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Transforming fitness with all-in-one sports app
We developed a multifunctional mobile sports application allowing clients to cover all their fitness needs, from finding a nearby gym to buying equipment.
Client and challenge
Our client, a UAE startup, approached us with a request to develop a mobile application offering users flexible access to sports facilities nationwide. We developed a dedicated application that enables users to find a suitable nearby gym and instantly purchase a subscription. The success of the application encouraged the client to expand the functionality of the app, incorporating more features that fitness enthusiasts are searching for online.
Throughout the entire process, we solved the following tasks:
- ensure stability under conditions of high load and rapid user base growth;
- integrate a motivation system based on users’ daily physical activity;
- add community building and interaction features;
- create an in-app shop.
Country
UAE
Client
YourFitness.Coach
Domain
Wellness and fitness services
Solution
Mobile app
Service
Technology
Solution
For the basic application, the team chose architecture based on Golang microservices and Kubernetes for the backend. For the front end, our developers created Admin UI and a mobile app for both iOS and Android.
New features were added to the mobile application and admin panel using the same architecture and tech stack.
Backend
The team opted for microservices architecture to ensure scalability, provide concurrency support, and integrate external services.
Using Golang, our engineers built several microservices, each responsible for its own domain.
To develop and implement new features in parallel, we split functionality into microservices. This also helped us significantly reduce development time and speed up the launch.
Mobile app
The basic mobile app provides a map and an overview of all available sports facilities, along with working hours, services offered, booking options, etc.
The user can purchase a monthly subscription with automatic renewal or a subscription for several months. Both types offer unlimited access to partner gyms within the network. The app also lets users book sessions with specific trainers at participating gyms.
Admin panel
The admin panel helps create and manage the app content and configure the app’s settings. Administrator accounts are created for gym administrators, challenge organizers, and vendors.
Facility administrators post relevant information, provide timely updates, set notifications, and track visitor attendance. Challenge administrators can create descriptions, set rules, monitor cheating, etc.
A dedicated interface for partner vendors on the admin panel allows them to add goods and services, modify card descriptions, and track purchases.
The panel also allows admins to create various kinds of reports and export them easily.
UX / UI design
When we started the engagement, the client provided a design concept from another team. Upon request, we conducted an audit of an existing design that concluded the previously existing design had poor usability and didn’t fully take into account user experience best practices. We were also concerned by a weak association of the overall aesthetics with the brand message and values.
With the data gathered through the set of workshops held with the client, our design experts created a visual concept and key user flows for the app.
Then, our team built informational architecture, created mockups, and tested their usability with a clickable prototype. After the launch, we gathered feedback that proved that the users had a very positive experience with the app.
Additional features
Activity tracking
We implemented a physical activity tracking feature through a diagram on the main screen. The goal was to color-fill the diagram sections, indicating that the daily target for steps and calories burned has been reached. Using data from Apple Health and Google Fit, the app awards points for each step and calorie. These points can subsequently be converted into coins, enabling users to make purchases in the in-app shop.
Challenges
The client regularly initiates competitions focused on the number of steps or calories burnt, motivating users from all over the world to be more active. In addition, organizations can create corporate challenges and engage in intercorporate competitions to encourage employees to engage in more physical activity. To ensure fair play, we came up with an anti-cheating mechanism, which detects when steps have been entered into Apple Health or Google Fit manually.
Community section
This section was created to connect users and build a community of like-minded people who share a love of sports and fitness. The feature allows users to search for and add friends, monitor their activity, and “like” their achievements records. Users can see the challenges their friends participate in and keep track of each others’ performance, which ensures competitive spirit and peer support.
Shop
The client decided to enrich the functionality of the app and generate additional revenue by launching an in-app online shop. This dedicated section of the app has all the attributes of an online shop, offering four categories of goods: apparel, services, equipment, and accessories. The section provides users with easy access to products while offering vendors an additional sales platform that aligns with their target audience.
Maintenance and support
Although YFC has its own system monitoring and support team to handle user inquiries and basic problems, they still need assistance with ongoing operational support to deal with complicated concerns demanding a deep understanding of the software. According to the agreement, the EffectiveSoft team adheres to a reactive approach, fixing issues requiring changes to the code or infrastructure setup upon the client’s request.
See also:
Fitness Apps
The ever-growing trend towards a healthy lifestyle has sparked interest in health and fitness app development. EffectiveSoft builds fitness apps that focus on the needs of professional athletes and amateurs.
Result
The result was a successful platform connecting fitness facilities, coaches, and their clients. The enhanced functionality facilitated single-app access to a multitude of features relevant to sports enthusiasts. This expansion not only broadened the audience but also enhanced user loyalty and created new sources of revenue for the client.
The engineers at EffectiveSoft continue to cooperate with the client.
Testimonial
“From the very beginning of our collaboration, it became evident that we had found a team that consistently performs above expectations, pushing the limits of creativity and consistently delivering industry-leading design concepts. I want to commend your team for their exceptional professionalism and communication skills. Throughout the entire design process, they have been incredibly attentive, proactive, and responsive to our needs. Their keen attention to detail, impeccable design aesthetics, and innovative ideas have positioned us as a leader in our field.”
Daniel Myburgh
Product Owner
YourFitness.Coach
Challenge
The primary pain point for our exclusively Arab target audience is typical one-year commitment required for gym memberships. This often doesn’t suit many individuals for various reasons: they may lose motivation, get bored, or relocate. Our project faced challenges such as tight deadlines and the need to completely redesign and create a new design concept from scratch.
MVP roadmap
Because time was limited, we decided to create a project roadmap to help us prioritize tasks and stay within our estimation. We did have to make some adjustments as we went along, but it served as an excellent reference point.
UX audit
When we began the collaboration, the client provided a design concept created by another team. At the client’s request, our team conducted a brief user experience (UX) audit of several flows. Our findings suggested that enhancing usability and aligning more closely with UX best practices could significantly improve the existing design. Additionally, we noted that the overall aesthetics could be better integrated with the brand’s message and values.
Design & analysis
After gathering data through a set of workshops held with the client, we developed the information architecture. Because the MVP contained an extensive number of features, this was a crucial initial step. Next, we created key user flows and mockups and tested their usability with a clickable prototype.
Visual concept
Since the initial design of the app did not meet the client’s expectations in terms of usability and visual appeal, we proposed a new visual approach. Our concept aimed to convey the brand’s message while emphasizing the app’s dynamism, modernity, and innovation, ensuring it appeared strong, technological, and active.
Signing up
The signup stage is crucial because it requires users to provide personal data and preferences, which helps the app better understand their future requests.
Activity tracking
We added a physical activity tracking feature with a diagram on the main screen that fills with color when daily targets for steps and calories are met. Using data from Apple Health and Google Fit, the app awards points for each step and calorie, which can be converted into coins for purchases in the in-app shop.
Gym access
We designed a simple and convenient flow for selecting and finding gym partners using a wide range of filters. Initially, we planned to allow access to gyms via QR code scanning. However, during implementation and testing, we encountered physical limitations. We developed several alternatives and ultimately our client chose to generate a pass card within the app, which users present at the gym entrance.
Users can select a subscription plan and pay in just a few clicks. Once done, the pass card is activated in the menu, making check-ins seamless.
Personal trainers
Not everyone is satisfied with just buying a gym membership. Personal trainers can solve motivation issues and make workouts more productive. Users can choose a fitness trainer based on location and specialization, and switch trainers if they find they’re not a good fit.
Challenges
The client regularly initiates competitions focused on the number of steps taken or calories burned, motivating users from all over the world to be more active. In addition, organizations can create corporate challenges and engage in intercorporate competitions to encourage employees to be more active.
Shop
The client decided to launch an in-app shop to enrich the functionality of the app and generate additional revenue. This dedicated section of the app has all the attributes of an online shop, offering four categories of goods: apparel, services, equipment, and accessories. The section gives users easy access to products while offering vendors an additional sales platform that aligns with their target audience.
Results & findings
We designed and successfully launched an app that is now steadily growing. The app is receiving positive feedback from users and has become a partner in the Dubai:30×30 fitness challenge.
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