Hiraku

Role: Sole UX/UI & Product Designer
Context: Independent product concept
Focus: Product direction · Content architecture · Interaction and visual design

Loop: https://youtu.be/JTTfzTYYRLM — Prototype walkthrough

The moment

Picture someone at the end of a long day who opens a wellness app for five quiet minutes. Instead they find a wall of programs, streaks to keep and labels they do not understand, and they close it again.

Wellness apps are meant to reduce pressure, yet many add more of it. That gap became the starting point for Hiraku.

The problem

Too much content, unclear labels and the expectation of daily engagement make it hard for someone with little time or energy to decide where to begin.

How do you give people direction without telling them what they should feel?

What I learned

I explored the problem through illustrative personas and scenarios: people with different amounts of time, energy and experience. They pointed to the same need: an easy first step, and permission to stop.

The idea

Hiraku is built around manageable choices and flexible participation. The app explains what is available, and the person decides how much to do.

Pausing, leaving and coming back are part of the design, not exceptions to it.

How I designed it

1. Grouped content by activity. Breathing, movement, sound and wind-down each became a clear entry point, so the first choice is simple.
2. Wireframed the structure. I tested layouts and navigation in wireframes before adding any visual style.
3. Designed calm, repeatable patterns. Recurring layouts and controls mean every activity works the same way.
4. Wrote language without promises. Activities are introduced by what they are, not by the feeling they should produce.
5. Set a soft visual direction. Atmospheric imagery and gradients support the mood without competing with the content.

The result

Hiraku sets a product direction that connects content discovery, visual identity and user autonomy. The prototype is a basis for testing whether people can find a suitable activity, understand its controls and take part on their own terms.

Independent concept. Exploratory scenarios informed the design; participant validation and accessibility evaluation are next steps.

What’s next

Test the first five minutes with real people: can they choose an activity without hesitation, and do they feel free to leave? An accessibility review comes next.