For the software engineering firm Redlizard, I completed a short-term UX research project on a fitness app called This Active Life.
The pandemic highlighted that over 50% of Americans are sedentary. The same amount suffers from chronic illness. Psychologists have long proven that modifying human behavior is encouraged with an accountability partner. The CDC advises that adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.
How might we design an app that suits the needs of sedentary adults?
🏋️ The study’s objective was to understand the thoughts, behaviors, and pain points of sedentary adults as they relate to accountability partners, resources (time and money), and health goals.
I co-led a research study of 10 moderated user interviews to grasp middle-aged Americans’ health goals regarding exercising.
💡 Lack of time and energy were the main reasons for not being active
💡 Accountability partners were not desired for social reasons, people don’t mind exercising alone. Either they join a sports group for community, or seeing regulars at the gym is enough
💡 These adults did not need an app to find accountability partners
Deliverables I owned:
🎯 Wrote research plan, screen survey, and interview guide
🎯 Conducted stakeholder interview and affinity mapping exercise, in addition to 10 interviews
🎯 Analyzed data and presented recommendations to the founder and team
Recommendations:
🛠️ Re-evaluate the app’s concept because it has little differentiated value from location-based community apps like Meetup or Facebook—but doesn’t have the tracking/nutritional capabilities one would look for in a fitness app
What I learned:
How to manage stakeholders and deliver strong recommendations based on insights. The founder was, understandably, resistant to overhauling the app concept. However, the data showed it was necessary to go back to the drawing board.