People are wired to move forward. When users can see their growth and track their advancement, they don't just stay engaged—they build unstoppable momentum.
Progress is the psychological force that drives us to seek advancement and growth. It's about feeling like we're moving forward toward our goals and becoming better.
We're more motivated as we approach our goals. Products that show proximity to milestones create increasing motivation and engagement.
Breaking large goals into achievable steps maintains momentum. Products that celebrate micro-achievements keep users engaged and motivated.
See how successful products use Progress to drive engagement and retention.
Language Learning
Shows daily streaks, lesson progress bars, and XP points that accumulate with every completed exercise.
Makes abstract language learning concrete. Every 5-minute lesson moves you visibly forward, creating momentum through small wins.
Fitness Tracking
Tracks personal records, visualizes training progress, and shows segment leaderboards comparing your performance to others.
Turns every run into measurable improvement. You're not just exercising—you're beating your personal best and climbing leaderboards.
Professional Network
Displays profile completion percentage and prompts you to add skills, experience, and connections to reach 'All-Star' status.
Makes career building tangible. 'You're 60% complete—add 2 more skills' transforms vague professional development into concrete next steps.
Practical strategies to create advancement and growth in your product.
Show concrete progress indicators at every step
"Make advancement visible at every interaction. Duolingo shows '3 of 5 exercises complete'—turning abstract learning into concrete steps forward."
Chunk large objectives into achievable daily or weekly targets
"Create momentum through micro-victories. LinkedIn doesn't ask you to 'build your network'—it says 'Invite 3 colleagues to reach 50 connections.'"
Display how close users are to their next achievement
"Increase motivation as goals approach. Strava highlights 'You're 0.3 miles from your monthly goal'—making the finish line feel within reach."
Acknowledge and reward progress with notifications and badges
"Make endings memorable. Duolingo's confetti animation and '7-day streak!' celebration makes completing lessons feel like winning, not just finishing."
Specific tactics to strengthen Progress in your product. Each one is grounded in behavioral science and proven in real products.
We're more motivated to complete something we've already started
Loyalty cards with 2 stamps already filled get completed 82% more often than blank cards
Pre-fill progress bars partially, give starter credits, show 'You're 20% there,' award early wins, create artificial head starts
Motivation increases as we approach a goal
Coffee shop punch cards show increased visit frequency as customers near their free drink
Break long journeys into visible stages, show proximity to next milestone, create multiple mini-goals, celebrate near-completions
Concrete progress indicators drive completion
LinkedIn's 'You're 60% complete—add 2 more skills to reach All-Star'
Use progress bars, show percentages, display checklists, visualize advancement, make every action count toward something visible
Breaking goals into achievable steps maintains momentum
Duolingo doesn't ask 'learn Spanish'—it asks 'complete today's 5-minute lesson'
Chunk large goals into daily/weekly targets, celebrate micro-achievements, make next step always visible and achievable
We judge experiences by their peak moment and ending
Uber's 'You've arrived' animation with 5-star prompt—ending the ride on a high note
Design memorable peaks in the experience, end interactions positively, don't fade out, make closing moments special
We remember incomplete tasks better than completed ones
LinkedIn's incomplete profile nags at you more than completed sections satisfy you
Show what's unfinished, create open loops, remind about incomplete tasks, use tension to drive completion
We follow through on commitments to maintain consistency. Small commitments create momentum toward larger actions
Asking 'Will you vote?' before election day increases turnout—public commitment drives follow-through
Get small commitments first, make pledges visible, reference past choices, build on previous decisions
We're reluctant to abandon something we've invested in
Spotify users with years of playlists stay despite competitors because abandoning that curation feels costly
Help users accumulate value over time, show total investment, make switching painful by highlighting what they'd lose
When users invest themselves, they're more likely to return
GitHub's contribution graph—days of green squares represent invested effort you don't want to break
Create visible investment records, show accumulated effort, make contributions permanent, celebrate ongoing commitment
Start by evaluating where Progress fits in your motivational spine—then use these tactics to create the momentum that keeps users engaged.