“gym.journey”, App Project
Gym Journey is a fitness project that I completed at General Assembly. As the COVID-19 epidemic surges, it’s important that we create innovative ways to stay motivated in moving our bodies. Follow my process below from conducting user interviews, to constructing problem statements, a research plan, affinity mapping, creating a persona, forming a “how might we” statement, sketching, wireframing, and more!
How Might We make fitness more motivating so that users can feel more in a habit of their workout routine?
Primary Challenge: Based on the user interviews and problem statements, the main problem I was solving for was lack of motivation in working out. Initially, I thought gamification was the main solution, but after a pivot point in the data, user research helped me to change my goals. Affinity mapping showed that “community, acceptance, and belonging” were the overarching needs of the user.
Team: This was a solo project.
My Role: UX/UI designer
Tools: Figma, InVision, Miro, Adobe XD, Sketch, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign
Time: 3 Months
Research Plan
Goals: To understand what users need to tailor fitness that meets their needs
Target Audience: everyone, ages 16+
Research Method: User Interviews, Affinity Mapping, Personas, HMW statements, Sketches
Total # of interviews: 4 (but I would like to conduct one more)
Estimated duration of interview: Each interview took 20-30 minutes
Recruitment method: Friends and family
Timeline: User Interviews (Nov - Dec), Lo-Fi sketches (early Dec), Lo-Fi Prototypes (mid December), Hi-Fi Prototypes (end December), A/B testing and Multipage/Multivariate testing (end of December), Final prototypes (January)
User Interviews
For this project, I conducted 4 user interviews, full of diverse candidates, ages 24-77. It was important for me to capture the pain points and worries of each user, as well as specific fitness aspirations and goals. Because the nature of health is confidential, all users identities have been concealed.
Initial Questions & Answers
1. Objective: To understand the fitness needs of my users and to gauge their interest interest in utilizing physical trainers.
2. Introduction: Fit4Me is a one-stop app that allows you to filter by specific exercise based on your current fitness goal, as well as find a trainer if you feel you need an additional boost. Your trainer can also be filtered by specific needs that you may have, based on age range, location, gender, specialization, and nutrition preferences.
3. Open questions: How can a digital fitness platform be helpful and applicable to all fitness levels? How do we keep users genuinely invested in a digital fitness platform?
4. Specific questions:
Can you help me understand more about your fitness lifestyle? Currently sporadic and very much motivation based instead of discipline based. Doesn’t exercise as often. Once or twice a week with cardio or squats.
Would gamifying it help? And if so which games do you like? Yes, it would help. Would draw me in more with some type of winning system. Likes role playing games, based on what type of training you would do.
Would you ever do a VR based fitness app? For sure! But would need something that does not give motion sickness.
What are some techniques you wish you could have help with when working out? Form, trying to engage the correct muscle groups.
If done right, how can exercise be used to motivate you? Wants exercise to grow her discipline. Positive reinforcement helps her “you’re almost there” or “you got this”.
What are your thoughts about using a fitness trainer? If you were to use a trainer, what type of qualities would that person need to have? I would definitely use a trainer, lack of discipline trainer would help with keeping up. Someone who is patient and understands her goals. Someone versatile and who can take into account modifications.
How would a patient trainer interact with you? Wants them to motivate her, but will stop when they know she can’t. Not someone condescending or pushy.
Do you have a fitness inspiration or goal? If so, who? I want that booty. Nice legs. Slight muscle tone in arms.
5. Final thoughts: I would like for fitness to have a more increased role in my life. My family history is abysmal and I don’t want to keep going down that track. If I were more fit I could fight some of my genetics.
6. Follow-up and next steps (the user had questions):
Is it subscription based/how does it log your data? Log-in based app.
How do trainers get paid? Is the app free and the trainer paid? Does the app give nutrition info or does the trainer? The trainer does, if they are certified.
Above is 1 of 4 interviews conducted. For additional interviews, please click here.
Problem Statements
From my interviews, I constructed 4 problem statements.
Affinity Mapping
After I gathered my problems statements and research plan, I conducted an affinity mapping exercise
Persona
After my affinity mapping exercise, I was able to create a persona comprised of all 4 interviews and problem statements.
First round Lo-fi wireframes
Key Features: 1 or 2 player mode, journeys, customizable fitness targets
Based on the user research, the data showed that users felt most supported and motivated when workouts were not forced onto them in any capacity. While some users preferred solo workouts, other users actually requested guidance/partnership in their workouts. The data also depicted that most users viewed fitness as a long term or permanent habit, rather than a short-term or temporary goal. From this, gym journey’s key features were born: 1 or 2 player mode, journeys, customizable fitness targets.
The 1 or 2 player mode allows users to pair up with a fitness buddy that matches their fitness targets for the day, if they choose to. The journeys help to tailor the users perception of their daily workouts as small incremental tours that are part of a larger journey - it keeps the user motivated in the overall result rather than discouraging them with a predetermined and forced outcome. Lastly, customizable fitness targets allows users to always change what they want to work on, because in life our focuses may shift, and I wanted the app to accommodate that reality without forcing or pressuring the user in any capacity.
