Stamina is a concept for a mobile application designed to provide personalized fitness coaching for individuals with motor limitations and chronic illnesses, including conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and bone cancer.

The app aims to empower users to improve their health and well-being through tailored exercise programs and routines developed and guided by certified physical therapists.

Goal

To design an accessible and user-friendly fitness coaching application that provides individuals with limited motor function with personalized exercise plans to improve their overall wellness and physical capabilities.

Target Audience

People with limited motor functions and seniors. This includes those with Parkinson's, MS, and cerebral palsy.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead UX Designer responsible for the end-to-end design of the Stamina app and its responsive website presence, from initial concept to final delivery.

• Key responsibilities encompassed: user research (conducting interviews), information architecture planning, wireframing, prototyping, executing usability studies, prioritizing and implementing accessibility standards (WCAG), iterative design based on feedback, and ensuring responsive design across various devices.

Key challenges (pain points)

Lack of Personalized Exercise Programs

Standard fitness routines often fail to accommodate the diverse needs and limitations of individuals with motor impairments, leading to issues such as dehydration, pain, and the inability to complete exercises.

Inadequate Progress Monitoring

Effective tracking of progress is often hindered by factors such as busy therapist schedules and a lack of clear feedback for users, potentially leading to discouragement and reduced adherence.

Financial Barriers to Access

The high cost of rehabilitation centers and many fitness applications presents a significant barrier, particularly for individuals with disabilities on low incomes who may already face substantial healthcare expenses.

Research Study

User interviews revealed a significant level of frustration among individuals with motor limitations regarding the lack of suitable fitness resources. Key feedback indicated a strong desire for an accessible and easy-to-use mobile application that provides guided and personalized exercise plans tailored to their specific conditions and needs.

Personas

Louise

• Age: 59
• Education: High School (incomplete)
• Hometown: Elkins, AR
• Occupation: Homemaker (pensioned)
  

Louise is a pensioned homemaker with multiple spine fractures who needs customized online exercises that accommodate her specific condition because her current exercise attempts result in pain, preventing her from maintaining an active lifestyle.

Carla

• Age: 37
• Education: MBA
• Hometown: Port Arthur, TX
• Occupation: Program Manager at UT
  

Carla is a program manager with multiple sclerosis who needs a personalized exercise plan that considers her sensitivity to heat and tendency to fatigue because standard routines often lead to dehydration and exhaustion.

Kwame

• Age: 44
• Education: Bachelor of Physiotherapy
• Hometown: Des Moines, IA
• Occupation: Physical Therapist
  

Kwame is a physical therapist who needs an app to efficiently provide tailored exercises and monitor the progress of his patients with motor limitations because manually developing and tracking individualized plans is time-consuming and challenging.

Starting the design

The initial design phase for Stamina prioritized creating an accessible and intuitive user experience for individuals with motor limitations. This involved a rapid exploration of ideas and the development of a foundational structure:

Ideation, Sketching & Wireframing

Explore the initial
Stamina low-fidelity prototype

Usability Study

Parameters

• Study type: Unmoderated usability study.
• Location: United States, remote.
• Participants: 5.
• Length: 20 - 60 minutes.

Findings

Need for Flexible Scheduling

Participants highlighted the importance of being able to reschedule exercise routines to accommodate their varying physical conditions and availability.

Desire for Seamless Progress Retention

Users expressed a need for a clear and reliable way to resume previously started exercise videos without losing their progress or having to remember where they left off.

Navigation and Information Architecture Challenges

Participants reported difficulties in locating certain sections and options within the app, indicating a need for improved visual hierarchy and more prominent placement of key links to enhance navigation.

Refining the design

Addressing Interrupted Workouts: Based on user feedback, a 'My Missed Exercises' section was implemented to allow users to easily access and complete exercises they were unable to finish during their scheduled routines, providing flexibility for individuals with fluctuating physical conditions.

Streamlining Account Creation with Relevant Information: The 'Create Account' form was revised to incorporate standard medical history inquiries, ensuring that physical therapists have the necessary information to tailor exercise plans effectively from the outset.

Optimizing Video Playback and Progress Reporting: The exercise video playback interface was significantly simplified to maximize screen real estate, enhancing visibility for users with potential visual or motor challenges.

Progress reporting was moved to a dedicated 'Summary' screen, providing a clear and focused way for users to communicate completion to their coach.

Key Mockups:
Accessible and User-Centered Design

These mockups illustrate key screens from the final high-fidelity prototype, demonstrating the user flow and the implementation of accessibility considerations based on user feedback:

Core Workout Experience: This view highlights the accessible workout experience, from the full-screen 'Exercise Video' for easy viewing, to the clear 'Workout Summary' for progress tracking, and the positive reinforcement of the '"Routine Complete" Pop-up Message'. The 'Home' screen provides easy access to personalized routines, and the 'Notifications Panel' ensures timely updates and reminders.

High-fidelity prototype

Explore the interactive high-fidelity prototype to experience the refined user flows and accessibility-focused design for Stamina

 Stamina Hi-Fi prototype.

Style Guides

Responsive design

Website Information Architecture

Following the app design, a sitemap was created to structure the responsive website, prioritizing simplicity and ease of navigation for users accessing information on various screen sizes.

Optimized Responsive Design

The Stamina website and app were designed to be fully responsive across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, ensuring an optimal and accessible viewing experience tailored to the specific context of each screen size.

Going forward

Takeaways

Impact

Feedback from potential users with motor impairments highlights the transformative potential of Stamina. As one individual with a progressive condition shared, “I’m beyond happy and satisfied that an app has finally listened to us... Now I have a plan according to my needs that hits the nail on the head. Thank you so much!” This heartfelt response underscores the significant impact of personalized and accessible fitness solutions.

What I learned

This project reinforced the critical importance of user-centered design, particularly when addressing the needs of underserved communities. The journey emphasized that while initiating a project can be challenging, a clear focus on user goals and a commitment to inclusive design can drive a rewarding and impactful outcome.

Next Steps

1) Validate Impact and Identify Further Needs

Conduct further research to quantitatively assess the app's impact on user wellness and to continuously identify new areas for improvement and refinement.

2) Optimize Pricing for Accessibility and Engagement

Evaluate pricing strategies to ensure affordability and promote long-term user engagement, potentially including rewards for consistent use and positive outcomes.

3) Enhance Accessibility Features

Explore the integration of advanced accessibility tools, such as microphone control and sensor integration, to support users with severe motor and speech impairments.

4) Expand Reach and Content

Promote awareness of the benefits of adapted exercise for individuals with motor limitations and recruit a diverse team of certified coaches to provide a wide range of specialized workout plans.

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