The main apps on the market that connect personal trainers with clients are Gain Fitness and My PT Hub. Both apps promise trainers they can build their business and clientele. However, these apps are marketed to the trainers, not their clients and do not allow for two-way communication.

It is important to understand what features potential users want so that those features are prioritized in the design process. It is also important to note that majority of potential users are younger than 35 years of age, indicating they would most likely be comfortable with this app.

User Personas are built using the demographics found from the user survey. This ensures a clear understanding of the users needs throughout the entire design process.

Target market research shows that personal trainers are college educated or have a training certification and are looking to grow their client base and increase income. Male clients are typically looking for weight training while most women are looking for wieght loss methods like high intensity training and muscle toning. Nealry 40% of clients are millenials, indicating that they are comfortable with technology.

User personas helped determine user stories. This perspective was necessary in thinking through a well-rounded app with the essential features for users. High priority stories included the onboarding process, logging in, adding, organizing and deleting content, and signing out.

The same user stories became user flows, essentially a path of each task. Building the users flows was necessary in understanding how each page of the app worked, before diving right into the visual design.

Then came wireframes and sketches of what each page would look like.

The wireframes were tested by three users and received positive feedback as far as functionality goes. Users were asked to sign up for an account, add a new progress picture, add a new check in, find the workout for day one and add a new meal plan.

Feedback from the user testing was essential in determining if the app was intuitive. During testing, users pointed out the benefit of adding buttons to cancel tasks. The feedback indicated that both the desktop and mobile version were easy to use and straight forward.

The goal was to create a brand that is inclusive for all types of training. Not everyone lifts weights or does cardio so I stayed away from the classic dumbell and running logos. BPM (beats per minute) represents all types fitness and the health benefits.

The brand characteristics are strength, energy, fitness, health, versatility and flexibility.

I chose the magenta color for the main color for the mobile app for the clients because it is bright and energetic without being overwhelming. The teal color is the main color for the desktop/web version of the app for trainers because blue is the color of trustworthiness and responsibility but the green hue makes it more vibrant and energetic.

The typography chosen is sleek, modern and easy to read.

Then users were tested on the clickable prototype to ensure that users understand how to navigate it. It was important to include a script with basic information about the app and what tasks they needed to complete. Tasks for the mobile version included signing up, adding a progress picture, adding a check in, adding a new meal plan, finding the workout for day one and signing out.

The feedback supported the functionality of the desktop and mobile version of the app. Users had an easy time navigating through the clickable prototypes therefore, nothing needed to be changed.

I had a great experience building this app and coming up with an idea that i believe will do well in the fitness market. Researching and analyzing the competition was extremely important in verifying if there was space for an app like this. Looking at the features of the competition helped me determine what features BPM Fitness needed to stay competitive as well as additional features to set us apart.

At first, I took on a big project with many features that I later realized were beyond the scope of this project. Had I had more time, I would have added features such as the ability to add comments and recover deleted files. I’m glad I was able to determine the scale of this project early on and believe it came out with all the necessary features.