Shadow Self
Multiplied existence management system:
Superpower entry for FigBuild 2025 Designathon
Shadow Self
Multiplied existence management system:
Superpower entry for FigBuild 2025 Designathon
Designathon Requirements
Designathon Requirements
Imagine you wake up tomorrow with a superpower-a new, magical ability that helps you tackle a major challenge in your life. Maybe it's time-stretching to balance your workload, hyper-focus to eliminate distractions, or instant skill absorption to master new things effortlessly.But every superpower needs a toolkit to help harness its full potential. Without the right tools, even the greatest powers can become overwhelming, chaotic, or sinister.
Your challenge:
Identify a shared pain point -something in your daily life that feels frustrating, ineffcient, or challenging.
Invent a superpower that would solve this problem.
Design a tool, platform, or system that would help you manage your superpower effectively.
Imagine you wake up tomorrow with a superpower-a new, magical ability that helps you tackle a major challenge in your life. Maybe it's time-stretching to balance your workload, hyper-focus to eliminate distractions, or instant skill absorption to master new things effortlessly.But every superpower needs a toolkit to help harness its full potential. Without the right tools, even the greatest powers can become overwhelming, chaotic, or sinister.
Your challenge:
Identify a shared pain point -something in your daily life that feels frustrating, ineffcient, or challenging.
Invent a superpower that would solve this problem.
Design a tool, platform, or system that would help you manage your superpower effectively.
Duration: Apr.18-21 2025 (4-day designathon)
Role: UX Designer
Tools: Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Figjam
Team: Xinyi Ding, Siying Leng, Yue Si
Duration: Apr.18-21 2025 (4-day designathon)
Role: UX Designer
Tools: Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Figjam
Team: Xinyi Ding, Siying Leng, Yue Si
Project Overview
Project Overview
Our group started this project with a simple but overwhelming feeling: life keeps asking more from us, and we only have one self.
There’s school. There’s work. There are relationships. Expectations. Social pressure.
We try to keep up, but it often feels like we’re running in ten directions at once — and slowly losing the space to just be who we are.
That’s when Becky came to life. Becky doesn’t have more hours in a day. But she has a superpower: she can split into many Beckys.
Our group started this project with a simple but overwhelming feeling: life keeps asking more from us, and we only have one self.
There’s school. There’s work. There are relationships. Expectations. Social pressure.
We try to keep up, but it often feels like we’re running in ten directions at once — and slowly losing the space to just be who we are.
That’s when Becky came to life. Becky doesn’t have more hours in a day. But she has a superpower: she can split into many Beckys.
Initiative
Initiative
Sometimes, being one person is already a full-time job
There’s a catch.
Becky may have multiple clones, but she can’t manage them all at once.
That’s where our product comes in — a tool to help her organize, prioritize, and train her shadow selves, so she can make the most of her power, and finally live life on her own terms.
But…
One day, Becky wakes up and discovers her superpower:
She can split.
One Study Becky, one Work Becky, one Sports...
And the real Becky finally gets to breathe.
To rest.
To do what she actually wants.
Super Power:
Shadow Clone
When Becky needs to network professionally, she can't fully commit because part of her mind worries about unfinished coursework. When focusing on academics, job opportunities slip away. The constant mental toggling creates a perpetual sense of inadequacy.
Pain Point
In a world that asks us to be everything at once,
we just want a break.
We tested two pagination indicator styles with five users.
All participants reported that the indicator dots at the bottom clearly suggested that the pages could be swiped horizontally.
We did WCAG check to ensure the accessibility of our app.
We scoped the design to focus on four core flows. All features—AI matching(assign and train), live tracking were prototyped in Figma to ensure technical feasibility within the timeframe.
Considerations
Usability
A/B Testing - Pagination Indicator
Accessibility
WCAG
Feasibility
Assign new tasks
View ongoing and scheduled tasks
View stats, such as workload, recent performance, AI suggested upgrades, etc
Train default shadow self to be a new one, such us a COOKING BECKY.
AI Chatbox & Task Agents：
Breaks down complex tasks into actionable steps and assists in assigning them efficiently.
Smart Shadow Self Recommendation:
Recommends the most suitable shadow clone based on the task type, context, and user preferences.
Customizable Task Planning:
Allows users to review and edit AI-generated plans before assigning them to a specific shadow clone.
AI Chatbox & Agent:
Helps users generate personalized training plans, recommends relevant classes, and suggests the most suitable shadow clones to begin training with.
Easy training: click the classes boxes and start training.
Auto-Training System:
Automatically trains selected shadow clones daily based on AI-driven analysis of user behavior, goals, and performance trends.
Product Highlight
Highlight#1
Manage Shadow Selfs
Highlight#2
Train Default Shadow Self
Highlight#4
Smart Training
Highlight#3
Assign Tasks (AI agent)
Sometimes, being one person is already a full-time job
Problem:
Work Becky has a great interview at Figma, but when her original self starts the job, she lacks crucial context and relationships established during the interview.
Solution:
Multi-screen LIVE Wall: That’s where can observe her clone's experiences in real-time.
Task Summaries: that highlight key interactions and insights from each activity.
Experience Replay: Allows her to relive critical moments from her clone's perspective.
Problem:
When multiple clones experience intense emotions simultaneously (Romance Becky having a breakup while Work Becky receives criticism), her original self can become emotionally overwhelmed.
Solution:
Our "Memory Sync" feature appears in the corner of each experience summary, letting her choose which memories to integrate. This optional synchronization prevents emotional overwhelm by giving her complete control.
Edge Cases
Edge Case#1
Memory Fragmentation
Edge Case#2
Emotional Overflow
The Home screen displays five Beckys: Study, Work, Sports, Romance, and Social. Each of them is styled to reflect their role.
Becky can swipe through them in a carousel view, and tap “Manage” to view detailed stats: skills, recent performance, and task history.
This space gives her a clear overview of her clones — who they are, what they’re doing, and how far they’ve come.
When a new task comes up, Becky uses the Assign page to match it to the right clone.
She describes the situation — a presentation, a social event, or something else. And the AI then recommends the best fit, based on each clone’s strengths and past performance.
With one tap, the task is assigned. Becky can step back, knowing the right version of her is on it.
On the Training page, Becky helps her clones level up.
She inputs training demands, the AI will then suggest focused areas to improve, offer personalized, manageable learning plans.
As Becky trains her clones, she sees their stats grow in real time — smarter, sharper, more prepared.
The more she invests, the more capable her clones become. They are ready to take on whatever’s next.
The Tracking Page is Becky’s mission control.
She gets a live feed of each active clone. Watching their world in real time is just like looking through different versions of herself.
Beneath the LIVE wall, AI-generated summaries highlight what each clone accomplished and learned.
Every moment is stored in a personal archive, and ready to revisit anytime.
Clone Management
Describe a Situation
Get Recommendations
A New Task Is Added
Enter training demands
Get recommendations
Tick boxes
Start training
LIVE Wall
Select a Clone
to Track
View Summary
& Replay
clone display
User Flow
Flow#1 Home Flow
Manage All of Becky, in One Place
Flow#2 ASSIGN Flow
Find the Perfect Becky for the Task
Flow#3 TRAIN Flow
Grow Beckys, Grow Yourself
Flow#4 TRACK Flow
Life Seen from Every Angle
In a world that asks us to be everything at once, we just want a break.
Pain Point
When Becky needs to network professionally, she can't fully commit because part of her mind worries about unfinished coursework. When focusing on academics, job opportunities slip away. The constant mental toggling creates a perpetual sense of inadequacy.
But…
There’s a catch.
Becky may have multiple clones, but she can’t manage them all at once.
That’s where our product comes in — a tool to help her organize, prioritize, and train her shadow selves, so she can make the most of her power, and finally live life on her own terms.
Super Power: Shadow Clone
One day, Becky wakes up and discovers her superpower:
She can split.
One Study Becky, one Work Becky, one Sports...
And the real Becky finally gets to breathe.
To rest.
To do what she actually wants.
User Flow
Flow#4 TRACK Flow
Life Seen from Every Angle
The Tracking Page is Becky’s mission control.
She gets a live feed of each active clone. Watching their world in real time is just like looking through different versions of herself.
Beneath the LIVE wall, AI-generated summaries highlight what each clone accomplished and learned.
Every moment is stored in a personal archive, and ready to revisit anytime.
Flow#1 Home Flow
Manage All of Becky, in One Place
The Home screen displays five Beckys: Study, Work, Sports, Romance, and Social. Each of them is styled to reflect their role.
Becky can swipe through them in a carousel view, and tap “Manage” to view detailed stats: skills, recent performance, and task history.
This space gives her a clear overview of her clones — who they are, what they’re doing, and how far they’ve come.
Clone Display
Describe a Situation
Enter training demands
Get recommendations
LIVE Wall
Select a Clone
to Track
View Summary
& Replay
Tick boxes
Start training
Get Recommendations
and Assign
A New Task Is Added
Clone Management
Flow#2 ASSIGN Flow
Find the Perfect Becky for the Task
When a new task comes up, Becky uses the Assign page to match it to the right clone.
She describes the situation — a presentation, a social event, or something else. And the AI then recommends the best fit, based on each clone’s strengths and past performance.
With one tap, the task is assigned. Becky can step back, knowing the right version of her is on it.
Flow#3 TRAIN Flow
Grow Beckys, Grow Yourself
On the Training page, Becky helps her clones level up.
She inputs training demands, the AI will then suggest focused areas to improve, offer personalized, manageable learning plans.
As Becky trains her clones, she sees their stats grow in real time — smarter, sharper, more prepared.
The more she invests, the more capable her clones become. They are ready to take on whatever’s next.
Product Highlight
Highlight#1
Manage Shadow Selfs
Assign new tasks
View ongoing and scheduled tasks
View stats, such as workload, recent performance, AI suggested upgrades, etc
Highlight#2
Train Default Shadow Self
Train default shadow self to be a new one, such us a COOKING BECKY.
Highlight#3
Assign Tasks (AI agent)
AI Chatbox & Task Agents：
Breaks down complex tasks into actionable steps and assists in assigning them efficiently.
Smart Shadow Self Recommendation:
Recommends the most suitable shadow clone based on the task type, context, and user preferences.
Customizable Task Planning:
Allows users to review and edit AI-generated plans before assigning them to a specific shadow clone.
Highlight#4
Smart Training
AI Chatbox & Agent:
Helps users generate personalized training plans, recommends relevant classes, and suggests the most suitable shadow clones to begin training with.
Easy training: click the classes boxes and start training.
Auto-Training System:
Automatically trains selected shadow clones daily based on AI-driven analysis of user behavior, goals, and performance trends.
Edge Cases
Edge Case#1
Memory Fragmentation
Problem:
Work Becky has a great interview at Figma, but when her original self starts the job, she lacks crucial context and relationships established during the interview.
Solution:
Multi-screen LIVE Wall: That’s where can observe her clone's experiences in real-time.
Task Summaries: that highlight key interactions and insights from each activity.
Experience Replay: Allows her to relive critical moments from her clone's perspective.
Edge Case#2
Emotional Overflow
Problem:
When multiple clones experience intense emotions simultaneously (Romance Becky having a breakup while Work Becky receives criticism), her original self can become emotionally overwhelmed.
Solution:
Our "Memory Sync" feature appears in the corner of each experience summary, letting her choose which memories to integrate. This optional synchronization prevents emotional overwhelm by giving her complete control.
Considerations
Usability
A/B Testing - Pagination Indicator
We tested two pagination indicator styles with five users.
All participants reported that the indicator dots at the bottom clearly suggested that the pages could be swiped horizontally.
Accessibility
WCAG
We did WCAG check to ensure the accessibility of our app.
Feasibility
We scoped the design to focus on four core flows. All features—AI matching(assign and train), live tracking were prototyped in Figma to ensure technical feasibility within the timeframe.
Final Solution
Click here to explore our final prototype for Shadow Self!
Final Solution
Click here to explore our final prototype for Shadow Self!
Key Learnings
Key Learnings
Finding Strength in Constraints
Finding Strength in Constraints
In just four days, I discovered that tight deadlines aren't limitations but catalysts for creativity. When time is scarce, you learn to trust your instincts and make decisive choices rather than endless deliberations. The pressure pushed us to focus on what truly mattered in our Shadow Self concept—creating a solution that addressed the universal struggle of being stretched too thin across life's many demands.
One of the key challenges was ensuring users would continue to engage with the app even after solving immediate decision-making needs. By introducing features like the fishbone reward system and gamified customization options, I created mechanisms that not only keep users coming back but also provide a sense of accomplishment and progress. This taught me the importance of designing for user retention, thinking beyond the product’s core functionality to create lasting value.
The Power of Rapid Iteration
The Power of Rapid Iteration
I learned that the first idea is rarely the best one, but it's an essential starting point. Though our time was brief, we continuously tested and refined our user flows, constantly improving our UX language to better communicate the clone management experience. Each round of feedback helped us clarify interactions, simplify complex processes, and create a more intuitive journey through the app—proving that even small adjustments can dramatically enhance the user experience.
When designing the community voting interface, I studied and analyzed platforms like Reddit, Xiaohongshu(RED), Douban, and Instagram. By evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, I was able to incorporate the best elements while addressing their limitations, resulting in a more engaging and tailored experience.
The Magic of Collaborative Energy
The Magic of Collaborative Energy
Many hands truly make the flame burn brighter. Our team exemplified how different perspectives create something greater than any of us could imagine alone. I conceptualized the five specialized clones, while Siying expanded our vision with customizable clones for specific needs like cooking. When Yue proposed the multi-screen monitoring room, it sparked my idea to use Sora to generate video simulations of live clone activities—transforming a static concept into a dynamic experience that had our entire team laughing with delight. These moments of spontaneous collaboration weren't just productive; they were the heart of what made this hackathon so meaningful despite its intense pace.
A major takeaway was the importance of being open-minded and explorative during the ideation phase. I pushed myself to generate a wide range of solutions, from simple to highly ambitious, without prematurely judging their feasibility. This helped me approach problems creatively, ensuring I explored diverse possibilities before narrowing down to the most practical and impactful solutions. It reinforced the value of curiosity and adaptability in the design process.
Meet Our Team 😊
Meet Our Team 😊
From left to right:
Siying, Yue, Xinyi(me)
Apr.21 2025
📍Foster Business Library,
University of Washington
