Overview

StartNow was my first UX case study. I built it to learn the UX process and strategy. I also did the visual design, so it ended up being both a UI and a UX project.

Over 8 weeks I ran 20+ interviews with 17 to 25 year olds, worked through a nine-stage process, and finished with a clickable Figma prototype.

What value will it provide?

StartNow introduces users to workout methods from real fitness professionals, and lets them track their daily workout activity.

Challenge and problem

These days there are a lot of distractions pulling people away from their workout routine, and it breaks their discipline. StartNow tries to solve that by giving users a tool that helps them stay consistent.

Target market

StartNow targets three groups: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

The primary group is 18 to 25 years old. Mostly students and young adults who want to work out and get in better shape, but need guidance, or aren't very social. They need something to help them stay disciplined.

The secondary group is 25 to 35. Independent adults whose main goals are staying fit, improving mental health, and getting in good shape.

The tertiary group is 45 to 65. Their goal is simpler: stay healthy and keep up their physical health.

Direct Competitors

In any industry, learning about the surrounding landscape is crucial, especially for a new company. I studied two mobile apps I saw as direct competitors.

Peloton

Peloton is known for its original bike, letting users work out at home while connecting to its screen for classes. But Peloton isn't just the bike app anymore. They've expanded into other workout classes too, like running, yoga, and other equipment workouts.

Nike

Nike is a famous footwear brand, known globally. They have their own workout app that gives users free workout classes.

Interviews

I interviewed more than 20 people by video call and phone, all matching the group StartNow is targeting: 17 to 25 years old. Six of them were already mid-transformation on their own workout routine. I asked about their journey, motivation, goals, and struggles, plus their general view on fitness apps, to build empathy for these users and understand how StartNow could actually help them.

Insight

Through the interviews, I found some interesting patterns. Here are three questions I asked, and how people answered.

Affinity Diagram

I grouped everything from the interviews into an affinity diagram, sorting the notes into patterns I could actually design around.

Persona

After gathering information from the interviews and going through it carefully, I combined it all into two personas.

Value Proposition Canvas

To really understand potential users and solve their problems, I used the Value Proposition Canvas. It's one of the best tools for mapping out a strategy around customer problems, developed by Alex Osterwalder.

Scenario of new users

This is the scenario for a new user starting with StartNow. They get introduced to free workout classes led by professionals, just like they'd expect from a fitness app.

Scenario of old users

After a user has been on the app for more than a week and set up their routine, a familiar low-willpower moment shows up: they're tired from work, school, or life in general. That's when a notification from StartNow comes in. Tapping it opens community posts and streaming, where others are sharing their progress and transformation stories, which is usually enough to keep someone going even on the days they don't feel like it.