Apple Fitness+
UX Case Study
UI Design
Apple Fitness+ is a health and activity app by Apple that helps users stay active and maintain healthy habits. It tracks daily movement using three Activity Rings - Move, Exercise, and Stand to encourage regular activity.
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
This project began from a personal need as someone who’s physically active, I found it frustrating to rely on multiple apps to manage different parts of my fitness journey. This redesign of the Apple Fitness+ app aims to create a more complete, connected, and motivating experience by addressing key gaps in usability, personalization, and engagement making it more aligned with the real needs of users.
This project began from a personal need as someone who’s physically active, I found it frustrating to rely on multiple apps to manage different parts of my fitness journey. This redesign of the Apple Fitness+ app aims to create a more complete, connected, and motivating experience by addressing key gaps in usability, personalization, and engagement making it more aligned with the real needs of users.
Challenges
Challenges
1. Limited Strength Training
Customization
Lack of Advanced Options: The app doesn’t cater well to serious gym-goers who require detailed control over their workouts.
2. Insufficient Progress Tracking & Insights
No Long-Term Analytics: Lacks visual trends, goal setting, or performance feedback over time.
3. Weak Social and Community Engagement
No Community Challenges or Group Goals: There’s no sense of shared progress or friendly competition.
1. Limited Strength Training
Customization
Lack of Advanced Options: The app doesn’t cater well to serious gym-goers who require detailed control over their workouts.
2. Insufficient Progress Tracking & Insights
No Long-Term Analytics: Lacks visual trends, goal setting, or performance feedback over time.
3. Weak Social and Community Engagement
No Community Challenges or Group Goals: There’s no sense of shared progress or friendly competition.
Goal
Goal
The goal is to make Apple Fitness more engaging and useful by adding social features, better strength training support, and more detailed progress tracking. From analyzing user reviews, online discussions, and expert opinions, it was clear that users want more connection and support in their fitness journey. The idea is to build these features without completely redesigning the app, the familiar design system that users already know and love.
The goal is to make Apple Fitness more engaging and useful by adding social features, better strength training support, and more detailed progress tracking. From analyzing user reviews, online discussions, and expert opinions, it was clear that users want more connection and support in their fitness journey. The idea is to build these features without completely redesigning the app, the familiar design system that users already know and love.
1. Limited Strength Training Customization
1. Limited Strength Training Customization
Feedbacks
Feedbacks
“If strength is your focus, there’s simply nothing for you past the beginner level.”
“There should be a feature to create and save my own plan from different workouts.”
“If strength is your focus, there’s simply nothing for you past the beginner level.”
“There should be a feature to create and save my own plan from different workouts.”
Painpoints
Painpoints
Lack of advanced programs for experienced users.
No customizable workout plans (sets, reps, weights).
Limited support for equipment beyond dumbbells.
Lack of advanced programs for experienced users.
No customizable workout plans (sets, reps, weights).
Limited support for equipment beyond dumbbells.
Solution
Solution
“If strength is your focus, there’s simply nothing for you past the beginner level.”
“There should be a feature to create and save my own plan from different workouts.”
“If strength is your focus, there’s simply nothing for you past the beginner level.”
“There should be a feature to create and save my own plan from different workouts.”
2. Progress Tracking
“I want to see how my fitness has improved over months or years, not just weeks.”
“The app just shows me data, but it doesn’t tell me what to do with it.”
“I want to see how my fitness has improved over months or years, not just weeks.”
“The app just shows me data, but it doesn’t tell me what to do with it.”
No tracking for specific workout progress (e.g. pace, reps).
No long-term data trends or analytics.
No personalized recommendations or actionable insights.
No tracking for specific workout progress (e.g. pace, reps).
No long-term data trends or analytics.
No personalized recommendations or actionable insights.
Solution
Solution
“If strength is your focus, there’s simply nothing for you past the beginner level.”
“There should be a feature to create and save my own plan from different workouts.”
“If strength is your focus, there’s simply nothing for you past the beginner level.”
“There should be a feature to create and save my own plan from different workouts.”
3. Social & Community
3. Social & Community
“I see my friend’s rings but can’t cheer them on or compete.”
“Why can’t I start a step challenge with coworkers?”
“Hit 500 workouts… and no one knows.”
“I see my friend’s rings but can’t cheer them on or compete.”
“Why can’t I start a step challenge with coworkers?”
“Hit 500 workouts… and no one knows.”
No group challenges or live competitions.
No way to share achievements within or outside the app.
Isolated, solo workout experience.
No group challenges or live competitions.
No way to share achievements within or outside the app.
Isolated, solo workout experience.
Solution
Solution
“If strength is your focus, there’s simply nothing for you past the beginner level.”
“There should be a feature to create and save my own plan from different workouts.”
“If strength is your focus, there’s simply nothing for you past the beginner level.”
“There should be a feature to create and save my own plan from different workouts.”
Design Approach and Process
Design Approach and Process
The design process followed a user-centric approach to ensure that the solutions aligned with real user needs, behaviors, and expectations.
The design process followed a user-centric approach to ensure that the solutions aligned with real user needs, behaviors, and expectations.
Personas
Personas
Maya, 24
School Admin
"I’m working just as hard, but the app doesn’t show me why my progress slowed."
Frustrations :
No context behind slowed progress.
No clear long-term trend visuals.
No insights from data.
Goals :
Compare monthly progress to stay motivated.
Understand why weight loss slowed recently.
Maya, 24
School Admin
"I’m working just as hard, but the app doesn’t show me why my progress slowed."
Frustrations :
No context behind slowed progress.
No clear long-term trend visuals.
No insights from data.
Goals :
Compare monthly progress to stay motivated.
Understand why weight loss slowed recently.
Alex, 24
Student
"I follow a 5-day split, but Apple Fitness forces me into their 30-minute generic workouts."
Frustrations :
No custom plans
Generic tracking
No progression tools
Goals :
Create custom gym routines
Track progressive overload
Sync plans
Maya, 24
School Admin
"I’m working just as hard, but the app doesn’t show me why my progress slowed."
Frustrations :
No context behind slowed progress.
No clear long-term trend visuals.
No insights from data.
Goals :
Compare monthly progress to stay motivated.
Understand why weight loss slowed recently.
User Flow
User Flow
Wireframes
Wireframes
UI
Reflection
Reflection
This project started from my own frustration with Apple Fitness – feeling stuck without ways to connect with friends or track progress properly. As I dug deeper, I realized I wasn’t alone. Many users felt the same. This made me even more motivated to find solutions that weren’t just fixes, but real improvements. It reminded me how design isn’t just about making things look good, it’s about understanding people, including myself, and creating something that actually makes their lives better.
This project started from my own frustration with Apple Fitness – feeling stuck without ways to connect with friends or track progress properly. As I dug deeper, I realized I wasn’t alone. Many users felt the same. This made me even more motivated to find solutions that weren’t just fixes, but real improvements. It reminded me how design isn’t just about making things look good, it’s about understanding people, including myself, and creating something that actually makes their lives better.
