Side-project
Lesscroll: Guide Gen Z users toward mindful phone use
Lesscroll is a mobile app for iOS that guides Gen Z users toward mindful phone use, offering tools and insights that promote digital balance and support mental health.
ROLE
UX Researcher, UX / UI Designer
DURATION
4 months
RESPONSIBILITIES
User Research
End to End User Experience Design
User Testing and Feedback Integration
UX Strategy & Leadership
Problem Space
What is Infinite Scrolling?
Originally introduced to enhance usability, infinite scrolling allows users to continuously browse content without refreshing or clicking through pages.
However, features like infinite scroll that focus on maximizing engagement can have unintended consequences, particularly for younger users. Studies have shown that the constant stream of content can lead to loss of time awareness, difficulty disengaging from the platform, and increased feelings of anxiety or low self-worth. Psychologists warn that this pattern reinforces compulsive behavior, making it harder for users to develop healthy digital boundaries.
https://gulfnews.com/special-reports/deadly-scroll-without-end-how-infinite-scroll-hacks-your-brain-and-why-it-is-bad-for-you-1.1676965239566
Secondary Research
Infinite Scrolling’s Impact on Gen Zs
Secondary research revealed that Gen Z spends more passive time on social media than any other generation. In a study of 256 Gen Z and Millennial participants, 85% admitted to struggling with mindless scrolling, while only 8.2% felt they had control over their social media use. This highlights a growing sense of dissatisfaction and self-awareness among younger users about their digital habits. The findings suggest a clear demand for tools and strategies that help users build more intentional and balanced online experiences.
of 30 million Gen Z users surveyed reported that the app TikTok felt addictive to them
78%
of young adults use Instagram, with Facebook’s own research showing that it negatively impacts mental health
69%
User Interview
Insights from Gen Z Users
To better understand the impact of infinite scrolling, I conducted five in-depth interviews with Gen Z individuals (ages 12–27) in Toronto who frequently use apps with this feature, aiming to uncover their real-life experiences, underlying frustrations, and motivations driving their scrolling behaviors in order to inform more mindful design solutions.
🧑🏽🦱
Gen Z male, 17
Feels: TikTok feels like the new smoking. Scrolling doesn’t add any real value to my well-being."
Pain points: Struggles with the addictive nature of apps and the feeling that scrolling is harmful but hard to stop.
👩🏻
Gen Z female, 22
Feels: "I stay up late scrolling TikTok until 2am. It messes with my sleep."
Pain points: Endless scrolling interferes with sleep patterns and contributes to exhaustion and regret.
🧑🏼
Gen Z male, 20
Feels: I feel resentful after scrolling—like, why did I waste my time?"
Needs: Experiences guilt and frustration from time lost on content that doesn't feel meaningful.
Affinity Mapping
Top 3 themes that emerged from interviews
🌱 Scrolling is both a coping mechanism and a source of distress.
Although many Gen Zs describe scrolling apps like TikTok as a way to relax or escape, they acknowledge that excessive use takes a toll on their mental and emotional well-being. Prolonged screen time contributes to heightened anxiety, sleep disruption, and feelings of detachment from reality.
🪤 They feel trapped
Gen Zs expressed feeling a lack of control over their scrolling habits, especially when there are no built-in cues to stop or when content feels endlessly entertaining. Even when they recognize the need to pause, the design of these platforms makes it easy to lose track of time.
🔒 Temporary roadblocks than lasting solutions
Gen Zs in Toronto shared that while they try to limit their screen time using tools like timers, app limits, or personal goals, these measures are rarely effective in practice. Many admitted to easily dismissing reminders or extending their screen time without hesitation.
Key takeaway
As digital platforms become more integrated into daily life, their influence on mental health—especially among Gen Z—cannot be ignored. Prioritizing mental well-being helps address the emotional toll of passive, compulsive scrolling and supports healthier digital habits in the long term.
It captures the emotional pain points shared across all user interviews, such as anxiety, guilt, and disrupted sleep.
It offers a compelling foundation for designing features that go beyond limiting screen time, aiming instead to support users’ emotional resilience and digital mindfulness.
How might we help Gen Zs build healthier scrolling habits that support their mental and emotional well-being?
There is a missed opportunity to support Gen Zs in creating intentional digital habits by addressing the emotional and psychological toll of endless scrolling.
We want to design experiences that encourage mindful phone use, reduce compulsive behaviors, and prioritize mental well-being without compromising enjoyment.
Targeted Audience
Persona
Drawing from the secondary and primary research conducted, I created a persona named Van. She embodies the core theme and insight, allowing us to focus on the well-being of Gen Zs affected by scrolling and helping us clearly define our target audience.
Task Selection
Defining functionality
To support Van’s goal of improving her scrolling habits for better mental well-being, I created 24 user stories grouped under 5 key epics to pinpoint the core features needed in a mobile solution for Gen Z users. Among these, the epic Completing a Learning Session stood out as the most impactful. By raising awareness about the effects of excessive scrolling and helping users set personal goals, this epic directly addresses Van’s struggles and promotes healthier digital habits.
After reviewing the 11 user stories under Completing a Learning Session, I mapped out the core actions that support those needs and translated them into a task flow diagram. This visual outlines the step-by-step journey Van would follow to successfully complete a session.
UI Library
Atomic design system
To ensure visual consistency and support efficient development of Lesscroll, I built a comprehensive UI library based on Atomic Design principles. The system organizes design elements into structured tiers, starting from Foundations like grids, spacing, typography, color, and accessibility, and scaling up through Atoms, Molecules, Organisms, Templates, and Pages.
Final Design
Personalized focus selection
To encourage mindful engagement, users start by selecting a focus area that aligns with their current struggles, such as sleep, anxiety, procrastination, or mindless scrolling. This personalized entry point makes the experience feel relevant and empowering, helping users take control of their habits from the very beginning.
Micro-lessons & gamification
Each focus area leads to short, interactive lessons designed to raise awareness and build healthier routines. Through guided reflection, goal-setting, and streak-based rewards, users are supported in creating meaningful behavior changes, whether it’s setting limits on nighttime scrolling or building a consistent bedtime routine.
