Touch Grass
Touch Grass was created as a wellness app for teens (ages 10–18) that encourages kids to step away from screens and connect offline.
As Co-Founder and Head of Product, I turned that idea into a shipped product. I defined the vision and roadmap, designed the first version and coordinating development through launch. App Store launch June 2025.
Touch Grass was created as a wellness app for teens (ages 10–18) that encourages kids to step away from screens and connect offline.
As Co-Founder and Head of Product, I turned that idea into a shipped product. I defined the vision and roadmap, designed the first version and coordinating development through launch. App Store launch June 2025.
ROLE
Head of Product, Co-Founder
RELEASE DATE
June 2025
My role
Defined product vision and roadmap;
Led design of onboarding, activity discovery, and parental dashboards;
Operationalized the design process and coordinated with early contributors;
Established brand identity and design principles focused on gentle nudges and an avoidance of addictive loops.
Impact
Launched on the App Store (June 2025)
Early adoption among pilot schools and families in Virginia and DC area
Delivered v1 feature set: personalized activity nudges, community tracking, and parent dashboards
Created foundation for research with teens and parents to inform future roadmap
Established a brand that resonated with both parents (safety/trust) and teens (autonomy/fun)
Challenge
The challenge was to design a product that encourages behavior change without relying on exploiting dopamine loops. Teens wanted autonomy; parents wanted oversight. The business goal was to launch a simple but credible MVP that could prove traction with families while staying aligned to “gentle tech” principles.
Design Principles
Gentle nudges - Soft tone that encourages self-connection
Movement, Not Metrics - Forget steps and streaks, just go outside
Aesthetic Calm - No dopamine loops, no gamification, minimizing compulsive behaviors
My role
Defined product vision and roadmap;
Led design of onboarding, activity discovery, and parental dashboards;
Operationalized the design process and coordinated with early contributors;
Established brand identity and design principles focused on gentle nudges and an avoidance of addictive loops.
Impact
Launched on the App Store (June 2025)
Early adoption among pilot schools and families in Virginia and DC area
Delivered v1 feature set: personalized activity nudges, community tracking, and parent dashboards
Created foundation for research with teens and parents to inform future roadmap
Established a brand that resonated with both parents (safety/trust) and teens (autonomy/fun)
Challenge
The challenge was to design a product that encourages behavior change without relying on exploiting dopamine loops. Teens wanted autonomy; parents wanted oversight. The business goal was to launch a simple but credible MVP that could prove traction with families while staying aligned to “gentle tech” principles.
Design Principles
Gentle nudges - Soft tone that encourages self-connection
Movement, Not Metrics - Forget steps and streaks, just go outside
Aesthetic Calm - No dopamine loops, no gamification, minimizing compulsive behaviors
My role
Defined product vision and roadmap;
Led design of onboarding, activity discovery, and parental dashboards;
Operationalized the design process and coordinated with early contributors;
Established brand identity and design principles focused on gentle nudges and an avoidance of addictive loops.
Impact
Launched on the App Store (June 2025)
Early adoption among pilot schools and families in Virginia and DC area
Delivered v1 feature set: personalized activity nudges, community tracking, and parent dashboards
Created foundation for research with teens and parents to inform future roadmap
Established a brand that resonated with both parents (safety/trust) and teens (autonomy/fun)
Challenge
The challenge was to design a product that encourages behavior change without relying on exploiting dopamine loops. Teens wanted autonomy; parents wanted oversight. The business goal was to launch a simple but credible MVP that could prove traction with families while staying aligned to “gentle tech” principles.
Design Principles
Gentle nudges - Soft tone that encourages self-connection
Movement, Not Metrics - Forget steps and streaks, just go outside
Aesthetic Calm - No dopamine loops, no gamification, minimizing compulsive behaviors
Core Features
Mood Logging.
Event Creation. Plan meetups tagged by mood and interest (e.g., food, movement, study).
Parental Approval.
In-App Messaging. Secure chats with built-in content moderation.
Post-Event Feedback.
Approach
Research & Discovery – Parent/teen interviews, competitive analysis of wellness + habit apps
Product Strategy – Defined principles of “gentle tech” (calm nudges, intentional notifications, focus on action over attention)
Design & Build – Prototyped onboarding and activity nudges, designed parent dashboards, and tested with pilot families
Launch – Released v1 on App Store, collected feedback through schools and family beta testers
Outcomes & Success Metrics
By launch, we aim to track:
Event creation and attendance rates
Mood check-in streaks and emotional trend improvements
Parental engagement without friction
Growth in peer-to-peer supportive actions (tagging, replies, event invites)
Learnings
Behavioral Design: How to design nudges that encourage healthy habits without addictive loops
Designing for Parents & Teens: Navigating the tension between teen autonomy and parent oversight
From Vision to MVP: Translating a big-picture wellness vision into a shippable product under tight constraints
Core Features
Mood Logging.
Event Creation. Plan meetups tagged by mood and interest (e.g., food, movement, study).
Parental Approval.
In-App Messaging. Secure chats with built-in content moderation.
Post-Event Feedback.
Approach
Research & Discovery – Parent/teen interviews, competitive analysis of wellness + habit apps
Product Strategy – Defined principles of “gentle tech” (calm nudges, intentional notifications, focus on action over attention)
Design & Build – Prototyped onboarding and activity nudges, designed parent dashboards, and tested with pilot families
Launch – Released v1 on App Store, collected feedback through schools and family beta testers
Outcomes & Success Metrics
By launch, we aim to track:
Event creation and attendance rates
Mood check-in streaks and emotional trend improvements
Parental engagement without friction
Growth in peer-to-peer supportive actions (tagging, replies, event invites)
Learnings
Behavioral Design: How to design nudges that encourage healthy habits without addictive loops
Designing for Parents & Teens: Navigating the tension between teen autonomy and parent oversight
From Vision to MVP: Translating a big-picture wellness vision into a shippable product under tight constraints
Core Features
Mood Logging.
Event Creation. Plan meetups tagged by mood and interest (e.g., food, movement, study).
Parental Approval.
In-App Messaging. Secure chats with built-in content moderation.
Post-Event Feedback.
Approach
Research & Discovery – Parent/teen interviews, competitive analysis of wellness + habit apps
Product Strategy – Defined principles of “gentle tech” (calm nudges, intentional notifications, focus on action over attention)
Design & Build – Prototyped onboarding and activity nudges, designed parent dashboards, and tested with pilot families
Launch – Released v1 on App Store, collected feedback through schools and family beta testers
Outcomes & Success Metrics
By launch, we aim to track:
Event creation and attendance rates
Mood check-in streaks and emotional trend improvements
Parental engagement without friction
Growth in peer-to-peer supportive actions (tagging, replies, event invites)
Learnings
Behavioral Design: How to design nudges that encourage healthy habits without addictive loops
Designing for Parents & Teens: Navigating the tension between teen autonomy and parent oversight
From Vision to MVP: Translating a big-picture wellness vision into a shippable product under tight constraints