Finding Fitness Buddies (FIB)
Designing trustworthy finding fitness buddies to enhance productivity and motivation to work out, resulting in a decreased rate of obesity.
ROLE
Product Design (UI/UX)
UX Research
TOOLS
Figma
Google Analytics
Typeform
Maze
METHODOLOGY
Quantitative & Qualitative Research
Persona & Storytelling
Brand Identity
Wireframing
Prototyping
Usability Testing
Iteration
TIMELINE
80 hours
May - June , 2023
Prospect Project
Background
— PROBLEM
Society Needs a Facilitator for Everybody Regardless
“I want to prioritize my health by losing weight and getting healthier, but making friends at the gym is hard due to my size. I need a supportive community with like-minded individuals who share similar goals and positive energy.”
— J.C user interview
How might we reduce the obesity rate and be healthy physically and mentally?
— CONTEXT
What is FIB?
FIB is a technology connecting people to stay active and work out by finding supportive friends and community. The vision and mission of FIB is connecting people with community and friends to keep their workout routine consistent and accountable.
— PROBLEM BREAK DOWN
Why Did I Create FIB?
It is expected that millennials will be the most obese generation in history
After a day-to-day conversation with my friend, I did White Paper Research and was surprised by the statement "Millennials on Track to be Most Obese Generation in History".
Social awkwardness and different schedules prevent many from establishing good habits and work together
During conversations at the gym, a lot of people expressed their desire to develop healthy habits and support each other to stay motivated and create a positive community.
However, it can be difficult to connect with new people and ask about their workouts directly due to social challenges and awkwardness.
Sadly, no workout and sports friend facilitator is found in the U.S. market
We have LinkedIn for professional networking, Match for finding love, Spotify for discovering new music, and even MMDC for finding play dates for your dog.
Therefore, facilitating users to create connections and reduce obesity rates would benefit users' physical and mental health.
Solution
— DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION
Inspiring User for Recommendation Activity
Users might not think what they should do "using AI" technology to match the recommendation according to their profile by giving suggestions to help users solve the problem.
Unlocking Potential New Friends
Since new users might potentially reply to messages quicker the suggestion feature is introduced, it also potentially helps new users find friends faster.
Releasing the Power of New Groups
Giving users a power to create a new activity and invite friends, also reminder for upcoming and history for past activity.
Introducing Onboarding to Reduce Cognitive Load
Since the app is the first to connect fitness buddies, the landing contains recommendations, so users are familiar with the product by matching it according to the input keyword during their profile.
User-Friendly Making a Friend Process
The way of greeting users is designed to facilitate quick and easy social connections. I distinguish this app from dating apps by emphasizing community and friendship. Also reminder for upcoming and history for past activity as a tracker.
Design Thinking Process
Utilizing Design Thinking in UI/UX case study offers a user-centered approach to solving design challenges and achieving objective goals.
Research
— COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
None of the Platforms in the U.S. Market Connecting People to Work out.
After analyzing the competition data, we have identified several opportunities, which are:
Utilized legit profile to engage similar interests for potential community and gym friends.
Find community and fitness friends with less manual effort with the "Matching System."
Allows users to see the level of fitness.
— RESEARCH FINDING
Establish a Positive Community and Friendship Make a Difference
Prioritize people’s well-being and create a supportive friendship and community to reduce obesity by transforming obstacles into a fun and positive friendship and community.
Users are more motivated when they see their friends’ progress
Qualitative user research found 90% of users are more motivated to push their limits when they have friends to work out at the same pace. This aligned with the principle of the positive competition method.
Besides going to the GYM, Users are interested in Play Other Sports Like Pickleball and Hiking
50% of interview participants shared that they would like to participate in outdoor sports, but it is difficult for them to find friends to play with as sports like pickleball require at least two players.
Users Facing the Challange of Finding Trustable Fitness Friends
60% of interview research participants noted finding trustable friends or people with similar interests is challenging, especially for those who spend most of their time working and have limited social connections.
— USER SURVEYS
Personalized the App Name Based on Users
During the user interview, I mentioned the word "partner," and some users concern the word "partner" is too intimate.
Therefore, I am considering revising the app name to Fitness Buddy (FitBud). However, before finalizing my though, I conducted a mini survey as described action with the picture in the report uploaded. In Conclusion, as per the survey, Fitness Buddies is more suitable.
— EXPERIENCE MAPPING
Align the Goal of Users to Manage a Long-Term Workout Motivation and Bring the Solution of Friends and Community.
During interviews, I received a list of excellent suggestions. I then utilized the affinity map and prioritization matrix to determine the most crucial feature and create a persona that better reflects the feature set.
— USER FLOW
Easier processes = Recommendation feature = Success.
After conducting a data synthesis from the research of FIB, I identified potential areas for finding friends and a community as fitness buddies. By user flow, I pinpointed the following crucial components to incorporate into the process:
The system matches fitness buddies based on location, sports interests, hobbies, age, job, and relationship status.
Recommendation of activity according to sports interest, recommendation for a new friend that just signed up.
Integrate the security system from the fake account by utilizing the mutual friend's feature, requiring two picture uploads to start.
— BRAND IDENTITY
Imagining the Simplicity of Friendship and Creating a Concept of Networkin
I have connected users with a smiley face using links to represent friendship, community, and happiness.
Solution
— Ideation
Divide Profile into Two Processes
Allows users to create profiles for safety questions and location features, and then the welcome message allows users support and gives the sign to finish the rest of the sign-up profile questions.
Utilize contextual with Onboarding Process
Allows users to be walked through the app progressively. Contextual onboarding is typically in the form of a deck-of-cards tutorial or interactive walkthrough.
Onboarding + Login/ Sign Up
( 3 screens )
Login/ Sign Up
( 1/2 screens )
Profile Registration
( 8 screens )
Personalized Profile
( 5 screens )
Test & Implementation
— USABILITY TEST
Find out what Works and What Doesn't
Test Parameters
I conducted usability testing to evaluate users' ability to complete necessary tasks and confirm my research assumptions. My goal was to identify any navigation issues by observing participants' hesitation, confusion, or difficulty. I prepared qualitative questions to better understand users' experiences, from the landing page to finding friends.
Findings
I Improved visibility and readability according to the user test.
Usability Test
Summary
Recent UX testing revealed that the use of highly active color bars was causing confusion and distraction among users, negatively impacting their decision-making process. By adjusting these color elements to a more subdued, non-active palette, we significantly improved the visual experience, leading to faster and easier decision-making. This change aligns with our business goal of enhancing user retention and experience by 20%.
— REFLECTION
Support Research-Based Design
As the only product designer, I've prioritized data-driven design. By utilizing Typeform and Maze, I've gathered valuable insights on user behavior, which have informed my design decisions. My approach based on data has enabled me to create designs that are anchored in actual user data and insights, resulting in a product that caters to the specific requirements of our intended audience.
Throughout the design process, I consistently consider the end-user's desires and needs. By asking questions such as "What would a user want to get from this product?" I ensure that the final design is both visually pleasing and practical for our target audience. I am eagerly anticipating the product's launch and have faith that it will be well-received.
What It Was Like Working as A Solo Product Designer
I have had an amazing experience with this growth opportunity. The fast-paced environment, tight deadlines, and high stakes have pushed me to become a more adaptable and resourceful designer. This experience has given me a lot of autonomy and ownership over the product, which is really empowering.
Overall, I am thrilled to be a solo product designer at this startup and excited to see the final product. It has been a challenging journey, but also filled with moments of great creativity and collaboration.
Next Step
Field testing: I would like to conduct more user testing in real-life situations by approaching someone at the gym and asking them to use the app to find a genuine friend.
Expand Filter Options: I would like to add an alternative filter so users have more options to select to find potential working buddies.
