Engage

Making fitness fun and accessible for every student at UPenn

Disciplines

UX Research

UI Design

Timeline

August - November 2023

Team

Two UI/UX Designers

Two Software Developers

providing context

What's Engage?

In the fall of 2023, I set out to design Engage, a fitness app that would bring UPenn’s wellness resources right to students' fingertips. With busy schedules and limited time, I wanted to create a solution that would make it easier for students to stay active without the usual hassles. From checking real-time gym availability to booking classes and even coordinating activities with friends, Engage was designed to simplify every step and become a true fitness companion for students.

the challenge

How can I help college students at Penn easily take advantage of fitness and wellness opportunities that align with their goals?

High-Level Goals Defining My Process

High-Level Goals Defining My Process

1: Empathize with the needs of all students

1: Empathize with the needs of all students

2: Make healthy habits easily accessible

2: Make healthy habits easily accessible

the Solution

A hub for all things wellness and fitness.

Engage simplifies every aspect of campus fitness, from checking real-time gym availability and booking classes to coordinating activities with friends, making it the ultimate wellness companion for students.

Engage simplifies every aspect of campus fitness, from checking real-time gym availability and booking classes to coordinating activities with friends, making it the ultimate wellness companion for students.

Discovery

On the Home Page, users can browse open gyms with open times, special amenities, capacity levels, open games, and scheduled classes.

On the Home Page, users can browse open gyms with open times, special amenities, capacity levels, open games, and scheduled classes.

Amenity Overview

Inside each gym card you can find a comprehensive list of information, such as current/expected capacity, amenity availability (pool, tennis, etc), and class/game sign-ups.

Inside each gym card you can find a comprehensive list of information, such as current/expected capacity, amenity availability (pool, tennis, etc), and class/game sign-ups.

Search and Filter Classes

Do you have free time in your schedule from 2pm - 4pm? Apply specific filters to cater to your day, choose the fitness center, start/end time, class type, and your favorite instructors!

Do you have free time in your schedule from 2pm - 4pm? Apply specific filters to cater to your day, choose the fitness center, start/end time, class type, and your favorite instructors!

Book Your Game

Interested in organizing a pickup game with friends? The booking feature offers real-time court availability and allows you to easily book a court to play any of your favorite sports!

Interested in organizing a pickup game with friends? The booking feature offers real-time court availability and allows you to easily book a court to play any of your favorite sports!

PROBLEM DISCOVERY

Penn offers a wide range of fitness and recreational activities, yet most students are unaware of them.

During my junior year, a friend invited me to a cycling class at our campus gym. It was the first time I realized Penn even offered cycling classes. When I asked how she found out about it, she mentioned it was posted on a board inside the gym. I immediately thought, "That’s a pretty ineffective way to advertise such a popular activity among college students."

This experience led me to dig deeper into how Penn shares information about student fitness activities. I discovered the Penn Fitness app, and after exploring it, it was clear that there was room for improvement in making fitness resources easier to discover for myself and other students.

During my junior year, a friend invited me to a cycling class at our campus gym. It was the first time I realized Penn even offered cycling classes. When I asked how she found out about it, she mentioned it was posted on a board inside the gym. I immediately thought, "That’s a pretty ineffective way to advertise such a popular activity among college students."

This experience led me to dig deeper into how Penn shares information about student fitness activities. I discovered the Penn Fitness app, and after exploring it, it was clear that there was room for improvement in making fitness resources easier to discover for myself and other students.

PROBLEM 1

Confusing Interface

The app’s homepage was cluttered with irrelevant information that didn’t support campus recreation. Important details were buried, and the layout needed to be condensed to create a more manageable experience.

PROBLEM 2

Lack of Centralization

Rather than serving as a comprehensive fitness hub, the app felt more like a linktree, leading me down multiple rabbit holes just to reach my desired information. It lacked the centralization needed for a smooth, cohesive experience.

PROBLEM 3

Amenity Awareness

While amenities were available, they weren’t clearly advertised. This lack of visibility often left me frustrated when my preferred equipment or spaces were unexpectedly occupied without any prior notice.

research

research

Understanding how students' access these resources on campus.

After discovering the Penn fitness app’s limitations, I brought my concerns to the design department and proposed working on a solution to improve the student experience. They empathized with the issues and helped form a team, including myself, a second designer, and two software engineers, working closely with UPenn’s recreation department to dive deeper into the problem.

To kick off our process, we conducted a campus-wide survey to assess student awareness of fitness resources. The results revealed several surprising insights:

After discovering the Penn fitness app’s limitations, I brought my concerns to the design department and proposed working on a solution to improve the student experience. They empathized with the issues and helped form a team, including myself, a second designer, and two software engineers, working closely with UPenn’s recreation department to dive deeper into the problem.

To kick off our process, we conducted a campus-wide survey to assess student awareness of fitness resources. The results revealed several surprising insights:

User interviews – What do students actually think?

Digging deeper into core pain points, we explored how students use Penn’s resources and identified challenges in reaching their fitness goals.

Digging deeper into core pain points, we explored how students use Penn’s resources and identified challenges in reaching their fitness goals.

"Did you know about the fitness resources available on the Penn Fitness App?"

"Honestly, I had no idea these resources existed until now. I've never opened the Penn fitness app before, but if I'd known about these options, I would’ve definitely taken advantage of them."

"What’s your typical experience when using the gym facilities?"

"I usually go to the gym for my own workouts, but it’s really frustrating when a space I rely on is suddenly booked without any notice. It throws off my routine and feels like there’s no way to plan around it."

"How do you find using the app for booking workouts?"

"I only use the app to book workouts as a last resort. It’s so frustrating to navigate, and I never know if my booking is actually confirmed. I often feel uncertain about whether I’ll have a spot or not."

User personas – Laying out our use cases.

Using insights from surveys and interviews, we developed three user personas representing a range of fitness needs and goals. These personas reflect real student concerns, guiding us in designing a flexible app that accommodates diverse preferences.

Using insights from surveys and interviews, we developed three user personas representing a range of fitness needs and goals. These personas reflect real student concerns, guiding us in designing a flexible app that accommodates diverse preferences.

Our research led us to a few emerging patterns that guided my direction:

1: Real-Time Availability
1: Real-Time Availability

Students need up-to-date information on gym spaces, courts, and fields to plan their activities effectively without disruptions.

Students need up-to-date information on gym spaces, courts, and fields to plan their activities effectively without disruptions.

2: Centralized Booking
2: Centralized Booking

There is a strong demand for a simple, in-app booking system, allowing students to reserve facilities without the frustration of unavailable spaces.

There is a strong demand for a simple, in-app booking system, allowing students to reserve facilities without the frustration of unavailable spaces.

There is a strong demand for a simple, in-app booking system, allowing students to reserve facilities without the frustration of unavailable spaces.

3: Personalized Access
3: Personalized Access

Students have diverse fitness goals, highlighting the need for personalized recommendations and tailored information to quickly find relevant resources.

Students have diverse fitness goals, highlighting the need for personalized recommendations and tailored information to quickly find relevant resources.

Students have diverse fitness goals, highlighting the need for personalized recommendations and tailored information to quickly find relevant resources.

IDEATION

IDEATION

Synthesizing our four main user flows:

From our research insights, we developed four main user flows, each one shaped to make it easier for students like Jonny, Tate, and John to connect with fitness resources:

  • Onboarding: A friendly, personalized onboarding experience to gather fitness preferences and tailor recommendations.

  • Checking Gym Capacity: Real-time updates on gym capacity and amenities, so students could plan their workouts effectively.

  • Class Sign-Up: A simple class registration process that made signing up for classes quick and easy.

  • Space Reservations: Real-time access to availability and booking for pools, courts, and fields.

Together, they shaped the structure of the app going forward

From user interviews, we identified four main user flows:


An initial onboarding flow to incorporate specific user needs into an adjusted homepage

A flow accessing general gym capacity and amenities for efficient workout scheduling

A flow for signing up for available classes at the included gyms

A flow for checking the availability of specific spaces like pools, courts, and fields.

This will help users like Jonny Villegas, Tate Park, and John Dotson get real-time updates and make reservations efficiently.

SKETCHING AND WIREFRAMING

SKETCHING AND WIREFRAMING

Bringing our ideas to life.

Starting with rough sketches, we translated these flows into wireframes that reflected the simplicity and clarity we wanted. My focus was on creating an experience that was easy to navigate and quick to get to your goal. Each screen was carefully thought out to ensure that students could move through the app effortlessly.

From user interviews, we identified four main user flows:


An initial onboarding flow to incorporate specific user needs into an adjusted homepage

A flow accessing general gym capacity and amenities for efficient workout scheduling

A flow for signing up for available classes at the included gyms

A flow for checking the availability of specific spaces like pools, courts, and fields.

This will help users like Jonny Villegas, Tate Park, and John Dotson get real-time updates and make reservations efficiently.

USABILITY TESTING

USABILITY TESTING

Fine-tuning the experience.

During usability testing of our initial wireframes, I observed how students interacted with Engage, noting moments of hesitation or where they felt something was missing. A few key issues emerged that we needed to address:

  1. No Reverse Booking Option – Once users confirmed a booking, they were unable to reverse or modify it, leading to frustration and a lack of flexibility.

  2. Calendar Integration – Students wanted a way to add bookings directly to their personal calendars, helping them plan fitness commitments around their busy schedules.

  3. Collaboration with Friends – Students expressed interest in a feature that would allow them to coordinate activities with friends, including inviting others to join specific workouts or events through the app.

Each piece of feedback was invaluable in refining Engage into a more intuitive, student-centered experience.

From user interviews, we identified four main user flows:


An initial onboarding flow to incorporate specific user needs into an adjusted homepage

A flow accessing general gym capacity and amenities for efficient workout scheduling

A flow for signing up for available classes at the included gyms

A flow for checking the availability of specific spaces like pools, courts, and fields.

This will help users like Jonny Villegas, Tate Park, and John Dotson get real-time updates and make reservations efficiently.

STYLE GUIDE

STYLE GUIDE

Crafting the look.

The app’s visual style was all about energy and ease. I chose vibrant colors to reflect the dynamic feel of a fitness-focused app, and selected modern, readable fonts to support a clean, welcoming look. Iconography was designed to be intuitive, making navigation feel natural and fluid.

From user interviews, we identified four main user flows:


An initial onboarding flow to incorporate specific user needs into an adjusted homepage

A flow accessing general gym capacity and amenities for efficient workout scheduling

A flow for signing up for available classes at the included gyms

A flow for checking the availability of specific spaces like pools, courts, and fields.

This will help users like Jonny Villegas, Tate Park, and John Dotson get real-time updates and make reservations efficiently.

The app’s visual style was all about energy and ease. I chose vibrant colors to reflect the dynamic feel of a fitness-focused app, and selected modern, readable fonts to support a clean, welcoming look. Iconography was designed to be intuitive, making navigation feel natural and fluid.

FINAL DESIGNS

FINAL DESIGNS

How our final prototype came together.

For our final solution, we answered every student concern with five main features that allow the user to easily accomplish any of their health and fitness goals.

From user interviews, we identified four main user flows:


An initial onboarding flow to incorporate specific user needs into an adjusted homepage

A flow accessing general gym capacity and amenities for efficient workout scheduling

A flow for signing up for available classes at the included gyms

A flow for checking the availability of specific spaces like pools, courts, and fields.

This will help users like Jonny Villegas, Tate Park, and John Dotson get real-time updates and make reservations efficiently.

For our final solution, we answered every student concern with five main features that allow the user to easily accomplish any of their health and fitness goals.

REFLECTION

REFLECTION

A satisfied community is what makes a satisfied designer.

Working on Engage was an invaluable experience that deepened my understanding of user-centered design and the importance of empathy in the design process. Throughout the project, I encountered real challenges that UPenn students face when trying to access fitness resources, from confusing navigation to the lack of centralized information. These insights guided every design decision, pushing me to create solutions that truly addressed students' needs.


Collaboration was also a key learning aspect. Partnering with designers, engineers, and UPenn’s recreation department taught me the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork. Each team member brought unique perspectives that helped refine our solution and make it more robust and effective.


Ultimately, seeing how our work could enhance students' campus experiences was incredibly rewarding. This project reaffirmed my commitment to creating meaningful, accessible designs that positively impact people’s lives. Moving forward, I’m excited to apply these lessons to future projects, continually striving to create user-friendly solutions that resonate with real needs.

From user interviews, we identified four main user flows:


An initial onboarding flow to incorporate specific user needs into an adjusted homepage

A flow accessing general gym capacity and amenities for efficient workout scheduling

A flow for signing up for available classes at the included gyms

A flow for checking the availability of specific spaces like pools, courts, and fields.

This will help users like Jonny Villegas, Tate Park, and John Dotson get real-time updates and make reservations efficiently.

Considering potential improvements.

Given our project’s timeframe, we weren’t able to address every improvement fully, but certain features remain high on my list for future iterations. For example, a feedback mechanism could help us catch overlooked or newly added resources to add, or integrating an in-app calendar to link to your course schedule. These features, though not currently included, would definitely improve the long-term impact of our project.

From user interviews, we identified four main user flows:


An initial onboarding flow to incorporate specific user needs into an adjusted homepage

A flow accessing general gym capacity and amenities for efficient workout scheduling

A flow for signing up for available classes at the included gyms

A flow for checking the availability of specific spaces like pools, courts, and fields.

This will help users like Jonny Villegas, Tate Park, and John Dotson get real-time updates and make reservations efficiently.

Given our project’s timeframe, we weren’t able to address every improvement fully, but certain features remain high on my list for future iterations. For example, a feedback mechanism could help us catch overlooked or newly added resources to add, or integrating an in-app calendar to link to your course schedule. These features, though not currently included, would definitely improve the long-term impact of our project.

Thank you for reading, feel free to check out my other work!

Thank you for reading, feel free to check out my other work!

Thank you for reading, feel free to check out my other work!

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