A non-judgemental app to help people keep track of their drinking

Background

Most people who drink alcohol won’t ever need treatment – but many are curious about how much they drink and whether it’s affecting their wellbeing. The challenge is finding information that’s relevant, reliable and non-judgemental. 

Drinks Meter was designed to meet this need. It is a digital tool (web and app) that gives users instant, personalised feedback based on what they’ve shared about their drinking. Instead of offering blanket advice, it reflects back patterns using evidence-based strategies – motivating people to think, adjust, or take action if they choose. The tool is entirely anonymous, user-led, and grounded in harm reduction.

Conceived and independently funded by Professor Adam Winstock – consultant psychiatrist, honorary clinical professor, and founder of the Global Drug Survey – Drinks Meter builds on his ongoing mission to make drug and alcohol information accessible, human, and evidence-informed. Continuing our long-standing relationship with the Global Drug Survey, we were brought in to position, design, and develop the Drinks Meter brand and digital product.

Approach and Build

From the start, our aim was to create a product that felt intuitive and supportive – something people would not only use, but return to. Working in close collaboration with Professor Winstock, we began with the structure and logic of the tool. He provided the core content and functionality; our job was to shape the user experience around it.

We took an iterative, user-first approach, refining the journey step by step. The final product was built using a single responsive codebase – meaning we could deliver a seamless experience across mobile and desktop from one build.

UX and UI design

We started by mapping the tool’s logic – how users input data, how responses are calculated, and how feedback is presented. Once the flow was clear, we layered in the visual design: a clean, uncluttered UI that supports easy navigation while reinforcing trust and clarity.

Brand identity

The brand needed to work across platforms – from in-app to physical print, PPC campaigns to outreach materials. We created a flexible identity with a bold, data-centric personality. The visual system combined vibrant, nightlife-inspired hues with custom illustrations to add warmth and approachability. The result is a brand that feels distinct from traditional health services – modern, motivating, and human.

We gave the product a scientific feel while also keeping it simple and friendly, pairing lightweight typography with thin line and stroke architecture. Alongside the brand colour palette we introduced neon elements, and added depth and detail with illustrations and iconography. 

Technology

We used a single codebase so that we could deploy the app natively across different digital stores and platforms, including Apple, Android and as a desktop web tool. We opted for a hybrid web/app approach, wrapping our single product for deployment using Adobe’s PhoneGap. This meant that updates could be applied in one place and distributed across the device range quickly and easily. It’s available on the App Store and Google Play and as a responsive website. 

Since launch, the brand and product has been extended to attract greater commercial opportunities, with new features released. Our architecture has expanded to accommodate unique localisations of the tool including offline data submission, localised content and other enriched features. 

New functionality for Australia

In 2018, the New South Wales government in Australia commissioned Drinks Meter to deliver new functionality to help combat severe issues with alcohol abuse in the state. We collaborated on new functionality, UI and UX, with a new diary component that attracted repeat usage of the app. 

The new version led to proven behaviour change. Before using it, 32% of users agreed with the phrase “I am changing my drinking habit right now”; afterwards this increased to 44%. The number who agreed with “There is no need for me to think about changing my drinking” dropped from 52% to 45%. 

The outcome

Drinks Meter has been commended by healthcare professionals, such as Professor Paul Wallace of University College London, who said: “It’s relevant, attractive, easy to use and provides useful feedback. It’s a great tool.”

In an independent peer-reviewed analysis¹ of 32 eSBI apps (electronic screening and brief intervention) used by young people, Drinks Meter was the most highly rated by users, particularly for the information and feedback provided in the app. 

In the first 3 years after our redesign, the app supported more than 50,000 people in 170 countries around the world. 

¹ Milward, Kahjesar et al.