Suma

A social wellbeing app designed to help people step away from their screens and reconnect with real-world experiences through personalized, accessible activities.

UX Research, UI design, brand identity

Mental health, productivity

Content

The context

The context

For many young people, screen time has become part of almost every aspect of daily life. Even moments that are supposed to be used for rest are often filled with scrolling, notifications and digital content.

Our key question became:
When was the last time you were genuinely bored?


We live in an increasingly stimulated society, where technology and productivity occupy our attention. When we finally have a moment to stop, our phones often become the default form of entertainment and relaxation, this makes experiencing real disconnection difficult.

How can we help people rest in a culture that constantly demands their attention?

Our first assumption was straightforward: if excessive phone use was the problem, limiting screen time should be the solution.

However, this idea was quickly challenged by the desk research and user interviews conducted during our first design sprint.

Our interviews suggested that people were not necessarily looking for ways to simply use their phones less.

They wanted something else to do.

How can we make disconnecting feel worth it?

The challenge

The challenge

How can we help people rest in a culture that constantly demands their attention?

Our first assumption was straightforward: if excessive phone use was the problem, limiting screen time should be the solution.

However, this idea was quickly challenged by the desk research and user interviews conducted during our first design sprint.

Our interviews suggested that people were not necessarily looking for ways to simply use their phones less.

They wanted something else to do.

How can we make disconnecting feel worth it?

From research to interface

From research to interface

After several rounds of iteration, we reached a strong definition phase that helped us translate our research findings into more consistent interface solutions.

The solution

The solution

Turning disconnection into something rewarding.

Suma creates a positive feedback loop between reducing screen time and discovering offline experiences.

When users activate Rest Mode, selected apps are blocked for a set period. While they remain disconnected, they collect points that can later be exchanged for activities available within the platform.

These activities are designed to encourage users to spend time away from their screens.


Our visual identity:
Simple, approachable and playful.


Instead of presenting digital wellbeing as something strict or disciplinary, we used a playful distinctive visual language, combining illustrations and graphic elements that coexist in the interface.

The aim was to make users want to interact with Suma, rather than feel that the app was telling them what they could and could not do.

My learnings

My learnings

One of my biggest takeaways was learning to separate my initial interpretation of a problem from what users actually experience, even if it takes reiterating to the very beginning of the design process.


Good design rarely comes from getting the answer right on the first attempt. It comes from being willing to question your assumptions and let research change the direction of the project.

Ultimately, Suma reinforced something I now consider essential to my design process:

The solution should evolve with what we learn.

What would I do different

What would I do different

Develop a strong design system.


During this project, design systems were still new to our team, so we approached the interface more screen by screen than as a fully connected system.

Looking back, I would establish the design system much earlier in the process.

Starting with that foundation would have made the later stages of the project more efficient, while giving us more time to focus on the experience itself rather than solving the same visual problems repeatedly.

Develop a strong design system.


During this project, design systems were still new to our team, so we approached the interface more screen by screen than as a fully connected system.

Looking back, I would establish the design system much earlier in the process.

Starting with that foundation would have made the later stages of the project more efficient, while giving us more time to focus on the experience itself rather than solving the same visual problems repeatedly.