The Values Bridge
A guided framework for turning personal values into actionable insights.
Role
Head of UX
Timeframe
2025
Platforms
Web, desktop and mobile
Scope
Product strategy, UX design, content design, visual design, brand system
Company
Becoming You Labs
Team
Product manager, 2 engineers, 2 product designers
Context
n 8 weeks, I designed a calm, system-driven assessment that helps high-achieving adults turn abstract values into concrete decisions across desktop and mobile.
The Problem
People know their values but don’t know how to apply them. Existing tools are either vague or overwhelming, creating confusion, emotional friction, and low completion. This leads to misalignment and regret, then a loop back into confusion.
Confusion
Lack of clarity. Emotional friction.
Poor Decisions
Regret → return to confusion.
Misalignment
Choices don’t reflect values.
Who We Designed For
Primary Audience: “High-achieving adults navigating transition.”
Archetype 1
The Overthinker
“I know my values… I just don’t know what to do with them.”
Needs: calm structure, small steps, digestible prompts
Archetype 2
The High Achiever
“I get overwhelmed when reflection goes too deep too fast.”
Needs: clear pacing, predictable flow, emotional safety
User goals: Make values-aligned decisions, understand behavior patterns, feel grounded and confident.
Product Objectives & Real-World Constraints
Objective: Design a clear, calming system that:
Guides users through a paced, digestible assessment
Turns personal values into actionable insights
Builds emotional trust with the user
Guides users through a paced, digestible assessment
Constraints
8-week timeline → forced strong prioritization and MVP slicing
No existing design system → build foundations from scratch
Founder-led vision + ambiguity → needed frameworks and structure
Emotionally sensitive domain → pacing and tone had to reduce friction
My Role & Timeline
Role: Head of UX, Product Design
Owned: Research, IA, UX flows, UI, design system, prototyping, testing.
Product MVP Timeline (8 weeks)
Weeks 1 & 2
Week 3
Weeks 4 – 6
Week 7
Week 8
Led research &
workflow mapping
Defined information architecture
& UX
Designed iterations, visual UI,
& prototyping
Designed system foundations
Tested usability & QA
Shipped Experience
Values Assessment
Overview of the experience; one question per screen on a 7-point scale; mid-way intermission; confirmation, demographic survey, then account creation.
Values Summary
Results onboarding that explains how to interpret values; walk-through of features; dropdown section navigation on mobile.
Values DNA & History
Overview of core / moderate / peripheral values; detail views; history of past assessments; harmony analysis.
Exploration & Key Decisions
Framing the Framework
As the sole designer, I shaped both the macro product direction and micro UX decisions.
Early Concepts & Trade-Offs
Early flows were dense and emotionally fatiguing. Users struggled to see progression.
Objective: Move to one question per screen to improve cognitive load and emotional pacing.
Multi-step wizard
Chat interface
Card sorting modal
Scroll-based reflection
Visual Tone Exploration
Early flows were dense and emotionally fatiguing. Users struggled to see progression.
Direction A
Minimal & Clinical
Bridge the gap between the life you're living and the life of your dreams. Identify your core values and take control of your future.
Get Started
+ High clarity
- Too cold, felt like a diagnostic tool
Direction B
Warm & Expressive
Bridge the gap between the life you're living and the life of your dreams. Identify your core values and take control of your future.
Get Started
+ Friendly & approachable
- Too personality heavy for a values tool
Direction C
Calm & Editorial
Bridge the gap between the life you're living and the life of your dreams. Identify your core values and take control of your future.
Get Started
+ Soft neutrals reduce emotional friction
+ Editorial spacing improves readability
+ Warm tone supports trust and safety
Information Architecture
System & Visual System
Because the product is emotionally driven, the brand needed to express calm and trust.
Visual System
Soft neutral palette with warm accents
Editorial type for clarity + sophistication
Icon set representing value categories
Modular components for assessment + insights
Layout grid with generous spacing
Component System
Soft neutral palette with warm accents
Editorial type for clarity + sophistication
Icon set representing value categories
Modular components for assessment + insights
Layout grid with generous spacing
Impact, Learnings, & Next Steps
Even in early beta testing, strong patterns emerged:
Impact & Signals
70% assessment completion rate (well above wellness benchmarks)
Reflection prompts: ~30% engagement in first session
Users described the experience as “calming,” “accurate,” and “surprisingly easy to finish”
What Didn't Work
Clear, repeatable product model for future coaching + journaling features
Consistent design system accelerated engineering
Unique voice and emotional tone differentiated product in a crowded space
V2 Opportunities
Founder gained clarity on product direction
Engineering had a buildable, modular system
Rapid iteration cycles allowed early learning
Collaboration
Founder gained clarity on product direction
Engineering had a buildable, modular system
Rapid iteration cycles allowed early learning
Key Learnings
Founder gained clarity on product direction
Engineering had a buildable, modular system
Rapid iteration cycles allowed early learning
Reflection
This project confirmed a central belief in my work:
When design makes introspection feel clear and safe, people naturally move toward alignment.
I left this project with sharper strengths in:
Turning abstract concepts into structured digital products
Leading 0→1 product design with clarity
Designing emotionally intelligent systems
Owning narrative, system, and visual design end-to-end
The Values Bridge remains one of the clearest examples of my ability to merge product thinking, UX systems, and emotional design into a cohesive, consumer-friendly experience.
Toolkit
