Machine Tips

A Nike Feature

OVERVIEW

The Nike Training Club app provides users with a variety of workouts. The Machine Tips feature, is proposed within the app to help instruct users on how to properly use fitness machines.

PROJECT TYPE

UX Designer, UI Designer

MY ROLE

Add a Feature (Student Project)

TIMELINE

2 Weeks

THE PROBLEM

Whether its people who are new to the gym or people who go infrequently, better instructional tools are needed to teach users proper fitness machines usage.

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Currently, there are several instructional tools inside and outside of the gym but are these tools sufficient in teaching an unfamiliar gym individual?

Internal Tools:

  • Personal trainers

  • Instruction decals

  • Organized fitness classes

External Tools:

  • YouTube/Instagram/TikTok videos

  • Google

  • Friends who frequently go to the gym

THE COMPETITORS

With the wide variety of available resources for users to learn more about fitness machines, potential competitors were analyzed to see what improvements can be made in the market. 

MyFitnessPal

An all-in-one health tracker with a secondary feature of tracking fitness goals.

Peloton

A popular fitness app with a wide variety of instructor-led workouts and classes.

Gymshark Training

A training app that allows users to discover different workouts and plans.

Existing apps provide planned workouts but do not help people learn how to use fitness machines in an actual gym. 

KEY OPPORTUNITY

USER RESEARCH

The Interviewees were made up of 5 participants (3 females and 2 males) in their Early to Mid-20’s with fitness experience ranging from beginner to advanced.

The Nature of the Interview included a remote meeting using Google Meet for 30 minutes typically between the hours of 5 P.M. to 8 P.M.

KEY FINDINGS

  • The instructional decals convey how to operate the machine in its most basic form, but gym users would like more in-depth information including:

    • Proper adjustments (e.g., how far back the seat should be, bar placement, etc.)

    • Most effective positioning (e.g., foot placement, hand placement, etc.)

    • A video showing a person performing the movement (rather than two images on the decal)

THE PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

How might we improve the way people learn how to use fitness machines at the gym?

THE MAIN QUESTION

THE SOLUTION

Currently, the Nike Training Club App gives users a variety of workouts and utilizes videos to instruct users on the different drills. The Machine Tips feature is proposed to give users a full instructional experience in the gym. This AR feature allows a user to gain instant information on a machine at the gym by using their phone camera to identify the machine then provide tips and instructions on how to use the machine.

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

In order to properly integrate the Machine Tips feature, several flow paths were reviewed but only two relevant flows were selected:

  • A new overflow menu item called “Machine Tips” that allows users to view an extensive list of fitness machines and gives access to the new feature.

  • Integration of the feature into an existing workout plan.

LET’S VISUALIZE THE SOLUTION

In initial visualizations of the Machine Tips feature, the two flow paths were drafted and wireframes created for machine tips, machine details, AR view, and the integration in an existing workout.

Users are expected to access the Machine Tips feature in the overflow menu. A user would then access hundreds of gym machines pages, which include an instructional video, positional and adjustment tips, and the AR feature. The AR feature was envisioned as sticky notes attached to machines in real-time.

Within an existing workout created by Nike, users are expected to access the AR feature through a small button off to the corner of the Drill Videos.

WIREFRAMES

HIGH FIDELITY SCREENS

The high fidelity screens were created using the initial wireframes alongside the UI design and branding of the existing Nike Training Club app. Here’s a few changes from the wireframes:

Machine Details: It was originally planned for the AR feature to be accessed after reviewing the machine instructions in text and video format. Due to the AR feature being the prized addition to the app, a two-sided navigation bar was added to increase usability and allow users to switch between instructional views.

Existing Workout Integration: This AR feature was originally to be accessed through a small AR icon in an existing workout’s drill videos. It was then determined that this integration was better shown under all the equipment/machines needed for the workout.

USABILITY TEST RESULTS

A set of usability tests were conducted on the users from the interview phase of this project. The two key flow paths were tested and yielded the following results:

SUCCESSES

  1. Users appreciated the detailed information in the Machine Instructions screen.

  2. This feature targets people who are new to the gym or do not go frequently.

REQUIRES REVISION

  1. In the Machine Instructions screen, users would rather see The Movement before the General Tips on how to use the fitness machine.

  2. If a user is using the feature through an existing workout, they may not know how to locate the machine.

DESIGN ITERATIONS

  1. The Movement card within the Machine Instructions was moved above the General Tips card.

  2. The View Machines in AR button was repurposed to View Instructions and machines that the feature can identify have been separated from the rest of the equipment used within a workout.

BEFORE

AFTER

THE FINAL DESIGN

The Machine Tips feature is expected to provide the Nike Training Club app with an immersive instructional experience at the the gym. Currently, the Nike Training Club app does well in giving users a variety of workouts, but it does not instruct users on how to use gym machines. Gym machines can be a significant part of a individual’s workout; however, improper usage of the machine can limit an individual’s growth in the gym. With this new feature, users will have access to instructional videos, movement instructions, general tips to maximize the machine, as well as an AR feature to display tips in real-time.

THE SCREENS

  • List of Machines

  • Augmented Reality (AR) Feature

  • Lat Pulldowns Machine Instructions

  • Screens (Left to Right): Machine Identification, AR Feature, Feature Integrated in Workout

REFLECTION/NEXT STEPS

The integration of augmented reality (AR) into this project was definitely something new for me as a designer. Several AR tools were used in a quick attempt to create a realistic simulation, but it was difficult to do so in a short timeframe of two weeks. There were several concerns that were addressed in the design iterations, but two ideas to consider when updating these designs include:

  1. Determining how the feature will detect nonstandard fitness machines.

  2. Incorporating a realistic AR simulation.

  3. Consider changing the secondary button due to its subtlety.