Role
Role
Solo UX Designer for Designlab's UX Academy bootcamp project
Solo UX Designer for Designlab's bootcamp project
Timeline
Timeline
May – Aug 2024
(16 weeks)
May – Aug 2024
(16 weeks)
Skills
Skills
User research
Interaction design
Visual design
User testing
User research,
Interaction design,
Visual design,
User testing
Tools
Tools
Figma
Figjam
Optimal Workshop
Figma,
Figjam,
Optimal Workshop
THE PROBLEM
New weightlifters often abandon their fitness journey early on.
New weightlifters often abandon their fitness journey early on.
As someone who frequents the gym, I’ve noticed a lot of new weightlifters around me lose motivation after a couple of weeks and stop coming back. This made me wonder - what leads to this loss of motivation in new lifters?
As someone who frequents the gym, I’ve noticed a lot of new weightlifters around me lose motivation after a couple of weeks and stop coming back. This made me wonder - what leads to this loss of motivation in new lifters?
How might we help new lifters clearly define their goals so that we can provide actionable steps to help lifters achieve their goals and stay motivated?
How might we help new lifters clearly define their goals so that we can provide actionable steps to help lifters achieve their goals and stay motivated?
The solution
Introducing - RepRep
Introducing - RepRep
Make starting lifting easier with generated workout plans based on your goals, earn trading cards by completing milestones, and share your progress with the world.
Make starting lifting easier with generated workout plans based on your goals, earn trading cards by completing milestones, and share your progress with the world.
Guided workout tracking
Guided workout tracking
Alleviate confusion when creating a workout plan
Generate custom workout plan based on user’s goals
Get users started quickly
Alleviate confusion when creating a workout plan
Generate custom workout plan based on user’s goals
Get users started quickly
Earn and collect trading cards
Earn and collect trading cards
Reward users with collectable trading cards
Encourage consistent workout tracking
Create an external goal to work towards
Reward users with collectable trading cards
Encourage consistent workout tracking
Create an external goal to work towards
Community feed
Community feed
Share progress updates with community members
Encourage social interaction and accountability
Foster a sense of community
Share progress updates with community members
Encourage social interaction and accountability
Foster a sense of community
Research
general research
Before starting user research, I looked through articles, research papers, and social media posts to see if this issue was a wider problem among new lifters. From my research, this statistic caught my eye:
Before starting user research, I looked through articles, research papers, and social media posts to see if this issue was a wider problem among new lifters. From my research, this statistic caught my eye:
"65% of the [gym] users have less than 10 visits during the 16 months period"
"65% of the [gym] users have less than 10 visits during the 16 months period"
According to an empirical study conducted in 2021.
According to an empirical study conducted in 2021.
competitive analysis
Social elements to foster accountability, targeting beginners
Social elements to foster accountability, targeting beginners
Using the statistics I gathered during the research above, I conducted a competitive analysis on 5 apps to identify current gaps in the fitness app market. I found that many apps lacked social features and were primarily geared towards intermediate to advanced lifters.
Using the statistics I gathered during the research above, I conducted a competitive analysis on 5 apps to identify current gaps in the fitness app market. I found that many apps lacked social features and were primarily geared towards intermediate to advanced lifters.
user research
Understanding the problem
Understanding the problem
To truly find the reasons why people abandon their weightlifting goals, I conducted 5 user interviews, focusing my research on the questions below.
To truly find the reasons why people abandon their weightlifting goals, I conducted 5 user interviews, focusing my research on the questions below.
What motivates a person to get into weightlifting?
How do people feel when first starting out in the gym?
Why do people abandon their weightlifting goals?
What motivates a person to get into weightlifting?
How do people feel when first starting out in the gym?
Why do people abandon their weightlifting goals?
The issues that stood out
Overwhelmed and discouraged
The amount of information a new lifter must learn before and during workouts is too much of a mental barrier.
Lack of time leads to dropout
Without enough time, consistency dipped, leading to a loss of motivation and dropout.
Accountability with buddies
Working out with others helps them stay accountable and alleviate boredom.
Overwhelmed and discouraged
The amount of information a new lifter must learn before and during workouts is too much of a mental barrier.
Lack of time leads to dropout
Without enough time, consistency dipped, leading to a loss of motivation and dropout.
Accountability with buddies
Working out with others helps them stay accountable and alleviate boredom.
defining goals
Okay, what do we do with the data?
Okay, what do we do with the data?
To create focused design goals, I used affinity mapping to synthesize interview data based on 3 major themes.
To create focused design goals, I used affinity mapping to synthesize interview data based on 3 major themes.
Design
usability testing
3 major iterations to my design
3 major iterations to my design
Through 5 moderated usability tests, mentor feedback, and a priority matrix, I prioritized major issues and continued to iterate my designs.
Through 5 moderated usability tests, mentor feedback, and a priority matrix, I prioritized major issues and continued to iterate my designs.
Create new workout plan on Home page
60% of users wanted the ability to create a new plan without having to switch tabs
60% of users wanted the ability to create a new plan without having to switch tabs
New button added to landing page that directly takes user to create a new plan
New button added to landing page that directly takes user to create a new plan
Let users save workouts manually
100% of users missed the auto-save toast and were left wondering what to do next
100% of users missed the auto-save toast and were left wondering what to do next
Gave the user the option to Start or Save the workout using 2 separate buttons
Gave the user the option to Start or Save the workout using 2 separate buttons
Create a more distinguishable feed
100% of users thought their ‘Feed’ was their card collection
100% of users thought their ‘Feed’ was their card collection
Changed default view of ‘Feed’ from grid to list, with proper engagement buttons and captions
Changed default view of ‘Feed’ from grid to list, with proper engagement buttons and captions
final design
Play with the prototype below
Play with the prototype below
Or click here to open the prototype in a new tab. (Recommended)
Or click here to open the prototype in a new tab. (Recommended)
style guide
UI component library
UI component library
Reflection
Reflections
Some key things I learned…
Some key things I learned…
Recruiting is time-consuming
Recruiting is time-consuming
I was in for a rude awakening when I believed that I could have all user interviews done in a couple of days (they weren’t). I came to understand that recruiting took time because it required preparing a research plan, vetting potential interviewees, and scheduling. Through the mistakes I made during the user interview recruitment process, I made sure the user testing recruitment process went much smoother.
I was in for a rude awakening when I believed that I could have all user interviews done in a couple of days (they weren’t). I came to understand that recruiting took time because it required preparing a research plan, vetting potential interviewees, and scheduling. Through the mistakes I made during the user interview recruitment process, I made sure the user testing recruitment process went much smoother.
Don't take things personally
Don't take things personally
Criticism of your design isn’t a criticism of you as a person. During mentor and group critique sessions, I learned that receiving feedback was one of the most invaluable aspects of the design process. It helped me get out of my own head when I was stuck and provided me with fresh perspectives that helped me progress.
Criticism of your design isn’t a criticism of you as a person. During mentor and group critique sessions, I learned that receiving feedback was one of the most invaluable aspects of the design process. It helped me get out of my own head when I was stuck and provided me with fresh perspectives that helped me progress.
Final thoughts
Final thoughts
Over the course of the 5-month project, I learned not only a lot about the UX design process, but also myself as well. My curiosity for psychology and user behavior made me excited to perform UX research, but I lacked some key interview skills that can really open up a conversation, which is something that I am constantly working to improve.
I’ve only furthered my passion for UX research and am excited to tackle new projects.
Over the course of the 5-month project, I learned not only a lot about the UX design process, but also myself as well. My curiosity for psychology and user behavior made me excited to perform UX research, but I lacked some key interview skills that can really open up a conversation, which is something that I am constantly working to improve.
I’ve only furthered my passion for UX research and am excited to tackle new projects.