1.1 Competitive Analysis
To get an idea of the market, I investigated both an online help platform and an expert consultation platform to get an idea of the UX and market - Betterhelp and JustAnswer.
1.2 User Surveys
To get a broad view of my target audience, I created an online survey that benefited from a high quantity of answers. These survey questions had the goal to:
1. Get an idea of the fitness goals of people at intermediate levels
2. Understand what the biggest barrier(s) to their fitness goals are
3. Find out what the positive and negative experiences of having an fitness expert were
1.3 User Interviews
I conducted interviews with 4 individuals who have an intermediate expedience with fitness. This is a deeper dive into the research questions in the 1.2 User Surveys and also to help me understand what the biggest factors are in making an appealing fitness app.
After these interviews, I wrote down common patterns and quotes and assembled them into an affinity map as shown below.
2.1 Design Personas
The following 3 design personas are my catalysts for user empathy, informed by the user interviews. Each persona is a representation of the motivations, pain points, and behaviors of a possible target user.
2.2 User Flows and Sitemaps
Using one of my personas as a starting point, I made a user journey map of a core task to understand and empathize with the persona's state of mind in that process, including what they know, want, and need to complete the task. That task was then mapped out as a user flow to later build the overall Information Architecture.
My first sitemap was created with the five main activities in mind. But after doing an open card sorting test, I adjusted it to join or connect the important items that people associate with each other
Open Card Sorting Test
3.1 Rapid Prototyping
I started making wireframes with pencil and paper and later moved on to mid-fidelity prototyping in Figma. With just pencil and paper I easily was able to make multiple layouts of certain pages and get a holistic view of what was possible and desirable
3.2 Usability Testing
Once the mid-fidelity interactive prototype was created, a group of five participants were recruited for remote moderated usability tests. These tests were done via Figma and Google Hangouts, and recorded (with their signed consent) with Quicktime Player.
A rainbow map gives me a comprehensive view of all the data - it mapped out the errors the participants encountered, and any positive, negative or neutral remarks that they made. The issues were categorized using an adapted version of Jakob Nielsen's four-step rating scale, to prioritize what changes need to be addressed and in what order.
3.3 Design Evolution
There have been several stages of reiterations, though not necessarily for each screen. The evolution of the high-fidelity prototypes stemmed from post-usability testing, peer collaboration, implementing new practices (ie. grids, implementing apple human interface guidelines).
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Interactive Prototype:
Design Language System
