FitJourney: Making Fitness Less Intimidating
INFO3450: HCI Design Final Project
FitJourney is a gamified mobile app that transforms intimidating gym experiences into playful, personalized journeys. Many college students, like our persona Ayla, struggle to stay consistent with fitness goals due to the overwhelming and often discouraging nature of gym culture. FitJourney makes this process approachable through personalized goal-setting, social connection, and game-like motivation.
Design Challenge
How might we help young adults feel more confident and motivated in pursuing their fitness goals while navigating the intimidating gym culture?
Users often find gym environments overwhelming — unfamiliar equipment, inconsistent routines, and self-comparison to influencers make starting or maintaining fitness habits difficult. Our goal was to create an experience that demystifies fitness while keeping users engaged through fun, visual progress tracking and community support.
Design Process
1. User Research
12 participants were interviewed to understand barriers to consistent fitness engagement. Key insights:
Gym environments cause anxiety and uncertainty.
Users value guidance and feedback but dislike overly prescriptive apps.
Social features and visible progress increase motivation.
2. Ideation & Prototyping
We brainstormed 18 ideas, narrowed down to 3 based on creativity and user resonance, then developed FitJourney through iterative Figma prototypes.
3. Iterative Testing
Across five rounds of testing:
Added visual onboarding to reduce friction.
Shifted leaderboard focus from strangers to friends.
Introduced editable fitness goals post-onboarding.
Enhanced visual identity with playful animations and color palette for warmth and trust.
Turn Your Fitness Goals into a Game
Turn Your Fitness Goals into a Game
Solution
FitJourney introduces a guided, gamified fitness journey that rewards consistency and knowledge-building:
Game-like interface: Users embark on a “fitness map,” completing challenges and tracking streaks.
Personalized goals: AI-driven onboarding tailors workout plans to individual fitness levels.
Social motivation: Leaderboards and friend challenges turn progress into shared celebration.
Adaptive customization: Users can adjust goals anytime to match evolving needs.