Serious Fun:
Reigniting Play in Adult Life
Project Overview
App: Plaemor - Because Life’s Better With Play
Role: UX/UI Designer (user research, persona development, experience map, prototype, usability tests, wireframes, brand and logo design)
Timeline: 10 weeks (October 2024 - December 2024)
Read Time: 5 minutes
Role: UX/UI Designer (user research, persona development, experience map, prototype, usability tests, wireframes, brand and logo design)
Timeline: 10 weeks (October 2024 - December 2024)
Read Time: 5 minutes
Plaemor is a mobile app designed to reignite fun and foster meaningful connections for adults, blending playful experiences with intuitive design.
Research That Shaped the Solution
My research began with a central question that revealed important findings: What is the importance of play for adults, and what are the primary factors contributing to its decline?
Play is essential, but life often gets in the way
As adults, we’ve let play take a back seat. While 97% agree that fun is vital, only 53% experience it regularly. Between work, responsibilities, and social pressures, play becomes harder to access—especially for young adults aged 24-35.
Play has life changing benefits for adults
Play enhances creativity, reduces stress, strengthens relationships, and supports mental and physical health. It fosters resilience, rekindles joy, and encourages curiosity and positivity, making it an essential part of a balanced life.
Discovering insights guided Plaemor’s design
Through user interviews and secondary research, I discovered three key insights:
Play fades with growing responsibilities: Adults deprioritize fun due to tight schedules.
Connection makes play easier: Familiar environments and shared experiences reduce anxiety.
The pressure to fit in: Adults often hold back their playful side, fearing judgment in new settings.
Connection makes play easier: Familiar environments and shared experiences reduce anxiety.
The pressure to fit in: Adults often hold back their playful side, fearing judgment in new settings.
These findings informed my guiding question:
How might we engage adults aged 24 to 35 with playful opportunities and connections to help them reignite playfulness as they navigate increasing responsibilities?
A Persona That Tells the Story
Nuel Isaacs, The Careful Explorer
Toronto | Information Designer | 29 | Single
Pain points: Struggles to balance responsibilities, leaving little room for play and making solo activities feel unsatisfying.
Motivations: Aims to bring more playful moments into daily life through casual connections and relaxed spontaneity.
Behaviours: Seeks playful experiences but often holds back in unfamiliar settings, relying on trusted people or environments to feel comfortable.
“It's hard to just be playful without overthinking it. I’m a playful person, and I wish I had more opportunities to express that.”
Building and Refining Plaemor
Testing prototypes revealed opportunities for growth
Using sketches and interactive prototypes, I tested Plaemor with users to identify potential improvements:
Users wanted clearer navigation between categories.
Friend features needed more visibility to encourage engagement.
Friend features needed more visibility to encourage engagement.
In response, I refined the interface, ensuring playful visuals and easy navigation. Every decision aligned with Plaemor’s branding—bright colours, dynamic typography, and an intuitive flow—to create a product that sparks joy.
Crafting a Playful Experience
Designing with joy and accessibility in mind
Plaemor’s design prioritizes simplicity and approachability, with vibrant branding and playful typography to create a welcoming and engaging experience. A cohesive design system streamlined the transition from wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes, ensuring a user-friendly interface.
Constraints: Prioritized features aligned with my hypothesis that targeted solutions could counter the decline in playfulness among adults.
Branding: Bright, engaging visuals convey energy and fun.
UI Library: Consistent components ensure usability across features.
Branding: Bright, engaging visuals convey energy and fun.
UI Library: Consistent components ensure usability across features.
This foundation helped Plaemor feel like a natural part of users’ lives—lighthearted, yet purposeful.
Features Designed for Fun
Simplifying the path to connection and play
Plaemor’s features were carefully crafted to reduce barriers and make finding fun effortless.
Curated Experiences: Activities tailored to user preferences, ensuring relevance.
Friend Connection: A social layer to join events with ease.
Spontaneity Made Simple: Encourages last-minute participation without overthinking.
Friend Connection: A social layer to join events with ease.
Spontaneity Made Simple: Encourages last-minute participation without overthinking.
Each feature was designed with user needs in mind, creating opportunities for shared moments of joy while addressing common challenges like scheduling conflicts and social anxiety.
Evaluating Plaemor’s Impact
Why Plaemor Solves the Problem
Plaemor breaks down the barriers to rediscovering play by offering a seamless way to discover, join, and share playful experiences. Its curated recommendations and friend sharing features make play accessible and encourage users to step out of their comfort zones.
Projected Success Metrics
If launched, Plaemor’s impact would be measurable through these key indicators—tracked through in-app analytics, surveys, and user feedback:
User Engagement: 3-6 events joined per user monthly.
Retention: 65% of users consistently engaging over six months.
Social Connections: 75% of users reporting new friendships or reconnections.
Retention: 65% of users consistently engaging over six months.
Social Connections: 75% of users reporting new friendships or reconnections.
Seriously Fun Lessons
This project taught me the importance of iteration and trust
Designing Plaemor reaffirmed the power of play and showed me that even simple ideas can have a big impact. Moving from wireframes to high-fidelity designs pushed me to balance creativity with structure and embrace feedback. Most importantly, it reminded me that learning to trust my instincts is an ongoing journey—one I’m starting to embrace with more confidence.
