Apple Fitness+

An audio channel selection feature to increase accessibility.

Client

Conceptual

Service

UX Research

Duration

3 weeks

Prototype

Overview

Using Apple’s existing design guidelines, I crafted a solution to help users get a better workout with Apple’s Fitness+.

Background

In 2020, as workouts transitioned from gyms to living rooms, Apple launched Fitness+, a groundbreaking fitness service powered by the Apple Watch. Offering a plethora of workouts and meditations led by expert trainers, Fitness+ revolutionized home fitness with in-session metrics synced seamlessly to Apple devices.

Exploring through the Apple Support Communities and various Fitness+ online communities, I compiled a list of the most mentioned problems users were experiencing with the service and how many times they were mentioned amongst the hundreds of responses.

Challenges

One problem to rule them all.

By far most users expressed that sometimes during their workout, they cannot hear the music playing over the instructor or the instructor over the music. This inconsistency and lowered volume affected the quality and effectiveness of their training and could potentially impact safety as well.

Research

Comparing Competitors.

Examining competitors like Peloton and Nike Training Club, I discovered solutions to similar problems. Peloton offered a choice between more music or more instructor voice, albeit with a cumbersome interface.

Outcomes

Joining in on the user’s journey.

Crafting a persona based on my research and mapping the user journey, I pinpointed moments of frustration and engagement dips when music was lacking.

The user's current flow.

The task flow is quite simple for our users to begin a workout. Two possible points felt best for our additional feature, the Workout Landing screen or the Video Player.

Proposing solutions.

I sketched out three options, with the first striking a balance between functionality and adherence to Apple's design guidelines.

Menu Analysis

When designing the menu, I built upon the already established design system within the accessibility menu, but since this was a new feature I had to determine the best icon to represent the new feature that would feel familiar to users. I chose one that resembles an analog sound mixing console.

Practical use cases.

The menu within a workout. This is what the user would see when choosing to adjust the workout's audio.

Impact

Findability success.

I conducted click testing in which subjects were instructed to position their device about 4 feet away to simulate the real-world setting of starting a workout.

Testing revealed a 75% success rate in finding the new feature, paving the way for further usability testing and collaboration with engineers for implementation.

Next Project

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