Kitnsugi
A digital companion to guide emotional recovery through personalization, reflection, and support.
8 min read
TIMELINE
2025(Jan- April)
TIMELINE
Product Designer
DISCIPLINE
UX Research
Design Strategy
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Behavioral Psychology
Emotional/Ethical Design
Product Management
TOOLS
Figma
Dovetail
Optimal worshop
Adobe Illustrator
Otter.ai
Monday.com
Breakups today are not just emotional—they’re digital.
Social media, photo archives, and shared accounts constantly resurface memories, making emotional detachment more difficult than ever.
This needs to transform emotional chaos into intentional peace
Kintsugi was created to meet that need, offering users like Julie a self-paced method to make sense of the emotional chaos.
The Challenge
How can I help people balance emotional recovery & digital detachment, guiding them towards clarity & confidence after breakup?
THE HIGH-LEVEL GOALS THAT DEFINED MY DESIGNS
Acknowledge → Process emotions with clarity
Rebuild → Restore confidence
Thrive → Move forward with purpose
Solution
Instead of pushing users to “move on,” Kintsugi supports them in growing forward, one intentional step at a time.
Kintsugi is a breakup recovery app that helps users gently process their emotions, set digital boundaries, and connect with others walking a similar path.
But first , what is Kintsugi?
Kintsugi (金継ぎ) is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, highlighting the cracks rather than hiding them. Instead of viewing the object as damaged, it's seen as more beautiful because of its history.
Digital boundaries
Smart tools let users manage social media exposure and limit unwanted reminders. By creating space from digital noise, users can focus on calm, control, and mental balance during recovery.
Meet your Buddy
A compassionate community feature that connects users with others on similar journeys. Through shared experiences, encouragement, and empathy, users realize that healing doesn’t have to be a solo process.
Guided reflections
Gentle journaling prompts and uplifting affirmations help users process emotions at their own pace. Each reflection encourages self-awareness, clarity, and personal growth, turning everyday thoughts into meaningful progress.
User Research
Understanding Emotional Recovery in aDigital World
Studied attachment theory, CBT, identity reconstruction, and digital memory entanglement. These insights highlighted the need for structured guidance, self-reflection, and digital autonomy.
75+ response on survey
12 contextual inquiry
Card sorting with 45 participants
User Journey mapping
Concept testing
Moderated Usability testing
What I Learned
Behavioral science = design ally
Kintsugi leaned into gentle structure-using controlled choices, visual metaphors, and progressive disclosure to keep the experience emotionally safe yet actionable.
Design
Planting Seeds for Growth-Focused Design
THE APP IS FOR
Managing digital wellbeing
Reflection and emotional clarity
Building confidence and support
THE APP IS NOT
Therapy replacement
Data scanning or forced closure
Creating the Brand:
A Calm Approach to Healing
Kintsugi’s brand draws inspiration from the calm and renewal found in nature. Shades of green symbolize growth, balance, and emotional harmony — evoking safety, hope, and restoration. The visual language feels warm and uplifting, reminding users that healing is not about erasing the past but growing beautifully through it.
Design with Intent framework
Encourage positive behaviors (reflection, connection, self-care) and reduce negative ones (rumination, social comparison).
Prototype
Building & Testing
Concept Testing (Mid-Fi)
SUS: 67.5 - Navigation needed clarity. Concerns about unnecessary digital footprints.
NPS: 66.6 - Users loved the tone and intent of the app
Usability Testing (Hi-Fi)
• SUS: 88.75 (+31%) -Intuitive user flow. Sleek animations and graphics
• NPS: 60 - Strong recommendation potential
Product Principles
Healing isn’t linear.
Kintsugi meets users where they are, with flexible flows and gentle support that adapts to their pace.Words matter.
Every label, prompt, and empty state was written to feel warm, not clinical.Privacy builds trust.
From anonymous buddy matching to skippable steps, users stay in control — always.
Conclusion
Key takeaways
Healing is most effective when users feel safe, supported, and in control.
Small, consistent actions create lasting change.
Design can bridge the gap between emotion and empowerment.
What's Next?
Add an Al reflection companion for personalized insights.
Expand Digital Vault features for secure memory storage.
Explore emotion tracking for adaptive experiences.
Where it started
Kintsugi began with a question:
How might we support people in transforming breakups into personal growth?
It ended with a fully realized MVP built on empathy, autonomy, and behavioral design.
What did I learn from this work?
One of the most fruitful parts of this project has been learning about the ways product informs design and vice versa. Moving forward, I'm most curious to see how new problems within the space I want to explore will continue to evolve my design.
Feel free to flip through my Figma file if you’re interested in the process.