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From Circle to Linear: The Power of Design in Behavior Change
At Tangelo, we know that how information looks can change how people feel—and act—about their health. That’s why we redesigned the Diet Quality (DQ) score: from a circular progress bar to a linear progress bar.
It may seem like a small tweak, but it has a big impact on how users understand their progress and stay motivated.
Why the Change?
We started with a circle because:
- Circles are common in wellness apps (think activity rings).
- A complete circle suggests wholeness and balance.
- This mirrors the concept of a well-rounded diet.
But we found that the circular design was:
- Confusing – Users weren’t sure how close they were to their goal.
- Lacking direction – Circles loop, but diet change moves forward.
- Hard to track over time – It didn’t show clear progress.
Why a Linear Progress Bar Works Better
✅ Clearer and more intuitive – People easily understand straight-line progress.
✅ Goal-focused – It shows where you are, where you’re going, and every step in between.
✅ Motivating – It makes progress feel real and reachable.
✅ Easier to compare over time – You can see how far you’ve come and what’s next.
How It Helps
- More motivation – Clear progress boosts engagement
- Less confusion – Easier to read, faster to understand
- More action – When the path is clear, people move forward
We’re Just Getting Started
This is one of many ways we’re improving the Diet ID experience. Our goal is to make diet quality easy to understand, track, and improve—for everyone.
Got ideas for how we can make it even better? We’d love to hear them.
