Project
Motivating Users to use fitness app as a habit
Industry
Mobile App
(Fitness)
Contributions
Role
UX Researcher
& Designer
This project addresses a growing concern among university students in the UK, the struggle to stay physically active due to academic pressure, lack of motivation, time constraints, and limited access to tailored fitness solutions. Inspired by the habitual use of apps like Snapchat, where students engage consistently throughout the day, the project aims to transform fitness into a similar daily habit. With Birmingham City University (BCU) lacking a dedicated fitness app, this gap offered a unique opportunity to design and test a solution directly within the university, using its culturally diverse student body as a resource.
The result is V-Fit, a student-focused fitness app that tackles motivational barriers through personalized, flexible workout plans, habit-forming features, and an engaging, community-driven experience. Grounded in human-centered design and guided by four core design principles, V-Fit fits seamlessly into busy student schedules helping them take ownership of their well-being and stay active throughout their academic life.
The ultimate goal of the project is to encourage students to use the fitness app consistently throughout the day by promoting habit change, enhancing daily engagement, and social connection.
Develop a student-centered fitness app for University students in UK (specifically BCU) that promotes daily engagement, habit change, and holistic well-being.
Offer personalized workout plans, wellness tracking, and a variety of features to suit diverse student needs. By integrating gamified progress tracking and community-building tools, it aims to make fitness a regular part of students' daily routines.
Additionally, the app addresses campus safety concerns by helping students find walking or workout buddies, encouraging both social connection and safer physical activity.
Health & Wellness
Safety & Security
Social Connection & Community
Financial Constraints
Causes Of Rising Obesity Rates in the NHS
Behavioural
Increasing culture of fast, processed food intak
Decreasing culture of fruit, fibre and vegetable intake
Increase in sedentary lifestyles - desk jobs, longer working hours
Increase in non-active hobbies - gaming, watching TV etc.
Environmental
Increased access to motorised transports
Increased availability of ultra-processed, high-calorie foods
Increased labour-saving technology, reducing activity levels
Birmingham has been grappling with a significant knife crime problem in recent years. In 2022-2023, the West Midlands region, which includes Birmingham, recorded the highest rate of knife crime offenses in the UK at 178 per 100,000 population.
The majority of fitness app users are college students, accounting for 78.5% of the total user base.
Students use fitness apps most frequently between 5pm and 9pm, with sessions typically lasting under an hour.
Ethnicity
Birmingham City University (BCU) has a very diverse student population, with 52% coming from minority ethnic backgrounds as of 2017/18.
The largest ethnic minority groups at BCU are Asian (29%), Black (16%), Mixed (6%), and Other (2%).
There appears to be a good representation of Asian students across various courses and buildings at BCU.
Age
The app would likely target traditional university-aged students (17-24 years old) as well as mature students aged 21 and over.
In 2017/18, BCU observed a fall of 4.2% in mature student enrollment, potentially due to factors like changes in NHS bursaries.
Over the last few years, the fitness industry has faced more challenges than ever before.
Leveraging BCU's diverse student population and fostering an inclusive fitness community
Leveraging gamification and social features for engagement
Promoting holistic well-being beyond just fitness
Enhancing Campus Safety and Security
Students use fitness apps most frequently between 5pm and 9pm, with sessions typically lasting under an hour.
Students use fitness apps most frequently between 5pm and 9pm, with sessions typically lasting under an hour.
Habit Formation
Research highlighted that building consistent fitness habits is crucial, yet difficult due to distractions and lack of motivation.
How the app solves it:
Integrates frequent reminders (e.g., drink water, stretch, quick workouts).
Allows users to set routines at their own pace, creating a sustainable habit loop.
Uses gamified tracking via avatars to visualize daily and weekly progress.
Encourages routine check-ins to develop self-discipline and regularity.
Time Constraints & Flexibility
Students struggle to find time for exercise due to academic pressure, part-time jobs, and irregular schedules.
How the app solves it:
Offers quick and adaptable workouts that fit into small time windows.
Provides custom workout plans based on personal schedules and preferences.
Progress is not judged by intensity, but by consistency—progress over perfection.
Safety & Security
Students reported feeling unsafe when exercising alone or outdoors at night, limiting their physical activity.
How the app solves it:
Features a "Find a Buddy" system to match students with walking or workout partners.
Promotes group activities and local meetups for community-based exercise.
Users can set safety check-in features or schedule workouts in safer zones/times.
Social Relationships & Community
Strong social engagement increases motivation and accountability, yet fitness apps often lack community features.
How the app solves it:
Allows students to express themselves through avatars, fostering identity and connection.
Users can share milestones and updates in the community feed.
Enables peer encouragement, group challenges, and access to campus fitness events.
Engagement vs. Social Media
Unlike fitness apps, social media apps dominate attention due to their entertainment value and design.
How the app solves it:
Introduces dynamic, self-expressive avatars that evolve with progress.
Tracks physical and wellness achievements in fun, visual ways.
Makes fitness fun and personally rewarding, encouraging frequent app use.
Creates a meaningful reason to open the app daily, not just for workouts, but for social and wellness updates.
1. The Busy Bee – Arpit Deshpandey
"I want to stay fit, but I need something for my busy schedule."
Arpit is an engineering student balancing lectures, coursework, and a part-time job. His days start early and end late, leaving little time for fitness. He wants to stay healthy but often skips workouts due to lack of time and motivation. One day, feeling drained after back-to-back classes, he opens the Fitness app. The app helps him stay on track with reminders, community encouragement, and personalized routines that make fitness a seamless part of his daily routine.
2. The Fitness Newbie – Alexa Chung
"I want to stay fit and healthy, but I need someone to guide me."
Alexa has always wanted to be more active but feels overwhelmed by all the fitness information online. As a complete beginner, she doesn’t know where to start or which workouts suit her level. After downloading the fitness app, she’s introduced to an interactive, self-expressive avatar that guides her step by step. The app recommends beginner-friendly, low-impact workouts with clear visual instructions, helping her feel more confident. She starts small three days a week from her room and gradually builds consistency.
3. The Night Walker – Sofia Sonawne
"I want to schedule my exercise and manage my diet plan."
Sofia, a passionate MSc. student, loves taking walks in the evening to relax and reflect. However, she often hesitates to go out alone at night due to safety concerns. While exploring fitness app she founds the “Find a Buddy” feature helps her connect with nearby users also looking for walking partners. Now, she feels safer, more motivated, and less alone. She enjoys tracking her meals, walking stats, and sharing wellness updates with the in-app community.
4. The Fitness Enthusiast – Ayo
"Fitness is not just about physical strength, but also mental resilience and well-being."
Ayo, a Psychology student, has faced life with a hearing disability but never let it define him. He’s passionate about fitness but often feels excluded by mainstream fitness platforms that rely heavily on audio cues. The workouts come with clear, step-by-step visual instructions, and his avatar tracks his achievements visually, giving him a sense of progress and empowerment. The app's community celebrates all types of progress, making Ayo feel supported and inspired. For him, the app isn’t just a fitness tool, it’s a space to grow, connect, and show others that ability is never limited by disability.
"Young adult never like to lose competition"
"BCU Student like to express themselves fit to the community"
Fitness app’s color palette is built to balance energy, clarity, and usability. Each shade is carefully chosen to inspire motivation, maintain visual harmony, and enhance user focus during workouts and tracking. High-contrast combinations ensure text and icons remain clear across different environments, while vibrant accent colors bring moments of excitement, encouraging users to engage consistently, just like their favorite social platforms.
Fitness Avatar Community
Connect, train, and grow stronger together with the Fitness Avatar Community. Find like-minded partners (Buddies), share goals, and build your own fitness clan – all in one place.
🔍 Find Partners Around You (Map, Avatars, Activity Tags, Request System)
Easily connect with fitness partners in your area using the interactive map. Each user is represented with a custom fitness avatar and their current or preferred activity (e.g., Running, Yoga, Cycling).
View who’s online and active
See what activity they’re into
Tap to send or accept requests
Use the map to locate and join them nearby
Identify users easily with avatar profiles and names
✅ Verified Users Only (Safe & Trustworthy Connections)
Every community member is verified, making it safer to interact, share locations, and meet in real life. This adds a layer of trust and comfort for all users looking for workout partners.
📍 Location Sharing & Messaging (Secure Location Sharing + Built-in Chat)
Once connected, you can choose to share your live location temporarily. A built-in chat system allows you to:
Share GPS locations (like the BCU Curzon building in the UI)
Send pictures from your workouts
Keep in touch with your fitness partner or group
All communication is secured and private
🎯 Goal Display (Track & Motivate Each Other)
Each user’s fitness goals (like steps, heart rate targets, or weekly challenges) can be displayed for accountability and motivation. You and your partners can stay focused on shared progress and support each other daily.
👥 Create a Fitness Clan (Team Up & Train Together Long-Term)
Go beyond one-time meetups by creating your own Fitness Clan — a group of your regular workout partners.
Invite others to your clan
Set and chase shared fitness milestones
Track each other’s consistency
Celebrate achievements as a group
💬 Stay Motivated with Your FitSelf
Your avatar isn’t just a character — it’s your digital workout buddy!
It reflects your activity, motivates you with real-time encouragement, and reminds you why you started.
💡 Daily motivational quotes
🏃 Activity-linked messages from your avatar
📣 Build a habit — not just for you, but for your FitSelf.
You’re never alone in your journey — your avatar grows stronger when you do.
🤝 Build Your Fit Community, Show Your Progress
At the heart of the app is a social fitness community where users share their active moments, mood snaps, and progress — turning personal goals into collective motivation.
Driven by real insights, young adults thrive on visibility, competition, and appreciation — your FitSelf avatar becomes a symbol of your effort, ranking, and pride.
Fitness Community & Motivation
👥 Build a fitness community
Connect and share your fitness journey with others.📸 Share snaps
Post photos of your workouts or mood to inspire friends.🏆 Friendly competition
Young adults love to compete and rank higher.💪 Avatar ranking
Your avatar shows how fit you are based on your activity.🎯 Share goals & achievements
Celebrate milestones and get appreciated by the community.
Create Your Fitness Avatar
Easily create a digital avatar that looks just like you using your camera. This avatar helps you track fitness progress while keeping your real photos private.
📸 Use your camera
Capture a digital version of yourself easily.🧑🎤 Exact e-version
Make an avatar that looks just like you.🔒 Privacy-friendly
Share your avatar instead of real photos to keep your privacy.📈 Track progress
See gradual fitness changes reflected in your avatar over time.🎭 Express yourself
Show your true self through your personalized digital avatar.
Onboarding Secure Student Verification
Students can sign in easily using their email or student ID with an authenticator app. Only users already verified by their university and UKVI can access the app.
🎓 For students only
Exclusive access for verified students.📧 Sign in with email or student ID
Use secure credentials to log in.🔐 Authenticator app
Adds an extra layer of security.✅ Verified by university & UKVI
Only pre-approved users can enter.
