I am a UX designer with over two years of experience creating user interfaces for a dynamic product startup. I thrive on transforming user needs into seamless and engaging digital experiences that bridge the gap between aesthetics and functionality.
In the rapidly evolving digital fitness industry, traditional home workout videos often fail to engage users effectively. This project explores the potential of augmented reality (AR) technology to enhance user experience, usability, and perceived effectiveness in fitness applications. The goal is to evaluate and compare an AR fitness application with online video learning method for exercising at home and examine how AR can increase user engagement and satisfaction in Fitness Applications.
The AR fitness app prototype was developed through a Design Thinking process to ensure it meets user needs. The process started with creating a proto persona and conducting a focus group to gather insights, analyzed using an affinity diagram to identify key themes. Prioritized insights led to “How Might We” statements and user need statements
We used the ‘Worst Possible Idea’ technique to brainstorm innovative features, which were prioritized using a NUF test. Finally, a storyboard, user journey map, and user flow were created to visualize the user experience.
The prototype was developed in two parts: AR interface & App interface.
Low-fidelity prototypes:
Initial wireframes were designed to sketch the core features and navigation flow of prototypes.
High-fidelity prototypes:
AR Interface: Designed with Adobe Aero and Mixamo’s library, Interactions with the 3D virtual trainer were designed and prototyped.
App Interface: Designed with Figma, focusing on intuitive navigation and engaging visuals.
The study followed a quantitative data collection method within a between-subject study design, using two prototypes. It involved a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 16 participants, who were randomly divided into two groups: one tested the AR prototype, and the other tested the video prototype. Participants completed a survey using three questionnaires, all administered via Jisc Online Surveys.
The 16 participants invited to the controlled study were randomly allocated to one of two groups: the AR prototype group (experiment group) or the Video prototype group (control group). The participants assigned to the experiment group were introduced to the app prototype. The participants were asked to perform a squat exercise along with the virtual personal trainer.
The control prototype used for this study is a video uploaded on YouTube: “How To Do A Squat” by Bupa UK, a regulated UK healthcare provider. The participants who were allocated to the Video prototype group (control group) were asked to follow this video and perform a squat as instructed.
Materials used:
System Usability Scale (SUS)
Perceived Effectiveness Questionnaire (PEQ)
User Experience Questionnaire – Short (UEQ-S)
Data Analysis:
The quantitative data was analyzed statistically to understand if there are any significant differences in terms of the three variables
The results showed that the AR prototype significantly outperformed the video prototype in all areas. This confirmed that AR in fitness leads to better outcomes in usability, perceived effectiveness, and user experiences, both pragmatic and hedonic.
This study addressed the key research questions, demonstrating that AR offers a superior experience compared to traditional online workout videos. It also revealed that hedonic qualities were rated higher than pragmatic qualities.
The findings suggest that AR in fitness apps can create more engaging and satisfying user experiences, making it a valuable tool for UX design. Future research could explore how AR’s benefits might extend to other areas like healthcare or education to further understand its impact on user experience.
Thank you! 🙂
