SwolTime
In this app redesign, my team and I redesigned the SwolTime app with a set of brand new features. These include a seamless end-to-end flow for a user to create, edit and execute workouts. I designed and prototyped the landing and analytics pages, and prototyped a working timer interaction.
Role
Lead UX Designer - Heuristics Analysis, Interviewing, Synthesis, Ideation, Wireframing, Prototyping
Tools
Figma, Figjam
Project goals
Design a custom workout creation experience that can be completed in under 2 minutes.
Build a landing page showcasing recent and saved workouts.
Develop an analytics dashboard that highlights personal records and history for each exercise.
Key Features
Create custom workouts
Use filtered search to find the exact exercise you're looking for in the exercise library, and create a fully customized routine for your goals.
Experience seamless versatility
View and edit your workout queue, and change your timer to count up or down at any time.
Building on existing research with new methodologies
We began by reviewing extensive primary research conducted by the client, which included conversations with over 250 users. This provided a strong foundation for further research to understand user motivations and pain points. We conducted a competitive analysis to benchmark Swoltime against industry leaders, and I completed a heuristic evaluation of the existing app. Key dimensions of analysis included: Search and filter UX for muscle groups, Instructional content supporting proper form, and Customization in workout creation.
Insights from competitive analysis indicated that many apps required users to remember selections, increasing cognitive load. Additionally, customization features were often buried or unintuitive, which contrasts users' desired clarity in progression tracking and the ability to adjust workouts.
Heuristic analysis revealed that the main weaknesses in the existing app include: cognitive load in recalling information rather than it being on the page, and the lack of ability to customize a routine.
Competitor Feature Inventory
Competitor SWOT Analysis
We conducted user interviews as a team to further understand the needs and pain points of users as they relate to: Daily routines and constraints (e.g., limited time windows), progress tracking needs, and preferences for adjustable, flexible workout sessions.
Based on interviews, we defined the following core user needs:
Users want to complete workouts quickly, meaning they want to create the routine in under two minutes and finish the entire session in 1 hour.
Users want to see improvement over time through clear metrics on a daily, monthly and weekly basis.
Users need to be able to customize workout parameters and easily adjust them mid-session.
From the data collected in our interviews, we created the following persona of Jane, a busy mom with many demands on her time who wants to maintain her fitness level.
Persona of Avery, age 42
How might we help Avery achieve her goals?
Avery is a dedicated athlete, busy mom, and ER nurse. She has limited time but is committed to improving her strength. Avery needs a more efficient way to create personalized workouts, track her fitness data, and stay motivated by visualizing her progress.
Designing for flexibility and functionality
After defining the problem statement, we each mapped out a task flow for building workouts and toggling between timed and untimed sets. I sketched multiple options for interaction flows, focusing on ease of navigation and minimizing decision fatigue. After reviewing each of the team members' ideations, I led the process of collaboratively defining a key task flow and core functionalities.
Using Figma, I then created high-fidelity mockups for the following features based on client branding and user needs:
Landing Page: Displays recently completed and saved workouts, streamlining re-entry into familiar routines
Workout Builder: Enables users to build or adjust workouts within 2 minutes
In-workout Interactions: Allows users to edit their exercise queue, write notes about sets and change between timed and untimed sets
Task Flow for SwolTime
Sketches
I led several design review sessions with the client during the low-fi wireframe phase, refining the prototype based on real-time feedback. I removed a calendar feature that tracked the days an exercise was completed, and added more options for in-workout editing. I also created and tested multiple timer styles to determine the optimal UI for timed sets.
Low-Fi Wireframes
Building workouts in under two minutes? Done.
We conducted task-oriented usability tests to assess the effectiveness of the designs. Based on our tests, all users were able to create a custom workout in under 2 minutes. Users felt the app delivered functionality they rarely find in other apps, and especially liked the search feature in the exercise library and the ability to switch between timed and untimed sets.
Though we were unable to implement all user feedback due to the scope of the project, I made a list of next steps that would be beneficial to the app in future iterations. These include:
Users requested ability to favorite workouts
Interest in integration with external trackers (e.g., Apple Watch)
Ability to share workouts and progress with friends
Hi-Fi Wireframes
Delivering satisfaction and delight
Through iterative design and user-centered development, we created a unique experience tailored for time-constrained individuals who prioritize fitness. The final design reduced cognitive load through clear visual hierarchy and task flows, enabled users to build personalized workouts quickly and confidently, and laid the groundwork for more robust tracking features in future releases
The client reported increased excitement from their user base during testing phases and plans to prioritize this new workflow in their next development cycle.
