Fitness App UI Design | Richard Daimary

Introducing GoFit, a fitness app meticulously crafted for individuals juggling busy schedules and fitness enthusiasts passionate about monitoring their well-being.

The Brief

The brief was for designing a fitness app for users of all levels of fitness – beginner, intermediate and advanced. The requirments needed to allow the users to set, track, and conquer their personalized goals with ease and make the users feel like using the app was a rewarding experience.

The Challenge

Fitness enthusiasts often struggle to stick to their fitness goals due to lack of motivation and organization. Beginners, in particular, find it challenging to start their fitness journey without proper guidance.

So, how might we create an app where empower fitness enthusiasts to stay motivated and organized in pursuit of their goals, while providing beginners with the guidance they need to kickstart their fitness journey?

Design Process

Research and Analysis:

Before making any design decisions I decided to conduct user research. I interviewed 10 participants of different genders and age groups by reaching out to a few friends and visitng the local gym to interview the peole there. I made sure the participants of the interview matched those who were active with their lifestyle or were interested in pursuing physical activities for their health.

The interview process was a short form that the participants filled. Conducting the interview was a little challenging because the participants lived a busy life, so I used Google forms with 22 questions that addressed users preferences and pain points. I used a tablet so that the participant's time wasn't wasted by having to wait and click on a link by using thier own phone which they may not have liked.

Because I designed the interview process to be simple and quick while keeping in mind that the users had time constraints, I was able to get quite a lot of genuine answers and feedback about the participants pain points for a fitness app, some of which were - time constraint to get a good workout done in a short time, guided or proper instructions for workouts (especially for beginners) and an intuitive UI design and experience among other.

Taking this research into consideration, I planned my next step which was to create user personas and get a much clear picture of who the end users are for the fitness app.

Deriving Insights from User Research:

After conducting the research - I gathered the following insights -

Diverse User Needs: The personas highlight a wide range of user profiles, from active individuals with specific fitness goals to those who prioritize mindfulness and simplicity. This diversity underscores the importance of offering flexible features and customization options within the app to accommodate various user preferences and fitness levels.
Motivations Vary: Users are motivated by different factors, including health improvement, stress relief, and social engagement. Understanding these motivations can help the app tailor its messaging and features to resonate with users on a personal level, thereby enhancing their motivation to stay engaged with the app.
Usage of Fitness Apps: While some users are familiar with and regularly use fitness apps, others prefer traditional methods like pen-and-paper tracking. This suggests that the app should provide a smooth onboarding experience for both tech-savvy users and those who are less familiar with fitness apps.
Challenges and Pain Points: Users face various challenges, such as time constraints, joint discomfort, and busy schedules. These challenges should be addressed through features like flexible workout scheduling, adaptive exercises, and motivational content to help users overcome obstacles and stay committed to their fitness goals.
Design Preferences: User personas demonstrate different design preferences, ranging from simple and clean interfaces to those favoring more detailed options. The app should offer customizable user interfaces or themes to cater to users with varying design preferences.
User Experience Priorities: User experience priorities vary, with some users valuing clear workout instructions and visuals, while others seek minimalistic design and straightforward navigation. Ensuring that the app provides both a user-friendly interface and detailed guidance is essential for satisfying different user needs.
Integration and Sharing: Several users appreciate integration with other apps and social sharing features. This suggests that the app could benefit from interoperability with popular health and fitness apps and provide social features to foster a sense of community and accountability among users.
Technology Usage: Some users frequently use mobile apps, while others use them sparingly or not at all. The app should consider offering a range of user support and education materials to ensure that even less tech-savvy users can comfortably engage with it.
Global Considerations: Users in different regions have diverse needs and expectations. Localization efforts, such as providing content and language options that are relevant to specific regions, can enhance the user experience for a global audience.
Feedback and Iteration: Collecting user feedback and continuously iterating the app based on user preferences and pain points is crucial. Regular usability testing and engagement with user communities can help refine the app to better meet evolving user needs.

Tha above insights were a guide during the design phase as well as during iterations when the app was going through the user testing phase.

Creating User Personas:

After conducting thorough user research and gaining valuable insights, I developed two distinct user personas. These personas serve as guiding archetypes, helping me tailor the design of the fitness app to address the specific goals and challenges of our target users. By keeping their needs at the forefront, I ensured that the app's various screens are purposefully crafted to meet user expectations.

Ideation and Concept Development:

During creative brainstorming sessions, I conceptualized the fitness app to have a goal-setting, progress tracking, and accomplishment features. I translated these ideas into sketches in my notebook, applying methods like Crazy Eights and How Might We questions. This approach enabled me to explore a wide range of concepts, ensuring that I wouldn't limit myself to just a handful of ideas.

My aim was to craft an app that truly serves users on their fitness journeys by considering numerous possibilities and selecting the best-suited solutions.

User Journey and Flow:

After conducting an in-depth user research and a productive brainstorming session, I proceeded to develop a comprehensive user journey and flow. This critical phase in the design process allowed me to distill valuable insights into a structured framework that serves as the backbone of the UI/UX design project.

The user journey and flow represent a pivotal stage in our design journey, as it encapsulates the essence of user-centered design principles. By carefully mapping out the user's interactions and experiences, we gain a holistic view of their needs, pain points, and goals throughout their interaction with the product or service.

This user-centric approach ensures that our design solutions are not only visually appealing but also highly functional and tailored to meet the unique requirements of our target audience. It serves as a guiding light, enabling us to make informed design decisions and prioritize enhancements that will have a tangible impact on the user's overall experience.

Wireframes and Prototypes:

In this phase, I took the insights that were gathered and user-centric considerations into a tangible visual representation. The wireframes outline the skeletal structure of the user interface, focusing on layout, content placement, and the arrangement of interactive elements.

Wireframing allowed me to:

Conceptualize Layout: By sketching out the basic layout of each screen, we gained a clearer understanding of how users would navigate through the application or website.
Prioritize Functionality: We defined the key functionalities and interactions that are integral to the user experience, ensuring that they are prominently featured and easily accessible.
Iterate and Refine: Through iterative design, we refined our wireframes based on feedback, making necessary adjustments to improve usability and user flow.
Collaborate Efficiently: The wireframes served as a powerful communication tool, enabling effective collaboration with stakeholders and development teams. They provided a shared visual reference for everyone involved in the project.

User Testing and Iteration:

Before creating a high fidelity mock up, conducting usability tests with potential users with the low fidelity mock up was a pivotal step in the process. Their feedback was invaluable. I took their insights to heart and made refinements to the designs, with the sole aim of enhancing the app's ease of use and overall user experience.

While conducting user tests in the low-fidelity stage, two noteworthy observations surfaced:

Observation 1: Users emphasized the importance of having a straightforward way to filter between non-veg, veg, and vegan options when browsing recipes in the nutrition section.

Observation 2: Users encountered difficulty in locating the search option, which was tucked away in the menu.

Taking these valuable insights into account, we implemented necessary design iterations to address these user-specific needs.

Visual Design:

For this project, we carefully curated the typography to align with our design objectives. After a thorough evaluation of various typefaces, we selected Montserrat as the primary font. Montserrat's clean and modern aesthetic not only ensures readability but also exudes a sense of sophistication. Its versatility makes it an excellent choice for both headers and body text, contributing to a harmonious visual hierarchy.

Montserrat was chosen because:

Readability: It offers exceptional legibility across various screen sizes and resolutions, ensuring that users can effortlessly consume content.
Consistency: Montserrat's diverse font weights provide flexibility in design while maintaining a consistent and coherent visual identity throughout the application.
Accessibility: Its accessibility features cater to users with diverse needs, enhancing the inclusivity of our design.

Color Palette:

Our color palette was thoughtfully curated to evoke specific emotions and enhance the overall user experience. The chosen colors are not merely aesthetic choices but strategic elements that contribute to the brand's identity and user engagement.

Our color palette includes:

Primary Color: [Specify the primary color], which serves as the dominant hue and reflects the core essence of the brand.
Secondary Colors: [Specify secondary colors], carefully chosen to complement the primary color and provide visual contrast and balance.
Accent Color: [Specify accent color], strategically applied to draw attention to key interactive elements, calls to action, and important information.

This selection process considered factors such as brand identity, user preferences, and color psychology. The result is a color palette that not only pleases the eye but also guides users intuitively through the interface.

Features and Functionality:

I integrated key features to enhance user engagement and satisfaction. Users can set and monitor their fitness goals, follow expert-guided workout routines, access nutrition guidance through recipe videos, and attain higher achievement levels for a more motivating fitness journey.

Explore how these user-centric functionalities were meticulously designed and implemented

View Prototype

Results and Outcomes:

On testing the high fidelity prototype with the users they reported the following:

Design: Users were satisfied the app's simplicity and intuitive UI, noting its ease of use and straightforward navigation.
Features: User satisfaction was high with the available features, including goal tracking, progress monitoring, guided workout instructions, and the rewards section.
Feedback: Some users expressed interest in connecting the app to their smart devices, a valuable suggestion that may inform future design iterations.

Lessons Learned:

During this project, I picked up several valuable lessons:

Research: Talking to the users gave me a solid foundation for designing the app. It helped me understand what features the app needed and kept me from having a one-sided view.
Communication: Effective communication allowed me to grasp user pain points and collaborate with engineers on design possibilities.
Empathy: As a beginner, I focused on shedding my biases. Engaging with users, actively listening to their feedback, and considering multiple perspectives helped me design better.
Design Systems: Creating a simple design system ensured consistency in typography, spacing, icons, and colors, despite the slightly time-consuming process.
Resources: I discovered numerous free resources for illustrations, logos, images, and icons, which elevated the app's visual design.
Iterations: User testing led to multiple design iterations, addressing overlooked features and design elements.
Time Management: Completing this project in just 6 weeks alongside a full-time job improved my organization, planning, and task prioritization skills.
Staying Positive: Despite moments of frustration and challenges, my goal of becoming a UI/UX designer kept me motivated and positive throughout the project.

Conclusion:

Completing my very first UI/UX design project has been a journey of invaluable lessons and personal growth. This experience not only allowed me to apply my design skills but also provided a glimpse into the exciting world of user-centered design.

As I conclude this first chapter of my UI/UX journey, I'm excited about the endless possibilities and growth ahead. This fitness app project has been my stepping stone, and I look forward to applying these lessons and skills to future endeavors, all while staying committed to crafting user-friendly and delightful digital experiences.

You can check out the full scope of my work by going to the following link.