A Movement Motivation App Case Study
Take the first step
into to your best adventure...
The Issue
Chaos brings health issues & reduced self-care
Imagine wildfires, toxic air, windstorms, power outages, and collapsed buildings (due to ice). Then add COVID to the mix and imagine you work at a residential college. Gyms were closed and wildfires made the air too toxic to be outside.
Every day was a new challenge to keep our community safe and healthy. And our community was not alone in their struggles.
Nearly everyone was facing more significant challenges, with fewer resources.
The Plan
Respond to chaos by building resiliency
Physical movement is incredibly important for self-care, but many struggle to keep it consistently in their lives, especially when things become stressful or circumstances shift (COVID).
Financial situations changed, parents balanced homeschooling with their own jobs (and sanity) and the usual resources and social supports were not available.
I was looking for a way to help individuals build resiliency and health.
The Answer
MOVE YOUR BODY TO SAVE YOUR LIFE.
AND HAVE FUN DOING IT.
Explore new and distant places virtually,
by bringing movement into your life.
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Overcome challenges through an app
structured to meet you where you are
and to help you move forward
in ways that work for you,
your body,
your life.
My Tools
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Adobe XD
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Miro
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Zoom
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Overflow
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Illustrator
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Photoshop
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Google Suite
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YouCanBookMe
My Role
As the only UI/UX designer, I took responsibility for the entire design process of this app: from identification of the problem through ideation, creation, research, design, accessibility reviews, testing, iterations, and a basic prototype.
Secondary Research
There was a LOT of research - these bits were the most relevant.
When is app use especially effective for movement?
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As an alternative for those who can't easily access standard care due to disability or location isolation
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Incentive-based apps using social networks and gamification
Inactivity is an issue for MOST of us. Nearly everyone is a potential user.
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60% of the world's population is classifield as inactive
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Inactivity kills as many people as smoking
What are the essential types of movement to include in the app?
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Cardio
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Strength
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Flexibility
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Balance
What are we asking of users? What type of movement? How long? What intensity? How often?
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It doesn't take much -- every little bit helps
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Just 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity cuts the risk of cancer and diabetes in half
Surveys
I reached out to potential users, receiving 52 responses to my survey from individuals 18 to 90 years of age.
Age Breakdown
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Not surprisingly, most younger users are not struggling with consistent physical movement, and most older users generally do not use a smartphone in this way, so following a basic bell curve from 18 to 70, the primary user population is 36 to 50 years old.
Capacity & Consistency
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While nearly all respondents (94.2%) did not feel limited in their capacity to move (examples: going for a walk or stretching), a full third of respondents do not "move" daily and may "move" as little as once a month.
Struggles​
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Almost 40% of respondents had struggled for two weeks or longer (at some point) to perform daily movement. But of those respondents, less than a third sought help, such as physical therapy or treatment for depression.
Interviews
From the pool of 52 original respondents, I interviewed six people aged 33 to 58 for 30 minutes via Zoom.
Barriers​
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In my user research, I learned that everyone understood movement was good for them.
However, through Affinity Mapping I learned of a significant divide between the theory of "movement is good" and the action of moving. Users had very real challenges to integrating movement into their lives.
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It was clear that my app needed to provide:
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Assistance with constraints (challenges)
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A motivation beyond health
Motivations​
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I spoke with users about motivation tools that had worked for them in the past, as well as broad topics that were of interest to them.
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I discovered that out of almost 30 varied topics, every single individual had interest in TRAVEL (perhaps heightened by COVID limitations).
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Travel provided a sense of discovery that was a fantastic motivator. Additionally, it provided adventure, and a sense of autonomy and freedom.
Constraints for Users
Physical:
Injuries, medical issues, old age...
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Mental:
Depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD...
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Environmental:
No time, no childcare, bad air quality...
User Goals
What do users want?
​Information about navigating their constraints
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All in one place
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Easy to navigate by constraint
Assistance working with the PAUSE*
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Scalability for continuous engagement and/or easy re-engagement
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Alternative options for different locations/resources
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Something to keep their interest long-term
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Something to discover each time: a journey
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Appropriately sized "steps" for a feeling of continuous progress and desire to engage
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Something "fun" or "game-like"​
​I needed to find a way to support users with their constraints to movement (especially the dreaded PAUSE*) while also using virtual travel as a fun motivator to engage users long-term.
*PAUSE: A change in circumstances (such as travel or illness) that breaks the usual routine and makes it extremely difficult to regain momentum. Addressing this issue is essential.
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The Vision
Imagine...
You want to move consistently,
but you need guidance and inspiration.
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So you find an app.
An app that meets you where you are.
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You note your constraints...
(Physical, Emotional, Environmental)
...and if you are experiencing a "pause."
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You pick the time and effort you have available.
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The app gives you movement options tailored to your situation.
(You get video instruction and ways to make the movement easier or more challenging.)
There is always a way forward.
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You complete the movements, earning points.
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Redeem your points to move forward in the virtual location of your choice.
(Florence, Kyoto, Cairo, Rio de Janeiro, etc.)
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Your movements unlock rewards: stunning photos, fascinating trivia, passport stamps, and intriguing landmarks.
(You can even race friends or work collaboratively to achieve rewards.)
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YOU HAVE BEGUN THE JOURNEY TOWARD YOUR BEST SELF.
Personas
After creating Empathy Maps, I created Personas to allow me to hold the user's needs in mind while I designed.
"I really don't enjoy [movement], but I know I should do it"
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"I try, I fail, I try again, I fail again"
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User who regularly struggles to move
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Does not have good habits or a strong support system
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Looking for an app to use daily
"Traveling and holidays can be difficult"​
"I don't know what to do when I get sick or injured"
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User who struggles with a "pause" or change in circumstances
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Has good habits and often a strong support system
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Looking for an app to use during "pauses" or daily if fun
How Might We...
After creating Empathy Maps, I created Personas to allow me to hold the user's needs in mind while I designed.
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Provide consistent motivation for individuals to move?
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Find the appropriate type and intensity of movement for everyone?
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Find ways to encourage healthy incremental increases in movement?
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Provide realistic options for individuals with physical, environmental, or emotional barriers to still engage in support of their health through movement?
User Flows
I created a Site Map, sorted out Red Routes and User Stories to determine the MVP. This led to the User Flow.
Heuristic Analysis
I did a Heuristic Analysis of the competitors, which was fascinating to me. Simple notes below. Details via button.
Competitors​
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FitBit
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MyFitnessPal
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Sworkit
Heuristics of Focus​
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Match between system & real world
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Recognition rather than recall
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Flexibility and efficiency of use
Conclusion​
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While all three apps have at least minimal examples for each Usability Heuristic, the Sworkit app has by far made the best use of these three Heuristics, in addition to many others I did not focus on. It feels like a very user-centered app.
Sketching & Testing
Using my earlier rough sketches, I created visuals with which I could do some initial Guerrila Testing.
Primary Findings​
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Users struggled to navigate.
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It needs a proper onboarding.
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Clarifying icons and movement between screens would help users understand how to move through the app.
Most Surprising Finding​
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Request for ability to add Physical Therapy information into the system, and to share completion of those movements with primary doctor.
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Users noted they had all struggled to understand, schedule, and complete the physical therapy assigned to them.
Most Fun Suggestion​
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Virtual-location-specific options.
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Specifically, allowing the user to access music or traditional movements from the virtual location they were currently "traveling" through.
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Examples: Learning Tango moves when visiting Argentina or listening to Samba music while in Brazil.
Visual Design Process
Using the feedback I received, I iterated on the original design to create Low- and High-Fidelity Wireframes.
Process Steps​
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As the app began to take shape in High-Fidelity, I continued to visit my earlier research and user personas, creating a Brand Platform, addressing Edge Cases, confirming Red Routes, and using a Mood Board process to begin to shape the Style Guide for my app.
Before I finalized my Style Guide, I did a final Accessibility Check, updating to create the most cohesive and inclusive experience for my users.
Finally, I created some Animations to streamline the design and create more flow.
High-Fidelity Designs
Applying all the previous design decisions, I iterated on my designs to create High-Fidelity versions. Examples:
Testing: Round One
I completed five usability tests via Zoom. My hypothesis: Ease-of-use would vary greatly based on user preferences for reading (or ignoring) the "info" sections.
Critical Findings​
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Put off by first splash-screen image, love all the rest
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Find Home page confusing, not sure how to navigate
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"Confirmation" requests interrupt otherwise enjoyable flow of the app
Results
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Replaced the first image on the splash-screens
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Clarified the Home screen options through mini-introduction
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Removed many confirmation requests and added auto-flows throughout
Improved Hi-Fi Designs
Taking feedback from testing, I iterated on my designs to create improved Hi-Fi Designs. Examples:
Testing: Round Two
I completed five more usability tests via Zoom.
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First hypothesis: Adding the onboarding tour would alleviate some confusion on the home page while still offering individuals the option to skip the tour if they prefer to explore in their own way at their own pace.
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Second hypothesis: Replacing some requests for confirmation with more auto-flow sequences would help the reward feel rewarding and eliminate some frustration following completion of all movements for a given day.
Critical Findings​
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Most users want a quick summary of app at the start
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Users wanted already-entered constraints on Today's Plan
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Though enjoyable, the pace of the reward sequence wasn't quite right
Recommendations
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Create a quick summary of the primary functions for first-time users
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Note already-entered constraints on Today's Plan with edit options
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Adjust timing of reward sequence to stay in tune with the user
Talaria: Final Thoughts
Got this far and still wondering why I named it "Talaria"?
For those who didn't read every word above (you know who you are)
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"Talaria" is the name of the winged sandals of Hermes, a figure in Greek mythology. I chose this name because I wanted to convey a sense of movement made easier. Unexpected help being offered. The joyful sense and ease of flying (moving over and past any challenges). The delight of travel and new perspectives. Adventure.
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This was an absolutely delightful project to work on, and one that is close to my heart and interests. It provided a vast abundance of learning opportunities and fertile ground for my imagination in terms of how much further it could be taken.
Enjoy the Latest Prototype!