TRACTION
Fitness tracker application
UX/UI case study
Project Overview
A well-established company launched a family and friends health tracking app three years ago. It is for both iOS and Android. The app allows users within a group (a family or group of friends) to see how others within the group are doing regarding health and fitness.
The Problem
On average user engagement is heavy for the first three weeks then it drops off and soon after users delete the app. There is no messaging feature within the product. The company would like to integrate messaging into the app.
My Role
Solo
UX Researcher
UX/UI Designer
Duration
8 weeks
40 hrs / week
Design Process
EMPATHIZE
Before I started working on the project, I read a brief description of the project and evaluated the Product Manager's input data and tips. Also, there were suggested options for screens as a starting point showed below.
Client Questions
How is the messaging integrated within the existing features and is there a general messaging feature allowing users to message each other separate from health and fitness activities?
How other members of the app can track their friends’ progress and comment on their results.
Competitor Analysis
To understand more about the industry and how industry leaders solve this problem was suggested to analyzed applications with similar functions such as Nike Run Club, Fitlist, and Map My Run.
*Full version of Industry Leaders Competitor Analysis you can find here>
Competitor Analysis Key Findings
1. Nike Run Club 2. Fitlist 3. Map My Run
The app looks like a sports community;
The user can invite anyone from his list of contacts to the application;
Personalized programs.
Allow users to participate in different sports challenges;
Easy to use;
Nutrition control.
Users can track different sports workouts;
Users can share workouts with various social networks.
Secondary Research
To have more useful information to make a design decision, I conducted Secondary Research.
Goals
To understand how exactly a fitness tracker app can motivate people to exercise;
What are the most valuable features that should have in a fitness tracker application?
Secondary Research Key Findings
Setting goals and self-monitoring of progress using pedometers promotes the development of quality (autonomous) motivation for physical activity;
External factors, such as comparing oneself to others, motivate the most;
Most valuable features: calories burned, pedometer, social sharing feature, setting goals and tracking activity feature, fitness progress, personalized experience, geolocation.
User Interview
Screener Survey
Before the user interviews, I created a questionnaire, posted it on Springboard Slack, and sent it out to my Facebook contacts. I received 11 respondents, and they were all of varying ages and physical activity. The information from the survey helped me choose the most appropriate participants to interview.
Screener Survey Key Findings
54% use a fitness tracker to track personal progress, while 36% of those surveyed need extra motivation and want to get encouragement from other athletes.
91% use a fitness tracker app to track their athletic progress.
64% prefer to share their progress with friends and family.
46% have difficulty using the fitness tracker application.
* Full version of Screener Survey is here>
I choose 5 participants who work out regularly and use various fitness tracker apps to track their progress.
User Interview Goals Main Questions
What motivates people to exercise?
Do they use additional devices/applications to track athletic progress?
Do people experience difficulties when using a fitness tracker?
How important is it for them to share their progress with their friends?
* More interview details you can find here>
How do you track your fitness progress?
What motivates you to exercise?
What features in the fitness tracker app do you use most often?
What features should the ideal fitness tracker app have?
DEFINE
After analyzing the user interviews, I created the Insight map, which helped me identify the user’s persona. It is also helped me to create a user flow and plan the information architecture.
User Insights
User Needs User Goals
Need external motivation to achieve a fitness goal.
Create a sports community, not just a fitness tracker app.
Help to set fitness goals and achieve them.
Be able to share your progress with friends.
Write messages to friends, comment on their sports activities.
Create chats with friends.
Participate in Challenges and receive Awards.
Persona
Based on research and user insights after interviews and considering business goals, I identified a persona it helped me to define my target audience.
IDEATION
The business goal of this app is to increase repeat usage of this app. I decided to solve this problem by integrating a messaging system that will help users discuss fitness goals, text each other, chat, create and participate in Challenges, and set personal goals. Based on this, I have made a corresponding user flow that shows the red routes that the user will follow as they perform the tasks.
Route 1. Log in
Route 2. Explore friend’s activities
Route 3. Join challenge
Route 4. Set your personal goal
Route 5. Invite a friend to created chat
Route 6. Find friend’s profile
PROTOTYPE
Low-Fidelity Prototypes
For the first round of testing, I created prototypes to validate the essential function corresponding to the application business goals.
* Full version of Lo-Fi Prototypes you can find here>
Usability Testing (Round 1) Lo-Fi Prototypes
During my testing, I've interviewed. From the information I received, all participants are adults between the ages of 28-35; 80% of the interviewees are technically educated, use fitness activity tracking apps every day. 100% of respondents work out 2 to 5 times per week, and for 100% of participants, the social component is necessary. They share their results with their friends, they are motivated by other athletes, and they all preferred set sports goals and achieved them. Overall, 100% of participants have an active lifestyle and track their healthy habits.
Usability Testing (Round 1) Findings Summary
TASK COMPLETION:
Of the 6 tasks attempted by the 5 participants
4 (67%) were successfully completed
2 (33%) was completed with the assistance
POSITIVE FINDINGS:
Several positive findings were observed, particularly around UI elements and the Chat features.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
5 recommendations are provided
Main Issues: Iterations:
Users wanted to see more additional screens for each task.
The chat screen looks unfinished.
Add additional workout button in shortcuts and profile screen.
Some back buttons have a name, and some do not.
* To see the full Usability Testing Report (Round 1) click here>
Add additional screens.
Add additional functions to make Chat finished.
Add workout buttons.
Name all back buttons.
BRANDING
Since the Brand personality - a trusted friend with a good sense of humor who always has your best interests in mind and brand attributes:
Contemporary
Trustworthy
Humorous
Motivational.
I decided to use as starting point already prebuild and downloaded UI kit, modify it a little, use a dark background and a little muted bright colors for contrast.
Brand Colors:
Brand Logo:
I named the application “Traction“ because it means the action of drawing or pulling something over a surface, especially a road or track. When you call this name, you can hear “Track,” which means to “track something” (in this case, we have a fitness tracker), and you can also hear the “Action” in this company name, which means “the fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim”.
Brand Typography: UI Elements:
TESTING
High-Fidelity Prototypes
I made hi-fi prototypes based on what I found after the first round of testing. This time, I made additional screens so that the user doesn’t feel that the action is incomplete. From the user interviews and testing, I focused on making the app look like a sports community in which all participants can share their progress, motivate each other, set goals, and achieve them.
* Full version of Hi-Fi Prototypes you can find here>
Usability Testing (Round 2)
During my second round of usability testing, I interviewed five people. All 5 participants have an active lifestyle and track their healthy habits every day. Ages of 28-35, 100% of the interviewees are technically educated, use fitness activity tracking apps every day. 100% of respondents work out 3 to 5 times per week, and for 90% of participants, the social component is essential.
Usability Testing (Round 1) Findings Summary
TASK COMPLETION:
Of the 6 tasks attempted by the 5 participants.
5 (83%) were successfully completed.
1 (17%) was completed with assistance.
POSITIVE FINDINGS:
Respondents liked the style of the app and the color palette. All findings were mostly minor and “Nice to have“ features.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
6 recommendations are provided.
Main Issues: Iterations:
Description of the application on the Launch page.
Underlines are not visible.
The chat screen looks unfinished, and the message boxes are designed differently.
There is no option to reply to a specific message on the Chat screen.
The profile page does not allow you to see your current goals.
No additional screens to be able to see the feedback of the application.
* To see the full Usability Testing Report (Round 2) click here>
Add a description to the logo on the launch page.
Make underlines more visible.
Slightly change the design of the Chat screen.
Incorporate the “Reply” icon.
Add a Goals tab to the Profile page.
Add two additional screens.
After the second round of the test, I made some changes. To see what has changed, I’ve listed a few examples below.
* Final version of Traction Hi-Fi prototype you can see here>
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Based on the set business goals and considering the wishes of potential users, I did not just create an in-app
messaging system but also tried to develop an app that would allow people with an active lifestyle to:
control their healthy habits;
be active during the day;
follow the progress of their friends;
participate in competitions;
create and exchange messages in chats;
set personal goals and achieve them.
All of this will help increase repeat usage of the app and create the necessary engagement.