Gym Buddy is a platform that helps gym-goers find workout partners based on their fitness goals and schedules. The project addresses a common challenge—many people struggle to stay motivated and consistent with their fitness routines due to a lack of accountability and social support. During this phase, we focused on analyzing competitors, created a structured layout of our design, and ran situational tests through personas and scenarios.
- Tanner Hart :
- Phase 2 outline and report
- Worked with team on design artifact creation (wireframes, sketches, prototypes)
- Persona and scenario walkthrough
- Worked with team on updating the wireframes
- Worked with team on Usability Test Plan
- Worked with team on creating the prototypes
- Usability Walkthroughs / User Studies
- Prototype Updates / Revisions
- Worked with team to create the User Test Protocol
- Worked with team on Phase 3 report
- Phase 2 & 3 executive summary
- Harrison Lloyd
- Phase 1 outline and report
- Phase 2 outline and report
- Worked with team on design artifact creation (wireframes, sketches, prototypes)
- Persona and scenario walkthrough
- Worked with team on updating the wireframes
- Worked with tram on Usability Test Plan
- Worked with team to create the User Test Protocol
- Usability Walkthroughs / User Studies
- Prototype Updates / Revisions
- Worked with team on Phase 3 report
- Yash Madan :
- Phase 2 outline and report
- Worked with team on design artifact creation (wireframes, sketches, prototypes)
- Persona and scenario walkthrough
- Worked with team on updating the wireframes
- Worked with team on Usability Test Plan
- Worked with team on creating the prototypes
- Usability Walkthroughs / User Studies
- Prototype Updates / Revisions
- Worked with team to create the User Test Protocol
Executive Summary
Competitive analysis revealed that overall, we don’t have too much competition. After analyzing existing gym-related applications it revealed a market with many offering similar features. However, a gap exists in providing cross-platform accessibility, as many are restricted to specific operating systems. Heuristic evaluations of leading competitors have identified notable weaknesses, particularly concerning user complexity. Developing user personas and scenarios has confirmed these findings, highlighting the following user desires: Simplicity- An intuitive, easy to navigate application that minimizes complexity. Accessibility- Cross platform usability, allowing access anytime and anywhere. Efficiency- Quick and straightforward process to find and connect with suitable workout partners. Design sketches and system diagrams have been developed to implement these insights, focusing on features such as enhanced error tolerance and a minimalist interface. These designs aim to create a user-friendly experience that aligns with the identified user needs
Executive Summary
As part of Phase II, our goal was to evaluate the usability of our GymBuddy wireframes by collecting real user feedback and identifying pain points in the app’s interaction design. Through cognitive walkthroughs and informal feedback from a broader audience, we uncovered unclear steps and confusion that prevented users from successfully completing key tasks. The findings from this research directly informed a series of design updates aimed at improving clarity, flow, and functionality across the app.
Informal feedback revealed opportunities to improve user clarity and satisfaction with the following features:
- Navigation Flow: Users found the layout of pages confusing, making it unclear how to progress through the app or return to previous steps.
- Button Labeling: Ambiguously labeled buttons (e.g., "Get Started" vs. "Sign Up") created uncertainty about which action to tUsers were unable to confidently complete the task of finding a gym partner due to unclear navigation cues and lack of progress indicators.
Cognitive walkthroughs identified usability issues and missing feedback elements that hindered task completion:
- Users were unable to complete the task of finding a gym partner due to unclear navigation cues and lack of progress indicators.
- Participants struggled to identify where certain actions (like editing preferences or viewing a profile) were located within the flow.
Wireframes were updated to reflect major interaction and structural improvements:
- Reordered screen flow to align with expected task order, starting with profile creation followed by partner search.
- Clearer call to action buttons with distinct wording and visual hierarchy.
- Feedback indicators such as success messages and button states to reinforce task completion.
- Transition from mobile to web layout, allowing for more space and design flexibility in presenting key user functions.
Executive Summary
In Phase III, we conducted a usability evaluation of the interactive prototype to validate earlier design assumptions and identify opportunities for improvements. Through a moderated, think aloud usability test using a structured protocol we created, we observed users (participants) as they completed a series of core tasks—creating a profile, searching for partners, sending requests, and editing preferences.
Key insights from the evaluation included:
- Navigation issues - when users attempted to edit their profile after onboarding, revealing the need for more accessible entry points and persistent navigation options.
- Button label confusion - particularly between "Sign Up" and "Get Started," which continued to cause hesitation despite prior adjustments.
- Limitations of the Prototype - There were some features that we did not quite do justice with representing and testing, like the match finder and match request processes.
- Positive reception - of the design and overall layout, despite some suggestions of how the flow can be made more efficient.
These findings informed a set of targeted design recommendations, such as improving feedback cues after actions (e.g., confirmation after sending a match request), clarifying interface labels, and simplifying access to editable settings.
Overall, this phase confirmed that GymBuddy’s concept and core features are valuable to users, while also highlighting critical improvements needed to enhance clarity and usability. The usability evaluation provided strong guidance for the next iteration of the design, emphasizing intuitive navigation, consistent labeling, and actionable user feedback.