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Research case study · 6-min read

Uyara - Journaling App
User Research

UYARA had two user personas, both based on assumptions. Before any design started, we ran a 10-question survey with 6 real users to test those assumptions with actual data.

n=6Respondents
10Survey questions
4Archetypes
1Anti-persona
ProductUYARA
Year2026
MethodGoogle Form
Output4 Archetypes
The survey 10 questions · real distributions

Each question was designed to reveal differences, not confirm assumptions.

Q01State of mind in bed, lights off
2 Crowded 2 Quiet 2 Numb

OUTCOME  Three different mental states at rest. A crowded mind is not the default — it describes one-third of users.

Q02How organising thoughts feels
2 Relieving 1 Draining 3 Unnecessary

OUTCOME  Half the respondents don’t find self-reflection useful. This became the key signal for the anti-persona.

Q03How they share complex stories
2 Keep to self 2 Wait for call 2 Long text

OUTCOME  4 in 6 avoid typing when processing emotions. This validated voice input as the right default.

Q04Friction with typing when spent
1 Typos 2 Physical effort 2 Performative 1 None

OUTCOME  5 in 6 find typing frustrating when mentally drained. It’s a barrier, not a preference.

Q05Privacy barrier at night
2 Code-switch 2 Overheard 2 Privacy

OUTCOME  4 in 6 can’t speak freely in their environment. A quiet/whisper mode moved from nice-to-have to required.

Q06Fit of Calm / Headspace
3 Don't use 2 Tone-deaf 1 Gets it

OUTCOME  5 in 6 said Calm and Headspace don’t fit their context. There is a clear product gap in the Indian market.

Q07Reaction to missing 3 days
1 Quit 1 Acknowledge 3 Fix streak 1 Scolded

OUTCOME  The audience split evenly. UYARA’s target user is in the half that does not want streak-based mechanics.

Q08 · THE OUTLIERPreferred progress visualisation
5 Calendar with checkmarks 1 Living artefact (tree, garden)

THE FIND  The one person who chose the tree matched every other UYARA target signal: mentally overloaded, distrusts wellness apps, finds typing frustrating. The target user is the minority in this sample — but a large minority in the real world.

Q09Existing workarounds (multi)
1 Voice notes 2 Notes app 1 Rumination 4 Venting to friend

OUTCOME  The real competition is not Calm or Headspace. It’s the Notes app and calling a friend.

Q10If they had a "companion in their pocket"
1 Push discipline 2 External brain 2 Direct advice 1 Quiet notice

OUTCOME  Four different user needs emerged from this one question. Each became the basis for one archetype.

The archetypes 3 target users · 1 non-target

Three user types to design for. One to consciously exclude.

The survey revealed four consistent patterns: 4 in 6 felt mentally overloaded when trying to rest. 4 in 6 found typing frustrating when tired. 4 in 6 said existing wellness apps don’t fit their context. Only 1 in 6 preferred a visual progress indicator over a streak counter — but that 1 in 6 represents 50 million urban working Indians.

North star
P1 · Respondents 1 + 5
The Crowded Mind

"Get the thoughts out of my head so I can sleep."

Age
25 — 34
Sectors
Gaming · Teaching
Headcount
~8–10M reachable
Audience type
Primary user
P2 · Respondents 2 + 3
The Functional Sleeper
Adjacent

"Externalise the day, without performing a wellness ritual."

Age
26 — 31
Sectors
IT · Pharma
Strategy
Welcome — don't design for
Audience type
Secondary user
P3 · Respondents 4 + 6
The Numb Scroller
Anti-persona

"Forget the day happened. Just give me direct advice if anything."

Age
30 — 44
Sectors
Finance · Marketing
Strategy
Deliberately not targeted
Audience type
Non-target
The outcome Before → After

Same user, same need. A completely different design.

The research clarified who UYARA is actually for. The first version was a standard journaling app — a blank page and a streak counter. The research showed both were wrong for this user. Here is what changed.

Before
After

The research changed what UYARA is. From a journaling tool you fill in, to a companion you simply talk to. The product now fits how people actually process their thoughts — not how a traditional journal expects them to.

See more work

Research defined the users.
Design solved the experience.

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