User Research

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Firstly, we performed qualitative information research with user interviews to give us some direction. The goal was to understand how users plan their fitness routine, look for fitness training programs, and what motivates or demotivates them from using fitness apps.

We also conducted interviews with small business owners in the space to understand how they manage their businesses.

 

Interviews with ideal users and business owners

We asked the following questions to end users:

·   Are you using any fitness app right now & how do you plan your workout?

·   When do you like to work out?

·   What are some of your most significant pain points or gripes when using a fitness app?

·   What device are you most commonly found on?

·   When else do you do during workout time?

·   Did you ever use a fitness app to plan your workout and stay fit?

·   Tell me about a time you were committed to workout, but you gave up?

·   How would you describe your typical experience when it comes to stay fit and plan your workout through an app?

·   What do you think can improve the overall fitness app experience?

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We asked the following questions to business owners:

·       How do you manage your business model?

·       What kinds of issues are you facing right now?

·       How do you keep members’ records and handle recurring payments?

·       How do you find new customers?

 

Findings from user interviews

The end-user interviews validated the hypothesis of the value of the app. We found that many of the people we interviewed had at one time or another been gym members but canceled once or more due to commitment issues and lack of flexibility and convenience.

 

Through interviewing potential users in Tel Aviv, we knew that this business model could work, but we still needed to understand how we could onboard businesses. We questioned if they would be afraid such a platform would either sabotage their business and existing customers or sabotage Momentum by making it too easy for Momentum customers to be acquired by the business and no longer use Momentum.

Quantitative data research & personas

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After qualitative information research, we performed quantitative data research to learn user behavior regarding fitness app usage and made assumptions and hypotheses.

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We discovered that users experience anxiety and intimidation while planning workout throughout a fitness app through user research and user interviews. Many of the people we interviewed had at one time or another been gym members but cancelled once or more due to commitment issues and lack of flexibility and convenience. Also, business owners stated that they face trouble in handling management systems.

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Based on the research, we synthesized the qualitative data. We developed user personas that would guide the process and evolution of developing user flows. We referred to them throughout the entire designing process.

Market research & competitor analysis

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We performed market research to understand the scope of the project, future trends, and customer demographics.

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Based on market research, we discovered there was a considerable gap and market to fill in the loss of customers in many gyms and studios based on customer apathy and disinterest. Customers sign up for memberships and lose interest quickly due to lack of variety, not fitting the business environment or lack of flexibility. We studied similar businesses in other countries and learned from business case studies they published and what kind of customer base they could attract.

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The results from the market research statistics helped optimize the app interface according to industry trends and user behavior.

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Competitor analysis

At the start of the project, we conducted a competitive analysis to validate our hypothesis and see what competitors were doing.

Data from competitive analyses and user interviews helped identify user pain points and gaps in the existing fitness apps that we may not be aware of. Our competitors are Classpass, Mindbody, Onefit, and Free fit, etc.

To better understand user’s needs and pain points, we defined a series of questions and began researching the problem.

 

·   Who are the users that are using the fitness apps?

·   How do they interact with the app and complete different tasks?

·   What are the different fitness apps targeted users use?

·   Are competitors addressing the user pain points? User interviews helped us here.

·   Which fitness apps users like or dislike?

 

The goal was to compare and identify common features across the competitor’s apps and identify UX problems. 

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Findings

We found gaps in the UX and (business models) of the existing apps. I knew we could improve mainly that the UX on the app side needs to be simplified and more user-friendly. One of the most significant gaps we could fill was through the business side. The current tools being used to manage the businesses within these apps were not easy, not simple. They allowed businesses to cannibalize themselves by enabling users to go outside the platform to schedule and become customers effectively.

Design process next steps

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After specifying the issues and analyzing each pain stage, we were prepared to produce solutions.

We needed to understand user pain points and create an optimized user journey and layout that aligned with users’ needs.

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We utilized the user feedback in the design process to focus on real-life applications. This allows them to get the most out of the app, with less emphasis on technology. We implemented an open design approach to make content exploration easier and more visible.

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To measure how ‘usable’ the app is, we measured three things:

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·   Effectiveness - Whether a user can complete a task

·   Efficiency - How long it takes them to complete a task

·   Satisfaction - How the user feels about the task

      

After consolidating all of the issues and prioritizing them according to their frequency, the data outcomes and brainstorming enabled us to narrow down our approach.

Solution ideation​

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With sketches, we were quickly able to develop how the potential solutions are addressing the pain points. It helped us see what the app would roughly look like and how it would flow from screen to screen. User research gave us ideas for what would feel familiar to users.

End user journey​

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We mapped out the users’ steps to see how we could simplify their journey to help them reach their most important goals with the app. We quickly designed a user journey to understand how users will navigate through the app. We needed to understand user’s habits to create an optimized user journey.

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To achieve, we focused on developing user journeys that are short and simple, universally understood, playful, and rewarding.

Understanding our business users​

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Through case studies of the competitor platforms we had researched, we discovered that one of the largest gaps we could fill was through the business side. The current tools being used to manage the businesses within these apps was not easy, not simple, and allowed for businesses to effectively cannibalize themselves by enabling users to go outside the platform to schedule and become customers of this business.

 

The back office design problems:

• We need a standardization of how the business is presented and what they offer- data inputs.

• An easy way to deal with payments

• Management of multiple activities under one business

• Calendar and scheduling management

• Manage employee organization and payments

• Gain insights and reviews from their users

• Marketing tool

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When ideating, I saw a similarity in the way Airbnb solved this problem of how people input their information into the marketplace and studied their back office model in order to help build out ours.

Solving key problems for businesses​

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The recurring pain point was the scheduling management. Some had already a very low capability scheduling app. This could be a large obstacle for having synchronicity between Momentum and this app. There could be an API integration with their database but there was no way we could get the cooperation of this scheduling company. Also, some business owners may not want to manage both. 

 

So we decided to add this capability to Momentum of a white label app. The white label app is a simple scheduler but all of the refined UX/UIof Momentum and it gives the business the option to maintain their current paying customers without using the Momentum marketplace and without paying a % to Momentum. A business now only needs to input their information in the one back office tool and can use both Momentum when and how they want and additionally the white label app. One back office for two systems.  No need for anyone else to manage their system.

A marketing tool​

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Most small businesses don’t have the resources to develop their back-office tools. With this full platform, businesses receive an entire back-office suite of tools to manage their business and promote themselves on the app.

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The ease of use is critical to this side of the platform, giving businesses an easy way to set up and edit the way they promote themselves. Most large gyms would never want or require the Momentum platform to acquire new customers or fill available spots in classes.

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However, small fitness and wellness businesses could greatly benefit from a platform to be discovered, promote their businesses, fill spots, and manage their business.

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By understanding this small business persona, we knew we could provide a full end-to-end solution that provided value for the end-user and the business. In this way, we realized that the business was just as much our customer as the end-user and required as much attention, if not more, than the end-user facing the app.