the dishes, but with unspoken emotions and silent exhaustion.
😞
Despite her efforts, Jenny’s emotional labor goes unseen, leaving her feeling invisible.
Use positive affirmations and reflective exercises to validate her daily contributions and uplift her mood.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 24
Point Of View Statements
This Point of View statement emerged from the key opportunities identified in Jenny’s journey—moments where emotional needs were consistently unmet. It reframes these insights into a clear design lens, helping define not just what the user needs, but why it matters. This became the foundation for crafting meaningful user stories that put emotional well-being at the heart of everyday cooking.
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 25
User Stories
As a user, I want realistic & verified recipes from reliable resources so that I can cook without worrying about failure and wastage of food.
As a user, I want my groceries divided by departments so that I can manage my time while shopping.
As a user, I want to listen to a coach while cooking so that I am aware that the motion/direction of my activities are creating an impact on my mind and I feel relaxed eventually.
As a user, I want to be able to scan the recipes I write on a paper so that I can have an access to them whenever I want.
As a user, I want to have a one-stop platform for cooking so that I don’t have use multiple applications for making lists, setting timers & listening to podcast
As a user, I want to share my cooking expertise with those who need it so that I can feel appreciated and the other person gets genuine help.
As a user, I want to be able to search cross-cultural dishes so that I can be experimental with my food.
As a user, I want to listen to music/podcast while cooking so that I can fully enjoy the experience.
As a user, I want to have a timers on my phone for different meal preps so that I can concentrate on the other things while i am away.
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 26
How Might We? Questions and Answers
Seeing how homemakers often suppress their emotions while caring for others, I framed my POV: A homemaker needs space to process her feelings during her daily routine, as she rarely gets time for herself. This led to the question—How might we transform cooking into a mindful, healing moment that supports her emotional wellbeing?
How might we...connect the experienced home makers to the beginner cooks?
We can create a community where beginner cooks can connect i.e. call, text or meet in person to the experienced cook according to their availability
How might we...add a showcasing a skill feature ?
1. We can add the profile section in this application. 2. We can create a feature of tracking progress
How might we...make grocery shopping less confusing/ exhausting ?
1. We can separate the groceries by departments. 2.We can also add a reminder option when the bought product is closer to its expiry date
How might we...add entertainment aspect to the application ?
We can add music, podcasts, videos We can offer playlists for different moods
How might we...add therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
We can add coaching feature where the therapist explains the process or talks to the person cooking. This feature could be interactive.
How might we...create an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
1. We can follow WCAG guidelines for User Interface. 2. We can keep the UI minimal to lessen the cognitive load.
Role Storming
How Might We
Connect the experienced homemakers with beginner cooks?
Add an entertainment aspect to the application?
Make therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
Design an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
Make sure that the recipe source is verified?
How would Google do it?
Google Ads
Youtube
Duo, Classroom, Podcast
Guidelines by Material.io
Google verification process
How would Epicurus do it?
On call or letters
Playing cassets in the background
Write a recipe book
Use bigger font
Confirm with publisher / editor
How would Ramsay do it?
Culinary training
Creating games & competitors
Talking to the cook during the process
Asking them to deal with it
Checking/Approving it by himself
How would ratatouilledo it?
Creating portal
Adding magic
Create songs about them
Giving them magical glasses
Asking them directly
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 27
Low Fidelity Wireframe
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 28
Mid-Fi Wireframes
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 29
Role Storming
How Might We
Connect the experienced homemakers with beginner cooks?
Add an entertainment aspect to the application?
Make therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
Design an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
Make sure that the recipe source is verified?
How would Google do it?
Google Ads
Youtube
Duo, Classroom, Podcast
Guidelines by Material.io
Google verification process
How would Epicurus do it?
On call or letters
Playing cassets in the background
Write a recipe book
Use bigger font
Confirm with publisher / editor
How would Ramsay do it?
Culinary training
Creating games & competitors
Talking to the cook during the process
Asking them to deal with it
Checking/Approving it by himself
How would ratatouilledo it?
Creating portal
Adding magic
Create songs about them
Giving them magical glasses
Asking them directly
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 30
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
feature 01 : Image to text recipes
I keep losing my old recipes, and when I find them, I struggle to read my own handwriting. I wish there was a way to just scan them and have them read aloud while I cook
-Participant 7
Take a Picture of Your Recipe
AI Converts Recipe into Digital Format
Edit & Modify Recipe
Save & Access Recipes Anytime
Scalability & Future Use Cases
Tools used :
Slide 31
Feature 02: Podcasts, music, auidobooks
In a survey of 52 participants, 59.6% reported that cooking does not leave them feeling relaxed, indicating that for many, cooking is perceived as a draining task rather than a rejuvenating activity.
-Participant 7
Mood-based Audio Selection
Guided Sensory Experience
Personalised Content Library
Seamless Audio Playback
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 32
Feature 03: Share recipes with voicenotes
"I don't really trust online recipes… Somehow, the food never turns out like the homely dishes I grew up eating. I wish there was a way to get guidance from someone who understands that feeling."
-Participant 8 | 27 year old woman
Interactive Chat Support:
Users can ask questions about ingredient substitutions directly within the app, making the cooking experience more flexible. (Monetisation Opportunity: Premium users can get quick responses from expert chefs.)
Allergen & Prep Time Indicators:
Clear visual cues help users quickly assess if a recipe fits their needs. (Monetisation Opportunity: Offer a premium version where users can filter recipes based on allergens and dietary preferences.)
Real-Time Expert Guidance:
Users can chat with recipe creators or experienced home cooks to ensure their dish turns out as expected. (Monetisation Opportunity: Paid consultation or subscription-based mentor access.)
Audio Notes for Recipes:
Instead of reading, users can listen to step-by-step guidance, making it easier to follow while cooking.
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 33
Feature 04: Customised meal plan for your family
Every single day, I ask myself the same question—what's for dinner? By the time I decide, I’m already exhausted. I just wish something could take this stress away!
Participant 2
Quick Access to Key Features
Effortless Meal Customization
Smart Personalisation
Customised Recipe Suggestions
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 34
ITeration 01
Breaking Language Barriers for a More Accessible Cooking Experience!
In this iteration, the app was localized into five additional languages. During testing, I observed that 6 out of 10 users struggled with language barriers. Once the moderator translated the content for them, users were able to continue with the flow without further issues. This change was prioritized due to its significant impact on accessibility and user experience.
Korean
Chinese
Arabic
Marathi
Bengali
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 35
ITeration 02
These additions aim to enhance the overall user experience by offering emotional support and convenience.
Instant Emotional Support
Catharsis Premium allows users to connect directly with mental health professionals during their cooking experience, offering emotional support and guidance, ensuring they feel heard and supported while preparing meals.
Effortless Grocery Management
The app’s grocery restocking feature enables users to easily add items to their shopping list by simply mentioning what they’re running low on while cooking, making meal prep and grocery shopping more convenient and efficient.
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 36
Constraints
Participant Reluctance Around Emotional Topics
Despite targeting middle‑aged homemakers, many were hesitant to discuss stress or “mental health” in a group setting, so I had to rely on one‑on‑one interviews to build trust and uncover candid insights.
Inability to Run In‑Person Focus Groups
I believed a communal cooking session would spark richer conversations, but conflicting schedules and location logistics made group sessions unfeasible—so I synthesised learnings from individual interviews instead.
Device & Connectivity Limitations
A significant portion of users were on older Android and iOS phones with limited storage/bandwidth. This forced me to prioritize a lightweight, offline‑capable prototype and avoid feature sets that required the latest OS versions.
Tools used : -
Slide 37
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
What I’m Currently Working On
International Proxy Shipping App
AWS Hackathon
Tools used : -
Slide 38
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Hello :)
I’m Rutuja, a UX Designer with 3+ years of experience in UX Design and over 4 years in the design industry.
SaaS
Corporate Wellness
Behavioural Design
BreatheBoard
BreatheBoard is a B2B wellness platform designed for HR teams and People Managers to foster daily momentum, emotional wellbeing, and high-performance habits within distributed teams.
It addresses the growing gap between employee engagement and recovery needs, especially in hybrid and remote-first workplaces.
My Role: UX Designer
Timeline: 4 weeks
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Initial Research Takeaways: Informing Design Priorities
In early conversations with HR managers and team members, several patterns emerged, hinting at gaps in current practices and opportunities to drive deeper engagement and wellbeing at scale.
5 interviews conducted (3 HR managers, 2 team members)
Participants spanned Big 4 companies and a mid-sized startup
Early-stage exploration to capture emotional, operational, and engagement gaps from both leadership and team perspectives
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Tools used :
Slide 3
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Personas
The persona were finalised based of the interviews and observations.
The Self-Aware Supporter
Aditi Rao
Hobbies: Journaling, Mandala Art
Punch-out Time: 6:00 PM
Performance Score: 8.2/10
I want to get better — if I have the right tools to track my mental health.
The Burnt-Out Skeptic
Kunal Mehra
Hobbies: None
Punch-out Time: 10:30 PM
Performance Score: 5.8/10
“I don’t have time for all this mental health stuff. I just need to finish my work.”
The Purpose-Driven HR
Neha Joshi
Hobbies: Reading productivity books, Yoga
Punch-out Time: 6:30 PM
Performance Score: N/A (Admin Role)
“I want people to love coming to work — not dread it.”
Tools used :
Slide 4
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
The Customer Journey Map of Self-Aware Supporter
Let's peek into Aditi's day at work
Tools used :
Slide 5
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 6
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
The Customer Journey Map of Burnout Skeptic
Let's peek into Kunal's day at work
The Customer Journey Map of The Silent Supporter
Let's peek into Neha's day at work
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 7
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
System-Level Journey Map
Lack of personal productivity insights (Aditi)
No burnout monitoring analytics (Kunal)
No wellbeing awareness or team pulse (Neha)
No shared language for team wellbeing
No proactive burnout detection
Productivity is measured, wellbeing isn’t
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 8
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Where BreatheBoard Breaks Away
While traditional wellness tools focus on top-down initiatives, BreatheBoard empowers teams with real-time insights, micro-actions, and self-driven wellbeing experiments for lasting impact.
Existing Corporate Wellness Tools
BreatheBoard
Generic wellbeing tips with little customisation
Behavioural science-backed prompts tailored to team mood & fatigue levels
Focus heavily on annual surveys
Focus on daily micro-momentum and real-time nudges
Siloed wellbeing programs, separate from workflow
Integrated nudges inside daily team operations (no context switching)
Minimal feedback loops (only yearly reports)
Continuous feedback with micro-check-ins and wellness experiments
Static, one-size-fits-all modules
Adaptive modules that evolve based on team needs and behavioral signals
Tools used :
Slide 9
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Admin UX Flow & Feature Architecture
Tools used :
Slide 10
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Mid-fidelity UI Screens
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 11
Components Library
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 12
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Screen 1: Home Dashboard – Your Team’s Wellness Pulse at a Glance
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tune Into Team Energy Before It Turns Into Fatigue
See what's driving team energy and momentum
Showcase small wins and promote healthy competition
Track engagement and emotional safety
Investigate missed deadlines and wellbeing links
Year-on-Year Wellness Trends: Measure progress, adapt strategies
Longitudinal tracking identifies patterns, making wellness measurable (important for leadership buy-in). Transparent tracking was a key driver in countries with highest employee wellbeing.
Timely Nudges to Protect Energy and Momentum
Real-time notifications create Just-In-Time Interventions. Reminders about upcoming audits (stressors) and mood dip alerts allow proactive support before burnout or disengagement spirals.
Tools used :
Slide 13
Screen 2: Team Insights – Burnout Risk & Energy Rhythms
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Decode Emotional Patterns and Surface Hidden Risks
Quick Action Buttons: “View Micro Trends”, “Schedule Follow-up”, etc.
Integrating instant micro-actions supports the Action-Trigger-Ability model from BJ Fogg. Reducing the effort between insight and action drives timely interventions and higher manager participation rates compared to passive report-reading.
Energy Flow by Hour Visualisation inspired by Daniel Pink "When"
Hourly energy mapping was inspired by Daniel Pink’s "When", which emphasizes biological energy rhythms in daily productivity. Visualizing team peak and dip hours empowers leaders to plan critical tasks during "high engagement windows" and avoid overloading teams during natural slumps.
Burnout Signal Alert Bar
A bright, persistent banner informs users two weeks ahead of potential risk spikes, framing it as a "manageable adjustment" rather than a "crisis response."
Tools used :
Slide 14
Screen 3: Peer Recognition – Powering a Culture of Appreciation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Fuel Connections, Celebrate Contributions
Surface Imbalances to Promote Fair Visibility
Highlighting recognition gaps (e.g., cross-team imbalance, blind spots) brings unconscious biases to light — inspired by research from Google’s Project Aristotle on psychological safety and fair acknowledgment across teams. Visibility drives a more equitable culture.
Make Silent Signals Visible to Catalyse Engagement
Spotting "Silent Teams" aligns with Behavioural Design principles (Richard Thaler) — where making invisible behaviours visible helps drive course correction.
Tools used :
Slide 15
Screen 4 Action Centre – Turn Insights into Impact
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
From Insight to Action: Nudges That Build a Stronger Culture
Design a High-Impact Daily Flow
Quick Actions at the top help admins intervene precisely—nudging teams toward better focus, energy, and wellbeing.
Keep Progress Visible, Always Actionable
'Due Today' and 'Follow-up Scheduler' sections surface pending actions contextually, reducing decision fatigue.
Turn Small Wins into Big Momentum
Micro-wins are highlighted to prime users with early success signals, boosting confidence and motivation.
Make Wellness Sprints a Team Habit
Ongoing Modules use progress markers and nudges to encourage micro-habit formation across teams.
Tools used :
Slide 16
Screen 5 Rewards Hub – Track Your Wellness Points & Perks
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Incentivising Wellness: A Central Hub to Track, Earn, and Celebrate Healthy Workplace Behaviours
Tools used :
Slide 17
Constraints
Legal & Environment Constraint- Realistic context simulation was limited due to legal constraints around workplace testing.
While participants were engaged for interviews and usability testing, conducting tests in their actual office environments was restricted due to privacy policies and legal approvals. This limited the ability to observe behaviour under real-world collaboration tools like MS Teams or Jira. I mitigated this by designing tasks based on common team workflows gathered during interviews.
Data Sensitivity & Access Constraint-Access to real HR datasets was restricted due to data sensitivity and compliance policies.
Designing for enterprise HR tools often involves sensitive employee wellness data. Due to privacy regulations, I worked with proxy data and anonymised user journeys to model team behaviours. While this limited direct access to live analytics dashboards, it challenged me to think modularly and design scalable frameworks for insights.
Integration Complexity Constraint- Certain platform integrations (e.g., Outlook, Jira) were scoped as future-state features due to technical complexity.
Although research participants highlighted the need for wellness prompts within their existing tools, integrating these in the prototype was deferred. I documented these as roadmap-level ideas and focused on designing for modularity and future extensibility in the UI architecture.
Tools used : -
Slide 18
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Mindful Cooking
Mental Health
Catharsis
Catharsis is a mindful cooking app designed to support emotional regulation through culinary rituals. It helps users channel their moods into intuitive, therapeutic cooking experiences by combining journaling, personalised recipes, and sensory engagement. Rooted in behavioral psychology and emotional design, Catharsis turns everyday cooking into a self-care practice.
My Role: UX Designer
Timeline: 8 weeks
Why?
Despite increasing awareness around mindfulness, most digital solutions fail to embed it into everyday routines. Cooking—an activity homemakers spend significant time on—remains treated as a task, not a therapeutic experience.
The challenge was to design a mobile experience that gently weaves mindfulness into cooking, turning a daily responsibility into a moment of emotional care and mental well-being.
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Slide 20
In-Depth Research Backed by 52 Surveys, 10 Interviews & 7 Core Insights
I used this research to truly step into the shoes of homemakers—understanding their emotional world and letting their voices guide every step of the design.
Survey (Quantitative research)
Conducted a Qualtrics survey with 52 respondents to understand home cooking behaviours, digital usage, and emotional experiences, revealing that most participants did not feel relaxed after cooking.
User Interviews (Qualitative research)
Conducted semi-structured interviews (20-30 mins) with six selected participants, categorised by cooking experience (0-15 years & 15+ years) to understand pain points, needs, and goals.
Participant Recruitment & Ethics
Used a User Recruitment Advertisement reflecting the product’s visual identity, ensuring participants received an information sheet and consent form before interviews.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 21
PrIMARY PERSONA
The Busy Home Chef: Simplifying Meals and Life
This persona represents a busy parent or homemaker who seeks convenient solutions for meal planning, cooking, and managing family needs, valuing both practicality and emotional support.
Jenny
Content
Age: 29
Location: Goa
Tech Proficiency: Moderate
Gender: Female
Goal
Wants to maintain mental stability without taking extra time out of her routine.
Desires a platform where she can share her skills and feel valued.
Needs a service that simplifies tasks like grocery shopping to reduce stress.
Frustrations
Feels overburdened by daily household responsibilities with no time for herself.
Lacks emotional support, making it difficult to share her struggles.
Struggles to find joy in routine household tasks.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 22
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 23
Customer Journey Map
A day in life of Jenny
This journey map follows Jenny, a homemaker whose day is filled with constant responsibilities. While she seamlessly manages her household, she suppresses her own emotions to maintain peace. The journey highlights how her emotional needs remain unmet, building the case for a mindful space like Catharsis within her daily routine.
Stages
What Jenny does
Emotions
Pain Points
Opportunities
Morning Hustle
Jenny’s day begins before everyone else — cooking, cleaning, making sure her home runs smoothly.
🥱
Jenny rushes through her morning routine, juggling multiple tasks without a moment to pause or reflect.
Introduce small mindful moments in her morning prep (e.g., guided breathing while cooking) to set a calmer tone for the day.
Endless Chores
From morning to night, she keeps moving, with no room to pause or process how she feels.
😮💨
Repetitive household tasks leave her physically drained and mentally disengaged.
Integrate mindful audio prompts during chores to help her reconnect with her senses and feelings.
Emotional Isolation
Tensions at dinner simmer, words are exchanged, and everyone disappears into their own rooms.
🙄
Jenny has no one to talk to about her emotional struggles, leading to internalised stress.
Create a safe space within the app for emotional journaling, venting, or gentle self-talk sessions.
Overwhelmed & Unnoticed:
She’s left alone in the kitchen — not just with the dishes, but with unspoken emotions and silent exhaustion.
😞
Despite her efforts, Jenny’s emotional labor goes unseen, leaving her feeling invisible.
Use positive affirmations and reflective exercises to validate her daily contributions and uplift her mood.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 24
Point Of View Statements
This Point of View statement emerged from the key opportunities identified in Jenny’s journey—moments where emotional needs were consistently unmet. It reframes these insights into a clear design lens, helping define not just what the user needs, but why it matters. This became the foundation for crafting meaningful user stories that put emotional well-being at the heart of everyday cooking.
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 25
User Stories
As a user, I want realistic & verified recipes from reliable resources so that I can cook without worrying about failure and wastage of food.
As a user, I want my groceries divided by departments so that I can manage my time while shopping.
As a user, I want to listen to a coach while cooking so that I am aware that the motion/direction of my activities are creating an impact on my mind and I feel relaxed eventually.
As a user, I want to be able to scan the recipes I write on a paper so that I can have an access to them whenever I want.
As a user, I want to have a one-stop platform for cooking so that I don’t have use multiple applications for making lists, setting timers & listening to podcast
As a user, I want to share my cooking expertise with those who need it so that I can feel appreciated and the other person gets genuine help.
As a user, I want to be able to search cross-cultural dishes so that I can be experimental with my food.
As a user, I want to listen to music/podcast while cooking so that I can fully enjoy the experience.
As a user, I want to have a timers on my phone for different meal preps so that I can concentrate on the other things while i am away.
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 26
How Might We? Questions and Answers
Seeing how homemakers often suppress their emotions while caring for others, I framed my POV: A homemaker needs space to process her feelings during her daily routine, as she rarely gets time for herself. This led to the question—How might we transform cooking into a mindful, healing moment that supports her emotional wellbeing?
How might we...connect the experienced home makers to the beginner cooks?
We can create a community where beginner cooks can connect i.e. call, text or meet in person to the experienced cook according to their availability
How might we...add a showcasing a skill feature ?
1. We can add the profile section in this application. 2. We can create a feature of tracking progress
How might we...make grocery shopping less confusing/ exhausting ?
1. We can separate the groceries by departments. 2.We can also add a reminder option when the bought product is closer to its expiry date
How might we...add entertainment aspect to the application ?
We can add music, podcasts, videos We can offer playlists for different moods
How might we...add therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
We can add coaching feature where the therapist explains the process or talks to the person cooking. This feature could be interactive.
How might we...create an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
1. We can follow WCAG guidelines for User Interface. 2. We can keep the UI minimal to lessen the cognitive load.
Role Storming
How Might We
Connect the experienced homemakers with beginner cooks?
Add an entertainment aspect to the application?
Make therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
Design an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
Make sure that the recipe source is verified?
How would Google do it?
Google Ads
Youtube
Duo, Classroom, Podcast
Guidelines by Material.io
Google verification process
How would Epicurus do it?
On call or letters
Playing cassets in the background
Write a recipe book
Use bigger font
Confirm with publisher / editor
How would Ramsay do it?
Culinary training
Creating games & competitors
Talking to the cook during the process
Asking them to deal with it
Checking/Approving it by himself
How would ratatouilledo it?
Creating portal
Adding magic
Create songs about them
Giving them magical glasses
Asking them directly
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 27
Low Fidelity Wireframe
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 28
Mid-Fi Wireframes
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 29
Role Storming
How Might We
Connect the experienced homemakers with beginner cooks?
Add an entertainment aspect to the application?
Make therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
Design an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
Make sure that the recipe source is verified?
How would Google do it?
Google Ads
Youtube
Duo, Classroom, Podcast
Guidelines by Material.io
Google verification process
How would Epicurus do it?
On call or letters
Playing cassets in the background
Write a recipe book
Use bigger font
Confirm with publisher / editor
How would Ramsay do it?
Culinary training
Creating games & competitors
Talking to the cook during the process
Asking them to deal with it
Checking/Approving it by himself
How would ratatouilledo it?
Creating portal
Adding magic
Create songs about them
Giving them magical glasses
Asking them directly
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 30
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
feature 01 : Image to text recipes
I keep losing my old recipes, and when I find them, I struggle to read my own handwriting. I wish there was a way to just scan them and have them read aloud while I cook
-Participant 7
Take a Picture of Your Recipe
AI Converts Recipe into Digital Format
Edit & Modify Recipe
Save & Access Recipes Anytime
Scalability & Future Use Cases
Tools used :
Slide 31
Feature 02: Podcasts, music, auidobooks
In a survey of 52 participants, 59.6% reported that cooking does not leave them feeling relaxed, indicating that for many, cooking is perceived as a draining task rather than a rejuvenating activity.
-Participant 7
Mood-based Audio Selection
Guided Sensory Experience
Personalised Content Library
Seamless Audio Playback
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 32
Feature 03: Share recipes with voicenotes
"I don't really trust online recipes… Somehow, the food never turns out like the homely dishes I grew up eating. I wish there was a way to get guidance from someone who understands that feeling."
-Participant 8 | 27 year old woman
Interactive Chat Support:
Users can ask questions about ingredient substitutions directly within the app, making the cooking experience more flexible. (Monetisation Opportunity: Premium users can get quick responses from expert chefs.)
Allergen & Prep Time Indicators:
Clear visual cues help users quickly assess if a recipe fits their needs. (Monetisation Opportunity: Offer a premium version where users can filter recipes based on allergens and dietary preferences.)
Real-Time Expert Guidance:
Users can chat with recipe creators or experienced home cooks to ensure their dish turns out as expected. (Monetisation Opportunity: Paid consultation or subscription-based mentor access.)
Audio Notes for Recipes:
Instead of reading, users can listen to step-by-step guidance, making it easier to follow while cooking.
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 33
Feature 04: Customised meal plan for your family
Every single day, I ask myself the same question—what's for dinner? By the time I decide, I’m already exhausted. I just wish something could take this stress away!
Participant 2
Quick Access to Key Features
Effortless Meal Customization
Smart Personalisation
Customised Recipe Suggestions
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 34
ITeration 01
Breaking Language Barriers for a More Accessible Cooking Experience!
In this iteration, the app was localized into five additional languages. During testing, I observed that 6 out of 10 users struggled with language barriers. Once the moderator translated the content for them, users were able to continue with the flow without further issues. This change was prioritized due to its significant impact on accessibility and user experience.
Korean
Chinese
Arabic
Marathi
Bengali
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 35
ITeration 02
These additions aim to enhance the overall user experience by offering emotional support and convenience.
Instant Emotional Support
Catharsis Premium allows users to connect directly with mental health professionals during their cooking experience, offering emotional support and guidance, ensuring they feel heard and supported while preparing meals.
Effortless Grocery Management
The app’s grocery restocking feature enables users to easily add items to their shopping list by simply mentioning what they’re running low on while cooking, making meal prep and grocery shopping more convenient and efficient.
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 36
Constraints
Participant Reluctance Around Emotional Topics
Despite targeting middle‑aged homemakers, many were hesitant to discuss stress or “mental health” in a group setting, so I had to rely on one‑on‑one interviews to build trust and uncover candid insights.
Inability to Run In‑Person Focus Groups
I believed a communal cooking session would spark richer conversations, but conflicting schedules and location logistics made group sessions unfeasible—so I synthesised learnings from individual interviews instead.
Device & Connectivity Limitations
A significant portion of users were on older Android and iOS phones with limited storage/bandwidth. This forced me to prioritize a lightweight, offline‑capable prototype and avoid feature sets that required the latest OS versions.
Tools used : -
Slide 37
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
What I’m Currently Working On
International Proxy Shipping App
AWS Hackathon
Tools used : -
Slide 38
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Hello :)
I’m Rutuja, a UX Designer with 3+ years of experience in UX Design and over 4 years in the design industry.
SaaS
Corporate Wellness
Behavioural Design
BreatheBoard
BreatheBoard is a B2B wellness platform designed for HR teams and People Managers to foster daily momentum, emotional wellbeing, and high-performance habits within distributed teams.
It addresses the growing gap between employee engagement and recovery needs, especially in hybrid and remote-first workplaces.
My Role: UX Designer
Timeline: 4 weeks
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Initial Research Takeaways: Informing Design Priorities
In early conversations with HR managers and team members, several patterns emerged, hinting at gaps in current practices and opportunities to drive deeper engagement and wellbeing at scale.
5 interviews conducted (3 HR managers, 2 team members)
Participants spanned Big 4 companies and a mid-sized startup
Early-stage exploration to capture emotional, operational, and engagement gaps from both leadership and team perspectives
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Tools used :
Slide 3
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Personas
The persona were finalised based of the interviews and observations.
The Self-Aware Supporter
Aditi Rao
Hobbies: Journaling, Mandala Art
Punch-out Time: 6:00 PM
Performance Score: 8.2/10
I want to get better — if I have the right tools to track my mental health.
The Burnt-Out Skeptic
Kunal Mehra
Hobbies: None
Punch-out Time: 10:30 PM
Performance Score: 5.8/10
“I don’t have time for all this mental health stuff. I just need to finish my work.”
The Purpose-Driven HR
Neha Joshi
Hobbies: Reading productivity books, Yoga
Punch-out Time: 6:30 PM
Performance Score: N/A (Admin Role)
“I want people to love coming to work — not dread it.”
Tools used :
Slide 4
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
The Customer Journey Map of Self-Aware Supporter
Let's peek into Aditi's day at work
Tools used :
Slide 5
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 6
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
The Customer Journey Map of Burnout Skeptic
Let's peek into Kunal's day at work
The Customer Journey Map of The Silent Supporter
Let's peek into Neha's day at work
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 7
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
System-Level Journey Map
Lack of personal productivity insights (Aditi)
No burnout monitoring analytics (Kunal)
No wellbeing awareness or team pulse (Neha)
No shared language for team wellbeing
No proactive burnout detection
Productivity is measured, wellbeing isn’t
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 8
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Where BreatheBoard Breaks Away
While traditional wellness tools focus on top-down initiatives, BreatheBoard empowers teams with real-time insights, micro-actions, and self-driven wellbeing experiments for lasting impact.
Existing Corporate Wellness Tools
BreatheBoard
Generic wellbeing tips with little customisation
Behavioural science-backed prompts tailored to team mood & fatigue levels
Focus heavily on annual surveys
Focus on daily micro-momentum and real-time nudges
Siloed wellbeing programs, separate from workflow
Integrated nudges inside daily team operations (no context switching)
Minimal feedback loops (only yearly reports)
Continuous feedback with micro-check-ins and wellness experiments
Static, one-size-fits-all modules
Adaptive modules that evolve based on team needs and behavioral signals
Tools used :
Slide 9
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Admin UX Flow & Feature Architecture
Tools used :
Slide 10
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Mid-fidelity UI Screens
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 11
Components Library
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 12
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Screen 1: Home Dashboard – Your Team’s Wellness Pulse at a Glance
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tune Into Team Energy Before It Turns Into Fatigue
See what's driving team energy and momentum
Showcase small wins and promote healthy competition
Track engagement and emotional safety
Investigate missed deadlines and wellbeing links
Year-on-Year Wellness Trends: Measure progress, adapt strategies
Longitudinal tracking identifies patterns, making wellness measurable (important for leadership buy-in). Transparent tracking was a key driver in countries with highest employee wellbeing.
Timely Nudges to Protect Energy and Momentum
Real-time notifications create Just-In-Time Interventions. Reminders about upcoming audits (stressors) and mood dip alerts allow proactive support before burnout or disengagement spirals.
Tools used :
Slide 13
Screen 2: Team Insights – Burnout Risk & Energy Rhythms
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Decode Emotional Patterns and Surface Hidden Risks
Quick Action Buttons: “View Micro Trends”, “Schedule Follow-up”, etc.
Integrating instant micro-actions supports the Action-Trigger-Ability model from BJ Fogg. Reducing the effort between insight and action drives timely interventions and higher manager participation rates compared to passive report-reading.
Energy Flow by Hour Visualisation inspired by Daniel Pink "When"
Hourly energy mapping was inspired by Daniel Pink’s "When", which emphasizes biological energy rhythms in daily productivity. Visualizing team peak and dip hours empowers leaders to plan critical tasks during "high engagement windows" and avoid overloading teams during natural slumps.
Burnout Signal Alert Bar
A bright, persistent banner informs users two weeks ahead of potential risk spikes, framing it as a "manageable adjustment" rather than a "crisis response."
Tools used :
Slide 14
Screen 3: Peer Recognition – Powering a Culture of Appreciation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Fuel Connections, Celebrate Contributions
Surface Imbalances to Promote Fair Visibility
Highlighting recognition gaps (e.g., cross-team imbalance, blind spots) brings unconscious biases to light — inspired by research from Google’s Project Aristotle on psychological safety and fair acknowledgment across teams. Visibility drives a more equitable culture.
Make Silent Signals Visible to Catalyse Engagement
Spotting "Silent Teams" aligns with Behavioural Design principles (Richard Thaler) — where making invisible behaviours visible helps drive course correction.
Tools used :
Slide 15
Screen 4 Action Centre – Turn Insights into Impact
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
From Insight to Action: Nudges That Build a Stronger Culture
Design a High-Impact Daily Flow
Quick Actions at the top help admins intervene precisely—nudging teams toward better focus, energy, and wellbeing.
Keep Progress Visible, Always Actionable
'Due Today' and 'Follow-up Scheduler' sections surface pending actions contextually, reducing decision fatigue.
Turn Small Wins into Big Momentum
Micro-wins are highlighted to prime users with early success signals, boosting confidence and motivation.
Make Wellness Sprints a Team Habit
Ongoing Modules use progress markers and nudges to encourage micro-habit formation across teams.
Tools used :
Slide 16
Screen 5 Rewards Hub – Track Your Wellness Points & Perks
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Incentivising Wellness: A Central Hub to Track, Earn, and Celebrate Healthy Workplace Behaviours
Tools used :
Slide 17
Constraints
Legal & Environment Constraint- Realistic context simulation was limited due to legal constraints around workplace testing.
While participants were engaged for interviews and usability testing, conducting tests in their actual office environments was restricted due to privacy policies and legal approvals. This limited the ability to observe behaviour under real-world collaboration tools like MS Teams or Jira. I mitigated this by designing tasks based on common team workflows gathered during interviews.
Data Sensitivity & Access Constraint-Access to real HR datasets was restricted due to data sensitivity and compliance policies.
Designing for enterprise HR tools often involves sensitive employee wellness data. Due to privacy regulations, I worked with proxy data and anonymised user journeys to model team behaviours. While this limited direct access to live analytics dashboards, it challenged me to think modularly and design scalable frameworks for insights.
Integration Complexity Constraint- Certain platform integrations (e.g., Outlook, Jira) were scoped as future-state features due to technical complexity.
Although research participants highlighted the need for wellness prompts within their existing tools, integrating these in the prototype was deferred. I documented these as roadmap-level ideas and focused on designing for modularity and future extensibility in the UI architecture.
Tools used : -
Slide 18
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Mindful Cooking
Mental Health
Catharsis
Catharsis is a mindful cooking app designed to support emotional regulation through culinary rituals. It helps users channel their moods into intuitive, therapeutic cooking experiences by combining journaling, personalised recipes, and sensory engagement. Rooted in behavioral psychology and emotional design, Catharsis turns everyday cooking into a self-care practice.
My Role: UX Designer
Timeline: 8 weeks
Why?
Despite increasing awareness around mindfulness, most digital solutions fail to embed it into everyday routines. Cooking—an activity homemakers spend significant time on—remains treated as a task, not a therapeutic experience.
The challenge was to design a mobile experience that gently weaves mindfulness into cooking, turning a daily responsibility into a moment of emotional care and mental well-being.
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Slide 20
In-Depth Research Backed by 52 Surveys, 10 Interviews & 7 Core Insights
I used this research to truly step into the shoes of homemakers—understanding their emotional world and letting their voices guide every step of the design.
Survey (Quantitative research)
Conducted a Qualtrics survey with 52 respondents to understand home cooking behaviours, digital usage, and emotional experiences, revealing that most participants did not feel relaxed after cooking.
User Interviews (Qualitative research)
Conducted semi-structured interviews (20-30 mins) with six selected participants, categorised by cooking experience (0-15 years & 15+ years) to understand pain points, needs, and goals.
Participant Recruitment & Ethics
Used a User Recruitment Advertisement reflecting the product’s visual identity, ensuring participants received an information sheet and consent form before interviews.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 21
PrIMARY PERSONA
The Busy Home Chef: Simplifying Meals and Life
This persona represents a busy parent or homemaker who seeks convenient solutions for meal planning, cooking, and managing family needs, valuing both practicality and emotional support.
Jenny
Content
Age: 29
Location: Goa
Tech Proficiency: Moderate
Gender: Female
Goal
Wants to maintain mental stability without taking extra time out of her routine.
Desires a platform where she can share her skills and feel valued.
Needs a service that simplifies tasks like grocery shopping to reduce stress.
Frustrations
Feels overburdened by daily household responsibilities with no time for herself.
Lacks emotional support, making it difficult to share her struggles.
Struggles to find joy in routine household tasks.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 22
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 23
Customer Journey Map
A day in life of Jenny
This journey map follows Jenny, a homemaker whose day is filled with constant responsibilities. While she seamlessly manages her household, she suppresses her own emotions to maintain peace. The journey highlights how her emotional needs remain unmet, building the case for a mindful space like Catharsis within her daily routine.
Stages
What Jenny does
Emotions
Pain Points
Opportunities
Morning Hustle
Jenny’s day begins before everyone else — cooking, cleaning, making sure her home runs smoothly.
🥱
Jenny rushes through her morning routine, juggling multiple tasks without a moment to pause or reflect.
Introduce small mindful moments in her morning prep (e.g., guided breathing while cooking) to set a calmer tone for the day.
Endless Chores
From morning to night, she keeps moving, with no room to pause or process how she feels.
😮💨
Repetitive household tasks leave her physically drained and mentally disengaged.
Integrate mindful audio prompts during chores to help her reconnect with her senses and feelings.
Emotional Isolation
Tensions at dinner simmer, words are exchanged, and everyone disappears into their own rooms.
🙄
Jenny has no one to talk to about her emotional struggles, leading to internalised stress.
Create a safe space within the app for emotional journaling, venting, or gentle self-talk sessions.
Overwhelmed & Unnoticed:
She’s left alone in the kitchen — not just with the dishes, but with unspoken emotions and silent exhaustion.
😞
Despite her efforts, Jenny’s emotional labor goes unseen, leaving her feeling invisible.
Use positive affirmations and reflective exercises to validate her daily contributions and uplift her mood.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 24
Point Of View Statements
This Point of View statement emerged from the key opportunities identified in Jenny’s journey—moments where emotional needs were consistently unmet. It reframes these insights into a clear design lens, helping define not just what the user needs, but why it matters. This became the foundation for crafting meaningful user stories that put emotional well-being at the heart of everyday cooking.
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 25
User Stories
As a user, I want realistic & verified recipes from reliable resources so that I can cook without worrying about failure and wastage of food.
As a user, I want my groceries divided by departments so that I can manage my time while shopping.
As a user, I want to listen to a coach while cooking so that I am aware that the motion/direction of my activities are creating an impact on my mind and I feel relaxed eventually.
As a user, I want to be able to scan the recipes I write on a paper so that I can have an access to them whenever I want.
As a user, I want to have a one-stop platform for cooking so that I don’t have use multiple applications for making lists, setting timers & listening to podcast
As a user, I want to share my cooking expertise with those who need it so that I can feel appreciated and the other person gets genuine help.
As a user, I want to be able to search cross-cultural dishes so that I can be experimental with my food.
As a user, I want to listen to music/podcast while cooking so that I can fully enjoy the experience.
As a user, I want to have a timers on my phone for different meal preps so that I can concentrate on the other things while i am away.
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 26
How Might We? Questions and Answers
Seeing how homemakers often suppress their emotions while caring for others, I framed my POV: A homemaker needs space to process her feelings during her daily routine, as she rarely gets time for herself. This led to the question—How might we transform cooking into a mindful, healing moment that supports her emotional wellbeing?
How might we...connect the experienced home makers to the beginner cooks?
We can create a community where beginner cooks can connect i.e. call, text or meet in person to the experienced cook according to their availability
How might we...add a showcasing a skill feature ?
1. We can add the profile section in this application. 2. We can create a feature of tracking progress
How might we...make grocery shopping less confusing/ exhausting ?
1. We can separate the groceries by departments. 2.We can also add a reminder option when the bought product is closer to its expiry date
How might we...add entertainment aspect to the application ?
We can add music, podcasts, videos We can offer playlists for different moods
How might we...add therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
We can add coaching feature where the therapist explains the process or talks to the person cooking. This feature could be interactive.
How might we...create an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
1. We can follow WCAG guidelines for User Interface. 2. We can keep the UI minimal to lessen the cognitive load.
Role Storming
How Might We
Connect the experienced homemakers with beginner cooks?
Add an entertainment aspect to the application?
Make therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
Design an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
Make sure that the recipe source is verified?
How would Google do it?
Google Ads
Youtube
Duo, Classroom, Podcast
Guidelines by Material.io
Google verification process
How would Epicurus do it?
On call or letters
Playing cassets in the background
Write a recipe book
Use bigger font
Confirm with publisher / editor
How would Ramsay do it?
Culinary training
Creating games & competitors
Talking to the cook during the process
Asking them to deal with it
Checking/Approving it by himself
How would ratatouilledo it?
Creating portal
Adding magic
Create songs about them
Giving them magical glasses
Asking them directly
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 27
Low Fidelity Wireframe
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 28
Mid-Fi Wireframes
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 29
Role Storming
How Might We
Connect the experienced homemakers with beginner cooks?
Add an entertainment aspect to the application?
Make therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
Design an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
Make sure that the recipe source is verified?
How would Google do it?
Google Ads
Youtube
Duo, Classroom, Podcast
Guidelines by Material.io
Google verification process
How would Epicurus do it?
On call or letters
Playing cassets in the background
Write a recipe book
Use bigger font
Confirm with publisher / editor
How would Ramsay do it?
Culinary training
Creating games & competitors
Talking to the cook during the process
Asking them to deal with it
Checking/Approving it by himself
How would ratatouilledo it?
Creating portal
Adding magic
Create songs about them
Giving them magical glasses
Asking them directly
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 30
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
feature 01 : Image to text recipes
I keep losing my old recipes, and when I find them, I struggle to read my own handwriting. I wish there was a way to just scan them and have them read aloud while I cook
-Participant 7
Take a Picture of Your Recipe
AI Converts Recipe into Digital Format
Edit & Modify Recipe
Save & Access Recipes Anytime
Scalability & Future Use Cases
Tools used :
Slide 31
Feature 02: Podcasts, music, auidobooks
In a survey of 52 participants, 59.6% reported that cooking does not leave them feeling relaxed, indicating that for many, cooking is perceived as a draining task rather than a rejuvenating activity.
-Participant 7
Mood-based Audio Selection
Guided Sensory Experience
Personalised Content Library
Seamless Audio Playback
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 32
Feature 03: Share recipes with voicenotes
"I don't really trust online recipes… Somehow, the food never turns out like the homely dishes I grew up eating. I wish there was a way to get guidance from someone who understands that feeling."
-Participant 8 | 27 year old woman
Interactive Chat Support:
Users can ask questions about ingredient substitutions directly within the app, making the cooking experience more flexible. (Monetisation Opportunity: Premium users can get quick responses from expert chefs.)
Allergen & Prep Time Indicators:
Clear visual cues help users quickly assess if a recipe fits their needs. (Monetisation Opportunity: Offer a premium version where users can filter recipes based on allergens and dietary preferences.)
Real-Time Expert Guidance:
Users can chat with recipe creators or experienced home cooks to ensure their dish turns out as expected. (Monetisation Opportunity: Paid consultation or subscription-based mentor access.)
Audio Notes for Recipes:
Instead of reading, users can listen to step-by-step guidance, making it easier to follow while cooking.
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 33
Feature 04: Customised meal plan for your family
Every single day, I ask myself the same question—what's for dinner? By the time I decide, I’m already exhausted. I just wish something could take this stress away!
Participant 2
Quick Access to Key Features
Effortless Meal Customization
Smart Personalisation
Customised Recipe Suggestions
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 34
ITeration 01
Breaking Language Barriers for a More Accessible Cooking Experience!
In this iteration, the app was localized into five additional languages. During testing, I observed that 6 out of 10 users struggled with language barriers. Once the moderator translated the content for them, users were able to continue with the flow without further issues. This change was prioritized due to its significant impact on accessibility and user experience.
Korean
Chinese
Arabic
Marathi
Bengali
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 35
ITeration 02
These additions aim to enhance the overall user experience by offering emotional support and convenience.
Instant Emotional Support
Catharsis Premium allows users to connect directly with mental health professionals during their cooking experience, offering emotional support and guidance, ensuring they feel heard and supported while preparing meals.
Effortless Grocery Management
The app’s grocery restocking feature enables users to easily add items to their shopping list by simply mentioning what they’re running low on while cooking, making meal prep and grocery shopping more convenient and efficient.
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 36
Constraints
Participant Reluctance Around Emotional Topics
Despite targeting middle‑aged homemakers, many were hesitant to discuss stress or “mental health” in a group setting, so I had to rely on one‑on‑one interviews to build trust and uncover candid insights.
Inability to Run In‑Person Focus Groups
I believed a communal cooking session would spark richer conversations, but conflicting schedules and location logistics made group sessions unfeasible—so I synthesised learnings from individual interviews instead.
Device & Connectivity Limitations
A significant portion of users were on older Android and iOS phones with limited storage/bandwidth. This forced me to prioritize a lightweight, offline‑capable prototype and avoid feature sets that required the latest OS versions.
Tools used : -
Slide 37
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
What I’m Currently Working On
International Proxy Shipping App
AWS Hackathon
Tools used : -
Slide 38
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Hello :)
I’m Rutuja, a UX Designer with 3+ years of experience in UX Design and over 4 years in the design industry.
SaaS
Corporate Wellness
Behavioural Design
BreatheBoard
BreatheBoard is a B2B wellness platform designed for HR teams and People Managers to foster daily momentum, emotional wellbeing, and high-performance habits within distributed teams.
It addresses the growing gap between employee engagement and recovery needs, especially in hybrid and remote-first workplaces.
My Role: UX Designer
Timeline: 4 weeks
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Initial Research Takeaways: Informing Design Priorities
In early conversations with HR managers and team members, several patterns emerged, hinting at gaps in current practices and opportunities to drive deeper engagement and wellbeing at scale.
5 interviews conducted (3 HR managers, 2 team members)
Participants spanned Big 4 companies and a mid-sized startup
Early-stage exploration to capture emotional, operational, and engagement gaps from both leadership and team perspectives
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Tools used :
Slide 3
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Personas
The persona were finalised based of the interviews and observations.
The Self-Aware Supporter
Aditi Rao
Hobbies: Journaling, Mandala Art
Punch-out Time: 6:00 PM
Performance Score: 8.2/10
I want to get better — if I have the right tools to track my mental health.
The Burnt-Out Skeptic
Kunal Mehra
Hobbies: None
Punch-out Time: 10:30 PM
Performance Score: 5.8/10
“I don’t have time for all this mental health stuff. I just need to finish my work.”
The Purpose-Driven HR
Neha Joshi
Hobbies: Reading productivity books, Yoga
Punch-out Time: 6:30 PM
Performance Score: N/A (Admin Role)
“I want people to love coming to work — not dread it.”
Tools used :
Slide 4
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
The Customer Journey Map of Self-Aware Supporter
Let's peek into Aditi's day at work
Tools used :
Slide 5
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 6
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
The Customer Journey Map of Burnout Skeptic
Let's peek into Kunal's day at work
The Customer Journey Map of The Silent Supporter
Let's peek into Neha's day at work
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 7
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
System-Level Journey Map
Lack of personal productivity insights (Aditi)
No burnout monitoring analytics (Kunal)
No wellbeing awareness or team pulse (Neha)
No shared language for team wellbeing
No proactive burnout detection
Productivity is measured, wellbeing isn’t
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 8
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Where BreatheBoard Breaks Away
While traditional wellness tools focus on top-down initiatives, BreatheBoard empowers teams with real-time insights, micro-actions, and self-driven wellbeing experiments for lasting impact.
Existing Corporate Wellness Tools
BreatheBoard
Generic wellbeing tips with little customisation
Behavioural science-backed prompts tailored to team mood & fatigue levels
Focus heavily on annual surveys
Focus on daily micro-momentum and real-time nudges
Siloed wellbeing programs, separate from workflow
Integrated nudges inside daily team operations (no context switching)
Minimal feedback loops (only yearly reports)
Continuous feedback with micro-check-ins and wellness experiments
Static, one-size-fits-all modules
Adaptive modules that evolve based on team needs and behavioral signals
Tools used :
Slide 9
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Admin UX Flow & Feature Architecture
Tools used :
Slide 10
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Mid-fidelity UI Screens
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 11
Components Library
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tools used :
Slide 12
Image Source: rutujakandarkar.in
Screen 1: Home Dashboard – Your Team’s Wellness Pulse at a Glance
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Tune Into Team Energy Before It Turns Into Fatigue
See what's driving team energy and momentum
Showcase small wins and promote healthy competition
Track engagement and emotional safety
Investigate missed deadlines and wellbeing links
Year-on-Year Wellness Trends: Measure progress, adapt strategies
Longitudinal tracking identifies patterns, making wellness measurable (important for leadership buy-in). Transparent tracking was a key driver in countries with highest employee wellbeing.
Timely Nudges to Protect Energy and Momentum
Real-time notifications create Just-In-Time Interventions. Reminders about upcoming audits (stressors) and mood dip alerts allow proactive support before burnout or disengagement spirals.
Tools used :
Slide 13
Screen 2: Team Insights – Burnout Risk & Energy Rhythms
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Decode Emotional Patterns and Surface Hidden Risks
Quick Action Buttons: “View Micro Trends”, “Schedule Follow-up”, etc.
Integrating instant micro-actions supports the Action-Trigger-Ability model from BJ Fogg. Reducing the effort between insight and action drives timely interventions and higher manager participation rates compared to passive report-reading.
Energy Flow by Hour Visualisation inspired by Daniel Pink "When"
Hourly energy mapping was inspired by Daniel Pink’s "When", which emphasizes biological energy rhythms in daily productivity. Visualizing team peak and dip hours empowers leaders to plan critical tasks during "high engagement windows" and avoid overloading teams during natural slumps.
Burnout Signal Alert Bar
A bright, persistent banner informs users two weeks ahead of potential risk spikes, framing it as a "manageable adjustment" rather than a "crisis response."
Tools used :
Slide 14
Screen 3: Peer Recognition – Powering a Culture of Appreciation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Fuel Connections, Celebrate Contributions
Surface Imbalances to Promote Fair Visibility
Highlighting recognition gaps (e.g., cross-team imbalance, blind spots) brings unconscious biases to light — inspired by research from Google’s Project Aristotle on psychological safety and fair acknowledgment across teams. Visibility drives a more equitable culture.
Make Silent Signals Visible to Catalyse Engagement
Spotting "Silent Teams" aligns with Behavioural Design principles (Richard Thaler) — where making invisible behaviours visible helps drive course correction.
Tools used :
Slide 15
Screen 4 Action Centre – Turn Insights into Impact
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
From Insight to Action: Nudges That Build a Stronger Culture
Design a High-Impact Daily Flow
Quick Actions at the top help admins intervene precisely—nudging teams toward better focus, energy, and wellbeing.
Keep Progress Visible, Always Actionable
'Due Today' and 'Follow-up Scheduler' sections surface pending actions contextually, reducing decision fatigue.
Turn Small Wins into Big Momentum
Micro-wins are highlighted to prime users with early success signals, boosting confidence and motivation.
Make Wellness Sprints a Team Habit
Ongoing Modules use progress markers and nudges to encourage micro-habit formation across teams.
Tools used :
Slide 16
Screen 5 Rewards Hub – Track Your Wellness Points & Perks
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Incentivising Wellness: A Central Hub to Track, Earn, and Celebrate Healthy Workplace Behaviours
Tools used :
Slide 17
Constraints
Legal & Environment Constraint- Realistic context simulation was limited due to legal constraints around workplace testing.
While participants were engaged for interviews and usability testing, conducting tests in their actual office environments was restricted due to privacy policies and legal approvals. This limited the ability to observe behaviour under real-world collaboration tools like MS Teams or Jira. I mitigated this by designing tasks based on common team workflows gathered during interviews.
Data Sensitivity & Access Constraint-Access to real HR datasets was restricted due to data sensitivity and compliance policies.
Designing for enterprise HR tools often involves sensitive employee wellness data. Due to privacy regulations, I worked with proxy data and anonymised user journeys to model team behaviours. While this limited direct access to live analytics dashboards, it challenged me to think modularly and design scalable frameworks for insights.
Integration Complexity Constraint- Certain platform integrations (e.g., Outlook, Jira) were scoped as future-state features due to technical complexity.
Although research participants highlighted the need for wellness prompts within their existing tools, integrating these in the prototype was deferred. I documented these as roadmap-level ideas and focused on designing for modularity and future extensibility in the UI architecture.
Tools used : -
Slide 18
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 01
Mindful Cooking
Mental Health
Catharsis
Catharsis is a mindful cooking app designed to support emotional regulation through culinary rituals. It helps users channel their moods into intuitive, therapeutic cooking experiences by combining journaling, personalised recipes, and sensory engagement. Rooted in behavioral psychology and emotional design, Catharsis turns everyday cooking into a self-care practice.
My Role: UX Designer
Timeline: 8 weeks
Why?
Despite increasing awareness around mindfulness, most digital solutions fail to embed it into everyday routines. Cooking—an activity homemakers spend significant time on—remains treated as a task, not a therapeutic experience.
The challenge was to design a mobile experience that gently weaves mindfulness into cooking, turning a daily responsibility into a moment of emotional care and mental well-being.
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Slide 20
In-Depth Research Backed by 52 Surveys, 10 Interviews & 7 Core Insights
I used this research to truly step into the shoes of homemakers—understanding their emotional world and letting their voices guide every step of the design.
Survey (Quantitative research)
Conducted a Qualtrics survey with 52 respondents to understand home cooking behaviours, digital usage, and emotional experiences, revealing that most participants did not feel relaxed after cooking.
User Interviews (Qualitative research)
Conducted semi-structured interviews (20-30 mins) with six selected participants, categorised by cooking experience (0-15 years & 15+ years) to understand pain points, needs, and goals.
Participant Recruitment & Ethics
Used a User Recruitment Advertisement reflecting the product’s visual identity, ensuring participants received an information sheet and consent form before interviews.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 21
PrIMARY PERSONA
The Busy Home Chef: Simplifying Meals and Life
This persona represents a busy parent or homemaker who seeks convenient solutions for meal planning, cooking, and managing family needs, valuing both practicality and emotional support.
Jenny
Content
Age: 29
Location: Goa
Tech Proficiency: Moderate
Gender: Female
Goal
Wants to maintain mental stability without taking extra time out of her routine.
Desires a platform where she can share her skills and feel valued.
Needs a service that simplifies tasks like grocery shopping to reduce stress.
Frustrations
Feels overburdened by daily household responsibilities with no time for herself.
Lacks emotional support, making it difficult to share her struggles.
Struggles to find joy in routine household tasks.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 22
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 23
Customer Journey Map
A day in life of Jenny
This journey map follows Jenny, a homemaker whose day is filled with constant responsibilities. While she seamlessly manages her household, she suppresses her own emotions to maintain peace. The journey highlights how her emotional needs remain unmet, building the case for a mindful space like Catharsis within her daily routine.
Stages
What Jenny does
Emotions
Pain Points
Opportunities
Morning Hustle
Jenny’s day begins before everyone else — cooking, cleaning, making sure her home runs smoothly.
🥱
Jenny rushes through her morning routine, juggling multiple tasks without a moment to pause or reflect.
Introduce small mindful moments in her morning prep (e.g., guided breathing while cooking) to set a calmer tone for the day.
Endless Chores
From morning to night, she keeps moving, with no room to pause or process how she feels.
😮💨
Repetitive household tasks leave her physically drained and mentally disengaged.
Integrate mindful audio prompts during chores to help her reconnect with her senses and feelings.
Emotional Isolation
Tensions at dinner simmer, words are exchanged, and everyone disappears into their own rooms.
🙄
Jenny has no one to talk to about her emotional struggles, leading to internalised stress.
Create a safe space within the app for emotional journaling, venting, or gentle self-talk sessions.
Overwhelmed & Unnoticed:
She’s left alone in the kitchen — not just with the dishes, but with unspoken emotions and silent exhaustion.
😞
Despite her efforts, Jenny’s emotional labor goes unseen, leaving her feeling invisible.
Use positive affirmations and reflective exercises to validate her daily contributions and uplift her mood.
Define
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 24
Point Of View Statements
This Point of View statement emerged from the key opportunities identified in Jenny’s journey—moments where emotional needs were consistently unmet. It reframes these insights into a clear design lens, helping define not just what the user needs, but why it matters. This became the foundation for crafting meaningful user stories that put emotional well-being at the heart of everyday cooking.
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 25
User Stories
As a user, I want realistic & verified recipes from reliable resources so that I can cook without worrying about failure and wastage of food.
As a user, I want my groceries divided by departments so that I can manage my time while shopping.
As a user, I want to listen to a coach while cooking so that I am aware that the motion/direction of my activities are creating an impact on my mind and I feel relaxed eventually.
As a user, I want to be able to scan the recipes I write on a paper so that I can have an access to them whenever I want.
As a user, I want to have a one-stop platform for cooking so that I don’t have use multiple applications for making lists, setting timers & listening to podcast
As a user, I want to share my cooking expertise with those who need it so that I can feel appreciated and the other person gets genuine help.
As a user, I want to be able to search cross-cultural dishes so that I can be experimental with my food.
As a user, I want to listen to music/podcast while cooking so that I can fully enjoy the experience.
As a user, I want to have a timers on my phone for different meal preps so that I can concentrate on the other things while i am away.
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 26
How Might We? Questions and Answers
Seeing how homemakers often suppress their emotions while caring for others, I framed my POV: A homemaker needs space to process her feelings during her daily routine, as she rarely gets time for herself. This led to the question—How might we transform cooking into a mindful, healing moment that supports her emotional wellbeing?
How might we...connect the experienced home makers to the beginner cooks?
We can create a community where beginner cooks can connect i.e. call, text or meet in person to the experienced cook according to their availability
How might we...add a showcasing a skill feature ?
1. We can add the profile section in this application. 2. We can create a feature of tracking progress
How might we...make grocery shopping less confusing/ exhausting ?
1. We can separate the groceries by departments. 2.We can also add a reminder option when the bought product is closer to its expiry date
How might we...add entertainment aspect to the application ?
We can add music, podcasts, videos We can offer playlists for different moods
How might we...add therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
We can add coaching feature where the therapist explains the process or talks to the person cooking. This feature could be interactive.
How might we...create an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
1. We can follow WCAG guidelines for User Interface. 2. We can keep the UI minimal to lessen the cognitive load.
Role Storming
How Might We
Connect the experienced homemakers with beginner cooks?
Add an entertainment aspect to the application?
Make therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
Design an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
Make sure that the recipe source is verified?
How would Google do it?
Google Ads
Youtube
Duo, Classroom, Podcast
Guidelines by Material.io
Google verification process
How would Epicurus do it?
On call or letters
Playing cassets in the background
Write a recipe book
Use bigger font
Confirm with publisher / editor
How would Ramsay do it?
Culinary training
Creating games & competitors
Talking to the cook during the process
Asking them to deal with it
Checking/Approving it by himself
How would ratatouilledo it?
Creating portal
Adding magic
Create songs about them
Giving them magical glasses
Asking them directly
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 27
Low Fidelity Wireframe
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 28
Mid-Fi Wireframes
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 29
Role Storming
How Might We
Connect the experienced homemakers with beginner cooks?
Add an entertainment aspect to the application?
Make therapeutic techniques understandable for homemakers?
Design an application that is accessible to middle-age people?
Make sure that the recipe source is verified?
How would Google do it?
Google Ads
Youtube
Duo, Classroom, Podcast
Guidelines by Material.io
Google verification process
How would Epicurus do it?
On call or letters
Playing cassets in the background
Write a recipe book
Use bigger font
Confirm with publisher / editor
How would Ramsay do it?
Culinary training
Creating games & competitors
Talking to the cook during the process
Asking them to deal with it
Checking/Approving it by himself
How would ratatouilledo it?
Creating portal
Adding magic
Create songs about them
Giving them magical glasses
Asking them directly
Ideation
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 30
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
feature 01 : Image to text recipes
I keep losing my old recipes, and when I find them, I struggle to read my own handwriting. I wish there was a way to just scan them and have them read aloud while I cook
-Participant 7
Take a Picture of Your Recipe
AI Converts Recipe into Digital Format
Edit & Modify Recipe
Save & Access Recipes Anytime
Scalability & Future Use Cases
Tools used :
Slide 31
Feature 02: Podcasts, music, auidobooks
In a survey of 52 participants, 59.6% reported that cooking does not leave them feeling relaxed, indicating that for many, cooking is perceived as a draining task rather than a rejuvenating activity.
-Participant 7
Mood-based Audio Selection
Guided Sensory Experience
Personalised Content Library
Seamless Audio Playback
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 32
Feature 03: Share recipes with voicenotes
"I don't really trust online recipes… Somehow, the food never turns out like the homely dishes I grew up eating. I wish there was a way to get guidance from someone who understands that feeling."
-Participant 8 | 27 year old woman
Interactive Chat Support:
Users can ask questions about ingredient substitutions directly within the app, making the cooking experience more flexible. (Monetisation Opportunity: Premium users can get quick responses from expert chefs.)
Allergen & Prep Time Indicators:
Clear visual cues help users quickly assess if a recipe fits their needs. (Monetisation Opportunity: Offer a premium version where users can filter recipes based on allergens and dietary preferences.)
Real-Time Expert Guidance:
Users can chat with recipe creators or experienced home cooks to ensure their dish turns out as expected. (Monetisation Opportunity: Paid consultation or subscription-based mentor access.)
Audio Notes for Recipes:
Instead of reading, users can listen to step-by-step guidance, making it easier to follow while cooking.
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 33
Feature 04: Customised meal plan for your family
Every single day, I ask myself the same question—what's for dinner? By the time I decide, I’m already exhausted. I just wish something could take this stress away!
Participant 2
Quick Access to Key Features
Effortless Meal Customization
Smart Personalisation
Customised Recipe Suggestions
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 34
ITeration 01
Breaking Language Barriers for a More Accessible Cooking Experience!
In this iteration, the app was localized into five additional languages. During testing, I observed that 6 out of 10 users struggled with language barriers. Once the moderator translated the content for them, users were able to continue with the flow without further issues. This change was prioritized due to its significant impact on accessibility and user experience.
Korean
Chinese
Arabic
Marathi
Bengali
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 35
ITeration 02
These additions aim to enhance the overall user experience by offering emotional support and convenience.
Instant Emotional Support
Catharsis Premium allows users to connect directly with mental health professionals during their cooking experience, offering emotional support and guidance, ensuring they feel heard and supported while preparing meals.
Effortless Grocery Management
The app’s grocery restocking feature enables users to easily add items to their shopping list by simply mentioning what they’re running low on while cooking, making meal prep and grocery shopping more convenient and efficient.
Prototype
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
Tools used :
Slide 36
Constraints
Participant Reluctance Around Emotional Topics
Despite targeting middle‑aged homemakers, many were hesitant to discuss stress or “mental health” in a group setting, so I had to rely on one‑on‑one interviews to build trust and uncover candid insights.
Inability to Run In‑Person Focus Groups
I believed a communal cooking session would spark richer conversations, but conflicting schedules and location logistics made group sessions unfeasible—so I synthesised learnings from individual interviews instead.
Device & Connectivity Limitations
A significant portion of users were on older Android and iOS phones with limited storage/bandwidth. This forced me to prioritize a lightweight, offline‑capable prototype and avoid feature sets that required the latest OS versions.
Tools used : -
Slide 37
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
What I’m Currently Working On
International Proxy Shipping App
AWS Hackathon
Tools used : -
Slide 38
Rutuja’s Portfolio Presentation | Case Study 02
