With the 2023 H1 HeroMode user survey, we were able to gather very valuable user feedbacks. There are so many areas we need to improve, so we have formulated the HeroMode v4 roadmap. We will completely update the HeroMode UI, and make onboarding smoother and more intuitive. We will make it easier to create beautiful adventures with templates. And finally, we will add more motivational features so that it'd be truly fun to get stuff done.
The 2023 H1 HeroMode user survey has given us so much insight. I want to thank the heros that took the time to share their thoughts with us. Based on these feedbacks, we were able to formulate the HeroMode v4 roadmap. There are so many areas we need to improve, so here they are!
A Spidey Summary
If I were to summarize our learnings, it'd be the following spider chart:
Above: An illustrative, not-to-scale, summary finding of HeroMode user survey.
For me, the major lesson is that HeroMode is not as joyful as I'd like it to be, yet. We still have a long, long, long way to go.
For example, while all the functionalities are technically there to customize adventures and make your HeroMode very pretty, realistically, these functionalities feel "hidden" to users. No one is going to read documentation before using an app. And that's not a joyful thing to do either.
Similarly, while the onboarding flow, with the introduction sliders and the "New Hero Orientation" Adventure, is technically there, it feels like a "class" with extra reading materials. It's just not fun. No one is going to take a class before using an app.
This is a very important lesson for us. We built HeroMode one functionality at a time, and very quickly we lost sight on how to introduce HeroMode to a brand new user in a fun, joyful, and also productive way.
Another very important area that we have to get better is motivation. And we need to recognize that what motivates people can be very personal and very different. While our current HeroMode motivation features, such as Activity Calendar, Stats, and Milestones, are sufficient for some, we are still missing more motivational functionalities to really meet our goal of "making it fun to get stuff done".
A New Onboarding Flow
So, for v4, we will revamp the entire onboarding flow. We will also make it much easier to create beautiful adventures, such as pre-populated color theme and adventure templates.
For example, with v4, users don't have to create common adventures from scratch. By using templates, users can quickly set up common goals and projects like Fitness, Household Chores, Work Productivity, and Habits.
A Brand New UI
It's also time we totally update the HeroMode UI. For an App that's supposed to make doing stuff fun, HeroMode doesn't have enough design elements to feel adventurous and creative enough, yet.
While our small, single-digit, zero-resource team still does not have design support, we have been experimenting and we do have some scrappy ideas. With v4, we will introduce a brand new UI that hopefully will make HeroMode feel like the adventure it is.
We Are Motivated to Motivate
We also heard great feedback on "productivity fatigue". HeroMode's repeat quests are great to set up reminders for daily tasks, and while it can be a powerful tool to build good routines, it can also become overwhelming when you fall behind.
And when you have catching up to do, simply getting points that don't technically mean anything is just not enough of a motivator.
One user said, "I'd really like to be able to save up points, and reward myself with desserts if I have accumulated enough points."
So we will be introducing a couple of new functionalities in HeroMode to boost motivation:
- Leveling Up: The classic gamification feature. Accumulate points and level up. Go from Baby Hero to Wizard Hero!
- Piggy Bank: When you get points, you also get coins for your Piggy Bank. Then, you can "cash out" of your piggy bank for anything you'd like. For example, you can get a dessert for the cost of 10 coins. Or you can play video game for 15 minutes if you have accumulated 20 coins. Whatever drives you, you can define your own carrot.
HeroMode v4, See You In February
We clearly have a lot of work ahead of us. Thank you again for everyone that gave us such valuable feedbacks. I am very grateful for your time and patience, as we continue to make HeroMode better for as many people as possible.
We are aiming to have some, if not all, of the v4 features described above released in February.