How Building RetreatMe Transformed My Design, Direction & Daily Life

How Building RetreatMe Elevated My Design Practice, Creative Direction & Daily Wellness

By the end of August, I reached a milestone that still fills me with gratitude I completed my wellness app, RetreatMe.

What started as a UX/UI concept evolved into an experience that refined every part of my creative practice. From user research to visual identity, every step reminded me how branding, design, and storytelling are not just tools they are vehicles for shaping direction, meaning, and connection.

What began as a UX/UI project quickly evolved into something much deeper a creative and personal transformation. Through countless design iterations, research sessions, and mentor meetings on Zoom, I learned more than any single course or book could have taught me.

The process demanded not just technical skill but clarity of vision. I shaped user flows, refined wireframes, and built prototypes that reflected the soul of the concept helping people sustain the sense of balance and renewal they feel after a retreat. At the same time, I found myself living the very principles I was designing for. I started moving more, journaling again, syncing my energy with my wellness cycle, and treating my own creativity as sacred practice.

Working independently with mentors sharpened my UX research methods, strengthened my brand storytelling, and deepened my confidence as a creative director. I learned how to build consistency between visual identity and emotional intention how design, psychology, and user empathy can coexist seamlessly.

By the time RetreatMe was finished, I realized the project had also redesigned me.It taught me discipline, self-trust, and the power of creative alignment how structure can hold intuition, and how design can heal when led by heart and purpose.

RetreatMe is more than an app; it’s the embodiment of everything I’ve grown into as a designer, a mother, and a woman committed to creating from truth.

Anna Adonu ReynoldsCreative Director · UX/UI Designer