Wanqiu Zhou

EmpowHer is a fitness app for professional women that offers personalised workouts and social engagement, keeping users active and connected through tailored recommendations and group activities, supporting a healthy lifestyle regardless of daily demands.

Current problems

Physical inactivity is a global crisis causing millions of deaths and significant economic costs.

With only 49% of office workers meeting activity guidelines, my research explored the barriers to staying active, and my primary research has found that professional women face unique challenges, such as emotional fluctuations, balancing work-social life and self-care, and external environmental concerns.

— Process—

I use various and structured methods of generating, evaluating and refining ideas to ensure they meet user needs.

I continually engaged participants to test prototypes and refine the service, facilitating deep user engagement and feedback. For example, applying the Fogg behaviour model and user feedback to iterate on features to keep users engaged and maintain long-term health behaviours.

By considering environmental factors and user state, EmpowHer help user simplifies decision-making, supporting the ability component of behaviour change theory.

EmpowHer enhances motivation by promoting connections with friends, colleagues, or a broader community, allowing them to join or create group workouts virtually or in person.

This feature is aligned with the prompts aspect of behaviour change theory, keeps users on track with personalised notifications, offering timely activity reminders that maintain user engagement and retention.

Ecosystem mapping visualised a network of mutually beneficial relationships for EmpowHer, enhancing value for all stakeholders.

Friends and colleagues boost user growth and community through shared activities.

Music providers and sports brands gain exposure and loyalty by offering content and discounts, while fitness professionals expand their reach by providing expert advice and participating in events.

This interconnected network increases user engagement and ensures the service’s sustainability and scalability, driving mutual growth and success.

EmpowHer goes beyond individual health to deliver value in a broader level,

Economically, when users improve their productivity and reduce healthcare costs through the app, it triggers growth in the health and fitness industry, which boosts the economy and reduces public healthcare costs.

Ecologically, as users embrace outdoor activities, they become part of a larger movement toward sustainability, gradually reducing the overall carbon footprint.

Psychologically, the app fosters well-being, not just for individuals but across workplaces, helping to build a culture that values mental health.

Sociologically, EmpowHer strengthens social ties, creating a ripple effect where communities grow closer and cultural norms shift towards a healthier, more connected society.

Through these dimensions, EmpowHer turns personal wellness into a powerful force for organisational and societal change.

— Other Work—

Looi Robot | Group Work

Looi Desktop Robot is a tech-savvy and innovative product whose core feature is to transform the user’s mobile phone into an interactive, emotional, and fun intelligent home companion. This project aims to improve the user experience by redesigning the supporting App for Looi, the desktop robot, to provide a more fluid, intuitive and enjoyable user interface.

https://looirobot.com/

Enery cans Collection | Group Work

This project is from my work as a handbag designer. It is a series of handbags designed for urban women’s commutes and social demands. We transform cans from pull rings to metal locks to give users the same delight and vitality that can bring us.

https://peco.com.cn/collections/all

Eco-CC | Individual Work

‘Eco CC’ is an innovative laundry management app that combines the concepts of Eco and Clothing Companion (CC) and applies behaviour change theory designed to help users simplify the laundry process. It offers personalised washing advice and a virtual wardrobe and incentivises users to adopt sustainable laundry habits through a points reward system.