Fitness Buddy – Gregory Padilla

What's the problem I tried to solve?

Problem

Users expressed difficulties in exercising consistently, while others had integrated exercise as a habit. The focus was on creating and maintaining that habit to achieve fitness goals.

goal

Empower users to establish and sustain a consistent exercise routine, ultimately helping them achieve their fitness goals.

Solution: Fitness Buddy

establish

Establish personalized fitness goals aligned with your fitness journey. The scheduling system offers flexibility throughout the week, enabling users to seamlessly integrate exercise into their availability.

connect

Connect with a fitness partner to enhance motivation. The mutual encouragement between you and your Fitness Buddy will drive increased effort and dedication to your fitness regimen.

monitor

Monitor your progress and that of your Fitness Buddy to inspire each other to achieve your weekly fitness objectives and earn rewards established through mutual agreement.

Foster accountability with messaging and goal reminders for Fitness Buddies. Share completed workouts on the Activity Feed to boost motivation through interaction.

Fitness Buddy motivates users in accomplishing their fitness goals, leveraging research-backed insights that exercising with a partner can offer positive reinforcement and enhance accountability.

II. Research

Why is exercise so important?

background

Federal guidelines advise adults to engage in a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobics, along with two days of strength training (CDC, 2022). Only 23% of adults ages 18-64 meet both recommendations, while 32% meet one but not both, leaving 45% failing to meet either benchmark (Ducharme, 2018). Notably, sedentary lifestyles significantly increase the risk of various health issues, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression, and anxiety (WHO, 2002).

Recognizing the challenges faced by apathetic adults

Secondary research

Through research, I discovered that exercising with a buddy boosts motivation, fosters consistency, and enhances goal achievement through positive reinforcement and shared accountability. This aspect must be taken into account for any solution (Lieberman, 2021).

competitor analysis

I conducted an analysis of prominent apps within the health and fitness sector. During this assessment, I identified that competitors, such as Nike Run Club and Fiton, promote accountability and consistency through challenges and leaderboards. This discovery served as the foundation for the solution development.

user interview

I interviewed seven adults with exercise habits or aspirations. These interviews aimed to identify trends in their exercise routines, consistency methods, and sources of motivation.

wrap up insights

Upon analyzing the patterns within my affinity map, a user persona and journey map were created. A prevalent trend emerged: many adults expressed a desire to maintain their health but encountered challenges in self-accountability.

The experience of apathetic adults when trying to exercise more

User persona

I synthesized my findings into a user persona, Melina, to guide the design process. Melina embodies the user base and directs my solutions, with a focus on addressing key pain points: time management, motivation, and routine development.

journey map

To swiftly empathize with users, I developed a journey map highlighting Melina's context. It revealed a critical area of concern: Melina's struggle with exercise motivation and consistency, leading to goal abandonment.

Apathetic adult needs and design principles

Need: "I need a tool or app to record my progress"

I want to track steps taken throughout the day, heart rate, and workouts completed.
I want to see trends in my physical activity over the week.

Principle: Design should involve a space to log in exercises.

Need: "I need to lead a healthy lifestyle"

I want to maintain a regular exercise routine to promote a healthy lifestyle.
I want to incorporate a nutritious diet into my fitness goals.

Principle: Design should integrate functionalities that promote a healthy lifestyle.

Need: "I need to remain motivated"

I want to prioritize the long-term maintenance of my health and attain my desired physique.
I want to enlist the support of friends and family in achieving my fitness goals.

Principle: Design should cultivate motivation to maintain consistency.

Need: "I need to hold myself accountable"

I want to improve my personal accountability for exercise routines.
I want to find a gym partner to facilitate a more accountable fitness regimen.

Principle: Design should establish user accountability for attaining their fitness goals.

III. Design

Addressing the needs of apathetic adults

Feature set

Creating a feature roadmap played a pivotal role in delineating essential components that addressed user needs. This approach facilitated a methodical classification and prioritization of these features, streamlining the development process.

sitemap

Establishing a clear app structure and user-friendly navigation were essential considerations. To achieve this, a card-sorting exercise was conducted involving six participants well-versed in health and fitness apps. The app's information architecture was developed, leveraging the insights gained from this exercise.

task flows

At this stage, there were several potential directions for app development. I strategically prioritized three primary flows to define the essential screens necessary for testing the MVP.

crazy 8s

I used previous deliverables to create low-fidelity wireframes that provided a solid foundation for each screen's content. Sketching on paper helped shape initial concepts into tangible designs, ensuring clarity and cohesion in the task-oriented app flow.

Establishing a design system

defining the brand

Lacking a brand identity, I created a design system and style guide to establish a distinct presence for this emerging player in the health and fitness sector.

Wireframing the flows

design exploration

Taking inspiration from both primary and secondary competitors, including Nike Run Club, Fiton, and Nike Training Club, I explored various screen variations for my proposed solution. The challenge was to navigate through the ambiguity of creating something entirely new from scratch.

IV. Evaluate

Testing with apathetic adults

results

I conducted remote moderated think-aloud tests with seven participants familiar with health and fitness apps. During the tests, I aimed to understand first impressions, identify potential pain points, and assess the intuitiveness of sending reminders to Fitness Buddies. The results were highly positive, with all users understanding the app's purpose, successfully logging exercises, and posting activity. Participants expressed positive feedback about the interface and a desire for such an app to enhance exercise accountability. Following task completion, participants provided quantitative feedback based on the established design principles, with ratings ranging from 1 to 7.

6.5

Track progress

How helpful is the prototype in tracking fitness progress?

6.5

Promote healthy lifestyle

How helpful is the prototype in promoting a healthy lifestyle?

6.67

Cultivate motivation

How helpful is the prototype in cultivating motivation?

4

User accountability

Does the prototype encourage user accountability?

Iterations

simplify goal review and sending reminders

Following usability testing, it was noted that three out of seven users encountered difficulty in sending reminders to their Fitness Buddy. These users expressed confusion regarding the method for sending reminders, specifically inquiring about the presence of a button to send reminders. Given the critical nature of this feature, I deemed it necessary to implement an iteration. To address this issue, I introduced a prominently displayed button labeled "Send Reminder" above the message field.

V. Final designs

onboarding

The app offers users a range of exercise goals, from cardio to strength training, providing a tailored and flexible fitness experience. The user's schedule is not rigid, allowing them to incorporate exercise seamlessly at their convenience throughout the week. This approach prioritizes user flexibility and accommodates varied fitness routines.

reviewing fitness goals

The Fitness Buddy feature offers the opportunity to review a Fitness Buddy's fitness goals under their profile. This functionality fosters consistency in exercise routines, as individuals feel a sense of responsibility towards their Fitness Buddy, reinforcing commitment to fitness goals.

achieving fitness goals

The app offers users the capability to post their completed exercises to the Activity Feed and engage with the posts of their Fitness Buddies, fostering motivation to exercise. Additionally, it facilitates accountability among users by enabling the exchange of messages with Fitness Buddies and sending reminders to fulfill exercise goals. These features collectively contribute to enhancing user engagement, fostering a supportive fitness community, and promoting consistent exercise habits.

Conclusions and takeaways

what i learned

For this project, I prioritized designing focused flows due to time constraints. While it was tempting to develop numerous features to address the problem of insufficient exercise, I opted to address used needs that appeared through user research. This approach was essential for aligning with the goal of delivering the MVP within the given timeframe.

Helping inactive adults achieve their fitness goals

I. Project overview