I had five days to develop a validated solution for this project, which aimed to understand why people quit exercising. Research revealed that 50% of gym members stop within six months, primarily due to a lack of time, unrealistic expectations for quick results, and not finding exercise enjoyable.
Solo UX/UI Designer and Researcher: Suttida Srinuan
Timeline: December 11-15, 2024 (5 days)
Design tool: Figma
Category: Workout tracking mobile app
Hypothesis
How do we encourage people to workout more?
Getting people to work out is all about making it fun, easy, and rewarding. Setting small, clear goals has been a game-changer for me, it keeps things from feeling overwhelming. Gamifying workouts with challenges, badges, or friendly competitions makes it exciting and gives you that extra push to show up every day.
Interview
No time to keep up with the workout routine
I started by defining the target audience for the survey, Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert users. After planning the logistics, including budgeting time and recruiting participants, I conducted interviews with 7 participants via Zoom and in person. Finally, I synthesized the insights and findings to uncover key takeaways from the user interviews.
Competitive Analysis
Workout trackers are popular among gym-goers
So, why do people feel the need to track their workouts? Understanding this can help us figure out what motivates people to keep exercising and what makes them give up. Digging into this more through research and design will give us a clearer picture.
Problem
50% gymers quit after 6 months of starting
People who go to the gym regularly and have memberships often stop after six months. Common reasons include not having enough time, feeling discouraged when they don’t see quick results, and not enjoying the experience.
Goal
Personalized workout routines and diet plans tailored to their body type
Design a mobile application that empowers users to achieve their fitness goals by offering personalized feedback and tailored calorie recommendations based on their body type, activity level, and fitness objectives.
Define
Educate users on body types' impact on fitness progress.
The app will educate users on how their body type impacts fitness progress and offer personalized guidance based on three body types: Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph.
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Ectomorphs, with a fast metabolism, will receive tailored routines focused on strength training and a calorie surplus.
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Mesomorphs, with a normal metabolism, will see quicker fitness progress, while;
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Endomorphs, who have a slower metabolism, will need more cardio and focused routines to lose fat.
Key Solutions
Understand individual body differences and build a plan from there.
he proposed solutions address the key gaps in traditional workout trackers—helping users understand their bodies, set realistic expectations, and track progress effectively within the right timeline and diet plan.
Through a thorough study, I synthesized the findings into these core solutions:
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Muscle Group Focus – Users can choose specific muscle groups they want to isolate and track progress over time.
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Personalized Diet Plans – The app provides tailored diet recommendations based on users' fitness goals.
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Visual Progress Tracking – Users can capture and store post-workout photos within the app to monitor their transformation.
Day 2 (Sketch)
Ideate Solutions for Onboarding
Since this design needs to assess each body type and gender differently, requiring tailored recommendations for diet and workout routines, it's important to define the flow and test it early on, especially since I only have 3 days left.
What I learned from this design sprint...
It all comes down to understanding the commitment.
No matter how many products are designed to help users stay consistent with their workout routines, offering fun and advanced features, it ultimately comes down to the users' commitment to their goals. That’s likely why so many solutions continue to emerge, yet the challenge remains: how do we truly help users stay committed to their exercise goals?
Day 3 (Storyboard & Visual Guide)
Ideate Solutions for Key Features
each screen was defined to determine the future function in the design.
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Onboard
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Individual body type
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Displaying muscle groups visually instead of requiring users to search for them
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Diet planer based on individual's needs.
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Capture gain
Day 4 (Prototype)
Prototype and Micro Usability Test
Before reaching the homepage, users set up their profile by selecting their body type, workout goals, and some personal details. Once on the homepage, personalized workout recommendations are provided, with the option to choose specific muscle groups. It’s easy to use, and three testers found it a breeze.
High-Fidelity Prototype
Employ style guide to the prototype.
Day 5 (Usability Test)
No warning, unclickable and missing labels.
To ensure a successful usability test, I began by identifying potential confusion with key user flows. Using the Figma mobile prototype, testers navigated the design while exercising, evaluating ease of use and accessibility. Metrics focused on task flow efficiency and the placement of CTAs, with observations made during workout activities.
Day 1 (Understanding & Define)
50% of new gym members quit within six months
On the first day of my research, I explored gym membership statistics using the latest data available online. A 2023 survey revealed that half of new gym members quit within six months, with 8% of male members and 14% of female members dropping out after a year. The goal of this research is to understand the reasons behind these high dropout rates by examining factors like motivation, challenges, and barriers.
This led to the interview sessions, where I dug deeper into users’ exercise habits to learn more.
Discovery
Wanting result quick
Some of them shared that the results and gains took too long, and it leads them to quit.
No time to keep up the workout routine
70% of the participants has in common, is that one of the main factors caused them to quit exercise is "Don't have time for it"
Loss of interest, the routine got boring
Even though they didn't expect exercise to be as fun as they wanted, but "lack of enjoyment during exercise" also leads them to quit
Sketch 1
HMW?
Sketch 2
Data Synthesis
Sketch 3
Wireflows
Sketch 4
Storyboard
Sketch 5
Wireframes
Competitive Analysis
Lack of recognition of body differences.
Even though there are tons of exercise apps out there, people still struggle to stick to their workout routine. One thing that's not really taken into account is that everyone's body is different, and that can it hard to keep going.
Style Guide
Burgundy represents intensity, ambition, power, and sophistication.
I kept the design consistent in the high-fidelity prototype by simplifying it and ensuring clear contrast for accessibility.
