NatureDose Designing a mobile nature-prescription app that encourages time outside.
Overview
Hundreds of studies link time in nature to lower stress, better sleep, and faster recovery. But no one had made it easy to track, set goals around, or actually feel progress in. NatureDose® was built to change that.
I lead design for NatureQuant, responsible for every touchpoint from brand identity to production screens. NatureDose is a core part of that work: I took it from zero to launch on iOS and Android, through App Store screens, feature additions like challenges, and the design system that keeps it consistent as it grows.
Featured by Apple on the App Store
Android installs on Google Play at launch
Average rating on the iOS App Store
Total iOS ratings received
Of iOS reviews are 5 stars
Challenges
Nature is a well-researched health intervention, but it had never been treated like one. NatureQuant’s mission was to change that: to put time in nature alongside diet, exercise, and sleep as something you can actually measure. As the sole designer, I shaped everything: brand, UX, visual design, and design system, all built from scratch.
The design challenges were:
Translate scientific research on nature and health into a consumer-friendly mobile experience.
Design tools that motivate users to spend more time outdoors and track real individual progress.
Ensure consistency across iOS, Android, and web while keeping the experience lightweight and engaging.
Contributions
Rapid Prototyping & Feature Design
I sketched and prototyped ideas quickly, refining features like adjustable weekly goals, session tracking, and nature-quality scoring for both iOS and Android platforms.
Product Page & Launch Stack
I designed and built the NatureDose product page and App Store screens to communicate the app’s promise: "Measure your nature dose," "Earn badges for outdoor time" (a conceptual feature), and "Find green spaces near you."
Feature Enhancements
After launch, I designed gamified features like challenges, local discovery ("Find Nearby Parks"), and UX improvements for smoother onboarding and daily use.
Design System Integration
Maintained cross-platform consistency through unified typography, iconography, and color systems that aligned with the NatureQuant brand while optimizing for mobile usability.
Juniper Design System
Juniper Design System — App Screens
Design
I moved from concept to functioning mobile product through iterative design and development. Each prototype tested how best to motivate outdoor behavior while keeping data and visuals simple and actionable.
The final app experience combined passive nature tracking, daily goal-setting, and visual feedback loops that turn abstract health research into an everyday wellness habit.
Impact
NatureDose has been recognized as a meaningful tool in wellness tracking, supported by research and partnerships including Outside Interactive.
Users can now set goals, track sessions, learn how "nature quality" matters (via NatureScore®), and see their progress visually. The design bridges nature, technology, and wellness, encouraging time outside in a measurable, motivating way.
App Reviews
Clarifying Contributor to Recovery
I was diagnosed with cancer last year and NatureDose helped me move from 150ish minutes in nature each week to 500. My docs said it's very likely that this extra time contributed significantly to my recovery and I don't doubt it. But more, I am [mostly] at peace which makes living so much better.
Beautifully designed, beautifully executed
Beautifully designed, beautifully executed. This app has completely changed how I think about spending time outside. The tracking is effortless and the reminders are perfectly tuned — not nagging, just encouraging. One of the few apps I actually look forward to opening.
Fantastic App to Encourage Healthy Lifestyle
This is a fantastic app that encourages you to get outside and enjoy nature. The interface is clean and intuitive, and I love seeing my nature time tracked over weeks and months. It's genuinely motivating — I find myself making excuses to take a walk just to hit my daily goal.
Concept Work
Exploratory designs developed alongside the live product, testing new directions for challenges, activity streaks, achievements, and a deeper NatureScore integration.
Future Prototype Screens
Concepts exploring what a more social, achievement-driven version of NatureDose could feel like, with richer challenge views, activity history, and nature score visualizations.
Custom Icons
Conceptual iconography developed alongside the future prototype screens: nature activities, goal types, locations, and achievement markers. Designed to feel organic and lightweight within the concept UI.