FORM

Mobile App UX Design

Form is a workout app for new and experienced gym goers, offering diverse exercise options and personalized guidance. Users receive feedback and track progress over time to achieve their fitness goals effectively.

My Role

After shifting from kinesiology to design at UT Austin, I aimed to combine my passion for health and sports with design, leading to the creation of an app to promote physical activity for well-being.

For over eight months, I worked on research and design to create the app, aiming to help users increase their exercise, particularly those with gym anxiety or low motivation.

I spoke to my peers in my kinesiology classes who worked as physical therapy technicians, athletic trainers, and personal trainers to hear their perspectives on what they felt kept individuals out of the gym.

I found that the main concerns revolved around fear of the gym, uncertainty about exercise routines, lack of motivation, time constraints, and financial limitations.

Research and Insights

After conducting initial research to find the factors deterring people from the gym, I pivoted to research what motivated regular gym goers to be consistent. Interviewing multiple kinesiology students who regular in the gym, I questioned their motivations and de-motivations. This helped me pinpoint pain points and motivating factors.

From these interviews, we found that generally, gym-goers are driven by feelings of comfort, visible results, and a sense of community. With this, I created a user persona, Ben Tanaka, to better empathize with the needs of the user.

Problem

About Ben:

  • He wants to learn how to do exercises so there’s little room for embarrassment.

  • He needs motivation to go to the gym consistently.

  • He needs to create a schedule for exercise so that he can fit into his daily routine.

  • He wants to feel secure while exercising.

Problem Statement

Many people who don't exercise regularly want to improve their health and fitness. However, they often face barriers like fear, lack of knowledge, low motivation, and limited time, which make it hard to add exercise to their daily lives. Options like hiring a trainer or using YouTube videos can be costly, time-consuming, and may leave users feeling unsure about exercising alone. How can I help users feel more comfortable and confident while exercising to improve their health?

This led to the ideation of FORM.

Feature musts based on Ben’s goals:

  • Form critiques to ensure proper movement and exercise.

  • Daily notifications, reminding users that it’s time to work out.

  • Motivational statements as the user works out.

  • Progress tracker showing improvements in exercise for more motivation.

Flow and Navigations

I worked on creating a smooth flow for our app to help users build consistent exercise habits. By using sketches and journey maps, I included features for users like Ben, such as a live model for workout guidance, regular motivational feedback, visual progress graphs, and a community area for support.

For the user interface, I aimed for a simple layout so users could navigate without feeling stressed. I organized information with clear separations between exercises and easy-to-use drop-down menus to prevent overload.

After refining the initial designs with input from other designers, I developed an interface that was clear and engaging, encouraging regular use of the app. User testing showed that 93% felt confident in maintaining their exercise routines.

Next Steps and Learnings

After testing this version with users like Ben, I got positive feedback, showing that the prototype was liked. However, during reviews with my kinesiology team and design mentors, they wanted to move on to a more unique and modern interface. A key suggestion was to add a home screen so users can easily navigate between past workouts and discussions, making the interface smoother and offering more support during workouts. This experience highlighted the value of working with other designers and gathering inspiration from various sources. Feedback and conversations with designers helped me improve this design and will influence future projects.

Bottom Bar and Navigations

I saw how the "start workout" feature helps users in the app. After logging in, they can easily choose body areas to begin exercising. This setup helps users focus on their workouts, while the bottom navigation bar makes it easy to reach other features. I chose simple and familiar icons for the bottom bar, like a plus sign for adding, a home symbol, and a chat symbol, to keep things clear and reduce confusion. My aim was to create an easy-to-use app that encourages regular workouts. By using clear action prompts and organizing information well, I wanted to remove barriers to staying active and help users track their progress effortlessly.

Process and Iterations

I started refining the existing interface to enhance user experience. Developing two different prototypes, I conducted A/B testing with users. Our initial hypothesis proved correct: the updated, modernized interface captured users' interest. Additionally, introducing a seamless transition between the home screen, enabling users to navigate between discussions and past workouts, significantly improved the overall user experience. Prototype 2 stood out as the preferred option, with 93% of testers reporting an improved experience while using it.

Throughout this process, I found that encouraging users to vocalize their thoughts as they interacted with the prototype helped identify areas of difficulty. Leveraging insights from my team enabled me to address these challenges effectively, leading to smoother user interactions.

My Takeaways

Conducting multiple A/B tests for each iteration helped me refine my strategies and determine what resonated best with users. Our initial hypothesis was validated. Optimizing the homepage for convenience, particularly by setting the workout pages as the opening page, yielded improved results from the prototype.

This process underscored the importance of providing immediate access to different body sections for workouts on the opening page, streamlining user navigation without unnecessary detours through other features. Similarly, assigning dual functions to the homepage optimized user time and enhanced the overall flow of the prototype.