Props—a gamified app that promotes community through play
CLIENT
Props
TIMELINE
Aug - Oct 2025
PLAN
Project Based
Mobile App Design
Consumer Social
Maryland New Venture Accelerator @bwtech
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Props is a gamified community-building and reward platform for social groups, charities, and businesses. It aims to incentivize users to join communities and win “props” by participating in their events.
Over 12 weeks, B’More Designful partnered with Props to reduce first-session drop-off and increase Day 1-7 retention for Props’ gamified event platform. We focused on (a) clarity of the core reward loop, (b) navigation and information architecture, and (c) early momentum drivers.
"Before" screens
CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE
From user testing, we discovered that users try every tab, abandon mid-flow, and need guidance to complete tasks.
Top 3 UX Friction Points
Users don’t understand what key features in Props are
Users don’t find something to do in session 1 because new groups/quests are buried and the feed induces scroll fatigue.
Users guess across tabs and get lost in deep nesting; icon-only nav lacks clarity
IDEATION
IDEATION
“How might we…” Questions
1. HMW make a new user understand Props and complete a first meaningful action in under five minutes—with plain language and visible confirmations?
2. HMW surface the right groups/quests above the fold so session-one users always see something compelling to do?
3. HMW make navigation state obvious (where I am, how to start over) without adding cognitive load?
4. HMW guarantee quest→reward integrity and make the “I earned something” moment unmistakable?
5. HMW give organizers clear, low-effort creation with immediate confirmation and guaranteed visibility?
"After" screens
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
Strategy
After analyzing competitive and user research, our strategy focused on two levers with the highest near-term retention impact:
An opportunity map that sequences quick wins that align with scalability and business goals
Onboarding optimization that gets a new user to a first win in under five minutes
Deliverables:
User Research — Affinity mapping, usability testing, and persona development to uncover core friction points and behavioral patterns
Onboarding Optimization Strategy & Redesign — Three redesigned onboarding flows (plus one edge case) developed for A/B testing to identify the most effective activation path
Responsive App Redesign — High-fidelity wireframes enhancing navigation, hierarchy, and key user flows
Success Metrics Framework & User Stories — Measurable KPIs and user stories enabling Props to validate and implement designs
Design System
HOME (My Groups)
HOME (My Groups)
To preserve real estate and reduce cognitive load, we added 2 tabs (Home, Discover) and badges to Groups You Manage
Added At a Glance touchpoint so user can access key user flows (Eventures & Quests) and easily track progress
Established visual hierarchy in bottom nav bar with labels + active states
HOME (Discover)
HOME (Discover)
The reorganization of the Home page with tabs now boosts discoverability of Groups without crowding the page or overwhelming the user with scrolling fatigue.
COMPLETE QUEST
Contextualized key user flows to decrease drop-off rates and improve conversion
QUEST REWARDS
QUEST REWARDS
Organized prizes and Props to clearly surface rewards
Established strong visual hierarchy to make design easily scannable
EVENTURE PROFILE
EVENTURE PROFILE
Established strong visual hierarchy to emphasize CTAs and high-priority information
Added social proof layer
QUESTS
QUESTS
Reinforced brand identity through gamified design elements
Added progress bars to visualize completion, establishing momentum and reward anticipation
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Co-Founder of Props
Logan Cundiff is co-founder of Props, software engineer, product manager, and Venture for America Fellow. He is also current member of the Maryland New Venture @bwTech program. Props's mission is to help social groups, charities, and businesses build stronger communities by rewarding real-world participation with gamified incentives.
Props—a gamified app that promotes community through play
CLIENT
Props
TIMELINE
Aug - Oct 2025
PLAN
Project Based
Bootstrapping
Consumer Social
Maryland New Venture Accelerator @bwtech
BACKGROUND
Props is a gamified community-building and reward platform for social groups, charities, and businesses. It aims to incentivize users to join communities and win “props” by participating in their events.
Over 12 weeks, B’More Designful partnered with Props to reduce first-session drop-off and increase Day 1-7 retention for Props’ gamified event platform. We focused on (a) clarity of the core reward loop, (b) navigation and information architecture, and (c) early momentum drivers.
"Before" screens
CHALLENGE
From user testing, we discovered that users try every tab, abandon mid-flow, and need guidance to complete tasks.
Top 3 UX Friction Points
Users don’t understand what key features in Props are
Users don’t find something to do in session 1 because new groups/quests are buried and the feed induces scroll fatigue.
Users guess across tabs and get lost in deep nesting; icon-only nav lacks clarity
IDEATION
“How might we…” Questions
1. HMW make a new user understand Props and complete a first meaningful action in under five minutes—with plain language and visible confirmations?
2. HMW surface the right groups/quests above the fold so session-one users always see something compelling to do?
3. HMW make navigation state obvious (where I am, how to start over) without adding cognitive load?
4. HMW guarantee quest→reward integrity and make the “I earned something” moment unmistakable?
5. HMW give organizers clear, low-effort creation with immediate confirmation and guaranteed visibility?
"After" screens
SOLUTION
Strategy
After analyzing competitive and user research, our strategy focused on two levers with the highest near-term retention impact:
An opportunity map that sequences quick wins that align with scalability and business goals
Onboarding optimization that gets a new user to a first win in under five minutes
Deliverables:
User Research — Affinity mapping, usability testing, and persona development to uncover core friction points and behavioral patterns
Onboarding Optimization Strategy & Redesign — Three redesigned onboarding flows (plus one edge case) developed for A/B testing to identify the most effective activation path
Responsive App Redesign — High-fidelity wireframes enhancing navigation, hierarchy, and key user flows
Success Metrics Framework & User Stories — Measurable KPIs and user stories enabling Props to validate and implement designs
Design System
HOME (My Groups)
To preserve real estate and reduce cognitive load, we added 2 tabs (Home, Discover) and badges to Groups You Manage
Added At a Glance touchpoint so user can access key user flows (Eventures & Quests) and easily track progress
Established visual hierarchy in bottom nav bar with labels + active states
HOME (Discover)
The reorganization of the Home page with tabs now boosts discoverability of Groups without crowding the page or overwhelming the user with scrolling fatigue.
COMPLETE QUEST
Contextualized key user flows to decrease drop-off rates and improve conversion
QUEST REWARDS
Organized prizes and Props to clearly surface rewards
Established strong visual hierarchy to make design easily scannable
EVENTURE PROFILE
Established strong visual hierarchy to emphasize CTAs and high-priority information
Added social proof layer
QUESTS
Reinforced brand identity through gamified design elements
Added progress bars to visualize completion, establishing momentum and reward anticipation
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Logan Cundiff is co-founder of Props, software engineer, product manager, and Venture for America Fellow. He is also current member of the Maryland New Venture @bwTech program. Props's mission is to help social groups, charities, and businesses build stronger communities by rewarding real-world participation with gamified incentives.
