Buddy
Bridges long-distance relationships with a companion app and physical bear, creating emotional connections and shared experiences.
Course Project: Master’s-Level Fundamentals of UX
Role
Conducted 2 primary interviews
Performed 2 usability testing
Independently created a second iteration of the deliverable
Sept 2024 - Dec 2024
Timeline
Hailee, Emily, Yizhen
Team
Challenges
Physical distance
Time zone differences
Difficulty aligning schedules
Limited, less spontaneous communication
Needs
Meaningful interactions
Emotional connection
Support for scheduling challenges
Sustaining trust and intimacy
Overview
Why is long-distance love hard for students?
Highlights
A Bear That Connects You and Your Partner
Come with a physical bear and a connected app, creating a tangible bond between you and your partner.
For Physical Companionship
Always by your side, just like your partner—always your buddy.
For Shared Responsibility
Care for your buddy, and yourself too.
Set a focus timer to stay productive and earn rewards to help your buddy grow.
For Surprises
Guess what? Check your buddy!
Brighten your partner’s day with surprise messages that appear on the buddy.
User Interviews
What are student long-distance couples looking for?
Among these, I conducted two user interview sessions.
4 male & 4 female
ages 19-28
University Students
Dating, not engaged
not married
Interviewed 15-30 minutes
User Interviews Insights
From our user interviews, I coded the responses, and through discussion, we identified three main problem spaces.
Limited Shared Moments
Time zones and distance make it hard to connect.
"With a 12-hour time difference, I just give up sharing when he’s asleep."
Visible Care Matter
Half of participants emphasized that care must be visible, respectful, and mutual.
Balancing School and Love
Six out of eight interviewees struggle to manage academic responsibilities while making time for their partner.
Defining Problems
How can we create meaningful interactions + evidence?
We distilled these problem spaces into 'interactions' and 'evidence,' then crafted two 'how-might-we' statements. Additionally, I created two user personas and user journey maps to consolidate our findings.
How-might-we
How might we help long-distance couples create meaningful interactions despite time zones and distance?
How might we help long-distance couples leave more tangible evidence of love and care?
User Persona
Additionally, I created these two personas to narrow my problem and serve as a reminder as to who I’m designing for.
User Journey
Then, I created these user journeys for Lea and Alex to explore opportunities and focus areas within this problem.
Ideation
What are meaningful interactions?
We brainstormed ideas for meaningful interactions that could bridge distance and time, and came up with some exciting, out-of-the-box concepts.
Impact
Effort
Chosen Ideas
The Physical Bear
A tangible companion that fills the void of being physically apart, offering a comforting presence.
Surprise Bear Messages
Playful animations and sounds on the bear, turning messages into delightful surprises that bring joy and spontaneity.
Focus Space
A focus space designed to balance academics or work with quality time.
User Flow
I created user flows to outline the main feature experience.
Features Breakdown
How did we structure these features?
Back to the core - interaction and evidence.
Interaction
Evidence
Physical bear
Surprise message
Messages appear on your buddy
Focus timer
Food to feed your buddy
Take a photo with your buddy while they eat
Wireframe
Sketching our solutions
Beyond the basic functionality of these features, we aim to infuse a playful, heartwarming design by introducing the concept of a buddy pet.
Feedback
Does this truly solve the problem?
We conducted 4 usability tests (I was involved in 2) and 2 rounds of expert critiques.
Cute,
but what's it for?
Most users don't know how to get started or what to do when they first see the screens.
Before
After
Create an easily accessible instructions page that clearly guides users through the process.
Create an intuitive nav bar that clearly organizes features for easy access.
Cook & focus timer,
Why?
Most users don't understand why the timer displays 'cooking.'
Before
We want the buddy to feel like a real pet - and what's one of the best parts of having a pet? Feeding them! That's why we made cooking a reward after your focus time. The more you focus, the more dishes you can unlock to cook for your buddy.
Introducing growth system
Buddy grows over time, just like a real pet! With this growth system, it feels natural to want to feed and take care of them.
After
Energy
Exp
How can I interact more with my partner?
Check out our final design to explore more features
Final Design
Your buddy is waiting for you!
Bring home a fluffy bear with its companion app.
To address the need for physical touch highlighted in our interviews, we created a comforting physical bear paired with a companion app—bridging the gap of distance and bringing hearts closer together. Hug your bear now, and let it feel like your partner's arms are wrapped around you.
Features on app
Send surprise messages
Set focus timer
Swith emotion status
Check buddy status
Features on buddy
Receive surprise messages
Simple interactions (e.g., waves)
Show emotion status
To meet the need for creating shared memories, we designed the Digital Buddy Pet—a virtual companion that fosters connection and teamwork by sharing responsibilities between couples. Build memories together as you care for your pet, strengthening your bond no matter the distance.
Focus timer
A relationship thrives when there’s always room for yourself and your responsibilities.
To balance the demands of academic responsibilities and maintaining a long-distance relationship, we designed the Focus Timer—a feature that lets couples study together, no matter the distance. Stay motivated and accountable to each other as you work towards your goals, side by side, even miles apart.
Growth System & Feeding Feature
Unlock new outfits as exp grows - real and virtual
To encourage long-term engagement with the app, we designed a Growth System with a feeding feature to motivate users. By using the Focus Timer, you earn food to help your Booster Bear grow. As your bear progresses, you unlock new virtual outfits and even surprise real-world accessories—making every step of the journey rewarding and fun!
Surprise Message
Your buddy has a surprise for you!
Brighten your partner’s day with surprise messages that appear on the buddy.
To create moments of joy and thoughtful connection, we designed the Surprise Message feature. Send a heartfelt message through the app, and watch it appear in your partner's buddy, adding a warm and unexpected touch to their day.
To help long-distance couples navigate misunderstandings, we designed an Emotion Status Feature that makes it easier to say “I’m sorry” or share your current mood. By switching between customizable statuses, couples can express their feelings and foster better communication, even from afar.
Default
I can speak for you!
Silences notifications and informs your partner that delayed replies mean you’re busy.
Busy Status
Feeling Down Status
Send a gentle alert to your partner’s app and bear, inviting them to connect via call.
Sorry Status
Create a chance to cool down and make amends during an argument.
Misunderstood Status
Subtly let your partner know you’re upset with a gentle hint.
Emotion Status
Want to share your feelings but not sure where to begin?
Takeaways
What I learned...
Trust the power of wild ideas
Our "crazy" idea of a desk buddy display robot became our breakthrough solution - showing me that innovation comes from giving unconventional ideas a chance.
Listen to what users don't say
Users may not know what they want, but they quickly show what they don't want. Early prototypes and feedback beat perfect assumptions.
Design for personality diversity
Building personas around different relationship styles - from clingy to independent - opened up design opportunities we hadn't imagined before.
Break assumptions to find solutions
When users couldn't express what they wanted, only their problems - like missing physical touch - we made bold guesses. Sometimes the unsolvable problems push us to think beyond obvious solutions.
Thank you for taking the time to explore my work!
Feel free to reach out—I’d be thrilled to hear from you and chat about anything! 💌✨