Fit@Home

During Product Workshops we determined the exact project assumptions, target groups and concrete functionalities to be included in the app.

The main goal was to develop a modern app for buying workout plans. What would distinguish Fit@Home from other fitness mobile applications is advancement levels. That would allow users to pick the adequate training to their condition and requirements. Also, the client wanted to upload seasonal workouts like skiing preparations or getting ready for the beach.

Target group was defined as adult women and men (+35 years old) who don’t workout regularly and they don’t go to the gym – usually because they don’t have time. Also, the product could be useful for older people who want to stay fit.

During our original method of work, Product Workshops, we usually perform concept evaluation. This way we can determine if all of the product requirements are understandable and if the project is feasible.

With Fit@Home we needed to determine personas and value proposition as the client came to us with an idea for a product, but no other data.

We’ve started with pinning down basic business requirements. Then we could start designing customer journeys within the app. We did that using wellperforming tools such as empathy maps and user flows. What matters during this stage is product understanding – how will the users act with our final product, what business value does it bring to them and what problem solving solutions it can offer? Answering these questions would help us to optimize the product so we could reach cost effectiveness and high customer satisfaction.

We also did a scoping session to break down the idea into small parts and find out a solution on how to design each of them. We needed to find out what should be the design spirit of the app, so we could give it a certain tone tailored to target customers.

Because the client didn’t have any documentation or product structure in mind, we needed to create the proof of concept – for quick validation of the idea.

During Product Workshops we mapped out the foundation for wireframing and then building the MVP (minimal viable product).

Using Sketch and Invision, with lean UX and interaction design principles in mind, we’ve created the minimum lovable product, which is similar to MVP but has more functionalities desired by the potential customer. The whole development handover could be done so fast because we prepared everything beforehand and tested all possibilities with open mind.

When designing UX, we needed to provide useful information for the user at the exact time they are requested. That required to go through all user paths and build them in a clear, intuitive way. Each step tells the user what kind of exercises can be expected, how long the workout will take and what will be the result. Each training day can be personalized and with photo uploading function the user can compare their before and after. Also, what distinguishes the app from other similar products is workout review which automatically plans next steps in the routine depending on the user’s progress.

The app’s whole content is based on photos and videos of exercises. The interface displays them without distractions. We’ve added some sport-inspired illustrations with dynamic objects to create the atmosphere of energy and motivation. Also, to achieve that the app introduces transparencies, shadows and gradients.

The main functionality the were trainings suited to personal preferences of the user.

We suggested specific ways to develop certain functionalities, being open for potential changes and updates.

Basic functionalities to provide included:

The project also assumed adding notifications, language change, unit change (metric / imperial), and more.

Because the client wanted to shorten the development time, we recommended Flutter as the framework to build a hybrid mobile application for both Android and iOS.

Flutter is a technology that is rapidly growing. It offers great tools for development of robust, scalable products. All new UX and UI standards are regularly implemented. Creating impressive animated graphic interfaces is one of the main benefits of using Flutter. What’s most important is that building an app with a hybrid framework would make the process much faster than using native solutions.

The workout apps competition is fierce. Not only the big brands are racing to create the best sports software, but also a lot of athlete celebrities do. This was one of many challenges we needed to face while preparing the design of the Fit@Home app. We needed to create something simple and friendly to use, yet with that unique style that would make it stand out among the competitors.

We decided to base the entire UI layout on contrasts, to emphasize the workout progress when users are surpassing themselves. The bright colors and white typography were deliberately placed on dark backgrounds. We used elevation to point out all the clickable elements. To give the app a so!er side, all components were rounded, along with custom-designed icons and handcrafted illustrations.

The last-mentioned played a great role in the layout. They were inspired by the app’s theme: exercises and sport. They portray the objects that would either be useless, if we used the application (that clearly states to exercise at home) such as skis and bathing suits or were simply surrounding us, like the home furniture. We gave them a more dynamic and energetic look – something that resonated with exercises that usually were done outdoors. The illustration complements the UI design system in coloring, shadows and transparency.

Our client equipped us with professional photographs which were styled to match the app’s look and were broadly used. We were also responsible for the creation of the new Fit@Home logo along with social media materials.

Our development team began with unit tests. These types of tests are led at the very beginning of the development cycle. They are determining if every individual unit of source code, sets of one or more program modules with associated control data, usage and operating procedures are fit for use.

The next phase began when our testers team started functional testing and end-to-end testing. Functional tests are focusing on system functional requirements and specifications to make sure that they are properly satisfied by the application. The end-to-end technique is used to test whether the flow of an application right from start to finish is behaving as expected and to ensure that data integrity is maintained between various system components.

Because of the above mentioned time pressure, there was no time to implement test automation since writing scripts is very time-consuming at the beginning. It is beneficial to implement them in long-lasting projects. At the end of the development cycle, we have done integration tests to make sure that payment subscription systems in both Play Store and Apple Store are working as intended.

In a very short given time we developed a modern hybrid application for Android and iOS that helps its users to be fit at home. Two language versions (Polish and English) help our client to reach customers around the world.

This app not only provides ready-to-use workout plans but it also tracks progress, showcases statistics, analyzes the user’s condition and automatically modifies workout plans to get best results. Fit@Home is an exercise hub for everyone who wants to work on their body without going to the gym.

It’s a great alternative to fitness club memberships and expensive personal trainer appointments. The app was released just before the coronavirus outbreak. It is definitely a product that answers the rapidly growing trend for workout mobile applications that help their users stay fit at their homes.

The number of individual subscriptions rises every day while the quarantine is ongoing. Also, big gyms and fitness clubs buy thousands of plans so they can offer them to their clients as an alternative to the ordinary memberships. The app was listed among TOP10 fitness apps in Poland.