Tracy O'Callaghan/ product design
← All workConcept · 2026 · TrackActive Me

Six years on, I redesigned my own app.

I designed TrackActive Me in 2019. It helps people manage back, neck and joint pain. This is what I'd do differently today.

A self-initiated concept. Not commissioned by TrackActive Me.
Year2026
RoleConcept redesign, self-initiated
PlatformsiOS and Android
OriginalDesigned and launched 2019–20. See the case study
ToolsClaude Design
Why I went back

The app still works. I've changed.

I designed the original in 2019–20, and it's still live. Since then I've spent years on high-trust journeys, and I can see what I'd fix. So I went back and redesigned it the way I would today.

Read the original case study →
The problem, then and now

People gave up around week three.

In 2019, the users I spoke to lost interest fast. Most stopped around the third week, and rehab doesn't work if you stop. That hasn't changed, so this time I built the whole app around it.

Screen by screen

What changed, screen by screen.

It's a working prototype. Start a session, answer the check-in and watch the plan change. Switch to evening to see the darker mode. I built it in Claude Design, so it runs in the browser, not just as linked frames.

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Design language

Calmer, warmer, easier to read.

The 2019 brand was bright and playful. I kept the blue and the Track mark, and gave everything else a quieter job.

01

Colour

A tidal ramp from sky to deep navy. Buttons are the primary blue. One warm colour, Sunrise, is kept for small touch points, like the play button.

02

Type

Archivo, condensed for headlines and normal width for reading. Instrument Serif for moments that should feel human.

03

Photography grade

Real people moving, in natural colour. I tried a blue wash first and dropped it. It made the photos look dated.

04

Motion

Slow and deliberate. A glow that breathes with the reps, and the Track line from the logo, drawn once.

05

Surfaces

White space by day, with dark sections where focus matters. Evening and the exercise player go deep navy.

06

Controls

Big 56pt targets, and words on every value. Nothing relies on colour alone.

Visual direction: the Tide grade, the Track line and photography. Open the full board ↗
Design system: colour, type, surfaces and controls. Open ↗
Colour hierarchy: how much of each colour, by day and by evening. Open ↗
The assessment, redesigned

Four steps, then a plan or a doctor.

The original assessment was a long chat. I kept the clinical logic and cut it to four steps. The safety check now comes before the plan. If someone ticks a red flag, they don't see exercises. They see who to call.

01 · Where
Step 1 of 4
Where does it hurt most?
Lower back Neck Shoulder Hip Knee Ankle
Or tap the body map. You can choose more than one.
Continue
02 · How much
Step 2 of 4
How much does it hurt today?
6Distracting
Gets in the way of daily tasks.
Continue
03 · Safety check
Step 3 of 4
Before we build your plan, do you have any of these?
New numbness or weakness in your legs
Numbness around your bottom or genitals
Changes in bladder or bowel control
None of these I have one of these
04a · No red flags → plan
Your plan is ready
Lower
back pain
Mechanical, no nerve symptoms. 6 weeks, 3 short sessions a week.
SettleWeeks 1–2
StrengthenWeeks 3–4
ReturnWeeks 5–6
Start week 1
04b · Red flag → get checked
emergency_home
Let's get you checked today.
Numbness or weakness in your legs needs a doctor the same day. It's rare, but it matters.
callCall NHS 111 Find urgent care nearby
Your exercises are paused until you've been seen.

The full flow. Step 3 is the gate: no red flags leads to a plan, any red flag leads to same-day help.

Designing for week three

Every screen gives a reason to come back.

In 2019 I added reminders and rewards on top. This time it's built in: the app listens, adapts and shows you it's working.

01

A check-in that adapts today

Say your back is worse, and today's session gets gentler on the spot.

02

Feedback you can see

After each session, one tap changes the next one. Too easy, and the reps go up.

03

Progress that means something

Pain coming down, next to the sessions that did it. Not a streak for its own sake.

Check-in answered Worse. Today is gentler.
Progress, with a programme ring and pain over time.
Milestones, not streaks.

Week three is where most people stopped. Now it's marked by what has changed in their back, not how many days they showed up. Nothing can be lost, and missing a week never resets anything.

Milestone earnedShown once, after the session that ends Settle. First Light, the only warm gradient, rises slowly behind the badge. One line in condensed caps, then plain words about what changes next. No confetti, no points.
Your milestonesA quiet record in the Progress tab. Reached badges show in full with a tick and a date; the ones ahead are outlines that say what unlocks them. Every badge has a text label, so none rely on colour.
Icons

One icon language instead of four.

The 2019 set mixed illustration styles and category colours. The new set has one line weight, one corner style and one accent, from glyphs to body areas to milestones.

The body areas in the new system. Open the icon board ↗
Accessibility

Easy to read, at any time of day.

Many people using this are in pain, tired or older. That changes the bar.

Contrast

All text passes WCAG AA, 4.5:1, by day and by evening. I checked it on the gradients, where the text actually sits.

Larger text

Layouts stack and wrap as text gets bigger, so nothing gets cut off.

Dark mode

Designed, not inverted. Every screen has its own evening version.

Reduce Motion

The photo loop, push-ins and breathing glow become simple fades, or stop.

Day
Evening
What I learned

What six years changed.

01

Design for week three, not day one

In 2020 I polished the first session. Now I start with the moment people are most likely to stop.

02

Remove reasons to stop

I used to add features to keep people going. Now I look for what makes them quit, and take it away.

03

Safety goes first

Red flags were one step in the flow. Now they're the first thing I design, and everything else fits around them.

Next projectWilliam Russell → ← All work