I was the sole product designer on this project. I have conducted competitive and secondary research, brainstormed solutions by creating user stories and MVP, sketched potential ideas, built wireframes, and conducted two rounds of usability testing with high fidelity prototype screens.
Tools Used
Design - Sketch, InVision, Paper, and Pen.
Duration
3 weeks, October 2021
The Problem:
TUTTI is a well-established fitness tracking app that has noticed that on average user engagement is heavy for the first three weeks then it drops off, resulting in users deleting the app. The company’s goal is to increase engagement and repeat usage of the app.
The Solution:
The additional option to invite friends to participate in fitness challenges was added to the application. Each challenge features a progress board of all the participants, as well as an integrated messaging system to allow the challengers to communicate and encourage one another.
Discovery
Competitive and Secondary Research
To better understand the market space, I conducted an analysis of current fitness market leaders like Nike Run Club, Fitlist, and Map My Run to assess their strengths and weaknesses.
I also conducted secondary research to have a stronger understanding of social engagement and motivation behind fitness applications.
Summary of Findings
Secondary Research
1. Embedding the chat systems in the application, allows the (fitness) community to stay connected, engaged, and retention can be increased.
2. Having a tracker of the result details, like accomplishments, calories burnt, workout time frames, etc increased user motivation.
2. In most cases, people feel most comfortable sharing fitness results that are relevant to a small goal with a smaller circle of people.
3. Seeing the workout results of other participants, can increase motivation in specific goals and increase confidence.
Direct and indirect competitors research findings:
1. Many fitness apps merge social media features to help connect people within the app.
2. Apps like Nike run club and Setlist have group challenges that allow people to train for the same fitness program.
3. Most messaging apps are emphasizing on the variety of quick reactions and interaction features.
4. Apps like Viber and Facebook messenger have a popular feature of reactions to individual messages.
User Stories + MVP
To start testing my potential solutions, I prioritized features with the help of user stories and determined MVP before building wireframes.
User Stories and MVP
User Flow
Based on MVP, I built a user flow of the app where the user had main features to complete the following tasks:
1. Invite friends to participate in the challenge
2. See the progress and achievements of friends
3. Receive and send encouraging messages
User flow - invite friends, check the progress, and send messages
Design
Wireframes
After taking the main app features from the user flows, I’ve created low-fidelity wireframe screens and built a prototype to get it tested with the potential users.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Validate
Usability Testing
For my first moderate usability testing sessions, I interviewed five people. The interviews were conducted remotely via online video calls and lasted about 20-30 minutes.
Usability testing findings:
1. Quick encouraging messages - users thought it would be handy to have “ready to send” lines of encouragement to save time typing while still motivating their friends through the quick messages.
2. The “invite friends” button - several users noticed that the “invite friends” button was the first thing they saw on the challenge screen, and it felt slightly forceful. Users wanted to learn about the challenge first before starting inviting friends.
3. Visually indicate a “new message” - users want to see new incoming messages and to separate them from the ones that have been already opened.
4. UX copy - “Connections” instead of “followers” - this was a small but important point, the wording “followers” has a social media flavor to it, and it makes them feel exposed when the users want to feel private and secure when sharing their personal fitness achievements.
High fidelity screens
After my first run of usability testing, and the feedback I received from the users, I iterated my design and built a new prototype with high-fidelity screens.
High Fidelity Screens
The second round of usability testing findings:
1. Two out of five users mentioned that they had a difficult time spotting a “messaging” button on the current challenges screen.
2. Three users out of five said they would want to have a “normal keyboard” option, in case they want to comment something personal on someone's progress.
3. Two out of five users mentioned that they would prefer having a voice recording button on their right side rather than in the middle since they think they would use it more than the others.
Next, I would like to work with a developer to launch the first version of the TUTTI app. I would like to monitor the engagement and further work on the product engagement features that would benefit the user.
I would conduct user interviews with people who work out regularly, to research specifics of group training, preferences, and the motivation behind it.
Reflection:
I noticed the importance of doing usability testing with the users who are somehow connected to the area of the matter (in this case the fitness community). They will be the best judges of the product and will be able to give constructive feedback, based on their real experience.
This project challenged me to work with limited resources, and time constraints while choosing the appropriate UX deliverables and methods to go on with the project.
Creating a project plan in the very beginning, was an immensely useful tool, which I referred to through the entire project.
