Mirrorcle Fitness App
Overview
Task
Create an app that could act as a personal trainer for you anywhere. These days personal trainers are expensive and you need to take time to schedule and meet with them. However, you don't want to workout with incorrect forms to get injured. Even for personal trainers or experienced fitness enthusiasts, sometimes too much weight can cause incorrect form when no one is watching out for them. That is why I wanted to create an app that could help everyone get fit in the safest way possible.
Challenge
There are tons of workout videos and apps out there for people to follow either at home or at the gym. These apps generally target users who are less experienced with a fitness lifestyle and for those who are not sure what moves to work on in the gym. However, from my own experience in working out, it is very easy to perform incorrect forms. Without a proper trainer on your side, people can get injured in the long term. Therefore, I wanted to build an app (easy to carry) to help monitor people's form and movement. Obviously, my app won't be 100% effective as a personal trainer on the side, but not everyone has the time and money to go to a gym and hire a trainer. This app should be able to help minimize workout injuries.
Concept
Decrease injuries during workout
Save money on personal trainers
Flexible to use anywhere
User Persona
Login
Mockup & Prototype
Challenge 1
The product needs to track motion easily and quickly, so users won't get annoyed wasting time on that.
Solution
Mirrorcle app needs a body scanner camera in order to work. The camera will take a 360degree of your body motion and track all your movement when working out. I designed this camera to be small like a GoPro so it is easy to carry around. The bottom is a curved suction so it is stabilized. Between the suction and the camera, there is a bendable structure to better capture the user's whole body.
Possible Issues
1: Only one camera may be difficult to track all motion throughout the workout.
2: Having to carry this body scanner can be a burden for some.
3: To purchase this body scanner could be a turn off for some users. - Therefore, I thought this app can be used on different platforms. Such as using your phone as the body scanner while watching your movement through a laptop or tablet or vise versa.
Challenge 2
Instruction to show correct exercise forms and warn users whenever they are doing something incorrectly.
Solution
In the app, when the users' workout form is incorrect. The app will show which part of the body that needs to be correct and what it is that the users' done wrong. This should be a clear indication and as the users correct themselves the warning sign will disappear by itself, if the warning sign stays on then click on the "warning" button to close it. Continue to workout until the warning sign comes up again.
Possible Issues
1: Even with the indication shown, users will have to understand the reason and knows how to correct themselves. For someone who's more experienced or understands the structure of muscles will have less issue.
2: How much the app will correct users if wrong form is used can cause annoyance which reduces the chances of people continuing with this app.
Challenge 3
Better customization to tailor a variety of fitness lifestyle users.
Solution
At first, I wanted to create this app for someone who's experienced or already have some sort of knowledge of correct exercise form. The app is just to support them and aiding the user on the side. However, I think that may limit the market too much, therefore other than individual exercise form I also added exercise where users can follow as they do home workout watching videos online.
Possible Issues
1: When users follow the video, if they were to use this app on mobile instead of a tablet or laptop will make it hard to follow the movement quickly enough as the video plays.
2: Not only do users need to follow the trainer, but the body scanner is also catching their movements. Users might get annoyed if they are following when they also have to focus on the incorrect forms.
Branding & Logo
I was inspired by the Mirror (a literal workout mirror). However, a mirror is too big to carry around plus the price is fairly expensive. My concept was more than just working out, I wanted to help people decrease the chance of getting injured. So having an image of yourself knowing exactly what your form looks like was very important. That is why I created the two people reflecting from one another in the logo. The name Mirrorcle came from "mirror" + "miracle". I wanted to create more than just a mirror, but a miracle to help people through their workout journey.
Style Guide
Wireframe
Limitations & Opportunities
Limitation: The technology to capture each movement may require more cameras than one.
Opportunity: I wish to create a hologram of the users themselves, so they can see quickly as to what their form looks like. Users can also watch themselves with a 360-degree angle instead of only the reflection.
Limitation: How do we play workout videos for the users to follow while still be able to catch their incorrect forms.
Opportunity: This could be extremely helpful in terms of the target market. My current target market is focusing on those who already know the correct exercise form. However, I want to include all people who would like to get fit and help them stay in the correct form to reduce injuries.
Limitation: Since this is an exercise corrective app, there should be more info on health info.
Opportunity: Provide more information on the app. Using this app as an encyclopedic for all type of health issues that associate with the exercise.