Uforce Fitness

Project

Redesigning Uforce Fitness Website

My role

UX/UI Designer & Developer

Location & year

Mission Viejo, California - 2024

What is Uforce Fitness?

UForce Fitness is a fitness studio based in Mission Viejo, California, offering a range of workout programs, including group, private and newly launched boxing classes. The company had an existing website that needed to be redesigned.

Follow me in this journey!

Project Overview

In this project, a meticulous evaluation of the existing website and user behaviours will be conducted. The goal is to enhance user experience by addressing identified pain points and aligning the website with user needs to have a more intuitive and engaging platform.

Problem Statement

UForce Fitness aims to improve its website to attract and retain users by enhancing navigation, class schedule access, and overall user experience.

The current site lacks community engagement and ease of use. A redesign is needed to simplify navigation, incorporate user feedback, and ensure accessibility for all users.

Design Goals

  • Update the UI of the site to be more modern

  • Responsive web design which will work on all devices

  • Improve the usability of the site from the client’s perspective

  • Innovative designs to keep clients and new members engaged

  • Increasing the sales and sign-ups through the website

The Process

DISCOVER

Business Research, User Research, Competitive Analysis, Usability Study

DEFINE

User Journey Mapping, The Problem and Solution Statement, Create Persona

DEVELOP

Information Architecture, Site Map

DESIGN

Ideation, Sketches, Wireframes, User Testing, Iteration(s)

DELIVER

Visual Design, Final Wireframes, Squarespace Design

Business Analysis

To understand the business background, mission, values and project goals we interviewed the business owner and staff.

The key points we learned are:

  • New clients are not able to purchase memberships online

  • Members cannot book classes through the website easily

  • Staff have to spend too much time on the phone with clients

  • Staff lose valuable time that could be spent on more important things in the studio

Company mission:

UForce Fitness is dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve their fitness goals by providing innovative, engaging, and supportive workout programs. Their mission is to create a sense of community and promote overall well-being through expertly guided fitness classes that cater to all experience levels.

Survey (Quantitative)

To enhance our approach to addressing the challenges and collect quantitative data, we conducted an online survey of 25 participants. We designed a few important questions to better understand our users:

  1. Who visits Uforce Fitness and who are the current users of the Uforce Fitness website?

  2. What are the current pain points for Uforce Fitness visitors?

  3. How can we build on better website features to enhance the user experience on the website and as a whole?

  4. What are the unmet needs of the users and how can they be addressed with the website?

  5. Based on usability findings what could we demonstrate in changes to flow or visual design that would improve customer experience?

The outcome is:

80%

The majority of users are young fitness enthusiasts, with a significant portion being beginners seeking help.

70%

Users struggle with navigating the class schedule and find the sign-up process difficult.

65%

Simplifying the navigation menu and making class booking more intuitive are key areas for improvement.

60%

Users want personalized workout plans and better community engagement features.

Competitive Analysis: Fitness Centers in California

Usability Study

To understand the user flow, needs, behaviour and as a result the problem with the existing website, I conducted a usability study with 4 participants in an online meeting that lasted for 15 minutes.

User Journey Mapping

To comprehend the existing UForce Fitness website experience through the lens of our users, we crafted a series of user journey maps. These maps are designed to depict plausible scenarios where users might engage with the UForce Fitness website, encompassing crucial aspects such as exploring fitness programs, seeking class schedules, and contemplating membership involvement.

Affinity Diagram

The Affinity Map is conducted to categorize all the gathered data and pain points and as a result, develop our persona.

Common User Needs and Pain Points:

  1. I need to easily find information about fitness programs and class schedules.

  2. I need a simple and intuitive navigation structure.

  3. I need clear and detailed descriptions of each fitness program.

  4. I need an easy way to sign up for classes and manage my bookings.

  5. I need a sense of community and engagement.

The Problem

According to the user interviews and business owners insights the pain points are identified as:

01

Lack of Information

02

Usability Issues

03

Difficulty in finding Information

04

Simplicity Concerns

05

Lack of Online Sales Functionality

Reviewing UI Design of the current website

Upon reviewing the current UForce website, it's evident that certain UI design issues may be impacting user satisfaction.

The Solution

The redesigned website aims to:

  • induce trust and confidence in the UForce brand

  • enhance awareness, and ultimately empower individuals to actively engage with the fitness community

  • optimizing navigation and incorporating user-centric design principles

  • creating an informative and accessible platform

  • fostering a stronger connection between UForce Fitness and its members

Persona

The persona is defined based on the data gathered during the discovery phase.

The website will be redesigned based on Sarah’s needs and preferences.

Meet Sarah

Sarah Thompson is a 28-year-old marketing manager living in Mission Viejo. She is single, ambitious, and sociable. She needs to find a gym that accommodates her busy schedule and offers a variety of classes to keep her motivated and engaged.

Scenario & Flow Diagram

Sarah just moved to Mission Viejo and is looking to find a fitness studio near her home. She wants to see if the studio offers the programs she wants and if the schedule is working for her busy lifestyle or not. She wants to sign up and book her first class without spending too much time on the website to get the information she needs.

Site Map

Design

The Design phase is starting based on our findings through user research and usability testing.

Low Fidelity Wireframes

User Interface Design

In analyzing website visit data, 70% of users never scroll beyond the initial page if the page is not visually engaging. Also, this underscores the critical importance of a compelling call to action to retain user interest. For those who do engage further by scrolling down, presenting the pain point and its solution right away becomes paramount. This strategy establishes a connection with users by demonstrating the gym’s understanding of the problem and showcasing the gym's ability to provide effective solutions. By leading with emotion and subsequently offering a logical resolution, we create a powerful narrative. As users continue to explore, they encounter a section dedicated to customer reviews, providing undeniable social proof of the gym's positive impact.

User Testing

After finishing our first clickable mockups, we initiated user testing to troubleshoot and ensure that the design works best for our users. Here is the result:

  • 85% of users found the navigation intuitive and easy to use.

  • 80% of users easily found the information they were looking for without any confusion.

  • 90% of users liked the visual design and felt it was appealing and professional.

  • 70% of users reported that all key features worked smoothly without any technical issues.

    Overall user satisfaction was high, with positive feedback on the design and usability.

    Based on this feedback, we updated and finalized our frames. Here are the final results:

Update and Launch

After completing another round of usability testing and gathering comprehensive feedback, I made final adjustments to the product to enhance the user experience. The feedback we collected helped us streamline the design, improve navigation, and ensure that key information was easily accessible.

With these refinements in place, we launched the final product through Squarespace, offering a seamless and intuitive platform for our users. You can explore the new UForce Fitness website via this link: https://www.uforcefitness.com/. We believe this launch marks a significant step forward in providing our users with a top-notch digital fitness experience.

Reflections

The design solutions we implemented addressed many of the initial pain points identified, significantly enhancing the website's usability and overall user experience. The result is a more intuitive, engaging, and user-friendly platform, which has also led to a 45% increase in sales.

What did I learn?

I learned to apply user experience design principles to create a website that not only meets user needs but also serves as a valuable tool for the business. Working as part of a team, I realized the importance of constant communication and collaboration, especially during the project's early stages when even basic content might be unavailable.

As a UX designer, the user testing phase highlighted the critical importance of simplicity and intuitiveness. Users, particularly those with busy schedules like our persona Sarah, needed a straightforward and distraction-free interface to quickly access the information they required. This experience underscored the value of user-centred design in creating efficient and effective digital solutions.

Next Steps:

  • A/B offer testing

  • Email marketing

  • Facebook advertising

  • Create content for the Instagram page

  • Keep in touch with interested members via e-newsletters or emails

  • Arranging events and meetings in the studio