Go India - Designing a National Habit Loop
How behavioural science and gamification engaged 80M+ users during a global pandemic.
Overview
During the peak of the pandemic, Google Pay sought to transition from short-term incentives to a long-term engagement model. I led the UI design and Information Architecture for "Go India," a 40-day virtual travel adventure that turned daily payments into a journey across India.
Role
Lead UI/UX Designer
Team
1 Senior UX Designer
Marketing Team
Engineering Team
Scale
80 Million+ Active Users
Key Pillars
Behavioural Science, Accessibility (GAR 4), Habit Formation.
Challenge
Launching a travel-themed game during a global lockdown required extreme empathy. We faced a triple challenge:
Emotional Intelligence
How do we evoke the joy of travel without being insensitive to the reality of the pandemic?
Sustained Engagement
How do we keep users coming back for 40+ days without "incentive fatigue"?
Complexity Balance
Designing a game deep enough to be interesting, but simple enough for a non-gamer demographic.
The Strategy
Working closely with the Behavioural Science team, I designed an Information Architecture (IA) rooted in two core motivators: Social Validation and Tiered Incentives.
The Habit Loop
We utilised Loss Aversion and the Sunk Cost Fallacy—once users started their journey and collected a few "cities," the psychological drive to finish the map became a powerful retention tool.
Social Proof
We integrated features that allowed users to see their friends' progress, tapping into the human desire for social recognition and "friendly competition."
Cultural Empathy & Visual Direction
Instead of a "game-like" fantasy world, we leaned into Nostalgia. * The "India We Love": I directed the creation of assets featuring iconic landmarks like the Golden Temple and the Rann of Kutch. The goal was to capture "Heart and Mind share" by celebrating the land users were currently unable to visit.
Visual Systems
I developed a style guide that merged Google’s Material Design with local Indian aesthetics, ensuring the brand felt global yet deeply personal.
Inclusive Design (Accessibility)
For a product at Google’s scale, accessibility is not optional.
GAR 4 Compliance
I led the effort to ensure all UI patterns met Google’s Accessibility Rating (GAR 4). This involved rigorous testing for colour contrast, touch target sizes, and screen-reader compatibility.
Low-Fi to Hi-Fix
We validated the IA through multiple rounds of testing, starting with paper prototypes to test logic, moving to high-fidelity Figma mocks to test emotional resonance.
Impact: Setting the Bedrock
Engaged over 80 million users, far exceeding initial projections.
Extended Lifecycle
Originally a 40-day campaign, it was extended due to "overwhelming response."
Industry Blueprint
This project laid the foundational "Engagement Framework" that Google Pay continues to use for long-term retention today.
Key Takeaways & Personal Growth
This project taught me that "User Delight" isn't always about flashy animations; sometimes, it’s about emotional utility. By launching a travel-themed game during a lockdown, I learned how to balance business goals with the "sensitive mind space" of our users. We successfully captured "Heart Share" by honouring nostalgia rather than exploiting a trend.
The Power of Behavioural Frameworks
Working alongside the Behavioural Science team changed how I approach UI. I moved beyond "making things look good" to designing for habit formation. Implementing nuances like Optimistic Bias and Sunk Cost taught me how to guide users through a 40-day funnel without causing burnout or "incentive fatigue."
Scaling Accessibility in Big Tech
Achieving GAR 4 (Google Accessibility Rating) compliance was a milestone in my career. It reinforced that inclusive design isn't a "nice-to-have" feature—it is a core requirement for products operating at a scale of 80M+ users. Every icon, contrast ratio, and touch target was a lesson in designing for everyone.