Karate is more than physical technique—it’s a way of life, a practice that intertwines discipline, mindfulness, and personal growth.

When I joined a dojo in Sweden, after years of training in Portugal and Denmark, I discovered something profoundly different. This dojo embraced not just the movements of Karate but its heart: Budo values, mindfulness, and self-reflection. It felt like a homecoming, a reminder of why I started practising Karate in the first place.

But when I looked for a digital tool to complement this deeply reflective practice, I hit a wall. Existing apps were focused on gamified progress and leaderboards, sidelining the philosophical core of Karate. They were perfect for beginners but lacked the depth and simplicity that intermediate and advanced practitioners crave.

This frustration became the seed of "The Way of Karate"—a project designed to harmonize the mental and physical aspects of Karate in a calm, minimalist digital space.

Karate is not a competition; it’s a journey. Yet, most Karate apps treat it like a game, relying on points, rankings, and surface-level metrics. For intermediate and advanced practitioners, these apps feel disconnected from the art’s deeper meaning.

Existing apps focus on physical progress but neglect Karate’s deeper values.

Cluttered dashboards and gamified features clash with the reflective nature of Karate.

Advanced users need tools that align with their unique journeys.

Through interviews with fellow practitioners and competitive analysis, I realised how underserved advanced Karatekas are. Apps like Dojo Athletics offer great kata libraries, but they’re complex and overwhelming. Others, like Karate Sensei, have progress tracking but lack the depth advanced users need. And while mindfulness apps exist, they don’t address the physical practice side of Karate.

What I Discovered:

Challenge 1: Creating Meaningful Metrics Without Competition
Hypotheses: Progress is visualized through growth lines and numbers without comparison emphasizing personal improvement over leaderboards.

Challenge 2: Integrating Karate Philosophy
Hypotheses: The Learning Corner features precepts from Gichin Funakoshi, reflective prompts, and historical insights to inspire mindfulness.

Challenge 3: Balancing Simplicity with Functionality
Hypotheses: A minimalist interface that prioritizes clarity while incorporating essential features like video previews and slow-motion playback options.

"The Way of Karate" was designed for advanced practitioners seeking a balance between technical drills and philosophical growth, combining thoughtful contemporary design with key features of Karate’s traditions.

Track katas, kihon, and kumite with space for reflections.

Minimalist visualizations show personal growth over time.

Explore comprehensive resources on Karate philosophy, history, and Funakoshi’s precepts.

A respectful space for practitioners to share reflections and seek advice.

Highlight personal journal and daily learning corner.

Elements and spacious layouts encourage users to pause, reflect, and internalise their progress.

Subtle nods to Japanese culture -motifs inspired by traditional Karate and Zen art.

A creamy base with accents of red inspired by the Japanese flag evoking a sense of tradition and calm.

Clean, modern sans-serif fonts ensuring clarity and elegance: Narin and Lato.

Images used should be black-and-white refering to tradition. Women's imagery should be added in black and white to re-write tradition.

Low-fidelity wireframes helped refine the core concepts, leading to high-fidelity designs that captured the app’s minimalist philosophy.

As the design was being informally discussed with users throughout the process changes happened on the way to the high-fidelity prototype.

Progress Tracker: Early designs included a graph-based tracker, but users felt it was overly technical and didn’t align with the app's minimalist ethos.

I user-tested this dashboard logic by having a few friends play around with the prototype. I took note of how they navigated through the interface and asked them to share any thoughts that came up while going through it.

What Worked:

Areas for Improvement:

The journey begins with a simple onboarding process, where users create a profile by sharing basic information—including their years of training. This step personalizes the app experience and fosters a sense of community, as users can tailor the app to their unique practice.

The dashboard empowers users to take control of their practice. Using a simple drag-and-drop interface, users can rearrange cards to prioritize the features that matter most to them—be it the Training Logs, Learning Corner, or Progress Tracker.

The Learning Corner is a hub for philosophical and historical insights. Users can save Funakoshi’s Precepts, lessons, and other knowledge for future reference. The feature is designed to encourage deeper engagement with Karate’s mental and philosophical teachings.

This feature allows users to watch explanatory videos of kihon (basic techniques), kumite (sparring), and kata (sequences), all designed for progressive learning. After each session, users are prompted to reflect on their practice by jotting down insights or improvements. This encourages a mindful approach to training.

The Edit Profile section gives users the flexibility to update their information, manage their account, or contact support. This feature ensures users have full control over their app experience, reinforcing the theme of self-awareness and personal growth.

To bring "The Way of Karate" to life, the next steps include:

This project taught me the power of simplicity in design. I learned how to balance functionality with tradition, ensuring every element serves a purpose. Most importantly, I realized the value of integrating mindfulness into every step of the process.

I’m excited to bring this user-centered, reflective approach to my next role, creating meaningful products that resonate deeply with users.

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Karate is more than physical technique—it’s a way of life, a practice that intertwines discipline, mindfulness, and personal growth.

This frustration became the seed of "The Way of Karate"—a project designed to harmonize the mental and physical aspects of Karate in a calm, minimalist digital space.

Karate is not a competition; it’s a journey. Yet, most Karate apps treat it like a game, relying on points, rankings, and surface-level metrics. For intermediate and advanced practitioners, these apps feel disconnected from the art’s deeper meaning.

Existing apps focus on physical progress but neglect Karate’s deeper values.

Cluttered dashboards and gamified features clash with the reflective nature of Karate.

Advanced users need tools that align with their unique journeys.

What I Discovered:

Advanced Users Feel Left Out: Most apps are designed for beginners, ignoring the nuanced needs of experienced Karatekas.

Mindfulness Is Missing​​​​​​: Karate is as much about the mind as the body, but this balance is rarely reflected digitally.

Simplicity Matters: Practitioners crave calm, focused tools—not cluttered dashboards.

Challenge 1: Creating Meaningful Metrics Without Competition Hypotheses: Progress is visualized through growth lines and numbers without comparison emphasizing personal improvement over leaderboards.

Challenge 2: Integrating Karate Philosophy Hypotheses: The Learning Corner features precepts from Gichin Funakoshi, reflective prompts, and historical insights to inspire mindfulness.

Challenge 3: Balancing Simplicity with Functionality Hypotheses: A minimalist interface that prioritizes clarity while incorporating essential features like video previews and slow-motion playback options.

"The Way of Karate" was designed for advanced practitioners seeking a balance between technical drills and philosophical growth, combining thoughtful contemporary design with key features of Karate’s traditions.

Track katas, kihon, and kumite with space for reflections.

Minimalist visualizations show personal growth over time.

Explore comprehensive resources on Karate philosophy, history, and Funakoshi’s precepts.

A respectful space for practitioners to share reflections and seek advice.

Highlight personal journal and daily learning corner.

Elements and spacious layouts encourage users to pause, reflect, and internalise their progress.

Subtle nods to Japanese culture -motifs inspired by traditional Karate and Zen art.

A creamy base with accents of red inspired by the Japanese flag evoking a sense of tradition and calm.

Clean, modern sans-serif fonts ensuring clarity and elegance: Narin and Lato.

Images used should be black-and-white refering to tradition. Women's imagery should be added in black and white to re-write tradition.

Low-fidelity wireframes helped refine the core concepts, leading to high-fidelity designs that captured the app’s minimalist philosophy.

As the design was being informally discussed with users throughout the process changes happened on the way to the high-fidelity prototype.

Progress Tracker: Early designs included a graph-based tracker, but users felt it was overly technical and didn’t align with the app's minimalist ethos.

Mindfulness Is Missing: Karate is as much about the mind as the body, but this balance is rarely reflected digitally.

Challenge 1: Creating Meaningful Metrics Without Competition
Hypotheses: Progress is visualized through growth lines and numbers without comparison emphasizing personal improvement over leaderboards.

Challenge 2: Integrating Karate Philosophy
Hypotheses: The Learning Corner features precepts from Gichin Funakoshi, reflective prompts, and historical insights to inspire mindfulness.

Challenge 3: Balancing Simplicity with Functionality
Hypotheses: A minimalist interface that prioritizes clarity while incorporating essential features like video previews and slow-motion playback options.