Time: Spring 2020

Role: Visual Design, Research

Devices: Apple iPhone, Watch

Vigor is a fitness app designed to help busy Americans stay active. It uses gamification to encourage users to exercise based on their interests, which are identified during the onboarding process.

I conducted 10 interviews to better understand today’s fitness needs. Through these conversations, I gained insights into why many people find going to the gym unfavorable. I learned that fitness is defined differently for everyone, and gyms tend to cater to only a specific group of users. The mental model we've built around exercise makes us feel like we need to be in a gym environment in order to work out.

The outcome of this project helped me better understand users' needs and translate them into tangible interfaces.

The ask

Create a fitness experience open to your own interpretation

Key findings

Busy Americans are not getting enough fitness into their day to day routines due to busy lifestyles.

Many people find the gym to be a very intimidating space. They often feel judged based on their appearance, workout routines, and the overall gym culture, which can make it difficult for them to perform at their best.

People prefer engaging in their own activities rather than working out with machines and weightlifting tools.

My designs are based on the insights from my interviews and research.

Sign up screens

Vigor Phone App showing a warning to not over exercise.

Splash Screen

Map auto routes based on amounts of charges users perform

Add widgets to your mobile devices

Friction state to avoid users burn out

Log workout to earn charges

Vigor on watch device

Fitness can be achieved through various activities

From the interviews, people are more motivated to do what they love. Often, these activities also provide great benefits for exercise.

Iterating until it feels right

Design process overview

During my design process, I began developing wireframes to focus on the finer details of how interactions would function. My main goals for the design include:

Gamification approach

Gamification is essential for this experience, as it creates a dopamine reward system that encourages users to engage. It also aligns well with their journey for personal growth within their busy lifestyles.

Point system

The point system helps users understand the energy expenditure associated with their activities. I introduced a charge ⚡ to provide a clear, comprehensive understanding of how much energy they will burn.

Apple watch with Vigor UI showcasing list of workouts to do.

Reflections

Growth Opportunities

Users' insights into actions:

I enjoyed learning how to turn user insights into actionable design decisions. The project was open-ended, allowing me to explore and define key objectives based on user needs.

Improved visual designs:

Initially, I had a design direction, but I realized that my icons and type scale didn’t align well for optimal usability. After several rounds of refinement, I improved the visual design to create a more user-friendly interface, and I’m excited about the direction it's heading.

The pivot:

Midway through the project, I needed to pivot my approach to user fitness point tracking. By introducing gamification, I transformed point tracking into "charges ⚡," a system users could easily relate to through the concept of energy usage, making the feature more engaging and intuitive.

Vigor Fitness App

Reimagning fitness in a gamification way to avoid burnouts.