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Meditation

Mental

Wellness

Mobile App Development Case for Shifts

ABOUT PROJECT

Shifts is a meditation and focus mobile application designed to help users regulate their emotional state through short guided audio practices and music.

CLIENT REQUIREMENT

“The task was to develop a support tool for eating disorder recovery, helping users manage triggers, reduce anxiety, and build healthier mental patterns through guided sessions and daily practices.“

Flutter & Dart

Supabase (backend & database hosting)

Directus (Headless CMS)

Firebase Messaging (push notifications)

AppsFlyer

RevenueCat (subscription management)

Cloudflare R2 (audio & media assets)

Flutter & Dart

Supabase (backend & database hosting)

Directus (Headless CMS)

Firebase Messaging (push notifications)

AppsFlyer

RevenueCat (subscription management)

Cloudflare R2 (audio & media assets)

Outcomes

Daily Session

Each day, users are presented with a Daily Session, designed to reduce decision fatigue and support consistency.

  • Automatically rotates daily content
  • Displays background image, title, and CTA
  • Encourages immediate engagement without browsing
  • Supports habit-building, especially important for users in recovery

This feature helps users quickly ground themselves during stressful moments.

Structured Content (Pause / Shift / Align)

Content is organized into three clear emotional categories:

  • Pause — calm the mind and reduce anxiety
  • Shift — change emotional state or interrupt negative patterns
  • Align — build positive mindset and focus

Each section:

  • Includes contextual introduction
  • Displays curated session lists
  • Supports filtering by topics
  • Prioritizes favorite content

This structure simplifies navigation and supports users dealing with emotional triggers.

 

Meditation Player Experience

A full-screen audio player provides an immersive and distraction-free experience:

  • Play/Pause, ±15s skip, and progress control
  • Background playback with lock screen support
  • Minimal UI focused on content
  • Smooth transitions between states

The player is optimized for moments when users need immediate emotional support.

 

Notification System & Daily Engagement

Shifts includes a structured notification system designed to gently support daily routines without overwhelming users.

  • Morning reminders — encourage users to start the day with a calming or focusing session
  • Evening reminders — help users unwind, reflect, and regulate their emotional state before sleep
  • Notifications are designed to feel supportive and non-intrusive
  • Timing can align with user routines and daily habits
  • Reinforces consistency and long-term engagement

This system plays a key role in helping users build healthy rituals, especially important for recovery support.

Subscription & Access Model

Shifts operates on a subscription-based model:

  • 14-day free trial with full access
  • Monthly and yearly plans
  • Native Apple / Google payment flows
  • Clear subscription status in profile

The model allows users to fully experience the product before committing.

Challenges

Audio Player & Background Behavior

Implementing a reliable audio experience required:

  • Stable background playback
  • Sync with OS-level controls (lock screen, interruptions)
  • Smooth state transitions between screens
  • Handling edge cases (calls, app switching, interruptions)

Ensuring consistency across iOS and Android required extensive testing.

Notification Timing & User Sensitivity

Designing the notification system required careful consideration:

  • Avoiding intrusive or triggering messaging
  • Selecting appropriate morning and evening timing
  • Ensuring consistency across time zones and devices
  • Balancing engagement with user comfort

The goal was to support users without creating pressure or notification fatigue.

Subscription & Trial Logic Complexity

Managing subscriptions introduced several challenges:

  • Handling 14-day free trial conversion
  • Synchronizing subscription states across platforms
  • Managing edge cases (trial used before, re-subscriptions)
  • Clearly communicating access levels to users

Performance & UX Consistency

Even with a simple UI, technical challenges included:

  • Maintaining smooth animations and transitions
  • Ensuring fast media loading
  • Avoiding audio playback delays
  • Keeping UI consistent across devices and OS versions

Delivering a calm, premium experience required careful optimization and testing.

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