Sparkhood Primary Function: Ka Ūnuhi Hoʻopili Hana Hou by Jizheng Guan

Sparkhood Primary Function: Ka Ūnuhi Hoʻopili Hana Hou by Jizheng Guan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Hao in Hoʻolālā Huahana Kikohoʻe Competition Category.

HaoHuahana Kikohoʻe· 2026

Sparkhood Primary Function: Ka Ūnuhi Hoʻopili Hana Hou

by Jizheng Guan

Client: Sparkhood

A' Design Award Hao Winner in Huahana Kikohoʻe Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Sparkhood Primary Function: Ka Ūnuhi Hoʻopili Hana Hou

Book Text: ʻO Sparkhood kahi polokalamu hoʻoikaika i alakaʻi ʻia e ka naʻauao hana (AI) e kōkua ana i nā mea hoʻohana e hana i ka ʻanuʻu mua ma ke ala i nā pahuhopu koʻikoʻi. I hoʻoulu ʻia e ka moʻolelo ʻike maka a me ke akeakamai ʻano hana, hoʻololi ia i ka makemake i ʻike pili kino—me ke alakaʻi ʻana o kahi “kino o ka wā e hiki mai ana” a me kahi ūnuhi hoʻololi e pane ana i ka manawa maoli. Ma ka māhele ʻana i nā paʻakikī pohihihi i mau hana maʻalahi, kūkulu ʻo Sparkhood i ka ikaika, kākoʻo i ka hoʻokumu ʻana i ka ʻano ponoʻī ma o ka hana, a hoʻohiki i nā mea hoʻohana e ʻimi a hoʻomaopopo iā lākou iho.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hao

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Sparkhood Primary Function: Ka Ūnuhi Hoʻopili Hana Hou i ka A' Design Award Hao, he ʻike hoʻohanohano i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā maikaʻi e hoʻokō ana i nā koi ʻoihana a ʻoihana hana i manaʻo ʻia mai nā mea hoʻokumu i hana maikaʻi ʻia. Hōʻike nā lanakila Hao i ka mākau nui, ka loea kiʻekiʻe, ka ʻike akamai a me ka hiki hana noʻeau o ka poʻe i hana iā lākou. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Sparkhood Primary Function: Ka Ūnuhi Hoʻopili Hana Hou he mea hoʻokumu i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia e pono a hou. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Hao e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka ʻoihana a loaʻa nā ʻano ʻenehana mākaukau i hui pū ʻia me ka ʻike hana a me ka makakoho. Mahalo ʻia ka hoʻolālā Sparkhood Primary Function: Ka Ūnuhi Hoʻopili Hana Hou no kona nānā pono a ua hoʻolālā ʻia e hāʻawi i nā hoʻomaikaʻi ola e kōkua ai i ka hana ʻana i ka honua i wahi maikaʻi aku.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Sparkhood is an AI based system that helps users move from hesitation to action. It turns goals into a lived experience. A future self shows what is possible. A resistance character reflects doubt and fear.
Tasks are broken into clear, small steps. Users focus on one step at a time, instead of being overwhelmed. The system is not only about motivation. It builds identity through action, and helps users see their own patterns over time.
Dimensions & Packaging: Mobile app designed for most smartphones.
Tags: Mobile app, goal management, agentic UI, motivation, companion
Production Technology: The system uses prompt design, agent based logic, and modular UI blocks. User input such as goals, emotions, and concerns are mapped into structured states. The app then generates UI, tasks, and interactions in real time.

Visual elements like scenes, avatars, and motion are rendered from a prompt library. Each session is task focused and adaptive, helping users stay present and engaged.
Design Challenge: A key challenge was designing a system that supports users without creating pressure or judgment. Representing problems as characters had to feel helpful, not childish or distracting. Another challenge was guiding users toward action without forcing behavior. On the technical side, real time generation of UI, characters, and interactions had to remain consistent and clear.
Research: This project explores how reframing difficulty changes user behavior. From over 100 one to one sessions, a key insight emerged. People often turn problems into self judgment, which blocks action. By turning problems into external characters, users can observe them instead of internalizing them. This shift reduces self attack and makes challenges easier to approach. Combined with AI generated UI and adaptive sessions, the system creates a loop of observation, action, and reflection.
Inspiration: After graduation, I spent time helping over 100 alumni students in one to one sessions. Many of them felt stuck. They were unsure what to do, afraid to try, or simply followed the crowd into jobs that did not fit them. In the AI era, entry level chances to try are shrinking, while tools and resources are everywhere. This gap creates more hesitation, not less.
Sparkhood is built to close that gap. It helps people start before they feel ready. The app breaks down complex goals into small actions, and builds a sense of companionship so users do not feel alone. Instead of pushing users to be perfect, it helps them try, observe, and learn. Even if they quit, they understand themselves better. Only the user can know what truly fits.
Project Duration: Sep 2025 - Feb 2026, New York, United States
Operation Flow: Users begin by entering a goal and current challenge. Users then enter a focused session. Within the session, guidance characters help break down the task and support problem solving.
When friction appears, the system generates a character that represents the problem. This allows users to see it as something external and workable.
The interface adapts in real time to the user’s state, keeping attention on the current step. After the session, progress is recorded, reinforcing a sense of growth and understanding.
Team Members: Jizheng Guan