A Social Fitness & Habit Building App
Year
2026
TEAM
Solo Product Designer
DURATION
2025 November - 2026 January
MY ROLE
UX Research, UI/UX Design, Prototyping,
Visual Design, Interaction Design
TOOL
Figma, Miro, Google Forms, Photoshop
Workout Buddy is a mobile app designed to help new gym members develop consistent workout routines through social accountability.
Workout Buddy connects users with gym partners who share similar fitness goals and schedules, enabling them to commit to regular sessions, monitor attendance, and stay motivated together.
PROJECT
KICKOFF
Designing a seamless fitness companion to keep workouts engaging and effortless.
01 Overview
THE
PROBLEM
While observing patterns among new gym-goers, I noticed a recurring behavior: people often start with enthusiasm but stop attending within weeks.
Through informal conversations and early user interviews, I found that the core issue wasn’t a lack of knowledge or access to facilities — it was the absence of accountability and structure that helps sustain momentum.
Many beginners expressed that they wanted to hire a personal trainer for encouragement and motivation, but couldn’t justify the ongoing cost. Without professional support or a consistent companion, it became easy to skip sessions or lose confidence.
USER QUOTE
“I’d go more often if someone expected me to be there.”
— Participant 03, 27yrs, beginner gym-goer who recently joined a local gym.
“I thought about getting a trainer for the encouragement, but it’s too expensive to keep up.”
— Participant 05, 31yrs, a fitness returner who stopped attending after two weeks.
People stay consistent when someone expects them to show up.
“I’d go more often if someone expected me to be there.”
Users want trainer-like support but can’t afford it long term.
“I thought about getting a trainer for the encouragement, but it’s too expensive to keep up.”
01 Overview
Keeping a fixed routine is the biggest friction point.
“If someone booked the same time as me, I’d treat it like a meeting.”
Beginners feel intimidated alone but more confident with peers.
“Having a partner makes the gym feel less overwhelming.”
02 Research
RESEARCH
INSIGHTS
Synthesizing the four research themes revealed deeper behavioral patterns that explain why beginners struggle to stay consistent.
Users are more likely to attend when someone expects them—social commitment sustains motivation beyond willpower.
Beginners want mental and physical encouragement but can’t afford long-term personal training, creating a gap in accessible motivation.
Well-defined schedules reduce decision fatigue and make workouts feel like part of a routine rather than an optional task.
Exercising with others reduces intimidation and fosters a sense of belonging, especially for those new to gym settings.
02 Research
INITIAL
RESEARCH
To better understand what motivates and discourages people from sticking to a gym routine, I conducted six semi-structured interviews with individuals who had joined or returned to the gym within the past year. The participants varied in gender, experience, and schedule flexibility.
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
03 Target Audience
TARGET
AUDIENCE
Primary User
Adults aged 20–35 who recently joined or returned to the gym.
They’re motivated to stay active but often lose consistency after the first few weeks.
They value social connection, structure, and affordable ways to stay accountable.
Behavioral Traits
• Excited to start, but easily lose momentum
• Prefer training with others rather than solo
• Seek small wins and visible progress
Key Needs
• External accountability and motivation
• A consistent schedule
• Affordable guidance and peer support
• A comfortable, non-intimidating gym experience
PERSONA
Naomi represents new gym-goers who are motivated to get fit but need affordable, social accountability to turn motivation into A habit.
Behaviors
Goals
Pain Points
DESIGN PROCESS
04 Ideation
After defining the core problem around accountability and motivation, I brainstormed different conceptual directions to explore how showing up at the gym could feel more social, supportive, and rewarding. I sketched early 4-Up storyboards to visualize quick scenarios before moving into wireframes.
Pair users with workout partners who share similar goals, schedule, and gym — creating stronger accountability through a consistent buddy.
“Feels simple and doable, I would actually use this.”
Users appreciated seeing shared goals and schedules overlap upfront.
Some wanted a way to stay motivated even if they didn't find a perfect match.
This concept is solid because it directly addresses the core problem; however, users also want backup motivation when partner matching fails.
Users join small workout groups (3–6 people) that meet at similar times. This expands accountability beyond a single partner, reducing the risk of partner flakiness.
Good for users who struggle to commit to just one partner.
Some felt groups were too social or intimidating for a beginner.
Harder to schedule consistently for beginners.
A good alternative motivation system, but not ideal as an MVP due to its complexity and concerns about social anxiety for new gym-goers.
For users who prefer working out alone but still want motivation, this concept focuses on personal streak tracking, receiving boosts from friends, and a lightweight competitive leaderboard.
Boost felt encouraging without pressure.
Some users noted that it doesn't fully address the lack of accountability compared to concept A.
Works better as a supplement than a standalone solution.
Strong motivational add-on, but not enough to address the core need of beginner accountability by itself.
Users often find it hard to connect with workout partners who share similar goals and commitment levels. Random pairings result in mismatched expectations, leading to early dropouts and reduced accountability.
The matching system filters partners based on workout goals, availability, and frequency indicators. Users can review detailed profiles before confirming a match, ensuring compatibility before committing.
• Prioritized goal alignment over proximity-only matching.
• Added a detailed profile preview to reduce uncertainty before matching.
Coordination friction—such as unclear availability, passive responses, or unconfirmed plans—undermines accountability and leads to no-shows.
A structured confirmation process requires both users to actively confirm the session. Users can accept the invite or select a convenient time, so no extra coordination is necessary.
Designed a dual-confirmation system instead of one-sided booking.
Reduced scheduling complexity to essential time selection.
Emphasized confirmation states visually to remove ambiguity.
Motivation varies from day to day. Without clear communication, low-energy days often lead to silent cancellations or avoidance.
Before each session, users perform a brief mood check-in. The system adjusts its responses according to the mood input, promoting honesty and responsibility instead of evasion.
• Kept the mood input lightweight to avoid friction.
• Used supportive messaging instead of guilt-based pressure.
• Embedded check-in just before session confirmation to reinforce commitment.
Even when a session is scheduled, commitment often weakens as the workout approaches. Without an active reminder of shared responsibility, users may disengage or simply not show up.
Before each session, both users are required to finish a structured check-in. This process encourages them to confirm their attendance, turning accountability into an active process instead of an assumption. The check-in elevates a simple calendar event into a deliberate reaffirmation.
Made check-in mandatory for both users to strengthen shared accountability.
Scheduled check-ins near session times to boost commitment.
Presented the interaction as “showing up for each other” instead of just confirming attendance.
05 Iteration
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Users can only accept the suggested time based on a partner's invite.
Added an option for the invitee to suggest an alternative time.
Provides users with flexibility in meetup times.
05 Iteration
Users are unsure if the session is fully confirmed.
Added an additional confirmation screen to provide clarity.
Users are no longer confused whether the session is confirmed.
05 Iteration
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Users desire insights into their personal progress rather than shared.
Dashboard created to show the user's training progression, shared progress removed.
Users provided their personal training information to keep them motivated.
Prototype
