Full-time executives spend more time than expected making appointments with their personal trainers, and often find it cumbersome and tedious to manage their workout routines.
The goal
Design a mobile application for the Fitsync startup that let users stay connected with their personal trainers, manage their key performance indicators and have an easy access to their workout routines.
The product
Fitsync is a Chilean startup based in Santiago, Chile, dedicated to developing personalized exercise programs for their students. With a strong focus on long-term improvement and overall health, Fitsync is committed to helping individuals achieve their fitness goals. Their target audience primarily consists of busy executives, aged between 30 and 45, residing in Santiago, who are actively seeking effective training methods and a convenient way to stay connected with their coaches.
My role
UX and UI Designer. Design a mobile app for Fitsync, from its conception to the final prototype.
Responsibilities
Conduct interviews, prepare paper and digital wireframes, create low and high-fidelity prototypes, conduct usability studies, integrate accessibility features, and iterate on designs.
Understanding the user
By conducting interviews and creating empathy maps, I was able to gain a better understanding of the users needs. The research identified busy executives with full-time jobs as a primary user group who wants to train at the gym at least 3 times a week and be in touch with their personal trainers to define and improve weekly training routines.
The investigation revealed the following issues. Schedule a session to define a new routine involves times and coordination, and sometimes it’s hard to find the time during the week. Once the routine is defined, it’s difficult to keep track of the progress in terms of muscle gains and body fat. At the same time, routines tend to be defined verbally or sent by email with the list of exercises. Checking the routine is a tedious process, where it’s necessary to check online how to execute the exercise properly.
User pain points
Time
Meet their coaches and check the routine is a time-consuming process
Performance
It’s hard to follow up some key performance indicator like muscle gains and body fat
Communication
It’s difficult to stay connected with their coaches and adjust their routines
Persona and problem statement
Victoria is a senior economist with a busy schedule, who requires a simple and effective way to schedule appointments online with her coach, define and update workout routines, track performance indicators and access video examples of exercises. This is particularly significant to her, as she must balance her work, family and workout time.
User - Journey map
Understanding of Victoria’s experience highlighted the potential benefits of having a mobile app like Fitsync.
Competitive analysis
I conducted a competitive analysis of the four leading productivity apps for daily activity organization. The analysis focused on evaluating six key dimensions for each app, with the objective of designing a solution that would provide value to the previously mentioned user segment.
Starting the design
Paper wireframe
I brainstormed ideas using the “Crazy 8’s” methodology. Then I designed and iterated proposals for each screen of the application using paper wireframes.
Digital wireframes
Based on research it was crucial to prioritize a flow that allow users to find their coach, check their training routine, see examples of each exercise, and start exercising.
Low fidelity prototype
To conduct the usability study, I created a low-fidelity prototype that allowed the user to find their coach and check and start their training routines. See low fidelity prototype.
Usability study findings
I conducted two rounds of unmoderated usability studies to gather feedback. The first study utilized a low-fidelity prototype and the second one a high-fidelity prototype. Both helped to identify areas in need of improvement.
Round 1 findings
Users mentioned it was boring to go through all the onboarding screens. A page indicator was added.
Users found the expressions used through the app were plain. The wording of some elements like actions was improved.
Users emphasized the importance of using more signs and icons to facilitate navigation.
Round 2 findings
Users asked for a timer to follow the minutes of each exercise.
Some people with color blindness couldn’t recognize some main elements.
Finally, users suggested that more signs and icons were needed to improve navigation between screens.
Refining the designs
Mockups
The transition from wireframes to mockups includes clear signs and icons, in order to understand the most important actions on each screen.
Some elements were hard to recognize for people with color blindness, like the training days on the home screen. Border thicknesses, font size and color were adjusted.
A timer screenwas added to follow the minutes involved in each exercise.
More cues were addedto know when an exercise or routine has been completed.
Accessibility Considerations
Screen readers
Clear and descriptive labels were added to interactive elements throughout the app, for screen readers.
Icons
The design incorporates easily recognizable icons to improve action button interactions.
Colors
The color scheme and contrast ratio comply with WCAG accessibility standards.
Final designs
High fidelity prototype
The high-fidelity prototype of the app offered an intuitive and easy way to check an exercise routine, start each exercise, see examples, and get the monthly activity. See high fidelity prototype.
Style guide
Spacing
Going forward
Learning
Impact
Users mentioned that Fitsync is a super useful tool that would simplify the process of working with a personal trainer and improve their peace of mind.
What I learned
Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points experienced by users have been effectively addressed. Conduct new user research to determine new areas for improvement.
Next steps
Conducting another round of usability studies can help to confirm whether the pain points identified by users have been successfully addressed in the final design. Go deeper into functionalities to customize the analysis of scheduled and performed events.