FitTunes
Your favourite online fitness. Only 10x better.
FitTunes is an app that syncs your music playlist to your favourite online workouts. I conducted the required research and testings in order to produce a prototype and suitable branding. FitTunes is an ongoing project for UX training, as well as personal purposes.
Project: Market research + Mobile app UX/UI design
Problem & Approach
to Solution
Problem
As a virtual fitness instructor, it often occurs to me that my participants may not enjoy the music I play. I searched for an App that could skillfully replace my music for another, but nowhere could I find such App.
Approach
1. Research
- Market research
- Survey
- User journey
- Persona
2. Design
- User flow
- Hypothesis wireframe
- Persona
3. Evaluation
- Usability testing
Research
Market research was done to verify if the project was worth doing. I also conducted a survey to confirm my hypothesis: online fitness music – or the lack of it – negatively impacts the user experience. The information collected from the market research and surveys allowed me to create personas.
Market research
Market research confirms that the online fitness industry continues to thrive despite the end of the pandemic. In fact, Covid19 has permanently changed the industry, as it did with office work. People are used to saving time where they can, and digital options have become an ingrained habit. Even gyms have to keep up and offer online fitness classes.
Another important finding is that although online fitness apps have become increasingly popular, their gamification is failing to provide long term motivation. We need to think of something else to keep users motived. This is where FitTunes comes in.
Survey
Two sets of surveys were given to 50 people in order to find out their pains in the online fitness industry
Data was collected along with answers to the open ended question: “What are the things that could improve the online workout experience?”
I teach, so it would be great if I could teach with loud music and have good quality of music for myself and the students
Better music
Being able to use my own playlist to go under the instructor's voice since not all my classes are to the music.
Music issues were the most recurrent answers, along with ‘engagement’ and ‘equipment’ issues. I used these popular answers to create another multiple-choice question, which was then given to the latter half of the participants. I did this to avoid any biases. The latter participants were also allowed to provide an open-ended answer if they wished.
In the end, the biggest pain point was: “Better Music”
Personas
I created personas based on market research and the results from surveys.
Design
With a pen and paper, I drafted a hypothetical scenario of how one would use the FitTunes app. Then, I formulated a cleaner user flow (a). This helped me visualize and build a paper wireframe (b)
a) User Flow
b) Paper Wireframe
Evaluation
With this low fidelity paper wireframe, I conducted the first set of usabililty tests.
Design
Before building the prototype, I brainstormed the branding based on the personas I had created. Using the noted flaws from the usability tests, I created a prototype.
Branding
We had 2 options; orange and tropical-ish blue. Both had a young and sporty appeal. I ended up going for ‘orange’
Orange: unisex, juicy, energetic, youth, refreshing.
The logo conveys the matching of fitness (represented by dumbbells) and music.
Prototype
Set up page
Set up page
End of set up
Landing page
Home page 1
Home page 2
Home page 3
Home page 4
Settings page
Suggested page
Playlist page
Single playlist page
Choosing music step
Fittunes tab
Music analysis
Matching process
Workout pause
Setting during workout
End of workout message
Reflection
I was pleased that the conducted surveys confirmed my hypothesis; music is the highest pain point among online fitness participants. But this is only based on 24 online-fitness survey participants. More participants are needed for a more accurate result.
Another major improvement to consider, had this UX project been funded, would be to increase the number of usability testing participants.
Of the things that were in my control, the survey questions could have included more background questions such as the level of technology. In this project however, the tech levels provided in the personas were deduced from the participant’s career.
