Local Synergy
Local Synergy is a community-focused fitness app and website designed to make fitness services more affordable and accessible, particularly for low-income families and individuals in underserved areas. By partnering with local fitness centers and trainers, Local Synergy offers reduced-cost workout options, including classes and group sessions, to help break down financial and geographical barriers to fitness.
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Users & Audience
Local Synergy targets individuals and families in low-income and underserved areas who struggle to find affordable fitness solutions. Personas like Lisa Rodriguez, a single mother with a tight budget, and Rachel Lee, a retired teacher with limited internet access in a semi-rural area, represent the app's primary audience. These personas highlight the diverse needs of users seeking affordable physical activities and a supportive offline community for fitness.
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Scope & Constraints
As the lead UX designer, the project spanned from August 2022 to June 2023, involving tasks from interviews and wireframing to high-fidelity prototyping and accessibility considerations. The challenge was to design an intuitive app and responsive website that could efficiently match users with fitness classes that fit their budget and location while being inclusive and user-friendly for a diverse audience.
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Process & My Involvement
The design process began with comprehensive user research, identifying the need for cost-effective and accessible fitness solutions outside urban centers. Following a competitive audit to find gaps in current offerings, ideation focused on user registration for classes and access to account information. Digital wireframes were then developed, leading to the creation of a low-fidelity prototype for usability testing. Findings from the testing phase, such as the desire for more instructor information and class scheduling conflict alerts, informed the refinement of designs into high-fidelity mockups, emphasizing accessibility and responsive design across devices.
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Outcomes & Lessons Learned
Feedback from users indicated that the Local Synergy app significantly improved access to fitness and exercise, especially for those apprehensive about joining guided workout classes. The project underscored the importance of a systematic design process aligned with user needs to develop feasible and practical solutions. Future steps include:
Researching the app's success in attracting new participants.
Expanding class availability.
Incorporating gamification elements to encourage ongoing participation.
Local Synergy exemplifies how technology can be leveraged to foster community engagement and improve well-being across diverse populations, emphasizing the critical role of inclusivity and accessibility in design.