ZenniTasks To-Do List Mobile App

Aamir Naseem

Project Overview

The product

ClearTask is a focused to-do list application designed for individuals who feel existing task managers introduce more complexity than clarity. It strips away the noise, offering only the essential tools to capture tasks, organize them by type, and be reliably reminded. Its goal is to be a calm, dependable digital notepad that helps users achieve peace of mind..

Project duration

January, 2025 to February, 2025

Project Overview

The Problem

Through initial conversations, we learned that many people feel their current task management tools don't align with their mental model. They often desire a more straightforward, less cluttered experience that helps them focus on doing rather than organizing.

The Goal

Design a purposefully simple mobile app that allows users to effortlessly add tasks, categorize them, set reliable reminders, and experience the satisfaction of completion—all with a minimal and intuitive interface.

Project Overview

My Role

Lead UX Designer (research, wireframing, testing, and final design).

Responsibilities

Interviewing users and creating personas. Designing responsive layouts for desktop and mobile. Testing prototypes and refining accessibility.

Understanding the User

User Research: Summery

I spoke with 10 people with diverse backgrounds about how they keep track of their daily responsibilities. A common theme was a desire for a “lighter” tool. Many participants expressed that they use complex apps but only utilize a fraction of their features, and the unused options can create visual and mental clutter. They wanted a tool that felt immediate and focused.

User Research: Pain Points

1

Desire for Focus

Users shared that they can feel distracted by features like social sharing, complex project nesting, and habit tracking when their primary need is to simply remember to do something.

2

The Value of Certainty

A strong need was expressed for a reminder system that could be trusted completely. Missing a notification was a significant pain point.

3

Effortless Interaction

The process of adding a task with date and time should easy.

Persona: Khadija (Nurse)

Problem Statement

Khadija is a nurse and a parent who juggles shifting schedules, family events, and household tasks. They’ve tried several popular apps but often abandon them because navigating menus to set a simple reminder feels like a chore during a busy day. Sam needs a system that keeps up with their pace without getting in the way.

Khadija

Age: 34

Education: BA

Occupation: Nure

Goals

- To capture a task with a reminder in under 15 seconds.
- To visually distinguish between work, personal, and family tasks at a glance.
- To have complete confidence that reminders will never be missed.

Fraustrations

.-Gets lost in menus trying to find the "add task" button.
.-Has missed reminders because notifications were easy to dismiss or didn't have a sound.
- Finds unused features like "productivity graphs" to be distracting rather than helpful.

“I just need to tell my phone ‘I need to do this thing later’ and trust that it will tell me when it’s time. I don’t need it to be complicated.”

User Journey Map

I created a user journey map of Khadija’s experience using the app to help identify possible pain points and improvement opportunities.

Starting the Design

Sitemap

Difficulty with app navigation was a primary pain point for users, so I used that knowledge to create a sitemap.

My goal here was to make strategic information architecture decisions that would improve overall website navigation. The structure I chose was designed to make things simple and easy.

Paper Wireframes

Next, I sketched out paper wireframes for each screen in my app, keeping the user pain points about navigation, browsing, and checkout flow in mind.

Lo-Fidelity Prototype

The primary user flow of adding a task with a reminder was connected. This flow was used to test if the integrated modal felt intuitive or overwhelming.

Flow: Home Screen > Tap “+” > Add Task modal opens > Type “Call Vet” > Select “Personal” type > Set time for “3:00 PM Tomorrow” > Tap “Save” > Modal closes, new task appears on list.

Digital Wireframes

Moving from paper to digital wireframes made it easy to understand how the redesign could help address user pain points and improve the user experience.

Prioritizing useful button locations and visual element placement on the home page was a key part of my strategy.

Digital Wireframe Screen Size Variation(s)

Usability Study: Parameters

Study type:

Unmoderated usability study

Location:

User your location

Participant:

05 participants

Length:

15-22 minutes

Usability Study: Findings

These were the main findings uncovered by the usability study:

1

Task Type

Users understood the type categories but suggested icons (e.g., a briefcase for Work) for even faster recognition.

2

Date/Time Picker

The native picker was familiar and worked well. Users confirmed it felt simple and reliable.

3

Notification Certainty

Users wanted explicit confirmation that a reminder was set, suggesting a small “bell” icon or text like “Reminder Set” on the task itself in the list.

Refining the design

Mockups

Home Screen: Each task item now displays a task type icon (e.g., 🏠 for Personal) and a small “bell” icon next to the time to visually confirm a reminder is active.
Add Task Modal: The type selector now uses icons + text for quicker scanning. The “Save” button is emphasized with the app’s primary color.

The final design provides clear visual feedback that a task and its reminder have been successfully created.

Before usability study

After usability study

High-Fidelity Prototype The high-fidelity prototype incorporates the final visual design—a calm, neutral color scheme with a splash of color for primary actions. The prototype demonstrates the core flow with micro-interactions for feedback. Primary Flow: Add a Task with a Type and Reminder > See visual confirmation on list > Receive simulated notification. Key Interaction: Smooth animations for showing/hiding the modal and checking off tasks. View the ClearTask high-fidelity prototype

Mockups: Screen Size Variations

I included considerations for additional screen sizes in my mockups based on my earlier wireframes. Because users shop from a variety of devices, I felt it was important to optimize the browsing experience for a range of device sizes, such as mobile and tablet so users have the smoothest experience possible.

Accessibility Considerations

1

High contrast between text, icons, and background. Type icons are supplemented with text labels for clarity.

2

The combination of a clear sound and a text notification caters to different needs and ensures no user misses a reminder

3

All elements are properly labeled (e.g., “Personal task type button,” “Time picker, set to 3:00 PM”).

Going forward

Takeaways

Impact:

User feedback on the final design was that it felt "quietly confident" and "deeply intuitive." Participants noted that the app successfully eliminated the anxiety of missing a reminder and the frustration of navigating a complex interface.

What I learned:

This project was a masterclass in restraint. I learned that true simplicity isn't about removing features, but about deeply understanding core user needs and designing a seamless, focused experience around them. The most fulfilling feedback was users saying, "It just works how I expected it to.".

Next steps

1

Conduct follow-up usability testing on the new app

2

Identify any additional areas of need and ideate on new features

Let's Connect

Don’t hesitate to talk about your design problem. Contact me to solve your design problem with me and find a better solution.